It's the Second Run of 2012

I've been slacking a bit in terms of getting out, so I tried to make up for it by going longer. I had been questioning whether I'll be able to do the half marathon, due to my limited training and (dietary) effort in recent weeks. But I'm feeling good after seven miles , so maybe one more long one could convince me that I'm ready. I hit a new route, heading up to Toomer's via Gay, then down Magnolia to Donahue and down to Lem Morrison and back to Samford to Gay and home. I saw some students of mine by the Arena, and they waved vigorously, which was inspiring.

Playlist	"It" returns
Bring It On	Gomez
Ch-check It Out	Beastie Boys
(I Love It When You) Call Me Names	Joan Armatradding
Cool It Down	Velvet Underground
I Love It Loud	KISS
It's Expected I'm Gone	Minutemen
Let It Bleed	Rolling Stones
Tougher Than It Is	CAKE
Where It's At	Beck
Why Don't We Do It In The Road	Beatles
Say It Ain't So	Weezer
Save It For Later	English Beat
Life and How To Live It	REM
Legalize It	Peter Tosh
It's Summertime	Flaming Lips
If It Runs	Bad Livers
I Wanna Know If It's Good To You	Funkadelic

Times
L1	12:27
L2	6:26
L3	5:56
L4	21:03
L5	5:55
L6	11:12
L7	0:52
Total	1:03:52

Distance 7.0 miles

Cumulative 13.0 miles

Athens GA Half Marathon

I made it out to Athens, where I ran the Athens Half Marathon as planned. I didn't get any more running in this week, after the 10 mile last Sunday, but that didn't seem to hurt me. My goal was to come in under 2 hours, and I did it. The course was quite lovely, starting on the campus of UGA, and snaking around Athens, up through the neighborhood where we stayed with some old friends from Oregon, Doug and Elizabeth, and their two year old daughter, Clara. Doug ran it also, though mostly because I was there to do it. He bikes quite a bit, and he came in about 1:45. The course was a bit hilly, more hilly than Auburn's half, anyway, with a great big climb at the end to arrive right downtown. As I often do, I was passing people on the late climb, which felt good, especially as many of these folks had been jockeying back and forth with me for as much as 1o or 11 miles. As in January, with the AORTA Half, my hips started barking quite a bit towards the end. I also got a huge blood blister. But apart from that, I'm feeling quite good for having run it, and would probably like to do it again next year.

Playlist
El Microfono	Mexican Institute of Sound
Save It For Later	English Beat
No Expectations	Rolling Stones
Creep	Radiohead
Gardening at Night	REM
Beaux Dimanches	Amadou & Mariam
Epistle to Dippy	Donovan
Steppin' Out	Steel Pulse
Evil Urges	My Morning Jacket
Rocks Off	Rolling Stones
The Distance	Cake
Fish, Chips and Sweat	Funkadelic
Good Vibrations	The Beach Boys
Rock Problems	The Hold Steady
Queen Bitch	David Bowie
Driving South	Jimi Hendrix Experience
Let It Bleed	Rolling Stones
Monkey	Matthew Dear
Monkey Man	Rolling Stones
Bring It On	Gomez
Who Loves the Sun	Velvet Underground
Cool It Down	Velvet Underground
Rock and Roll	Velvet Underground
Lust For Life	Iggy Pop
The Man Who Sold The World	David Bowie
Mexican Radio	Wall of Voodoo
The New World	X
Wat Da Hook Gon Be	Murphy Lee
Here It Goes Again	OK Go
Fireflies	Owl City
Blind Mary	Gnarls Barkley

Time (unofficial)
1:57:??, 1:56:?? net (accounting for wave delay)

Distance 13.1 miles
Cumulative distance 14.8 + 13.1 = 27.9 miles

West Pace mileage recalculation

Have I been miscalculating? So my newer longer route out the bike path I previously had at, what, 7. something? Now I remeasure and it comes out around 6.8. Boo. That burns me up a bit. Anyway, I did this route plus a little extra, and it came out to 7.3 miles. I often find it difficult mentally to go past my designated finish point, so today I wanted to break myself of that habit and push just a little bit further. So I went around the block for an extra 0.4. This month, anyway, I know I've got an honest 39+ logged, and enough to fill in, in case I shorted myself on any of the previous months by my poor measuring skills, self-directed blame which I share with gmap-pedometer. No wait, on looking back the fault is entirely my own. The 7.8 mile route included Old Wright's Mill, which added an extra mile. And I think I only botched one other run, in this month, so I think it's okay, I only have to do a little bit of editing to fix everything. Tonight I heading up to Birmingham to see one of my favorite bands, Meat Puppets at the Bottletree. I added their new album to the end of this playlist, and only got into the first two songs.

Playlist mostly mellow
Dead Flowers Rolling Stones
Jack-Ass Beck
Who Loves the Sun Velvet Underground
Rainy Day Woman Waylon Jennings
Burning Down the House Talking Heads
Where I'm From Shelby Lynne
Life on Mars? Seu Jorge
Gardening At Night R.E.M.
Windy and Warm Richard Kiser
Ambulance Blues Neil Young
Walk On the Wild Side Lou Reed
Smile Lily Allen
Notion Kings of Leon
Slavedriver Jenny and Johnny
It's Summertime Flaming Lips
Incomplete Meat Puppets
Orange Meat Puppets

Times
L1 8:16
L2 6:39
L3 12:22
L4 8:57
L5 8:57
L6 7:29
L7 7:07
L8 0:58
L9 3:22
L10 0:56
Total 1:05:04
I did manage to achieve 6.8 miles in just over an hour, so it does make finishing the half marathon in under 2 hours seem plausible if not likely.

Distance 7.3 miles
Cumulative distance 51.4 miles. I've gone back to my last run on this route and edited the mileage, so everything should be correct now.

Bit warmer out = walking on long route.

Much as I don't like to walk, I prefer it to hurting myself. I didn't get out this morning because I had duties with which to dispatch. So, duty done, I got out on a run. It rained cats and dogs last night, but today was rather warm and muggy, and a bit overcast as well. I decided I wanted to go out Ogletree again, since I feel like I need to acclimate to long runs, and I've been doing well. I was doing all right, but getting a bit tired on the way out. On the way back, I decided I needed a short break, so I walked a bit, about 0.2 miles, by my guess.

Playlist
Evil Urges	My Morning Jacket
Jeepster	T.Rex
Epistle to Dippy	Donovan
Round and Round	Ratt
Sex On Fire	Kings of Leon
Dreadlock Holiday	10cc
Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed	David Bowie
Slavedriver	Jenny and Johnny
Hold On Loosely	.38 Special
What New York Used To Be	the Kills
Ventilator Blues	Rolling Stones
Heroes	David Bowie
Atomic Dog	George Clinton
L.M.L.Y.P.	Ween
Ball and Biscuit	White Stripes
Too Hot	the Specials
Houses in Motion	Talking Heads

Times
L1 8'12
L2 11'22
L3 18'52
L4 19'12
L5 7'57
L6 3'37 (walking)
L7 3'23
L8 8'08
L9 0'43"
Total 1:21:23


Distance 8.6-0.2 (walking) =8.4
Cumulative distance 36.7+8.4=44.1. Monthly quota accomplished with 9 days to go in a short month. (little bit proud).

Shel Toomer West Pace Route again

I wanted to go on the long side again, having missed a weekend run and trying to pack on the miles before the half marathon in October, so I went out on a route I've done once before, out to the Shel Toomer Bike Path and around West Pace (the car dealerships and someday giant consumers' paradise). Remind me not to wear those shorts again. Their not really shorts, they're swim trunks, and they bunch up oddly when I run.

Playlist	-Long and Eclectic
Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go	Soft Cell
Chant a Psalm	Steel Pulse
Creep	Radiohead
Cool It Down	Velvet Underground
Yoshimi Battle the Pink Robots Pt. I	Flaming Lips
Ice Ice Baby	Vanilla Ice
Crosseyed and Painless	Talking Heads
Jeepster	T. Rex
Wat Da Hook Gon Be	Murphy Lee
There Goes My Gun	Pixies
Cracklin' Rosie	Neil Diamond
The Wurlitzer Prize	Waylon Jennings
Enchanted Porkfist	Meat Puppets
Good Vibrations	Beach Boys
Smile	Lily Allen
Round and Round	Ratt
El Bodeguero	Orquesta Aragon

Times

L1	8:32
L2	7:11
L3	22:35
L4	9:25
L5	7:55
L6	7:35
L7	0:49
Total	1:04:03

Distance 6.8 miles
Cumulative 24.0 miles

Back in Sweat Home Alabama

And I do mean sweat. It's been muggy and hot, though not as hot as a lot of other places in the southeast where it's been totally unbearable. I've been off partly because of sloth and fear of melting into a puddle of saline ooze, and partly because of work and no childcare and temporary single-parenting and baseball addiction.

However, tonight is the last night of summer vacation for my girls, and I felt I was overdue for a run, which I am now, so I doffed my shirt and hit the road after the last out of the Red Sox-Twins, which coupled with the Yankees loss means happy good news for me, though a late start for a long run.

I ran to Toomer's, which was pretty quiet this time of night on a Tuesday between semesters, so now I'm pretty well back on track for the time being, except I don't think I should do all of it in large chunks like that (large for me, 5+ miles).

Playlist
Dirty Water -the Standells
Honky Tonk Women -the Rolling Stones
I Lost It -Lucinda Williams
Big Time -Peter Gabriel
I Zimbra -Talking Heads
Bust a Move -Young MC
Caught Up In You -.38 Special
Black Country Rock -David Bowie
Way Over Yonder In the Minor Key -Billy Bragg and Wilco
Party in the USA -Miley Cyrus
Search and Destroy -Iggy Pop
Ruby -Kaiser Chiefs
Emperor Tomato Ketchup -Stereolab
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab

Times
L1 12:29
L2 6:18
L3 5:58
L4 4:57
L5 6:39
L6 3:32
L7 11:29
L8 0:54
Total 52:15

Distance 5.6 miles
Cumulative 11.0 miles

A Golden Finish to July!

After a nice long run through Golden Gate Park, I thought I'd head the other direction and attempt the Golden Gate Bridge. It's 2.25 miles from the house to the bridge plus 1.2 miles each way, for a round trip of 6.7 miles. That puts me over my quota for the month! The route over through the Presidio is quite beautiful, although it's mostly up one side of a big hill and back down the other. Once on the bridge, it's quite a tangle of tourists on foot and bicycle, not too many other runners. It got much less congested after the first stanchion, and even less so after the second, although there was some traffic coming from the Marin side at the end. Yay for nice cool conditions to get me up to my goal with a few days to spare.

I have to wonder if I've set the bar too low, seeing as how I was slacking off at the beginning of the month, and I have a couple of days to spare at the end. On the other hand, this is only the third month I've completed my goal out of the twelve I've committed to, and I'm certainly a bit worn about the calves and knees as a result. Look out August! Here I come!

Playlist (California and Western States Influence)
El Microfono -Mexican Institute of Sound
Corona -Minutemen
Straight Outta Compton -NWA
No Phone -Cake
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
In This House That I Call Home -X
Come As You Are -Nirvana
Let Me Drown -Soundgarden
Jane Says -Jane's Addiction
Hot Pink -Meat Puppets
History Lesson Part 2 -Minutemen
I'm a Mindless Idiot -Meat Puppets
Time Is Too Expensive -Del The Funky Homosapien
When I Win The Lottery -Camper Van Beethoven
Motel Room In My Bed -X
Long Line Of Cars -Cake
Gin and Juice -Snoop Dogg
Carbon Monoxide -Cake
Walk On By -Cake
Strange Apparition -Beck
Mustache Man -Cake

Times
L1 37:25
L2 36:57
Total 1:14:22

Distance 6.7 miles
Cumulative 34.0 +6.7 =40.7 miles W00T!

If you're going to San Francisco...

I'm back in California for a visit to my in-laws who live in San Francisco, pretty much right between the Presidio and Golden Gate Park. Since it's Sunday, I thought I'd head west towards GGP, which is largely closed off to car traffic today. I up 14th Ave to Geary, then across and across again and up Funston to enter through the Rose Garden, then down towards the beach.
It's probably about 15-20 degrees cooler here than back home, which made my body happy, and enabled me to get a nice long run in. My calves are still barking a bit, but hopefully Vitamin I (as in ibuprofen) will help sort it out. I ran in my old New Balance, since I don't think I'm up to such a long run in the Five Fingers.

Playlist (in honor of GGP, mostly hippie hits from the 60's and 70's).
Going to California -Led Zeppelin
One More Saturday Night -Grateful Dead
Rocks Off -Rolling Stones
The Jean Genie -David Bowie
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) -Jimi Hendrix
Breakdown -Parliament
Rock & Roll -Lou Reed & Velvet Underground
Friends -Led Zeppelin
Celebration Day -Led Zeppelin
Lucifer Sam -Pink Floyd
Standing on the Verge of Getting It On -Funkadelic
What Goes On -Velvet Underground
What Is Life -George Harrison
No Expectations -Rolling Stones
Width of A Circle -David Bowie
You're My Best Friend -Queen
Chicken Strut -the Meters

Times
L1 1:12:29
L2 0:30
Total 1:12:59

Distance 7.7 miles
Cumulative 34.0 miles. Getting close to my goal!

Long+Heat Exhaustion=Walking

There's been a heat exhaustion warning throughout much of the south over the past few days. When I started out this morning, I thought it seemed all right, though very humid, and overcast. So I opted for a long run, down Ogletree, not sure how I'd come back, either by doubling back, or coming back via Moore's Mill, or cutting it shorter by coming up Windway. I decided to take the middle route, distancewise, and come back via Moore's Mill and University. As I got to the intersection of Ogletree and Moore's Mill, I thought I needed a little break so I stopped to walk for a little bit. I did get going, but decided to walk up the big hill to Grove Hill as well. Then I walked a bit again. It was pretty hot and miserable out there, so I really didn't want to hurt myself.

Playlist
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) -AC/DC
Italian Leather Sofa -CAKE
It's Summertime -Flaming Lips
Gimme Shelter -Rolling Stones
Black Hole Sun -Soundgarden
Hands All Over -Soundgarden
Don't Sh*t Where You Eat -Ween
Once in a Lifetime -Talking Heads
Fat Bottomed Girls -Queen
Come As You Are -Nirvana
Burn the Honkey Tonk Down -Meat Puppets
Back in Black -AC/DC
Across the Universe -the Beatles
Iron Man -Black Sabbath
Tougher Than It Is -Cake
Queen B*tch -David Bowie
Watching the Detectives -Elvis Costello
What Is Life -George Harrison

Times
L1 9:09
L2 13:12
L3 21:16
L4 (walk) 4:58
L5 6:04
L6 (walk) 4:15
L7 9:08
L8 (walk) 4:53
L9 3:54
L10 0:51
Total 1:17:41

Distance 7.0 miles - 0.5 walking =6.5 miles
Cumulative 14.8 miles (just about back on track)

I hate to have to walk, but I guess not as much as I hate to hurt myself for foolish gains. Today I ran the GWCToomers route, backwards, and was experiencing some left knee pain as I came down the hill from the Art Museum. I walked the 0.1 mile to the stop sign and started up again, only to walk up from Town Creek to the next street (about 0.2 miles). The ending felt okay, but I'll have to see how it goes. I'm awfully close to my goal for the month, with about a week to spare, so I don't need to do anything stupid. It's only getting hotter though, and once my kids get out of school (tomorrow) I'll have to adjust my running schedule.

Playlist
Slavedriver -Jenny and Johnny
Turn It On -Flaming Lips
Use Somebody -Kings of Leon
Rock Problems -the Hold Steady
We're Here -Meat Puppets
The Man Who Sold The World -David Bowie
Notion -Kings of Leon
White Girl -X
Jane Says -Jane's Addiction
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
What New York Used to Be -the Kills
Profanity Prayers -Beck
Rock & Roll -Lou Reed
Where It's At -Beck
Paranoid -Black Sabbath
Superunknown -Soundgarden

Times
L1 13:12
L2 6:37
L3 6:17
L4 5:23
L5 6:59
L6 4:37
L7 13:39
L8 0:52
Total 57:36

Distance 5.6 (-0.3 walking) = 5.3 miles
Cumulative distance 37.9 miles

A Few Twists

Today I decided to hit an old, longer route; out the bike path and back. It being still a bit cool, I decided to take a few twists and turns, though, to add a little to it. At the end of the bike path near College St, I decided to turn into the area with the car dealership and around, rather than taking the other half of the entirely too steep road cut. Then at the top of the last hill, I decided to head down and around Old Wright's Mill Rd, which added another little bit. All together, it added about another 1.5 miles to this route.

Playlist
Cool Blue Reason -CAKE
The W.A.N.D. -the Flaming Lips
Shadow Stabbing -CAKE
Safe European Home -the Clash
Clampdown -the Clash
Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed -David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust -David Bowie
Plastic Jesus -the Flaming Lips
What Is Life -George Harrison
Mr. Charlie -Grateful Dead
Ashes to Ashes -David Bowie
Search and Destroy -Iggy and the Stooges
Ruby Sees All -CAKE
I Do -J. Geils Band
Rock 'n Roll All Nite -KISS
Rock and Roll -Led Zeppelin
Candy Store Rock -Led Zeppelin
Blanket of Weeds -Meat Puppets
Lump -the Presidents of the USA
Gimme Shelter -the Rolling Stones

Times
L1 8:54
L2 7:33
L3 14:20
L4 10:05
L5 10:03
L6 8:23
L7 11:42
L8 0:52
Total 1:11:53

Distance 7.8 miles
Cumulative distance 28.5 miles

Warmup for Love Your Heart

Love Your Heart 10k is this weekend. I ran it last year, and just signed up to run it again this year, thanks to the spurring of my buddy, Wayne. He's maybe a couple of years younger than me, similar height, slimmer and a lot faster. So it makes me happy that he encourages me to take part in these things. First day out in shorts and t-shirt this year. Ran down the bike path and back, most of the course of the LYH.

Playlist
They'll Need a Crane -They Might Be Giants
As Good As I Can Feel -Funkadelic
Making Flippy Floppy -Talking Heads
1999 -Prince
On A Plain -Nirvana
Rock Problems -the Hold Steady
Search and Destroy -Iggy and the Stooges
Enchanted Pork Fist -Meat Puppets
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
El Microfono -Mexican Institute of Sound
Caught Up In You -.38 Special
Bust a Move -Young MC
The World's A Mess, It's In My Kiss -X
All I Do Is Win -DJ Khaled
Don't Let's Start -TMBG
Roses Are Free -Ween

Times
L1 15:23 (home to bike path)
L2 12:59 (1st leg of bike path)
L3 4:00 (2nd leg, down to dip into car lot)
L4 11:16 (rest of bike path)
L5 8:17 (end bike path to Ogletree)
L6 7:53 (Ogletree to Tanglewood)
L7 0:52 (home)
Total 1:00:40

Distance 6.4 miles
Cumulative distance 13.4 miles

Gearing up for the half marathon

Another 6+ to gear up for the half marathon this coming Saturday. University, Donahue, Magnolia, Gay all the way (no turn on Thach/Armstrong).

Playlist
Girl -Beck
Hot Pink -Meat Puppets
Lump -Presidents of the USA
Clap Hands -Tom Waits
Little Man With A Gun In His Hand -Minutemen
What Goes On -Velvet Underground
Your Phone's Off The Hook, But You're Not -X
Big Jilm -Ween
Sour Cherry -The Kills
Confusion Fog -Meat Puppets
All Apologies -Nirvana
Seven Nation Army -White Stripes
Undone (The Sweater Song) -Weezer
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Let Forever Be -Chemical Brothers
Tried and True -Ween
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Part II -Flaming Lips
War Pigs -Black Sabbath

Times
L1 14:46
L2 17:38
L3 4:39
L4 7:15
L5 6:12
L6 12:12
L7 0:49
Total 1:03:31

Distance 6.7 miles
Cumulative distance 23.6 miles

Back in Auburn, going long

Back on the road after a few days off again, after getting back to Auburn.
Down Wright's Mill to Ogletree and back up Moore's Mill to University. One of my big loops. The inspirational nature of the mix got me to turn left at the stop sign and keep going. At least now I feel a little more confidence in getting to do that half marathon.

Playlist (Inspirational)
White Girl -X
The World's A Mess, It's In My Kiss -X
Lust for Life -Iggy Pop
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Born Free -M.I.A.
Bust A Move -Young M.C.
I Just Got Back -Parliament
Electric Avenue -Eddy Grant
The Next Episode -Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
Red Hot Mama -Funkadelic
Our Lips Are Sealed -the Go-Gos
Exactly Where I'm At -Ween
Jimmy the Exploder -White Stripes
Opera Singer -Cake
Meanwhile, Rick James -Cake
F**k You -Cee Lo Green
Save It For Later -the English Beat
Rock Problems -the Hold Steady

Times
L1 8:35
L2 12:04
L3 20:50
L4 26:21
L5 0:49
Total 1:08:13

Distance 7.1 miles (got under 10 minute miles, yay)
Cumulative distance 9.9 miles

Tough Ten

That picture there is from the halfway point on the Tough Ten. I finished it, which was objective 1. Objective 2, finishing under 10 minute miles also good. Objective 3, finishing under 9 minute miles, not achieved (see times below). All told, I felt pretty good throughout, even bursting into song during some points (Mexican Radio, Suspicious Minds), I think I was getting large doses of endorphins during those points, really. Thanks so much to my friend, Penny, who organized the race and personally handed me an application a couple of months ago, in plenty of time to train (though I could have gotten under 9 minute miles, I'm sure).

I may do the Forestry 5K next weekend, before my friends wedding and the Arkansas game.

Playlist
Turn It On -Flaming Lips
Crazy -Gnarls Barkley
Modern Love -David Bowie
Caught Up In You -.38 Special
Push Th' Little Daisies -Ween
Houses In Motion -Talking Heads
Whip It -Devo (this one probably drove that 8:48 mile)
Save It For Later -English Beat
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Come As You Are -Nirvana
Once In A Lifetime -Talking Heads
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
The Wizard Turns On -Flaming Lips
Seven Nation Army -White Stripes
Sugar -Imperial Teen
Queen Bitch -David Bowie
Electric Avenue -Eddy Grant
Suspicious Minds -Elvis Presley
Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell -Flaming Lips
Heroes -David Bowie
Lust for Live -Iggy Pop
Give It Up of Turnit Loose -James Brown
Ruby -Kaiser Chiefs (I was wearing my Kaizer Chiefs cap)
Calling Dr. Love -KISS

Times (by mile)
M1 9:25
M2 8:48
M3 9:33
M4 9:15
M5 9:25
M6 9:13
M7 9:11
M8 9:22
M9 9:04
M10 9:11
Total 1:32:28

Distance 10.0 miles
Cumulative distance 22.2 miles

Sunday Morning Toomer's

First run of October, and it was a good one. I did register for the Tough Ten, but I knew I had to get a long one in before even thinking about actually doing it. After my last debacle on a 6+, I had to get a good one in. I thought about going out last night, late, but also thought in spite of my typical morning inertia, I had to do it in broad daylight. The weather this morning was optimal, just a bit cool as I left the house. I ran the route down University to Donahue, up to Magnolia and past Toomer's corner (pictured above, following yesterday's blowout of Louisiana-Monroe), and down Gay over to Armstrong, and then down College to the Art Museum and back via Gay, University, Wright's Mill, Tanglewood.

Playlist
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) -AC/DC
Mama Africa -Peter Tosh
Black Country Rock -David Bowie
Electric Avenue -Eddy Grant
The W.A.N.D. -Flaming Lips
Atomic Dog -George Clinton
Lust For Life -Iggy Pop
Suffragette City -David Bowie
Ruby -Kaiser Chiefs
Sour Cherry -the Kills
Calling Dr. Love -KISS
Big Chief -Professor Longhair
Candy Store Rock -Led Zeppelin
Swimming Ground -Meat Puppets
All Apologies -Nirvana
The Sky is Fallin' -Queens of the Stone Age
Driver 8 -R.E.M.

Times
L1 16:05
L2 18:36
L3 5:24
L4 7:14
L5 7:48
L6 3:33
L7 12:07
L8 0:47

Distance 7.2 miles
Cumulative distance 7.2 miles

Oy

I've had to take another chunk of time off. My wife's been out of the country, and I don't feel right going out at night and leaving the kids home alone and asleep, (and not just because it's against the law). Also, the three of us have had a 24 stomach bug go through us in turn, so I've had to tend to them as well. I thought I'd try to get out for a longer run, down to the bike trail and back. I made down and back to Wright's Mill, but had to stop and walk for a bit (grrr.), then got started up and decided I had to walk some more (double grr). Not a big surprise, after more than a week off and trying for a longer run than I'd done in a while. It doesn't bode well for the 10 mile in two weeks, but injuring myself would be even more of a setback. I made it in just as it started raining. I would have missed it entirely had I been able to run the whole way (frown).

Playlist
Pithecanthropus Erectus -Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop
Roxanne Roxanne -UTFO
What New York Used to Be -the Kills
Heroes -David Bowie
Black Country Rock -David Bowie
White Lines (Don't Do It) -Grandmaster Flash
A Little Better -Gnarls Barkley
No More Tears -Ozzy Osbourne
Ventilator Blues -Rolling Stones
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Away -Meat Puppets
Shhhh/Peaceful -Miles Davis

Times
L1 9:11
L2 7:45
L3 15:39
L4 16: 22
L5 1:32
L6 6:21 (walking)
L7 3:11
L8 7:11 (walking)
L9 4:03
L10 0:56

Distance 6.2 miles (not sure how much walking, maybe 1 mile?)
Cumulative distance 17.1

Back to Toomer's

Another nighttime jaunt. Finally made it back up to 5.6 miles, all the way up to Toomer's and back. Felt pretty good, most of the way. A little back tightness, a little calf tightness, but over all, it felt good. I'm glad to be halfway back to 10 miles. Hopefully this bodes well for the Tough Ten.

Playlist
Gimme Shelter -Rolling Stones
Fish, Chips and Sweat -Funkadelic
Queen Bitch -David Bowie
Clampdown -the Clash
In This House That I Call Home -X
To Kingdom Come -the Band
Come As You Are -Nirvana
Sissyneck -Beck
Paranoid -Black Sabbath
Heroes -David Bowie
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Buckingham Green -Ween
Seven Nation Army -White Stripes
Ruby -Kaiser Chiefs

Times
L1 13:39
L2 3:44
L3 12:46
L4 5:59
L5 6:25
L6 11:55
L7 0:55
Total 55:23

Distance: 5.6 miles
Cumulative distance: 10.9 miles

Classic Rock

A little bit further still this evening. Up to Samford, over to College, and back via Woodfield and Gay.

Playlist -all "classic rock"
Sweet Emotion -Aerosmith
L.A. Woman -the Doors
Pump it Up -Elvis Costello
I Love It Loud -KISS
Rock & Rock -Lou Reed and Velvet Underground
Crazy Train -Ozzy Osbourne
You're My Best Friend -Queen
Street Fighting Man -Rolling Stones
Oye Como Va -Santana
Bang a Gong (Get It On) -T. Rex

Times
L1 13:25
L2 6:19
L3 7:32
L4 3:34
L5 11:39
L6 0:53
Total 43:21

Distance 4.6 miles
Cumulative distance 14.0

More days off. Feeling beat up

Another few days off. Sunday I went up to Lake Martin with the girls and some friends. It was fun, but in spite of frequent application of sunscreen, I got sunburned about the head and shoulders. Also got a cut on my foot, and a scrape on my knee. So I was feeling pretty beat up.
Today was the first day I really felt up to the challenge of physical activity. My foot felt better, and without my shirt, my skin felt all right as well. Another nighttime run, up to Toomer's and back. Instead of cutting in at Briarwood as I usually do, I ran down to Tanglewood and in to add a few feet.

Playlist
Dirty Water -the Standells
Alone + Easy Target -Foo Fighters
African -Peter Tosh
Sympathy for the Devil -Rolling Stones
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
What a Day That Was -Talking Heads
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Fell in Love With a Girl -White Stripes
Unfinished Instrumental -Parliament
Electricity(Drugs) -Talking Heads
Gin and Juice -Snoop Dogg
Wanted Dread and Alive -Peter Tosh
Gangsta Gangsta -N.W.A.

Times
L1 12:25
L2 3:20
L3 11:31
L4 6:52
L5 6:00
L6 12:05
L7 0:45
Total 52:59

Distance 5.8 miles
Cumulative distance 35.5. Probably not getting to 20/100.