Hot End of May

I don't think I'll get out again tomorrow, so this is where I'm likely to hang it up for the month.  Not even close to my monthly goal. Sigh.  I just have to keep trying.  Tonight I went up Gay to Samford, and then turned out toward Dean.  Down Dean to University, and back home that way.

Playlist
Loser	Beck
Heart of Glass	Blondie
Tougher Than It Is	CAKE
(I Was Born In A) Laundromat	Camper Van Beethoven
Epistle to Dippy	Donovan
Electric Avenue	Eddy Grant
New Amsterdam	Elvis Costello
Rock and Roll, Pt. 2	Gary Glitter
What Is Life	George Harrison
Bring It On	Gomez
Chameleon	Herbie Hancock

Distance 4.91 mi
Cumulative 25.00 miles
Time 42:58 min
Pace 8:44 min/mi

Return of It

First run since my bday.  It's getting warm out there, and I should be trying to get out earlier.  Today I went down to Chewacla and back, then turned into the neighborhood across from Ogletree, Wright's Crossing I think it's called.  That made for a 4.56 mile loop altogether.  So my new goals for the new year: 40 miles a month, no run less than 4 miles, and try and complete 1 full marathon.

Playlist	Return of IT
Don't Blame It On I	the Congos
I Lost It	Lucinda Williams
Get It Together	Beastie Boys
It's Expected I'm Gone	Minutemen
Let It Bleed	Rolling Stones
Jam On It	Newcleus
Where It's At	Beck
Tougher Than It Is	CAKE
Life and How to Live It	REM

Distance 4.56 miles
Cumulative 13.67 miles
Pace 8:30 min/mi

Start of April

Due to business, I've had to skip getting up to 50 miles last month, and gotten a late start on April. Today, I opted to go up and into Grove Hill, out towards University, up Moore's Mill to Dean, and back down to University and home. Turns out it's not quite five miles. One more good run will have me back on track for my monthly goal, though. Hopefully I can find the inspiration for those eight nine ten mile runs again.

Playlist
All Apologies	Nirvana
Jump Around	House of Pain
The Jean Genie	David Bowie
Walk On By	Cake
Strange Apparition	Beck
Draw the Line	Aerosmith
Manic Depression	Jimi Hendrix
Tougher Than It Is	Cake
A Little Better	Gnarls Barkley
Notion	Kings of Leon
Heart of Glass	Blondie
Epistle to Dippy	Donovan

Distance 4.95 mi

Cumulative 4.95 mi

Time 42:42

Pace 8:38 min/mi

Windy and Warm Evening

Another crack at the Gay-Magnolia-Donahue-Lem Morrison-Samford-Gay route. I went out after the girls' bedtime, and after a good sized (i.e. not small) dinner featuring some tasty, delicious sausage. I was worried it would sit like a stone in my gut. I did feel a little sluggish in parts, and felt like I'd slowed down quite a bit on the way home, but I didn't need to stop. It was windy and warm out, my favorite kind of weather really, almost 70 F out there.

Playlist
New Amsterdam	Elvis Costello
Honky Tonk Women	Rolling Stones
Who Loves the Sun	Velvet Underground
Genius of Love	Tom Tom Club
Cities	Talking Heads
Solidify	Sheryl Crow
Smile	Lily Allen
Driving South	Jimi Hendrix Experience
Rock and Roll	Led Zeppelin
Gardening At Night	REM
Bring It On	Gomez
Search and Destroy	Iggy and the Stooges
Electric Avenue	Eddy Grant
Opera Singer	CAKE
Paranoid	Black Sabbath
Beercan	Beck
Sweet Emotion	Aerosmith

Distance 7.0 miles

Cumulative 31.7 miles. The rest should be doable.

Time 1:03:58

Pace 9:08 min/mile

I didn't run the Love Your Heart 10k this year because my calves were feeling like they might go bad again. So I've been kind of a lump and haven't gone out again until today. I tried a variation on my typical 4.0 mile, up Loftin (a bit daunting hill) and across Peachtree back out to Gay, adding about 0.3 miles to the route.

Playlist - a bunch of songs to play on the guitar

The Width of a Circle	David Bowie
Fiona	Lyle Lovett
Mexico	Cake
New Amsterdam	Elvis Costello
Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You	John Prine
Two Glasses Joe	Ernest Tubb
There's a Tear In My Beer	Hank Williams Sr and Hank Williams Jr
Paradise	John Prine
Rowboat	Johnny Cash
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)	Waylon Jennings
Folsom Prison Blues	Johnny Cash

Time 37:47

Distance 4.3 miles

Cumulative 24.7 miles (yes, I need to get on my horse and run to reach my goal).

Pace 8:50 min/mi

After the Half

A lovely morning it is this morning. And with a relative lull in my teaching duties, I decided to go out on a run. I went up out of the neighborhood and into Grove Hill, then left on Moore's Mill, and up to Dean Road. Then back down Dean to University and home. I felt pretty good. After a half marathon and a couple of days' rest, five miles is feeling like not very much. I feel like a key to getting my speed up is using my thighs more and my calves less. Since I started running again a few years ago, my main goal has been aerobic exercise to improve cardio health. I had read that speed wasn't important, and was in fact counterproductive, as it puts more stress on joints and muscles, etc. So I adopted a technique of running with mostly just lower legs.
But I like trying to improve upon my speed as well, and I think to do that a good start would be using my thighs more. After all, they are bigger muscles and have more swing in them. We'll see how this goes. I don't want to hurt myself.

Playlist- leftovers from the Half Marathon playlist plus

Cool It Down	Velvet Underground
Monkey	Matthew Dear
Driving South	Jimi Hendrix
Evil Urges	My Morning Jacket
Sex On Fire	Kings of Leon
Pop Muzik	M
Tougher Than It Is	Cake
Search and Destroy	Iggy and the Stooges
Once In A Lifetime	Talking Heads
Fat Bottomed Girls	Queen
Smile	Lily Allen

Times
L1 23:35 (home to end of Grove Hill)
L2 18:16
L3 0:43 (sprinting with my thighs, not my calves)

Distance 5.0 miles
Cumulative distance 32.9 miles. 6.1 to go for October's goal.

Last of September

Up Gay Street to Samford, back via College, Donahue, University. Thought about turning into Town Creek Park, didn't do it. I feel like I have a lot to do at work, and I need to get in there. I think I'm doing all right, mileage-wise. Another Stones-rich playlist.

Playlist-Song	Artist
You Got the Silver	Rolling Stones
Good Vibrations	Beach Boys
Stray Cat Blues	Rolling Stones
The Man Who Sold the World	David Bowie
Seen and Not Seen	Talking Heads
B*tch	Rolling Stones
2000 Light Years From Home	Rolling Stones
Turn It On	Flaming Lips
Walk On By	CAKE
Diamond Dogs	David Bowie
What Is Life	George Harrison

Times
L1	11:45
L2	5:35
L3	6:44
L4	5:58
L5	12:10
L6	0:49
Total	43:01

Distance 5.1 miles
Cumulative distance 56.5 miles. A good jump in mileage.

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!

Summer 5K part V, Welcome to July

Because of some wheeling and dealing (and sloth and indolence) I've been idle until today, July-wise. Tonight was the 5th Summer 5K, and I knew I'd get out there, so here is where I start the month. I wasn't sure if I'd feel well rested, or like a soggy lump. I did have to stop at the water stop on the way back, which let the Sheriff pass me, and kept me from getting in under 27:00. Maybe, perhaps I just needed a break and wouldn't have made it under 27 regardless.

Playlist
Superunknown -Soundgarden
Queen B*tch -David Bowie
Girl -Beck
The Whistling Song -Meat Puppets
Qhude Manikiniki -Umahlathini Nabo
Cretin Hop -The Ramones
Ruby Sees All -CAKE
Salt of the Earth -the Rolling Stones

Time
unofficially 27:07

Distance 3.1 miles
Cumulative distance 3.1 miles

Muggy but nicer

It's a bit overcast and it might rain shortly, which is good because we need rain. The temperature is down a bit, but the humidity is quite high. I got off to a good start and decided to go down to Toomer's Corner and back, the ol' 5.6 mile route. And it's our Wedding Anniversary, yay!

Playlist -A nice one, seemed to flow well.
Take Me Away -Ween
Cut -Minutemen
China Girl -David Bowie
Highway to Hell -AC/DC
Celebration Day -Led Zeppelin
Buk-In-Hamm Palace -Peter Tosh
Loser -Beck
Cobbler -Meat Puppets
The Gnome -Pink Floyd
It's Up To You -the Specials
The Day I Tried To Live -Soundgarden
It's Summertime -Flaming Lips
Meanwhile Rick James... -CAKE
Nappy Dugout -Funkadelic

Times
L1 12:23
L2 6:31
L3 6:11
L4 4:49
L5 6:38
L6 3:34
L7 11:16
L8 0:48
Total 52:11

Distance 5.6 miles
Cumulative distance 28.5 miles

Stinky Hat

A route with lots of new terra incognita today. I ran up over the interstate and went left down University, then up into Town Creek Park and around the pond to the left. Out to Gay Street and up to Woodfield, up to the Art Museum and left to Kimberly. Straight down Kimberly back to University and down to Town Creek again. Around the pond to the right this time, and back home via Gay Street, University, Wright's Mill, etc. I was a bit worried about my condition, as a canoe trip on the Tallapoosa River on Saturday left my torso skin fried and my feet cut up with lots of little cuts. When I started out today, my left knee was a little tender, and I felt like I was a bit wobbly. After the first half mile or so, I was feeling loose and well oiled, but my knee was bothering me again a bit at about mile 3. On top of all that, my running favorite running hat stinks. I've tried washing it twice, but it still smells pretty horrific. Maybe I'll try washing it again.

Playlist
Notion -Kings of Leon
Profanity Prayers -Beck
Rock & Roll -Lou Reed
Where It's At -Beck
Superunknown -Soundgarden
Moonage Daydream -David Bowie
The Stallion Part 3 -Ween
Crosseyed and Painless -Talking Heads
Mustache Man (Wasted) -CAKE
Party in the USA -Miley Cyrus
Fireflies -Owl City

Times
L1 18:23 (Home to Woodfield)
L2 3:36 (Woodfield to Museum)
L3 6:56 (Museum to end of Kimberly)
L4 2:12 (Kimberly to Town Creek?)
L5 4:26 (Through Town Creek)
L6 8:14 (Gay Street to Home)
Total 43.47

Distance 4.7 miles
Cumulative distance 7.8 miles

Getting Hot in Here

Just added a year, and a new goal. I'd like to run 39 miles a month, or 3 half marathons, or both. To this end, I have to run, so I did. It's starting to get hot out there, and I felt it. I started off at about 8:45, which is currently too late to get started, which I should have known given the 5k last Saturday that started at 8:00. Even so, with such an ambitious goal, I knew that I had to push a bit, and I felt that the Gay/Samford/College/Woodfield route would accomplish that.

Playlist
El Microfono -MIS
Black Country Rock -David Bowie
As Good As I Can Feel -Funkadelic
No More Tears -Ozzy Osbourne
Baba-Ye -Mahlathini
Rudie Can't Fail -the Clash
Los Angeles -X
Lust For Life -Iggy Pop
F**kin' With My Head -Beck
Fireflies -Owl City
Lucifer Sam -Pink Floyd
Walk On By -CAKE

Times
L1 13:20
L2 6:41
L3 7:51
L4 3:43
L5 12:23
L6 0:56
Total 44:55

Distance 4.6 miles
Cumulative 12.3 miles

Same route, a few days later

A lot cooler today. The north side of town got some snow last night, but it's pretty much clear down here. Back into spandex.

Playlist
The Jean Genie -David Bowie
El Microfono -Mexican Institute of Sound
Frontier Psychiatrist -the Avalanches
You Part the Waters -CAKE
Can't Get There From Here -R.E.M.
Heroes -David Bowie
I Wanna Know If It's Good To You -Funkadelic

Times
L1 7:58
L2 7:04
L3 7:26
L4 7:35
L5 0:50
Total 30:54

Distance 3.5 miles
Cumulative distance 7.0 miles

Taking some time off.

After the half marathon, I felt like I was done for a bit. My hips got sore, my feet were in bad shape, and I just needed to recuperate. But I probably went a little longer than I should have, and finally today I got back out there. I'm thinking about running the Love Your Heart 10 k again this year, and I needed to get back on the concrete. I thought about going all the way down the bike path and back, but decided to ease in with a trip down to Chewacla and back. I did make an extra effort on the big hill, to try and work on the hills, but I'm pretty sure a shorter run was a good decision for today. A bit overcast, but warmer than it has been in recent days. First time out in shorts in a while, but with a long sleeve shirt.

Playlist
Federal Funding -CAKE
Benzi Box -Danger Doom
What New York Used To Be -the Kills
I Zimbra -Talking Heads
Rock and Roll Problems -the Hold Steady
Cities -Talking Heads
Search and Destroy -Iggy Pop and the Stooges
El Microfono -Mexican Institute of Sound
Life During Wartime -Talking Heads

Times
L1 8:25
L2 7:18
L3 7:42
L4 7:13
L5 0:54
Total 31:32

Distance 3.5 miles
Cumulative 3.5 miles

Half marathon/Piece of Cake

I ran the half marathon this morning. A pretty nice route although a few twists and turns, and some ups and downs as well. Got to see a few of my friends there, mostly Forestry folks, and Penny was there helping run the show as usual. As for a playlist, I dialed in all of my CAKE because 1. I'm going to see them tonight in B'ham (!), and 2. it's easier than having to try and program a 2+ hour playlist. I didn't even get into "Comfort Eagle" or "Prolonging the Magic"! Right now, my hips and feet are quite sore, though I'm not feeling totally wiped out.

I won't be able to do the Love Your Heart 10K next weekend, as I have to attend a work function, but I'm not too bummed about it since I hit the Half this year.

Playlist -All CAKE
Federal Funding -from "Showroom of Compassion"
Long Time -from "Showroom of Compassion"
Got to Move -from "Showroom of Compassion"
What's Now Is Now -from "Showroom of Compassion"
Mustache Man (Wasted) -from "Showroom of Compassion"
Teenage Pregnancy -from "Showroom of Compassion"
Sick of You -from "Showroom of Compassion"
Easy to Crash -from "Showroom of Compassion"
Bound Away -from "Showroom of Compassion"
The Winter -from "Showroom of Compassion"
Italian Guy -from "Showroom of Compassion"
Wheels -from "Pressure Chief"
No Phone -from "Pressure Chief"
Dime -from "Pressure Chief"
Carbon Monoxide -from "Pressure Chief"
The Guitar Man -from "Pressure Chief"
Tougher Than It Is -from "Pressure Chief"
Frank Sinatra -from "Fashion Nugget"
The Distance -from "Fashion Nugget"
Daria -from "Fashion Nugget"
Race Car Ya-Yas -from "Fashion Nugget"
I Will Survive -from "Fashion Nugget"
Stickshifts and Safetybelts -from "Fashion Nugget"
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps -from "Fashion Nugget"
Nugget -from "Fashion Nugget"
Italian Leather Sofa -from "Fashion Nugget"
Sad Songs and Waltzes -from "Fashion Nugget"
Ruby Sees All -from "Motorcade of Generosity"
Pentagram -from "Motorcade of Generosity"
Jolene -from "Motorcade of Generosity"
Haze of Love -from "Motorcade of Generosity"
You Part The Waters -from "Motorcade of Generosity"
Jesus Wrote a Blank Check -from "Motorcade of Generosity"
Wheels -from "Wheels" (EP)
No Phone -from "Wheels" (EP)
Daria -from "Wheels" (EP)
Excuse Me (I Think I've Got A Heartache) -from "Wheels" (EP)
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town -from "Wheels" (EP)

Unofficial time, about 2:11:00 Just over 10 minute miles. I'll take that for a first attempt on an official course.

Distance 13.1 miles
Cumulative distance 36.7 miles

Clear cold day

Another run up and over the hill, down to Chewacla and back. My classes for this afternoon were canceled as an artifact of the 'winter weather' (really the Auburn football team winning the National Championship!) on Monday and Tuesday, so I took advantage of the extra time for a clear cold run.

Playlist
Slavedriver -Jenny and Johnny
The Glory of Man -Minutemen
The Distance -Cake
She Blinded Me With Science -Thomas Dolby
F*ckin' With My Head -Beck
Mutilated Lips -Ween
Paranoid -Black Sabbath
The Stallion Part 3 -Ween
Been Caught Stealing -Jane's Addiction
Motel Room In My Bed -X

Times
L1 8:10
L2 7:03
L3 7:21
L4 7:17
L5 0:46
Total 30:37 Glad to be back within the 30 minute range. Feeling like I'm getting back into the swing of things.

Distance 3.5 miles
Cumulative distance 16.9 miles

First Run of 2011/Presidio

First run of 2011! A beautiful run up into the Presidio and around the golf course. Back through Mountain Lake Park. A lovely run for the first of 2011 and the last in California for a while. I got to see X at Slim's, Wow, what a show. After showing the movie "The Unheard Music", the band came out and played all of "Los Angeles" and a bunch more. Also, Ray Manzarek (of the Doors) played a few songs with them. Awesome. In a couple of weeks we're off to see Cake in Birmingham. Yahoo!

Playlist
We Are The Dead -David Bowie
What New York Used to Be -the Kills
Paper Planes -M.I.A.
Los Angeles -X
Rock Problems -the Hold Steady
Ruby -Kaiser Chiefs
White Girl -X
Ruby Sees All -Cake
Wheels -Cake

Time
28:16

Distance 2.8 miles

Been a long time, been a long time, been a long

Almost a month since my last run. The first step back is the hardest, for sure. I finally got my butt up and went back to Gay/Woodfield. A week ago, the Dean of my College was hit and killed while she was running, so part of me has been afraid to get back out there, and part of me inspired to get back out there. Of course, her death doesn't account for the prior three weeks of sloth. My feet looked awful after the Tough Ten, though, with a huge blood blister that's finally worked itself out. But at the heart of it, I don't exactly know why I've been so slothful, but it's time for it to stop.

Playlist
Peace Treaty -Peter Tosh
Carbon Monoxide -CAKE
Lust for Life -Iggy Pop
Opera Singer -CAKE
Can't Get There From Here -R.E.M.
Italian Leather Sofa -CAKE

Times
L1 13:05
L2 11:11
L3 0:55
Total 25:12

Distance 2.7 miles
Total 2.7 miles

New Headphones

Spent a chunk of my first paycheck today, including the purchase of a really nice pair of headphones. I was going to run up to Gay/Woodfield, but then it's gameday and this close to kickoff I imagine there are idiots who are late and driving like maniacs, and I don't need that. So I started up that way, and turned left on Wright's Mill, instead of right. I don't want to miss the game myself, so I only went over to Ogletree stop sign and back. First run in daylight hours in a while. Broke my jar of rejuvenating elixir when I got back.

Playlist
Territorial Pissings -Nirvana
Jean Genie -David Bowie
The Distance -Cake
Under the Gun -Circle Jerks
Safe European Home -the Clash
Time is Too Expensive -Del the Funky Homosapien

Times
L1 1:54
L2 7:18
L3 7:18
L4 1:54
L5 0:53
Total 20:39

Distance 2.3 miles
Cumulative distance. 2.3 miles. Almost added onto the 18.6 from last month. That was the August total. Not great, but better than July.

Couple of days off again.

So the last two nights haven't worked out, but I did get out tonight. Problems: I enjoy dinner and drinking beer too much. I probably shouldn't eat so much dinner, as a rule, but I realize that I enjoy eating a large meal in the evening. Usually, if that comes later in the evening, it totally precludes an evening run at a reasonable hour. Tonight, although I had a heavy meal of Chinese food (greasy, salty), it was early enough to let me digest enough to overcome my SLOTH and get out. I thought I'd be a bloated potato with lead feet after that meal, but I actually felt quite good once I got going, and really kicked it in the end to get in under 32:00 (for a 3.5 mile run which I have run in under 30:00). But since I hurt my calf, this is still pretty good for down to Chewacla and back.

Playlist
Dirty Water -the Standells (Sox cream the Phillies)
Joyce No. 5 -Johnson Mkhalali (SA scores first goal in the World Cup!)
Opera Singer -CAKE
London Calling -the Clash
Get Up Offa That Thing -James Brown
The Rain Song -Led Zeppelin
Mushroom Men -Les Claypool
Gimme Three Steps -Lynyrd Skynyrd



Times
L1 9:16
L2 7:21
L3 7:32
L4 6:54
L5 0:41
Total 31:45

Distance 3.5 miles
Cumulative Distance 29.7 (not looking good for 100 miles this month, so far)