New 4+ route

This evening, after a disappointing Auburn game, a resounding Oregon State game, a soccer game in which my daughter scored a goal (!) and an Orchid Society picnic in Columbus, Georgia, I went out for a run as the sun was setting.  Fortunately, I was carrying a flashlight.  I decided to run up University to Donahue, and instead of turning up towards College I turned towards Longleaf and up into that neighborhood.  I came out on Summerhills and crossed over into Town Creek Park. 

Playlist
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together	Taylor Swift
Gangnam Style	Psy
Frontier Psychiatrist	the Avalanches
Sweet Emotion	Aerosmith
Walk Like An Egyptian	the Bangles
Crosseyed and Painless	Talking Heads
Cantique	Kanda Bongo Man
Lady	Fela

Distance 4.42 miles
Cumulative 8.44 miles
Time 37:36
Pace 8:30 min/mile

Summer 5K part VI- Wet

Tonight was the last of the Summer 5K series. It was overcast and rumbly at the the start, and then it started raining HARD, with thunder and lightning. It felt absolutely fantastic, truth be told, very refreshing. I was concerned about the possibility of shorting out the tune-o-matic, so I tucked it into my shorts to try and keep it dry. I also ran it in my Five Fingers, which also felt good.
I felt tightness in my left quad this morning after yesterday's long run, but it didn't bother me on the course. I showed up just in time for the start, and didn't stay too long after for the BBQ and such. I didn't feel wiped out afterwards either. Truly exhilarating.

Playlist
Paranoid -Black Sabbath
Zombie -Fela Kuti
Safe European Home -the Clash
Shakara -Fela Kuti

Time (unofficial)25:47 Cut more than a minute off my time!

Distance 3.1 miles
Cumulative 17.9 miles

Short day, healing

I've taken almost a full week off after the 5k. My calf has been feeling better with the rest, but now the cartilage in my right knee (not the one previously surgeried) is feeling a little floppy. Ugh. I've been feeling like a lump, like all the weight I've lost has come back a-runnin', and I don't know when I'll be able to get back to the regime I had going last month. On the plus side, the past week has been a good time to be off the roads, as the pollen has just been off the charts. The air is yellow out there. Yesterday it rained a bit which has knocked it back a bit. Today I went on a short one down to Chewacla and back, slowly, just to see how everything feels. I still feel more or less intact, but definitely not 100%.

Playlist -Fela
Lady
Shakara
Gentleman

Times
L1 8:48
L2 7:57
L3 8:11
L4 9:19
Total 34:16

5k again

I took the weekend off. After three days in a row, I didn't think I needed to turn my feet to hamburger meat for pride's sake. But the important part is staying in the swing of things, which I did today, hitting the same route I hit on Friday. I did a better job on the splits today I believe, at least vis-a-vis applying my thumb to the button. An African playlist today.

Playlist
Thululalele -Amaswazi Emvelo
Dadje Von O Von Non -Gnonnas Pedro et Ses Dadjes
New bell -Manu Dibango
Takuta -Babatunde Olatunji
Funky Crookie -Exile One
Feeling You Got -El Regno et Ses Commandos
Lady -Fela Kuti

Times
L1 6:34
L2 21:41
L3 5:28
L4 6:29
Total 40:13 The 5k is L2+L3, or 27:09. L3+L4 is from Woodfield stop sign to home, of 11:57. Pretty good.

First chilly run of 2010

I've been meaning to get back out (how many posts start out that way?) but have been a bit on the slothy side. I've been working around the house, and did get out on a mellow 2.8 mile hike out at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park with the family, which doesn't really count for much. This afternoon I got on my spandex and got feet on the concrete, out to Chewacla and back. I seem to have slowed down a bit, and my right knee was acting up a bit. I need to find out about the half marathon coming up, and try and figure if I can actually do it or not.

Playlist
Makojo -Chief Osita Osadebe
Just Like That -Fela and Egypt 80

Times
L1-->8:41
L2-->7:29
L3-->8:16
L4 -->8:40
Total-->33:06. Not close to the record, lost some ground. hmmph.

Nd'in ga ba tondi ra yu...

s'a goona desi me ga. Which is a Zarma proverb, ay ma feeri aran se (which I must open for you). "If you want the honey inside the rock, don't look at the edge of your axe". Today I established a new personal best long for running, 1:31:55. I had an objective in mind, the intersection of Ogletree Rd and Moore's Mill Rd. I'm not sure how far it is yet, but I'm going to measure, believe me. Why? I don't know, I felt I had it in me (and I'm pretty sure whatever "it" is, it's gone, or is at least very tired). Knowing I had a long run ahead of me, the theme of the playlist is African. A lot of these songs are long (over 5:00 minutes), including two Fela tracks, which seems to be common in most of the African music I've heard.

Playlist
Qhude Manikiniki -Umahlathini Nabo
Indoda Yejazi Elimnyama -Amaswazi Emvelo
Lady -Fela
Okuzua -Orchestra Lissanga
Cantique -Kanda Bongo Man
Naam -Christy Azuma and Uppers International
Beaux Dimanches -Amadou and Mariam
Coumba -Orchestre Baobab
River Luv Rite -Oneness of Juju
Funky Crookee -Exile One
Army Arrangement -Fela
New bell -Manu Dibango
Qhwayilahle -Moses Mchunu
Thul'ulalele -Amaswazi Emvelo
Sakutumbe -African Brothers

Time

Home to stop sign 8:45

Stop Sign to Stop light (Ogletree and MM) 35:34

Stop light to stop sign 37:31

Stop sign to home 10:04

Total 1:31:53

Not too surprising that the splits started to lag between out and back. I'm not disappointed.

Africa mix again

I got out again today after a 6 day hiatus. I went out to visit Missoula, Montana, which looks to have some excellent places to go running/hiking/biking/fishing/skiing etc.etc.etc. I didn't run while I was out there, but did go on a couple of hikes, which weren't strenuous at all, but were loads of fun. Today's playlist went back to Africa. Lots of Fela news showing up in the Facebook-o-sphere, so I started with one of his 22 minute opera. This picture is at the turnaround, at the entrance to Chewacla State Park, (which I like to call Chocolate Cake Park, for no real reason), The one below is just before the turnaround, about 1/8 mile.

Playlist

Just Like That -Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Egypt 80

Marie Jose -Ryco Jazz

Sakutumbe -African Brothers

Time

Home->SS1 9:34

SS1->SS2 8:26

SS2->SS1 8:23

SS1->Home 9:08

Total: 35:33

Total 35:33
Most excellent splits, I'm quite happy with that. Faster on leg 4 than leg 1. Statistically identical on 3 and 4. I was able to pick it up a bit on the last hill, which was awesome.

Inspired and all over the place

I decided to do something I haven't really done since I was in South Africa; run in broad daylight. It's been unseasonably cold the last couple of days, but today it warmed back up. I was working from home, and I just felt the need to get out. I wasn't exactly planning on going so far, but then I did. I headed out towards the State Park, then down the bike path. I think it was a new long, at least since South Africa. The musical theme was inspirational and springy, from all over the place.

Playlist
Dirty Water -The Standells. Baseball season again! Woot! Beckett pitched a gem last night!
Sexx Laws -Beck
Magic Toy Missing -Meat Puppets
Maiden's Milk -Meat Puppets
Buddy Holly -Weezer
Nite Klub -The Specials
Nitemare Hippy Girl -Beck
Moonage Daydream -David Bowie
Nappy Dugout -Funkadelic
Tougher Than It Is -Cake
Zombie -Fela. I love Fela, but I rarely listen to him while running because it can be uninspiring to be listening to the same song for 15:00, and realize that I have to keep running that whole time. But today, I knew I'd be at gone for at least another Fela song.
Marie Jose -Ryco Jazz
The W.A.N.D. -The Flaming Lips
Hey Ya! -Outkast
A Little Better -Gnarls Barkley
Novacane -Beck

Time 1:07:06. Yup, that's a new long