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

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.

Running with Ba

So this is my Dad, who is an inspiration to me. He ran cross-country in high school and at the Naval Academy. He's been a regular jogger since the mid-70's, before it was cool. Ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in his late 50's. So pretty much as long as I can remember, he's been getting out in the muggy summer or deep snows to get a few miles in. This was one of the first times I've really gone jogging with him.

Time out, yesterday 28:15 (Woodfield and back)

Today 30:11 (towards Chewacla and back)

Week off

I just got back from a field trip, and, no, I wasn't able to get any running in. So no running for almost a whole week. I could have gone on Saturday, but I didn't. I saw the little guys on my shoulders, the one with the halo telling me to get off my lazy duff and get out there, and the one with the horns telling me to open a beer and watch my duff grow. So it was, I found it hard to get out the door on Sunday morning, although I really didn't feel like a beer just yet anyway. I think I felt like I had to punish myself for the break, but in the end, I went on a short one just to get back in the swing of things. Given how my legs were feeling, I'm sure this was the right thing to do. I did carry the tunes-o-matic, but didn't feel like listening, for some odd reason.
It was pretty lonely out at the sports center. Just a few odd tennis players out there.
Maybe I'll go again tonight...

Yes, I've still been running

Okay, so I missed two nights of blogging but not two nights of jogging (going every other night). You see, I was jogging with my wife, so I wasn't listening to music, so there's not playlist. I could tell you what we talked about, the exact spots where Trixie the Dog took a dump, etc., but I don't see that as good blogging.
Instead, here's the playlist for tonight. I didn't go out until after the end of the Auburn-LSU game, which features into the playlist.

The World's A Mess It's In My Kiss -X. Auburn lost, the Sox lost. What can I say, this song just expressed my feelings at the moment., in a delightfully upbeat way that's good to get started jogging with.

Love Her Madly -The Doors. Perhaps inspired by the Ray Manzarek influence in the previous song.

Our Lips Are Sealed -The Go-go's. This is one of my favorite pop songs of the 80's, because of the awesome dreamy chord progression. I've thought it kind of ironic to sing a song about one's lips being sealed. I mean, it could just as easily be instrumental if one's lips were truly sealed.

The Boogie Monster -Gnarls Barkley. Another song with a catchy chord progression. It also reminds me of my jogging inspiration, my dear old Dad, who would call home from work sometimes. When one of the kids would answer and ask who it was, he would always say, "The Boogie Man".

You're My Best Friend -Queen.

Junco Partner -Professor Longhair. In honor of the other Tigers (from LSU), who took the game from my Auburn Tigers this evening. I loves me some Professor Longhair. My favorite verse:

"I heard him singin', six months ain't no sentence.
He said one year, was not no time.
He said he had a friend, still in Angola,
Servin' from 14 to 99"

Seven Nation Army -White Stripes.
Meg's thump-thump-thump sounds like my feet. I used to find the line "make the sweat drip from every pore" a little absurd, until I her it while jogging. I still find the idea of going to Wichita on a whim a little absurd.

Sheena Is A Punk Rocker -The Ramones.
I often like to end with the Ramones for two reasons, their songs are usually short, and generally quick, which is good for my ritual of "digging it out" at the end. My typical strategy is to go slow, because my goal is to get my heart rate up and get the cardio benefits of jogging, while reducing stress on my joints. I'm not trying to get fast, I'm not worried about my legs giving out, I just want to get my ticker going. However, I do like to get a little sprint on at the end of my run. This is on the advice of another of my running inspirations, my brother in law, who told me this is a good thing to do. So I do it.

Total time: 26:20