Closing In on the Goal for February

I tried a new route this evening: Up to Gay, then right at Thach to Chewacla (Street, not the State Park), and down to Samford. Then up the hill to Dumas, and around to Wright's Mill down to University, and home. I thought it would have been longer, but it came out to be 5.4 miles. In my mind, I thought I could finish the month's goal with this one effort, but I didn't want to push it and finish with a big greedy bite; better to take it in two. I wore the compression suit, although it was just about 50 F when I left the house. I was still feeling a little heavy with dinner, too, though that was worked out about 2 miles in. Overall, I felt good.

I also wish to note that if there is any song that expresses joy moreso than "Cooperation", I'm not sure my heart could stand to hear it. That song just nails it.

Playlist
Vibrate On	Lee "Scratch" Perry
Over the Hills and Far Away	Led Zeppelin
Rudie Can't Fail	the Clash
The Man Who Sold the World	David Bowie
Mexican Radio	Wall of Voodoo
Jane Says	Jane's Addiction
Stay Close to Me	Bad Brains
Cooperation	Franco & Sam Mangwana
Can't You Hear Me Knocking	Rolling Stones
San Ber'dino	Frank Zappa

Time: 48:06

Distance 5.4 miles

Cumulative 37.1 miles

Pace 8:56 min/mi

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

Fun with a Purpose

I ran up to my office on campus today, to print out some papers for tomorrow. It's just up Gay to Samford, and across College St. It was bitterly cold (at least by Alabama standards), so I donned the compression suit. Still, it seemed rather unpleasant, and I wasn't feeling great on the way out. On the way back, after about a 15 minute break (to work), I felt a lot better. Probably because I was warmed up, and because it's mostly downhill on the way back home. I also added another bit to try and get a little longer run in.

Playlist	Electronica et cetera
Chameleon	Herbie Hancock
Frontier Psychiatrist	the Avalanches
Monkey	Matthew Dear
Fireflies	Owl City
Enter the Ninja	Die Antwoord
Big Poppa	Biggie Smalls
Under Pressure	Queen with David Bowie
Dirt Off Your Shoulder	Jay-Z

Times

L1 20:03 (2.27 mi)

L2 20:46 (2.53 mi)

Total 40:49

Distance 4.8 miles

Cumulative 19.4 miles

Whippoorwill it's been a while

Logged another long one today. 8 miles, out a route so old it's practically new. Down Wright's Mill to Chewacla, and up the bike path to Canary Drive, and all the way around Whippoorwill. I opted to head down and around the big part first, then the smaller loop. On the way back, I decided to stretch it a bit and instead of turning into Tanglewood right away, up to Briarwood and down Mill Branch, making it an even 8 miles. It's a bit chilly out there, so I got to wear the spandex, which makes me smile.

Listened to an all-African mix, which has also been missing for a while. Heavy on the Mahlathini, because he is AWESOME.

Playlist	All African
Qhude Manikiniki	Umahlathini Nabo
Dadje Von O Von Non	Gnonnas Pedro et ses Dadjes
Indoda Yejazi Elimnyama	Amaswazi Emvelo
Feeling You Got	El Rego et Ses Commandos
Baba-Ye	Mahlathini
Guajira Van	No. 1 de No. 1
Thul'ulalele	Amaswazi Emvelo
Yonde Love Me	Kanda Bongo Man
Coumba	Orchestre Baobab
Cantique	Kanda Bongo Man
Beaux Dimanches	Amadou et Mariam
Kudala Besifuna	Mahlathini
Kumnyama Endiini	Mahlathini
Sai	Kanda Bongo Man
Ukuluma Izindaba	Amaswazi Emvelo & Mahlathini
Akekho Noyedwa Owaziyo	Amaswazi Emvelo & Mahlathini

Time 1:08:16

Distance 8.0 miles

Cumulative 14.6 miles

Pace 8.39 min/mi

Third Run, last before Half

I've been meaning to get out for a long training run before the Half Marathon on Saturday, but have been busy/indigent/reluctant. I've been doing a lot of papier mache, which isn't particular aerobic nor calisthenic, but has occupied a lot of my not working time.

I've also gotten a new application for my Tune-o-matic device, which will map my route in real time, complete with distance, duration and the easily calculated pace. One thing I need to figure out is how to get splits from it. Anyway, I ran up into Grove Hill and out Windway to Ogletree and back via Wright's Mill, which according to the new app is 4.83 miles. Not too too long for a pre-half training regime, but with only two days to go, I didn't want to get too worked up or out.

Playlist
Sledgehammer	Peter Gabriel
Rapture	Blondie
I Am The Fly	Wire
Pass the Dutchie	Musical Youth
Fish, Chips, and Sweat	Funkadelic
Midnight Rambler	Rolling Stones
Aurora Borealis	Meat Puppets
Time to Pretend	MGMT
Dead Flowers	Rolling Stones
Let's Spend the Night Together	Rolling Stones

Time: 42:15

Distance 4.8 miles

Pace: 8:45 min/mi

Cumulative distance 17.8 miles

First Run of 2012

Five days in, and just getting my first run in. I actually prefer the cold, since I like wearing the spandex compression suit. I headed up and over the Interstate, then up Gay Street. I decided to go up to Toomer's and back down College, and back via Woodfield, though at Gay I decided to head back up to Wright's Mill and come back that way. That added on a bit and got my route just over 6.0 miles (6.07). My back felt a little sore for a bit in the third mile, but it resolved. Toward the end, my right heel felt a little tight.

Playlist
Blister In The Sun	Violent Femmes
Radio Free Europe	REM
Pass the Dutchie	Musical Youth
I Me Mine	the Beatles
To Kingdom Come	the Band
Sheena Is A Punk Rocker	the Ramones
Sledgehammer	Peter Gabriel
Driver 8	REM
Chest Fever	the Band
Chameleon	Herbie Hancock
Life and How to Live It	REM
Watermelon Man	Herbie Hancock

Times
L1	12:07
L2	6:19
L3	6:00
L4	11:26
L5	3:21
L6	15:28
L7	0:51
Total	55:32

Distance 6.0 miles

Last Run of 2011

I did meet my goal for December, now to fill in for the end of October and all of November. I ran up to Samford and back via the Museum. I didn't feel great on the way. I was getting rather warm out there, with my spandex and long sleeve t-shirt. It's really quite a nice day out there, but I feel like the compression of the spandex helps with my calf. Also, while I measured my course from Douthat at over 6 miles, I don't think my mapping was accurate, given my time, and the hills. So I'm readjusting my estimate to a more realistic 5-6 miles.

Playlist	Most HipHop and Electronica-ish
Erotic City	Prince
Time to Pretend	MGMT
Get The Party Started	Pink
Poker Face	Lady Gaga
Enter the Ninja	Die Antwoord
Big Poppa	Notorious B.I.G.
Frontier Psychiatrist	the Avalanches
Paper Planes	M.I.A.
Ice Ice Baby	Vanilla Ice
Bust A Move	Young MC

Times
L1	11:40
L2	5:47
L3	7:03
L4	3:18
L5	10:40
L6	0:49
Total	39:16

Distance 4.6 miles

Cumulative 39.7-40.7 miles

Douthat State Park

I just got back from a trip to western Virginia, which capped off our grand travels for the Winter Holidays. We had a lovely stay with some old college friends at a lodge at Douthat State Park. We did some hiking up in the mountains, and generally passed the time keeping warm. I went on a run just before dusk, and ended up going farther than I had intended, mainly because I got a bit lost. The last thing I wanted was to get exhausted and have to start walking as the sun was setting, but that didn't happen, and instead I got a long run in instead.

Playlist
Benzi Box	Danger Doom
Blister In The Sun	Violent Femmes
Jump In The Line	Harry Belafonte
Wat Da Hook Gon Be	Murphy Lee
Misty Mountain Hop	Led Zeppelin
Pop Muzik	M
Party in the USA	Miley Cyrus
Over the Hills and Far Away	Led Zeppelin
Dig A Pony	the Beatles
Time to Pretend	MGMT
I've Got A Feeling	the Beatles

Times
L1	14:45
L2	31:35
L3	0:28
Total	46:49

Distance: Not really sure, but about 5-6 miles
Cumulative distance: 35.1- 36.1 miles. Very close to my goal for December. Yay

Charlottesville

In Charlottesville with the whole big happy family. My sisters and my folks and our families all together. Today I got to go out with my Dad and my brother-in-law, on my Dad's three mile loop (actually a little short, I measured) plus a little more for me. Always fun to have a little company, in lieu of music.

Time 46:00

Distance 5.0 miles

Cumulative distance miles 30.1 miles

Banned in DC

In Washington DC on vacation visiting family. I ran up over the P Street Bridge and into Georgetown, then down to the Potomac and around Georgetown Waterfront Park.

Playlist
I Luv I Jah	Bad Brains
Banned in DC	Bad Brains
Sissyneck	Beck
Evil Boy	Die Antwoord
Dirt Off Your Shoulder	Jay-Z
(I Love It When You) Call Me Names	Joan Armatradding
Secret Laboratory (Scientific Dancehall)	Lee "Scratch" Perry
Born Free	M.I.A.

Time: 33:55

Distance 3.7 miles

Cumulative distance 18.5 miles

Getting ready to head out

Last run in town before end of the year, most likely. We plan on hitting the road this evening, so I knew I had to get out today or not for a few days. I headed up to Woodfield/Gay, turned around and came back through Town Creek Cemetery and Park. I'll call this a new route because it's been so long since I've run it, if ever. Also, even though it was in the low 60's, I wore spandex to hold my legs together.

Playlist
Jimmy James	Beastie Boys
Pictures of Matchstick Men	Camper Van Beethoven
E-Pro	Beck
Rock 'n Roll All Night	Kiss
Search and Destroy	Iggy and the Stooges
(I Was Born In A) Laundromat	Camper Van Beethoven
Back in Black	AC/DC
Why Don’t We Do It In The Road	The Beatles
Just a Friend	Biz Markie

Times
L1	11:39
L2	16:11
L3	0:50
Total	28:40

Distance 3.2 miles
Cumulative distance 14.8

Day 2. Sore, trying to make up for lost time

I'm trying to get back on track, but I can't risk hurting myself again. I think the old injury has healed, but I don't want to injure anything else, obviously. I'm feeling just a bit sore today, in my outer thighs. But overall, good. I decided on another shortish run today, an honest 3.8 mile route, out Ogletree to the first road up on the left and back, and down Old Wright's Mill again.

Playlist	Rockin'
Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution	AC/DC
Sweet Emotion	Aerosmith
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da	the Beatles
Paranoid	Black Sabbath
Lust for Life	Iggy Pop
I Do	J.Geils Band
Driving South	Jimi Hendrix Experience
Stray Cat Blues	Rolling Stones
The Song Remains The Same	Led Zeppelin

Times

L1	8:06
L2	5:41
L3	1:19
L4	1:17
L5	6:04
L6	9:55
L7	0:47
Total	33:10

Distance 3.8 miles
Cumulative distance 7.6 miles

Back in the Saddle Again

I finally made it back out on the road after an month and almost a half. My left calf was very tender and the pain affected my walking gait for most of a week after the injury back at the end of October. My web research and conversations with physicians suggested rest was necessary. Then I was busy, and now the busiest part of the year is over. So this evening I finally got out on the road for a fairly short run. I went down to Chewacla entrance and back, then at the top of the hill I went down Old Wright's Mill Rd, to add on a little bit.

Playlist

Back in the Saddle	Aerosmith
Fish Paste	Die Antwoord
Dr. Lee, PhD	Beastie Boys and Lee Scratch Perry
Memphis	Chuck Berry
Moonlight On Vermont	Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band
Stay Close to Me	Bad Brains
(I Was Born In A) Laundromat	Camper Van Beethoven
Guns of Brixton	the Clash
Back in Black	AC/DC

Times

L1	8:23
L2	7:18
L3	7:31
L4	10:03
L5	0:47
Total	34:02

Distance 3.8 miles
Cumulative 3.8 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

Four miles

The term is over at Auburn, and my students are all assessed. So now I have time to run during daylight hours, or so it would seem. It's gotten quite cold, and I fortunately have some nice new warm things to wear while running. I did get a bit further, 4 miles, up to Samford and back. What the flip happened to my statcounter?

Playlist
Slavedriver -Jenny and Johnny
Candy -Presidents of the USA
Can't Get There from Here -R.E.M.
Rock Problems -the Hold Steady
Manic Depression -Jimi Hendrix
Frontier Psychiatrist -the Avalanches
Black Country Rock -David Bowie
As Good As I Can Feel -Funkadelic
Bubble Pop -Del the Funky Homosapien
Come As You Are -Nirvana
Easy Skanking -Bob Marley

Times
L1 12:38
L2 6:15
L3 6:16
L4 11:27
L5 0:53
Total 37:29

Distance 4.0 miles
Cumulative 8.4 miles

Old Route plus New Part = New 8.35 Mile Route

Shel Toomer Bike Path plus up Canary Road on the way back. A nice neighborhood, about the same age as my own, lots of hardwood forest. Would run again.

Playlist (a mishmosh, with the new tag "Too Many To Tag")
Queen Bitch -David Bowie
Run (I'm a Natural Disaster) -Gnarls Barkley
Rock & Roll -Lou Reed and Velvet Underground
Ocean Breathes Salty -Modest Mouse
There Goes My Gun -Pixies
Outshined -Soundgarden
Holiday Fortnight -The Specials
You Were The Fool -Ween
Moses the Prophet -Peter Tosh
Paranoid -Black Sabbath
Let's Go Crazy -Prince
Let Forever Be -Chemical Brothers
Honton Soukpo Gnon -Antoine Dougbe
Rastafari Is -Peter Tosh
Sweet Emotion -Aerosmith
Memphis -Chuck Berry
Pork Roll Egg and Cheese -Ween
Rainy Day Woman -Waylon Jennings
Hotel Yorba -White Stripes
Jolene -Cake

Times
L1 8:06
L2 6:41
L3 13:35
L4 (College to Canary) 8:38
L5 (Canary Loop, around Oriole) 15:31
L6 (Canary to Wright's Mill) 5:13
L7 7:19
L8 7:49
Total 1:12:51
Distance 8.35 miles

Friday isn't 10k day today. Day 10 of the 20 Day Challenge

So I didn't go 10 km today after the long day yesterday. I went (lemme check)...4.6 miles, or 7.4 km. Up Gay to Woodfield, then up College to Samford and back down Gay to home. A bit wet out, not really raining though. A bit warm for spandex again, but I wore it anyway. It felt really pretty good out there, even though I have an avulsion on my left heel. I bandaided that bad boy up and ran with it. It didn't seem to bother me.

Playlist-Reggae
Trenchtown Rock -Bob Marley and the Wailers
African -Peter Tosh
New Name -Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus
Chiney Man -Culture
Coming In From The Cold -Bob Marley and the Wailers
Cold Blood -Peter Tosh
Babylon -Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus
Mystic Man -Peter Tosh

Times
L1 11:57
L2 3:16
L3 7:02
L4 5:34
L5 11:07
Total 38:55. Pretty good on the way out and quite happy with the way back. I don't think I'll be able to get out this weekend, so I'm glad to have made it to the halfway mark well ahead of the 15th. Also, I managed to get in 26-plus this week, which was another goal of mine that I failed to mention. Under 12 minutes appears to be two PB's for the legs to the stop sign and back. While I don't think I'll keep an eye on every split's PB, that one's kind of a landmark worth celebrating.

One day off, then 10 km again

Today my kids are at a sleepover, so I got the chance to get a run in this morning. Shel Toomer Bike Path and back. I listened to more of the biography of the Buddha.

Time
59:59. I tried to take it easy, but not too easy. Still, just under an hour is a-okay for not pushing it.

Friday is 10K Day/ My 20 Day Challenge

Back onto the old 10K route, the Shel Toomer bike path and back. Fifth day in a row. W00T! So I confess that my goal for this month is 20 days of running. That should be 20 blog entries. I've been reluctant to post about it, in case of failure. But I blog to set goals and prevent failure. So here it is: my challenge to myself, 20 runs in March.

Playlist
Rastafari Is -Peter Tosh
Show Some Emotion -Joan Armatradding
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
1999 -Prince
Let Forever Be -Chemical Brothers
Love Gun -Kiss
Sissyneck -Beck
Pork Roll Egg and Cheese -Ween
In This House That I Call Home -X
Jeepster -T. Rex
Seven Nation Army -White Stripes
Buddy Holly -Weezer
Under The Gun -Circle Jerks
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised -Gil Scott-Heron
Atomic Dog -George Clinton
Loser -Beck


Times
L1 7:54
L2 6:44
L3 13:26
L4 13:27
L5 7:11
L6 7:48
Total 56:30 a new PB, yay!

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday, on Thursday

A new route through a fairly new neighborhood nearby. I've avoided it thus far, as all my driving through the neighborhood kind of creeped me out, in how all the houses look exactly the same, and bear the name of the flora and fauna they've replaced. My subdivision is not better in this latter regard, though I'm not sure what a tanglewood is, anyway.

Playlist
Sissyneck -Beck
L.A. Woman -The Doors
I'll Stick Around -Foo Fighters
What Is Life -George Harrison
Purple Haze -Jimi Hendrix
Corona -Minutemen
Standing On The Verge of Getting It On -Funkadelic
Maiden's Milk -Meat Puppets
Cobbler -Meat Puppets
You're My Best Friend -Queen
Pink Eye (On My Leg) -Ween

Times
L1 11:30 (through neighborhood 'X')
L2 21:06 (Jct Ogletree Rd)
L3 7:38 (Ogletree SS ->Home, reckon that's a personal record for that leg!)
Total 40:13
Distance 4.9 miles A little over 8 minute miles. Not bad though, for the 4th day in a row. Good on last split, no doubt