Grove Hill Loop

I went up and into Grove Hill and back around via Ogletree and Wright's Mill. It's a nice cool Fall day, so I wore a long sleeve T.  Probably could've gotten away with short sleeves. 

Playlist	Newly installed
The Way You Move	Outkast
Boll Weevil	Presidents of the USA
Les Yper-Sound	Stereolab
Our Lips Are Sealed	the Go-Gos
Airline to Heaven	Billy Bragg and Wilco
That's Good	Devo
Rosa Parks	Outkast
Groove Is In the Heart	Deee-Lite
Big Poppa	Biggie Smalls
When the Levee Breaks	Led Zeppelin

Distance 4.84 mi
Cumulative 19.52 miles
Time 41:32
Pace 8:34 min/mi

Night moves

No, I'm not suddenly down with Bob Seger. I just went on another nighttime run; a variation on the GWCToomer's route, tacking on enough to make it just over 6 miles. I turned on Samford and went up Armstrong, which I haven't done in a long while, and at the end I went around the block a bit to add the last 0.37. It's just warm enough out there, hopefully Fall will be upon us soon.

Playlist -Grungey
Les Yper-Sound -Stereolab
Breed -Nirvana
Devil's Haircut -Beck
On A Plain -Nirvana
Nothing -Meat Puppets
Scum -Meat Puppets
Use Somebody -Kings of Leon
Blanket of Weeds -Meat Puppets
The Sky Is Fallin' -Queens of the Stone Age
Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts -Funkadelic
Superunknown -Soundgarden
Flaming Heart -Meat Puppets

Times
L1 13:00
L2 6:26
L3 7:20
L4 6:18
L5 6:45
L6 3:33
L7 12:15
L8 1:50
L9 0:59
Total 58:27

Distance 6.0 miles
Cumulative 31.1 miles. Getting close again.

Postscript: I think blogger is running some kind of cuckoo clock, it's actually 11pm, not 8:47

Summer 5K part IV

Last week's 5K was canceled, as I've probably mentioned a couple of times now.
This week's 5K was warm but clearly not as hot as it has been if my hypothesis about temperature and time holds. I ran with a completely different knot of people again this week. And as I came into the last turn, I saw I was doing much better than previous weeks, I almost broke through 27:00. I was trucking at the end and almost crashed into a chariot.

In other news, I've attained my 39 mile goal for the second month. YAY!

Playlist (may have missed a couple due to Tune-O-Matic fail)
Train in Vain -the Clash
Party in the USA -Miley Cyrus
Roses are Free -Ween
Seven Nation Army -White Stripes
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
Search and Destroy -Iggy and the Stooges
Grits Ain't Groceries -Little Milton
Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed -David Bowie

Time
27:09 (maybe a hair faster)

Distance 3.1 miles
Cumulative distance 40.5 miles!

Getting Close

...to the end of the month. Last week's 5K was canceled due to stormy weather. It's be a mix of overcast and stormy off and on the past week til today. It did storm earlier, but right now it's muggy and overcast, but not even a drip. We need the rain very badly. Over the weekend, I got a terrible pain in my leg which made it unpleasant to even walk. A little ibuprofen (or Vitamin I, as I call it) and rest made it all but disappear. No hint of it this evening as I went out and ran up to Samford and back via College. If tomorrow's 5K pans out, I'll have my monthly goal for the second month.

Playlist, an odd melange
El Microfono -M.I.S.
Party in the U.S.A. -Miley Cyrus
Fireflies -Owl City
Life During Wartime -Talking Heads
Emperor Tomato Ketchup -Stereolab
What Goes On -Velvet Underground
On A Plain -Nirvana
Black Hole Sun -Soundgarden
Crush -Smashing Pumpkins
No Expectations -Rolling Stones
Mexican Radio -WoV

Times
12:41
6:23
7:40
3:42
11:47
0:54
Total 43:08. That's my best time for the route in a while. It's nice to see the time go down, even a little bit.

Distance 4.6 miles
Cumulative 37.4 miles

Another 4.6 miles

Now that I'm gainfully employed again, I need to be on my feet a lot. So I'm concerned that my running may lead to fatigue. Tomorrow I'll be running labs all day, so a lot of time on my feet. Hopefully it'll be okay

Playlist (a hodgepodge of old stuff new to the tune-o-matic)
Sweet Virginia -Rolling Stones
Come As You Are -Nirvana
Ashes To Ashes -David Bowie
Bacteria -Jonathon Coulton
Emperor Tomato Ketchup -Stereolab
Can't Get There From Here -R.E.M.
Pretty Vacant -Sex Pistols
Jam On It -Newcleus
Girl -Beck
Paranoid -Black Sabbath (really good for keeping up a pace towards the end, there)
So Easy -Eagles of Death Metal

Times
L1 13:28
L2 6:31
L3 7:33
L4 3:29
L5 11:18
L6 0:52
Total 43:12

Distance 4.6 miles
Cumulative distance 18.6

Monday, Monday/ Jr. League result

No, I haven't incorporated any Mamas and Papas into the tune-o-matic. It is definitely Monday, though, and I took the whole weekend off. Today, a similar route to most of the last few with some twists, Gay, Woodfield, College, Samford, Gay, Thach, Toomer's, Magnolia, Ross, Thach, Armstrong, Gay, home. Still a little tight in my right calf. My back was sore before I went out, but it's resolved now.

Playlist
Life on Mars? -David Bowie
We're Here -Meat Puppets
Run (I'm a Natural Disaster) -Gnarls Barkley
Mona Lisa -Nat 'King' Cole
Tougher Than It Is -Cake
Gamma Ray -Beck
Clampdown -the Clash
The Negotiation Limerick File -Beastie Boys
Hey, Little Rich Girl -the Specials
Iron Man -Black Sabbath
Back in Black -AC/DC
1999 -Prince
Rusty Cage -Soundgarden
Percolator -Stereolab
Bang a Gong (Get It On) -T. Rex

Times
L1 12:20
L2 3:18
L3 12:23
L4 10:23
L5 5:46
L6 10:31
L7 0:52.4
Total 55:33

Distance 6.45 miles

Also, just found out I got 14th in the Junior League run, at 23:40. Not too bad.

A little longer, a little better.

Another day, a little longer. Started out a little tight, but loosened up and went with it. Not all out, of course. Similar to yesterday's route, only all the way up College to Toomer's Corner, down Magnolia to Gay and all the way back down to home. At this point, I'll be glad to get 15 runs in this month, or over 75 miles.

Playlist -I'm sure these all belong to a genre that has a name, but I don't know what it is.
Cherub Rock -Smashing Pumpkins
Siva -Smashing Pumpkins
Sugar -Imperial Teen
Hot Pink -Meat Puppets
We're Here -Meat Puppets
Jane Says -Jane's Addiction
Books About UFOs -Husker Du
Little Man With A Gun In His Hand -Minutemen
There Goes My Gun -Pixies
God Is A Number -Sleater-Kinney
Superunknown -Soundgarden
Emperor Tomato Ketchup -Stereolab
The Day I Tried To Live -Soundgarden

Times
L1 12:03
L2 3:20
L3 (To Toomer's) 11:14
L4 0:49
L5 4:51
L6 5:43
L7 11:58
Total 49:57
Distance 5.63 miles

Two days off, short day on.

Not too long a day out there. My right calf is still a little tight. My wife is back from her trip to Belize, and the kids are off from school for Spring Break. Up Gay Street and back down Wright's Mill.

Playlist
Hosanna -Harry Belafonte
Learn To Fly -Foo Fighters
What A Day That Was -Talking Heads
Jeepster -T.Rex
International Colouring Contest -Stereolab
Superunknown -Soundgarden
God Is A Number -Sleater-Kinney
No One To Depend On -Santana

Times
L1 11:46
L2 5:49
L3 16:28
Total 34:02
Distance 4.0 miles

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!

Yet Another New Route

After the 13.2 miler, and a couple of days of rest, going out for an hour doesn't feel like much at all. It felt surprisingly nice, actually. I took two days off, which wasn't in the plan, but Tuesday I had some parental responsibilities to attend to, and yesterday, even after togging up, I didn't feel up to it. So today I went up Gay Street, across Armstrong to Thach, over to Brookside, back down Samford to College, down to Art Museum and Woodfield to Gay and back home. At first it felt a bit chilly, but I feel pretty darn okay now.

Playlist, a hodgepodge featuring some new tunes to the Tune-O-Matic
Time is Too Expensive -Del tha Funky Homosapien
Lady Day and John Coltrane -Gil Scott-Heron
So Easy -Eagles of Death Metal
I Gotcha Back -Genius/GZA
Gold -Genius/GZA
Whorehoppin' (Sh*t, G*dd*mn) -Eagles of Death Metal
Stay Close to Me -Bad Brains
Loser -Beck
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
Pump It Up -Elvis Costello
Outshined -Soundgarden
The Whistling Song -Meat Puppets
Jimmy James -Beastie Boys
Kooks -David Bowie
Turn It On -Flaming Lips
Whip It -Devo
What Goes On -Velvet Underground

Times
L1 (Woodfield Stop Sign) 12:17
L2 (Gay/Samford) 6:31
L3 (Armstrong/Thach/Samford loop) 19:41
L4 (College St) 7:03
L5 (Woodfield) 3:18
L6 (Woodfield SS--> Home) 11:30
Total 1:00:21
Distance 6.8 miles
8.8 minute miles.

Last time before major tuneomatic surgery

So on my trip to Charlottesville, I dropped my tune-o-matic, which cracked its screen :{(- (that's a frowning emoticon self-portrait). So after calling the manufacturer and the mobile company (who shall remain nameless, to protect the guilty) I now have to pay lots of money to send it away for an out of warranty repair/replace operation. Everything else still works, however, and if I keep it in a heavy-mil resealable bag, it stays dry and doesn't slice my finger to ribbons. Apart from that, I've been a bit lazy. A week off, though with hikes at Natural Bridge in Virginia, and some vigorous insect-collecting work out in T-town. So I haven't been completely sedentary. Anyway, it's good to be back and nice to get out for a run. It stopped raining (it was dumping this morning), and a bit warm for Spandex, but I wore it anyway. Down to Chewacla and back.

Playlist
Here Comes Your Man -The Pixies
Emperor Tomato Ketchup -Stereolab
All Your Goodies are Gone -Parliament
Mother's Little Helper -The Rolling Stones
What I'd Say (Parts 1&2) -Ray Charles
For Your Life -Led Zeppelin
History Lesson, Part I -Minutemen

Times
Length 1--> 8:46
Length 2--> 7:19
Length 3-->7:44
Length 4-->8:34
Total-->32:22 Pretty good, still up near that peak of 2 weeks ago. Can I get it down to 30:00? That would be nice.

A good long alternative mix

I thought about going out Sunday night after Saturday night, because I knew I'd miss last night due to a prior engagement. I didn't, so I went a bit longer tonight.

Playlist:
Spinal Meningitis -Ween
Sugar -Imperial Teen
Making Flippy Floppy -Talking Heads
Enchanted Porkfist -Meat Puppets
It's Expected I'm Gone -Minutemen
What's Going On -Husker Du
Float On -Modest Mouse
The Sky Is Falling -Queens of the Stone Age
Turn It On -Flaming Lips
The Distance -CAKE
Emperor Tomato Ketchup -Stereolab
Time out 44:13.5

Another setback, but back out again

So it's been almost 2 weeks since the oral surgery. After I went off the steroids I started feeling worse again, the cough returned, but still not as bad as at the nadir of the respiratory plague. I hadn't really felt like running, but I knew I had to get back out there sooner or later. So tonight I finally laced up and managed to go on a short run. Yes, there's been a bit of SLOTH on the table as well. Hopefully I can get back out there soon enough to keep it going.

Playlist
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
Transona Five -Stereolab
Gamma Ray -Beck
Sini Lindile -Nganeziyamfisa No Khambalomvaleliso
Total time=16:58

Morning again, mixed

Managed to get up and go again this morning. It's getting easier and more necessary, as the sun comes up earlier and earlier, and we've been having afternoon showers almost every day for a week or more. It actually feels good to come into work, all jogged up and all.

The Playlist
Who's Gonna Save My Soul -Gnarls Barkley
Dashboard -Modest Mouse
Flashlight -Parliament
Fat Bottomed Girls -Queen
Bang A Gong (Get It On) -T.Rex
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
Time out 38:04

Spandex

I am of the opinion that spandex is a potentially dangerous substance. It can provide unnatural ego enhancement in some, and may be a blight on others. That said, I like to wear the stuff on my legs when it gets chilly, which it is getting. I still have legs that do justice to spandex, while my ]torso would look like I was feebly attempting to smuggle a basketball. It keeps me warm, and snug, so I wear some occasionally. Also, I run in the dark, so no one has to see it.

I took a couple of nights off, or rather I spent a couple of nights on, as in, on the job, so I decided to go longer tonight. Tonight's playlist features the letters O-T prominently:

Dirty Water -The Standells. You know what that means. Bring on October!

Sock It To 'Em, J.B. -The Specials. Apparently, they weren't allowed to mention double O seven by name, so they just called him J.B. He's got you doing the bossa nova, he's got you doing the scratch!

Making Flippy Floppy -Talking Heads. I totally heart Talking Heads.

Bang a Gong (Get It On) -T. Rex.

Emperor Tomato Ketchup -Stereolab

Let's Spend The Night Together -The Rolling Stones, or, as Ed Sullivan would have it "Let's spend some time together".

Marie Jose -Ryco Jazz. Vibrato + Zairean Soukous + Scooby Doo references = WIN!

What'd I Say, Parts 1&2 -Ray Charles. Another influence from my Dear Old Dad, who was a fan of RC from way back in the day. I got to see him performing with the Modern Jazz Quartet some years ago. I remember Ray playing and just bouncing as if he only needed to keep one toe on the stage. I can't help but think of John Belushi as Beethoven, though.

Old Fowl Ska -Roland Alphonso

Coumba -Orchestra Baobab, another gem from one of David Byrne's monthly playlists.

Nansi Imali -Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Back before Apartheid crumbled, before Paul Simon made them world famous, there was the Indestructible Beat of Soweto.

Total Time: 50:49, enough time to go down to Chewacla SP and back. A personal long since starting back in the whole jogging thing