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

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

Warm Friday

Having finished my lecturing for the week, I knew it was time for another run. I set out shortly after 8 AM, which was, of course, the coolest it was going to be on this run. I went over the Interstate and west on University, up Donahue to College, and past the Art Museum back to Gay and home (not turning down Briarwood). Looking at my time, I didn't think I'd gone 4, but measuring the route showed that I went 4.1 miles. Yay. My BRAND NEW headphones have started going all wonky again. I think that when they get sweat in the microphone they start trying to activate Voice Control, and making the music play oddly. Boo. Otherwise, they're nice headphones.

Playlist
Turn It On -Flaming Lips
Novacane -Beck
Safe European Home -The Clash
The Width of a Circle -David Bowie
E-Pro -Beck
Crazy -Gnarls Barkley
Purple Haze -Jimi Hendrix
Notion -Kings of Leon
For Your Life -Led Zeppelin

Times
L1 15:06
L2 6:27
L3 3:26
L4 11:53
L5 0:50
Total 37:42

Distance 4.1 miles
Cumulative 35.2 miles

Back out there

I've taken a week off, partly because my legs have been a little sore after the 7 miler, and partly because I've been traveling (down to Tampa to visit a good friend of mine and to see the Red Sox play). This evening, since there was no 5k, I went on a slightly longer route. My friend invited our family over for dinner and a swim, so while they drove, I ran. I ran up into Grove Hill, to the far pool over near Moore's Mill Rd, and back via Windway to Ogletree and down into Springwood, about 5.2 miles. It was a bit nicer weather after the downpour we received today. My calves are definitely barkin' now, though. Over halfway to my monthly goal, but not that much month left.

Playlist (mostly 80's stuff I recently added to the Tune-O-Matic)
Sledgehammer -Peter Gabriel
Moral Kiosk -REM
Rapture -Blondie
Up On The Sun -Meat Puppets
Dizzy -Throwing Muses
(I Was Born In A) Laundromat -Camper Van Beethoven
I Lost It -Lucinda Williams
Radio Free Europe -REM
Adult Books -X
Blitzkrieg Bop -Ramones
Car Jamming -the Clash
Coming In Hot -Peter Tosh
Devil's Roof -Throwing Muses

Times
L1 25:15 (home to turnaround)
L2 23:59 (turnaround to Springwood stop)
Total 49:14

Distance 5.2 miles
Cumulative 23.1 miles

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

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!

Summer 5K part II

A little bit cooler this evening, a little bit quicker to the finish. I had a pretty sizable spicy Indian lunch, which was, in retrospect, a bad idea, after all. Not as many familiar faces this week, but that's okay.

Playlist
El Microfono -Mexican Institute of Sound
Ruby -Kaiser Chiefs
Torn and Frayed -Rolling Stones
Mind -Talking Heads
Fish, Chips and Sweat -Funkadelic
Armagideon Time -the Clash
Born Free -M.I.A.
Enjoy Yourself -the Specials

Time (unofficial)
27:36

Distance 3.1 miles
Cumulative distance 10.9 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

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)

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-Day, Fun Day, Boogie Day

Busy day in the greater Auburn-Opelika area. My daughter's pre-school had a Fun Day, it's A-Day (Auburn Univ.'s spring football game), and the Old 280 Boogie is happening out in Waverly. Plus, my other daughter had a birthday party to attend. So, busy.
I got to sneak in a run today, up Gay and down Wright's Mill. Got a little crazy as I approached Samford, but I managed to avoid incident.

Playlist
Ruby Sees All -Cake
Armagideon Time -the Clash
Diamond Dogs -David Bowie
Nappy Dugout -Funkadelic
Up On The Sun -Meat Puppets
Chinese Rock -the Ramones
No Expectations -Rolling Stones
Academia -Sia
Crush -Smashing Pumpkins
Spoonman -Soundgarden

Times
L1 12:09
L2 5:59
L3 16:21
L4 (the Kick, just for fun) 0:52
Total 35:21
Distance 4.0 miles

Ogletree loop

Ran out Ogletree and decided to go around the loop rather than turning around. That's actually the shorter route. Seven plus miles. Missed yesterday, because my daughter didn't have school and I was in charge.

Playlist
Sweet Child O' Mine -Guns 'N Roses
The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song -Flaming Lips
What Is Life -George Harrison
Rusty Cage -Soundgarden
Catch All This -Del the Funky Homosapien
16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought Six -Tom Waits
Rock The Casbah -The Clash
Nappy Dugout -Funkadelic
Diamond Dogs -David Bowie
Jesus and Tequila -Minutemen
That Girl From Brownsville, Texas -Jim White
Seven Nation Army -White Stripes
You Can't Catch Me -Chuck Berry
Atomic Dog - George Clinton

Times
L1 (Home ->SS) 8:28
L2 (SS ->Windway) 11:33
L3 (WW ->Moore's Mill) 18:40
L4 (MM ->University) 12:28
L5 (MM/Univ ->Home) 12:16
Total 1:03:26
Distance 7.07 miles

Onto Auburn campus

New route again. I went over the Interstate and to the left this time, down the big hill of University and back up to Donahue, up to campus, cut over by the President's house, down Samford and home via Gay St. I'm losing my fear of big hills.

Playlist, O to U.
One Nation Under a Groove -Funkadelic
Our Lips Are Sealed -The Go-gos
Peas and Rice -Blind Blake and his Royal Victorians
Pilot Can At The Queer Eye of God -Flaming Lips
Queen Bitch -David Bowie
Qhude Manikiniki -Umahlathini Nabo
Roses are Free -Ween
Ruby Sees All -Cake
Shadow Stabbing -Cake
Small Axe -Bob Marley and the Wailers
Take Me Away -Ween
Train in Vain -The Clash
Universal Corner -X
Up On The Sun -Meat Puppets

Time
48:21. Distance 5.4 miles. Includes a stop at a traffic light. A rare stop for me.

Sweet Virginia

I didn't listen to this song today, but there's a line in the song that struck a chord with me. And my shoes. Last night I was wearing the recently cleaned old New Balance shoes and misstepped in the dark. I thought, perhaps rather than scrape, I could run to get the mashed excreta off my shoes. Another reason this song resonated today was my route. Apparently I've been running the wrong course for this Saturday's Race to Help Haiti. I've been running all the way up Wright's Mill Rd to Samford and back to Gay Street, but the proper route cuts back over to Gay St. via Virginia St. I don't think it's much of a difference distance wise, but it does add an extra dip and climb. So I ran the proper course today, out of sequence since I wanted to try for a decent time but not end up doubling the route. Theoretically, this is an easy day. It's pretty cold out there (count my blessings, most of the rest of the country is deep under snow right now), and I wasn't feeling fantastically great out there, but my time was OK.

Playlist (more eclectic on-the-go)
Sissyneck -Beck
Tougher Than It Is -Cake
The W.A.N.D. -Flaming Lips
Walk On By -Cake
The Book I Read -Talking Heads
Buddy Holly -Weezer
Clampdown -The Clash
Cold Sweat -James Brown
Crazy -Gnarls Barkley
Fish, Chips and Sweat -Funkadelic
Guns of Brixton -The Clash
Hot Pink -Meat Puppets

Times
L1 (to Loftin) 6:57
L2 (the proper 5k, out of order) 26:47
L3 (back home) 6:34
Total 40:18.

Love Your Heart 10K

Well, this was the first time I paid to go running in a while. It was a lot of fun. The course ran from the top of Chewacla State Park, down to the Shel Toomer Bike Path and back to the top of Chewacla. I was a bit afraid of the climb back to the top, but it wasn't so bad. I had a lot of gas left for the kick, and passed a few people accelerating up the last hills. I made it in under an hour, so I'm happy with that for a first race in a few years.

For the playlist, I made an on-the-go one, so the songs played in
alphabetical order.

Playlist
Academia -Sia
Atomic Dog -George Clinton
Aurora Borealis -Meat Puppets
Bang a Gong (Get It On) -T.Rex
Bicycle Race -Queen
California Love -2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Roger Troutman
Clampdown -The Clash
Dixie Chicken -Little Feat
Exactly Where I'm At -Ween
Fish, Chips, and Sweat -Funkadelic
Girl -Beck
Give It Up Or Turnit Loose -James Brown
Ham 'N Eggs -A Tribe Called Quest
Hang On St. Christopher -Tom Waits
Hit It and Quit It -Funkadelic
Iron Man -Black Sabbath

Time (by my mark)
58:40

Guns

I went for about a 5k today (probably a bit less, given my time), out to Gay and Woodfield and back. It's finally cooled off a bit, though it was a bit warm for the long sleeve shirt I had on. The playlist started out with guns, and that became a theme...

Playlist:
For Those About to Rock, We Salute You -AC/DC
There Goes My Gun -Pixies
Hangin' Tree -Queens of the Stone Age
Man at C & A -The Specials
Sock It To 'Em, JB -The Specials
Guns of Brixton -The Clash
Tommy Gun -The Clash

Time:
Home -> Stop sign 13:12
Stop sign -> Home 12:55. I'm happy with that.
Total: 26:08

UK Mix

Not too long tonight. Late dinner, not too heavy. Able to go pretty quickly up to the stop sign at Gay and Woodfield and back. Tonight's playlist, all UK artists.

Playlist
Rudie Can't Fail -The Clash
A Message to You Rudy -The Specials
Pump It Up -Elvis Costello
Gimme Shelter -The Rolling Stones
Jeepster -T. Rex
You're My Best Friend -Queen
Crazy Train -Ozzy Osbourne
Time out, 27:39

OK, OK, don't push us when we're HOT!

Another daylight run. I want to eat and relax (read BBQ and heavy food and beer) so I decided I needed to go on a daylight run to enable both exercise and dinner plans. Went up to the corner of Gay and Woodfield, up to Wright's Mill, down to ??? and into Town Creek Cemetery. Down into the park part, and had a pee at the restroom there. (Too much information? Sorry, that's what I do here, you know, sharing). Then back home. A nice playlist, in my humble opinion, featuring some new additions to the tune-o-matic. It was hot out there, and after a late night of beer drinking and a heavy brunch this morning, I was pretty tuckered by about a quarter of the way in.

Playlist:
Armagideon Time -The Clash
Rental Car -Beck
To Kingdom Come -The Band
Diamond Dogs -David Bowie
Warning Sign -Talking Heads (from The Name of This Band...)
Fish, Chips and Sweat -Funkadelic
Whatever Makes My Baby Feel Good -Parliament
It's Summertime -The Flaming Lips
I Just Wanna Have Something To Do -The Ramones

Time out 40:00