West Pace mileage recalculation

Have I been miscalculating? So my newer longer route out the bike path I previously had at, what, 7. something? Now I remeasure and it comes out around 6.8. Boo. That burns me up a bit. Anyway, I did this route plus a little extra, and it came out to 7.3 miles. I often find it difficult mentally to go past my designated finish point, so today I wanted to break myself of that habit and push just a little bit further. So I went around the block for an extra 0.4. This month, anyway, I know I've got an honest 39+ logged, and enough to fill in, in case I shorted myself on any of the previous months by my poor measuring skills, self-directed blame which I share with gmap-pedometer. No wait, on looking back the fault is entirely my own. The 7.8 mile route included Old Wright's Mill, which added an extra mile. And I think I only botched one other run, in this month, so I think it's okay, I only have to do a little bit of editing to fix everything. Tonight I heading up to Birmingham to see one of my favorite bands, Meat Puppets at the Bottletree. I added their new album to the end of this playlist, and only got into the first two songs.

Playlist mostly mellow
Dead Flowers Rolling Stones
Jack-Ass Beck
Who Loves the Sun Velvet Underground
Rainy Day Woman Waylon Jennings
Burning Down the House Talking Heads
Where I'm From Shelby Lynne
Life on Mars? Seu Jorge
Gardening At Night R.E.M.
Windy and Warm Richard Kiser
Ambulance Blues Neil Young
Walk On the Wild Side Lou Reed
Smile Lily Allen
Notion Kings of Leon
Slavedriver Jenny and Johnny
It's Summertime Flaming Lips
Incomplete Meat Puppets
Orange Meat Puppets

Times
L1 8:16
L2 6:39
L3 12:22
L4 8:57
L5 8:57
L6 7:29
L7 7:07
L8 0:58
L9 3:22
L10 0:56
Total 1:05:04
I did manage to achieve 6.8 miles in just over an hour, so it does make finishing the half marathon in under 2 hours seem plausible if not likely.

Distance 7.3 miles
Cumulative distance 51.4 miles. I've gone back to my last run on this route and edited the mileage, so everything should be correct now.

Been a long time, been a long time, been a long

Almost a month since my last run. The first step back is the hardest, for sure. I finally got my butt up and went back to Gay/Woodfield. A week ago, the Dean of my College was hit and killed while she was running, so part of me has been afraid to get back out there, and part of me inspired to get back out there. Of course, her death doesn't account for the prior three weeks of sloth. My feet looked awful after the Tough Ten, though, with a huge blood blister that's finally worked itself out. But at the heart of it, I don't exactly know why I've been so slothful, but it's time for it to stop.

Playlist
Peace Treaty -Peter Tosh
Carbon Monoxide -CAKE
Lust for Life -Iggy Pop
Opera Singer -CAKE
Can't Get There From Here -R.E.M.
Italian Leather Sofa -CAKE

Times
L1 13:05
L2 11:11
L3 0:55
Total 25:12

Distance 2.7 miles
Total 2.7 miles

Forest Ecology Preserve 5k

Ran the 5k, last weekend now. Let me say this: Chicken fingers are not the dinner of champions. I didn't drink at all last Friday, but I did eat a mess of chicken fingers, and I didn't run at all during the lead up to the race either. I was a bit tender for a few day after the Tough Ten.

I ran as part of the Forestry team, and we won! For the first time since I've been running it, our Forestry five won it. By default, but we'll take it, take it away from those Fisheries sorts. My friend Wayne ran also, and got second in our age group, so in his honor, I started with some Stones, his fave.

Playlist
Tumbling Dice -Rolling Stones
Save It For Later -English Beat
Lust For Life -Iggy Pop
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Electric Avenue -Eddy Grant
Whip It -Devo
Crazy -Gnarls Barkley

I think that's all?

Time
26:34 or so. Awful, really, even for a trail run.

Distance 3.1 miles
Cumulative distance 25.3

Oy

I've had to take another chunk of time off. My wife's been out of the country, and I don't feel right going out at night and leaving the kids home alone and asleep, (and not just because it's against the law). Also, the three of us have had a 24 stomach bug go through us in turn, so I've had to tend to them as well. I thought I'd try to get out for a longer run, down to the bike trail and back. I made down and back to Wright's Mill, but had to stop and walk for a bit (grrr.), then got started up and decided I had to walk some more (double grr). Not a big surprise, after more than a week off and trying for a longer run than I'd done in a while. It doesn't bode well for the 10 mile in two weeks, but injuring myself would be even more of a setback. I made it in just as it started raining. I would have missed it entirely had I been able to run the whole way (frown).

Playlist
Pithecanthropus Erectus -Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop
Roxanne Roxanne -UTFO
What New York Used to Be -the Kills
Heroes -David Bowie
Black Country Rock -David Bowie
White Lines (Don't Do It) -Grandmaster Flash
A Little Better -Gnarls Barkley
No More Tears -Ozzy Osbourne
Ventilator Blues -Rolling Stones
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Away -Meat Puppets
Shhhh/Peaceful -Miles Davis

Times
L1 9:11
L2 7:45
L3 15:39
L4 16: 22
L5 1:32
L6 6:21 (walking)
L7 3:11
L8 7:11 (walking)
L9 4:03
L10 0:56

Distance 6.2 miles (not sure how much walking, maybe 1 mile?)
Cumulative distance 17.1

Penance for Pigging Out

Last night I totally pigged out. I was well-mannered for most of the day but as it got into the evening I began snacking heavily, then had a large dinner and just kept going, mostly with things that are not on my diet. So I wanted to do penance today, only I didn't want to hurt myself any further.
Route: Gay Woodfield College Toomer's Corner Magnolia Gay Samford Wright's Mill Woodfield Gay Home

Playlist: African
Cooperation -Franco & Sam Mangwana
Marie Jose -Ryco Jazz
Mondo Soul Funky -Ebo Taylor Jr & Wuta Wazuri
Qhude Manikiniki -Umahlathini Nabo
Sini Lindile -Nganeziyamfisa No Khambalomvaleliso
Sai -Kanda Bongo Man
Dadje Von O Von Non -Gnonnas Pedro et ses Dadjes
Makojo -Chief Osita Osadebe
Tin Tin Lon -Honore Avolante et l'Orchestre Poly-Rythmo

Times
L1 12:12
L2 3:21
L3 11:13
L4 6:08
L5 7:05
L6 11:54
Total 51:53

Distance 5.85 miles That's 28.7 miles for the week. Which is pretty good, considering I'm on healing time

Junk Support

Day 19 of the 20 day challenge, and I'm feeling pretty good after a day off. It's been threatening to rain all day long, but hasn't really started yet. Pretty warm and nice. I finally got myself an athletic supporter, to keep my junk in place during the warm weather. I wasn't sure if I should get the size 30-32 inch waist, or the 34-36 inch. I've been at about 33 inches, and being an optimist, I went with the 30-32. I did so with furrowed brow, because I don't imagine it's the kind of item one can return to the store. TMI? I call it deep sharing.
The stoplights all seemed to be against me today.

Playlist-All Gabby Pahinui
Wai Hu'ihu'i O Ke Aniani
Maile Lau Li'ili'i
'Ia 'Oe E Ka La
Haleakala
Panini Pua Kea
He'eia
'Ama 'Ama
Nanea Ko Maka I Ka Le'a Le'a
Pua Kukui
Kananaka
Mauna Loa
Hula O Makee
Wahine U'i
Ku'u Pua Lei Mokihana
Kaua Beauty
Ka Ua Loku
How D'ya Do
Ka Ipo Lei Manu
Lei Ohu
Breeze

L1 14:17
L2 5:46 (Univ/Donahue to Woodfield)
L3 10:55 (Donahue/Woodfield to Magnolia)
L4 6:14 (Magnolia)
L5 5:38 (Gay Armstrong)
L6 5:35 (Top of Gay)
L7 11:18 (Bottom of Gay)
Total 59:43
Distance 7.0

Naughty, naughty me.

I've been a very very naughty boy. I've taken almost two weeks off. I didn't run in the half-marathon. I've been a lump. Why? The irony of the matter is because I got bad news that should have inspired me to run more often: my cholesterol is through the roof. For some reason, this news glued my butt to my chair when I should have been running. Given that my family has a history of heart disease, I shouldn't be too surprised. Fortunately, there are meds that can help mitigate the problems of high cholesterol in the form of statins, which I am now taking. And exercising is one factor that can reduce the likelihood of heart disease developing down the line. I guess I thought the running beforehand would have helped keep the numbers down. I should have learned from Jim Fixx.
The last time my cholesterol was checked was when I lived in California, and ate a lot better. More vegetarian meals, fewer chicken fingers, less barbecue. My physician there suggested that one of my numbers was off, and I should be careful. Now, 4 of 5 of my numbers are high. So I'm trying to change my diet; no more bbq, less fat and beer, more oatmeal, whole grains (brown rice), fish oil, fruits and vegetables. My wife thinks I should try a few months with just the dietary approach, but the efficacy of statins is well documented, with few adverse effects (although I'm on the lookout for the myalgia).

So today, I thought I'd only start out small, up to Woodfield/Gay and back. Baby steps, there will be other half marathons, hopefully someday a full marathon.

Playlist
Flaming heart -Meat Puppets
She Don't use Jelly -Flaming Lips
Let's Spend the Night Together -The Rolling Stones
No One To Depend On -Santana
On verra ca -Orchestra Baobab

Time
There 12:38
Back 12:43
Total 25:20. Pretty fast for this route, considering my hiatus.

Boxing day

I drove into Glen Ellen today to run in Sonoma Valley Regional Park. The paved direct route is only 1.25 mi, so I thought I'd take the high trail back. It was not good. I never really got into the happy endorphin zone early on, which usually happens, so
the high trail wasn't much fun, with me having to walk bits of the
uphills. I hate having to walk. bleah.
And the worst part, I was only out for about 27 minutes.

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

Bike ride

So it's been another long while since I went running. No better reason than sloth and having been busy doing things that aren't running. I went on a bike ride today, to the library. I am embarrassed at how worked I am from the experience. I need to get out and run some more. If I wasn't blogging about it, I could have quietly quit with no one to judge, but somehow the blog is my confessional to the sin of sloth.

I also got to listen to some music. On the way out, excerpts from Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, by the Flaming Lips:

Fight Test
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Parts I and II)
Ego Tripping At the Gates of Hell
Do You Realize?

On the way back, some Gabby Pahinui. I've been all about the Hawaiian music of late. It just puts me in my happy place. I highly recommend Hawaiian Rainbow to anyone who agrees. I have a kama aina friend who gave me some of da kine Hawaiian tunes.

Hii Lawe
My Little Grass Shack
Lei Aloha Lei Makamae
Mauna Loa
Ka Ua Loku
Wai Hu'i O Keaniani
Ahulili

Knee problems

So I blew out my knew last weekend, playing hacky-sack. It slowed me down quite a bit, and I think I've done my damage to my poor meniscus. It's already been trimmed down once, and I hope I don't have to do it again.
I've been off it, and probably won't be trying any more hacky sack for a while. Running, however, doesn't seem to agitate it much.

No playlist, I was listening to the Red Sox-Yankees on the tune-o-matic. The sweep took the sting out of the Celtics getting tied up with the Bulls. Actually, I'm a lot happier about how the Sox are doing in any event.

Tonight I headed out over the big hill towards Chewacla and back.
Time out 22:04.

Easter Greetings

Easter's here which means a few things to my running. 1. Lent is over, so I've chosen to return to those things which I've given up for 40 days, namely coffee, beer, and sugar. This last one has had several of my scientist colleagues challenging me on what I define as sugar. For the purposes of the my fast, I defined sugar as any of several listed ingredients including: sugar, dextrose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup. I did eat honey and maple syrup, which are course full of 'sugar', at least in terms of simple carbohydrates. Anyway, the purpose of the fast (besides the spiritual challenge) was not attained. I did not lose any weight. I haven't been running as much as I'd wanted due to illness, so that didn't help. Also, I did not abstain from other sources of caffeine (tea, diet soda) or alcohol (wine, liquor), so that couldn't have helped either.
2. Today was a feast, including doughnuts (of the Krispy Kreme fundraiser variety, not my favorite but there they were), cheesy grits, chocolate, but a modest dinner after all that.
3. We went to an Easter egg hunt at a friend's house on bicycles, with me lugging the Burley trailer. Our friends do not live far away, maybe a mile and a half, but I felt shamefully winded by the experience. I haven't ridden my bike at all for a while, and clearly I should.
4. The Easter Bunny brought a new yoga ball into our lives, along with an exercise DVD, so perhaps I'll be doing some stretching, cardio toning kinds of things to help with the whole fitness adventure.

And finally, after all that, I did get out on a jog. I went faster than normal, maybe due to the lighter dinner. I jogged up to the Museum and back, with an extra quarter mile or so around Town Creek Park, and still made it back in under 40 minutes.

The Playlist.
Turn It On -The Flaming Lips
Oh, Me -Meat Puppets
Pork Roll Egg and Cheese -Ween
Tried and True -Ween
Undone (The Sweater Song) -Weezer
I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You -The Meters
Cold Blood -Peter Tosh
Mother Popcorn -James Brown
Get Off My Cloud -The Rolling Stones
Get On Down -Meat Puppets.

Time 39:56 Considering this is the same route as last Sunday, and a bit longer, I'm happy with the time.

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

Off track again, but getting better. More PED's

I had a relapse into the bronchial nightmare, which has again kept me from running. Then I had oral surgery (three teeth removed), which I'd already delayed because of the coughing, and the coughing prevented them from putting in the implant, which was the last step. Now I really feel like I'm getting to the end of it.
To help the process along, I'm also on antibiotix (again), and steroids (and narcotix as well), to help the healing of the teeth, with the lagniappe of helping to kick this cough. But I can't go running for a week, Doctor's orders.
But it's Lent, and I'm going try and give up three things that should help me lose some weight: beer, coffee, and sugar. We'll see how that goes!

Finally back out. Thanks, PEDs!

I finally have been able to get back out on the road, for a short run. Today was the first day that I even felt like it may be possible in a while. I've been on antibiotics (didn't really help, must be a virus), and an expectorant (although my cough hasn't been too productive), and an albuterol inhaler, which has helped more than anything else. And I've been sucking on Ricola by the bagful, which has helped some, but meant a lot of sugar intake.
My tidal volume is slowly coming back. The coughing fits are getting more controllable. And I've been able to return to bed with my wife, rather than self-imposed exile to the futon. Somebody should be getting some sleep, no? The coughing was so bad it would make my head and back ache, more than anything else. That, and the feeling of breathing through a coffee stirrer.

Anyway, the albuterol has been a big help, and thankfully, I'm not a real athlete, who might be banned for using such a substance. No, I guess it's not really a banned substance.

I was worried, as I am during any hiatus, that the SLOTH may creep back in, and I'd never get my feet back on the concrete. So for that reason as well, it's nice to get out, even for a short run.

Playlist. African
Sini Lindile -Nganeziyamfisa No Khambalomvaleliso
Mondo Soul Funky -Ebo Taylor Jr. & Wuta Wazuri
Nansi Imali -Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Total time out: 13:40. Short, but I'll take it.

Where have I been?

I've been sick. Coughing fits have kept me out of my running shoes for a couple of weeks now. I've finally gotten on some antibiotics, and hopefully that will help. Seriously, it's been quite a pain. I wanted to run a 10K last weekend, my first in years, but my lungs wouldn't let me. Boo!
I hope to get back on the road soon. I'm starting to get some of my tidal volume back, and it's been warming up. Meanwhile, here's some pix from the Sportscentrum in Pretoria, promised so long ago.

More Metal

As you may have gleaned from the last few playlists, I've been having a metal renaissance of sorts, with AC/DC featuring prominently. Being a fan of Malcolm Gladwell, I feel that there must be some strange, evanescent reason for this behavior. And being not a psychologist and somewhat intellectually lazy after a nice run, I don't really concern myself with what that reason may be.

I suited up last night, but couldn't find my flashlight. Honestly, I stopped looking after only the most cursory of investigations. It was cold, and late, and I figured I would go tomorrow, which is tonight, and I did. It was a bit warmer tonight, and I took a slightly different route from the trans-Interstate route I've been favoring, which turned out to be slightly shorter than the other route, although I think I was going a notch faster than usual.

The Playlist
Paranoid -Black Sabbath
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap -AC/DC. A good song for some long strides.
Back in Black -AC/DC
Highway to Hell -AC/DC
Draw the Line -Aerosmith
Roadhouse Blues -The Doors
Hit It and Quit It -Funkadelic
Calling Dr. Love -KISS
Iron Man -Black Sabbath. The fast bit at the end was ideal for the kick!
Total time, about 37:00. I didn't time properly AGAIN.

Slackin' again

I've taken a week off. I blame my children, which I admit is an awful thing to do. However, since I've been with them by myself for the past week, I plead parenting as priority over peripatry. Now my wife is back, and we just got her some new running shoes today. So we may start running together, Hooray!
It's cold out there, at least it feels cold. The weather station says 30 degrees, though most other folks around the country are under snow and such. I had to warm up with a lap around the neighborhood before embarking on the path over the Interstate, which I now prefer. The dogs now have a fenced yard, so they don't require my walking/running services quite so much.

I did go a bit long, which I like to do after a long rest. A week is too long though.
In any event, the playlist. It started out with a genre, then spiraled into lunacy. I just listened to whatever I felt.
Jeepster -T. Rex. My latest fave song.
Girls Got Rhythm -AC/DC. Continuing to explore the oeuvre of Australia's ambassadors of Rock
Midnight Rider -The Allman Brothers.
Sugar Never Tasted So Good -White Stripes. This song reminds me of a former co-worker whom I just reconnected with.
Sweet Home Alabama -Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Turn It On -The Flaming Lips
Good Old Funky Music -The Meters
Higher Ground -Stevie Wonder
The Sky Is Falling -Queens of the Stone Age
Gnawoe -Orchestre Baobab
Time out: about 45 minutes. I didn't start the timer until about halfway through Jeepster.

New Year's Resolutions

So it's a New Year, and looking back on my resolutions from last year. I don't think I did so well on my resolution to drink less. However, I did not drink more, so that is achievement of a sort. I did much better on my resolution to eat more salad. I ate a salad just about every day through June, and then at least four times a week until December. With all the traveling at the end of the year, it was tough to keep up with it, but I'm back and settled and ready to recommit to salad eating. Maybe I'll try to drink less as well, eat less processed food, and of course, keep running at least three times a week.

So I finally went on my first jog since I got back to Auburn. While I was in South Africa my family got a new puppy, which matches our older dog Trixie. So I had a bit of a quandary; the puppy, Jin-Jin, is still quite a fresh young thing, so I didn't want to take both dogs out together. So I decided to go out with Trixie first, then Jin-Jin. That worked out pretty well, since running around the neighborhood is a series of loops anyway.

Playlist:
Our Lips Are Sealed -The Go-Gos
Blind Mary -Gnarls Barkley
When Doves Cry -Prince
Cold Sweat, Part 1 -James Brown
(This is where I switched dogs)
Carbon Monoxide -Cake
Watching the Detectives -Elvis Costello
Veronica -Elvis Costello
Total time 26:13

Back in the Northern Hemisphere

"Where have I been?" You probably haven't been wondering. Well, after leaving South Africa, crossing Africa and Europe to arrive late in Amsterdam, getting rerouted through Paris, and arriving back in Atlanta, I was home for a couple of weeks before coming to spend Xmas with the inlaws in San Francisco (Yes, the one in California). However, due to the rerouting in Amsterdam, I spent over a week without my running shoes, and the rest of my second checked bag. And also, thanks to some nasty microorganism that has decided to take up temporary residence in my lungs, my breathing has not been at it's peak. Thus for want of a nail (and due to coughing fits), the kingdom hasn't been jogging.
So, with those excuses dangling over my tenuous grip on fitness efforts, I haven't been running since I got back from South Africa. At least until this morning, which is why I bother posting.
As I said, I'm staying with my in-laws in the Richmond District, and finally felt well enough to go on a run through Mountain Lake Park, which is next to the Presidio. I did alright, not wanting to be out for too long after the hiatus, and only had coughing fits for the last half K or so. I did have a very nice and comfortable kick down 14th Ave, which I felt I had to extend, which is a rare feeling indeed.
It was a bit moist out there, just a thick fog or a very thin rain, so the tune-o-matic did come along and here is what it sang...

Playlist:
Indoda Yejazi Elimnyama -Amaswazi Emvelo. Do you get the impression that I love this song from how often I listen to it? Yes, it's true, I <3 this song quite a lot.
Can't Forget About You-Nas. This song also reminds me of South Africa, since it was on the radio quite a bit when I was there last year.
Gamma Ray -Beck
Academia -Sia
California Love -2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Roger Troutman. Dolle (obligatory), given my current location.

Time out: 21:and change, I didn't stop it in time for an accurate assessment.