Quota for March!

I've been in the swing of things and managed to hit my monthly quota over a week early. I went up Whippoorwill (three sets of double letters, I observed as I passed the entrance sign at the top of the big hill). On the way back, I went down Old Wright's Mill, which I thought would have gotten me over 8 miles today, but not quite. Anyway, a good run. Knock on wood, I'm feeling good. The playlist includes a number of songs I'm currently learning to play, including some Hawaiian slack-key guitar. I was also trying to think up a new challenge for my next birthday year. I'm thinking about doing the Music City Half Marathon at the end of April for my third in this year, and for next year: 40 miles/month, with no runs under 4 miles and at least 10 a month? A full marathon (that's 42+ km)? I've got a little time to figure it all out.

Playlist	eclectico
Manteca	Dizzy Gillespie
Isa Lei	Keola Beamer
Mino'aka	Keola Beamer
Moana's Laundry Basket	Keola Beamer
Papa's Okolehau	Keola Beamer
I Ka Pi Me Ke Ao	Keola Beamer
Blue Ridge Mountain Home	Flatt and Scruggs
Crazy Heart	Hank Williams
Paradise	John Prine
Rowboat	Johnny Cash
The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want to Get Over You)	Waylon Jennings
Good Hearted Woman	Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain	Willie Nelson
I'm the Man Who Loves You	Wilco
Heavy Metal Drummer	Wilco
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart	Wilco
War on War	Wilco
Sugar Never Tasted So Good	White Stripes
Do	White Stripes
The New World	X
Motel Room In My Bed	X
Stray Cat Blues	Rolling Stones

Distance 7.79 mi

Cumulative 42.73 mi

Time 1:08:37

Pace 8:49 min/mi

Warming up/West Pace

It's starting to get warm out there. And here it is the first day of Spring? Happy Vernal Equinox!

For today's route, I hit the Shel Toomer Bike path and out around West Pace. It was the first time with the MapMyRun app, so I was able to measure it: 6.89 miles. Also, I recently was introduced to some Wilco that I really like. I've heard Mermaid Avenue, but it didn't really turned my knobs. But Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? That's some crazy good shtuff, there. Today's playlist features it prominently, to wit:

Playlist
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart	Wilco
Sugar Never Tasted So Good	White Stripes
Heavy Metal Drummer	Wilco
Who Loves the Sun	Velvet Underground
I'm the Man Who Loves You	Wilco
Live With Me	Rolling Stones
Kamera	Wilco
Evil Urges	My Morning Jacket
Do Nothing	the Specials
Reggaemyelitis	Peter Tosh
Here Comes Your Man	Pixies
Time to Pretend	MGMT
Inspector Gadget	Lee "Scratch" Perry
Monkey	Matthew Dear
How Many More Times	Led Zeppelin

Distance 6.89 mi

Cumulative 34.94 mi

Time 59:09

Pace 8:36 min/mi

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!

Adjective Noun

Trying to get one more semi-long run in before the Tough Ten. Gay Samford College Woodfield and back with a little extra at the end. Feeling pretty good, quite good actually. Knees a little sore. Hopefully didn't cripple myself for tomorrow's long day in the lab.

Playlist (lots of adjective noun band names)
Oh, Atlanta -Alison Krauss
Save It For Later -English Beat
The Wizard Turns On... -Flaming Lips
Caught Up In You -.38 Special (a number adjective band, just to mix it up)
Houses In Motion -Talking Heads
Banned In D.C. -Bad Brains
Whip It -Devo
Let's Dance -David Bowie
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Crazy -Gnarls Barkley
Seven Nation Army -White Stripes

Times
L1 13:21
L2 6:28
L3 7:27
L4 3:30
L5 11:45
L6 0:46
Total 43:18

Distance: 5.0 miles
Cumulative distance 12.2 miles

Few days off, back at it again.

I was feeling pretty SLOTHful over the weekend. Friday, I would have gone but my girls got out of camp early, and so I couldn't get going early enough to get out. However, I feel a lot better today for the rest. For one thing, it wasn't as muggy out, clear blue sky for the first time in over a week. I did get out a little later, and it was warm, but I didn't feel absolutely oppressed. Gay/Samford/College/Woodfield/Gay

Playlist (featuring some free downloads from Amazon)
The Day I Tried to Live -Soundgarden
Reggae Street -Mighty Diamonds
The Golden State -John Doe
Bubble Pop -Del the Funky Homosapien
Come Together -the Beatles
Pride and Joy -Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble
Blanket of Weeds -Meat Puppets
Prodigal Son -the Rolling Stones
Death Letter -White Stripes
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Can I Kick It? -Tribe Called Quest

Times
L1 13:02
L2 6:16
L3 7:13
L4 3:23
L5 10:54
L6 0:46
Total 41:35

Distance 4.6 miles
Cumulative Distance 20.4

Back to it and still at it

And yet a little further. Up Gay to Thach, east to Brookwood down to Samford and back down via Wright's Mill to Loftin. Feeling pretty good.

Playlist -More of that same genre as yesterday plus some others
The Day I Tried To Live -Soundgarden
Say It Ain't So -Weezer
Mutilated Lips -Ween
Speaking In Tongues -Eagles of Death Metal
Seven Nation Army -White Stripes
I'll Stick Around -Foo Fighters
Ego Tripping At The Gates of Hell -Flaming Lips
Watching The Detectives -Elvis Costello
It's Summertime -Flaming Lips
I Gotcha Back -Genius/GZA
Going On -Gnarls Barkley
Our Lips Are Sealed -the Go-gos
Purple Haze -Jimi Hendrix
(I Love It When You) Call Me Names -Joan Armatradding


Times
L1 12:20
L2 5:56
L3 (Top of Gay Thach Brookwood Samford) 19:14
L4 (Wright's Mill Loftin) 10:52
L5 6:17
Total 54:40

Distance 6.0 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

Road Trip, and back on the Road

I spent the last four days in Charlotte, at a meeting my wife was attending. I did see people running through downtown Charlotte, but I didn't really get the opportunity to join them. I swam in the pool at the hotel, but not in a real exercising sort of way. I also tried the treadmill in the hotel gym. I hated that thing. I spent 12+ minutes on it, and did not care to watch TV jiggle in front of me, or to have all these buttons to regulate the speed. I almost fell off the thing. Suffice to say, it is not for me at this point; I much prefer feet on concrete. So I went for an evening run out to the bike path, bringing a flashlight with me for the first dusky run in a while. It was brisk out, nice for running. Ahhhh. Home sweet home.

Playlist
(I Love It When You) Call Me Names -Joan Armatradding
Queen Bitch -David Bowie
Ocean Breathes Salty -Modest Mouse
Honton Soukpo Gnon -Antoine Dougbe
Rastafari Is -Peter Tosh
Pork Roll Egg and Cheese -Ween
Hotel Yorba -White Stripes
Jolene -Cake
Andy Warhol -David Bowie
Cissy Strut -the Meters
Heavy Heavy Heavy -Geraldo Pino
In This House That I Call Home -X
No One Knows -Queens of the Stone Age

Times
L1 7:47
L2 6:39
L3 13:25
L4 8:14
L5 4:55
L6 6:55
L7 7:17
Total 55:12 Another PB. Yay!

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 New Route

First day without spandex in a while. It was nice out, but I like how the spandex keeps my downtown region nicely secured, if you catch my TMI. Another new route, this time up Wright's Mill Rd. toward downtown, through AU campus again, and back via the Arboretum, Art Museum, Woodfield, and Gay Street

Playlist. Enough with the alphabet, just some songs I wanted to hear.
Xtabenium -Acme Rocket Quartet
(I Love It When You) Call Me Names -Joan Armatradding
I Felt Like A Gringo -Minutemen
I Wanna Rock -Twisted Sister
I'm A Mindless Idiot -Meat Puppets
Jimmy The Exploder -White Stripes
Let Forever Be -Chemical Brothers
Rock & Roll -Lou Reed and Velvet Underground
The Song Remains The Same -Led Zeppelin
The Stallion Pt. 3 -Ween
I Wanna Know If It's Good To You -Funkadelic
To Kingdom Come -The Band
Rosa Parks -Outkast

Time
49:23
Distance 5.7 miles

double A to Z

Back out after the 5k. One day of rest. All the snow is gone, except for the muddy, shrinking snowmen. A pretty nice day, though chilly enough for spandex. I went back out to the Shel Toomer bike path, with a playlist featuring two songs for every letter of the alphabet. The only missing letter is X. I think I know of one really good song to fill that void. Anyway, the playlist, which I got through to H.

Playlist
Alabama Chrome -Jim White
Andy Warhol -David Bowie
Babylon System -Bob Marley
Beercan -Beck
Calling Dr. Love -KISS
Carbon Monoxide -Cake
Draw the Line -Aerosmith
Don't Believe the Hype -Public Enemy
Exactly Where I'm At -Ween
Excuse Me (I Think I've Got a Heartache) -Cake
Fell in Love With A Girl -White Stripes
Flaming Heart -Meat Puppets
Get On The Good Foot -James Brown
The Great Curve -Talking Heads
He'eia -Gabby Pahinui

Times
L1 8:07
L2 6:46
L3 13:34
L4 13:36
L5 7:07
L 7:50
Total 57:02 New personal best for that route

Practicing for the 5k

I thought I'd practice for next weekends 5k, taking the course from start to finish, which meant I had to jog up to the corner of Gay and Samford. Knowing that, I took it easy on the way up Gay Street, as you can see from the time to the 1st stop sign, which I've been getting to in 12 minutes in recent attempts. My right foot has been blistery, but I've started soaking in Epsom salt to try and soothe it.

Playlist (more of the on the go one from the 10 k, M-->T)
Mushroom Men -Les Claypool
The Next Episode -Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
Novacane -Beck
Once in a Lifetime -Talking Heads
Push Th' Little Daisies -Ween
Queen Bitch -David Bowie
Rastafari Is -Peter Tosh
Rebel Rebel -David Bowie
Rock & Roll -Lou Reed and Velvet Underground
Settin' The Woods On Fire -Hank Williams
She Don't Use Jelly -Flaming Lips
Smiley Faces -Gnarls Barkley
The Song Remains The Same -Led Zeppelin
Straight Outta Compton -N.W.A.
Sugar Never Tasted So Good - White Stripes
Sweet Emotion -Aerosmith
There Goes My Gun -Pixies

Times
L1 (Home --> Gay/Woodfield stop sign) 13:07
L2 (stop sign --> Gay/Samford) 6:38
L3 (the 5 k route) 26:14
L4 6:14
L5 12:23
Total 1:05:00 I'm starting to feel like an hour isn't such a long time to be on the road, which is good.

Sonoma run

So I've been battling a little cold (mostly a cough) for a few days, since we arrived in California for the holidays. I wanted to get out for a run but didn't want to exhaust myself and turn a small cold into a big one. Yesterday, though, I felt up to the task. I like to run in Sonoma Valley Regional Park, but I would drive there and I was blocked in. So I decided to go out on the mean streets of Glen Ellen, where people drive like maniacs on curvy narrow roads. It turned out all right, and I got a good, almost hour-long run in. I clocked it at about 2.8 miles on the odometer.

Playlist
Thul'ulalele -Amaswazi Emvelo
Hey ya -Outkast
Get back -The Beatles
Let's go crazy -Prince
California love -2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Roger Troutman
Flashlight -Parliament
Coming down -Meat Puppets
Dash board -Modest Mouse
Message to you Rudy -The Specials
Gin and juice -Snoop Dogg
Cities -Talking Heads
Jimmy the exploder -White Stripes
Chocolate town -Ween
Academia -Sia

Times
L1--> 26:13
L2-->27:36
Total-->53:50. A bit more uphill on the way back, but also likely fatigue setting in. I did get a good kick in at the end though.

To the Elementary School

New Route this afternoon. Up to Ogletree Rd, then down to the Elementary School and back. About 4 miles, according to my odometer.

A jumbly mix for the playlist:
I Luv I Jah -Bad Brains
To Kingdom Come -The Band
Sugar Never Tasted So Good -White Stripes
Mr Charlie -Grateful Dead
What is Life -George Harrison
La La Love You -Pixies
Little Old Country Boy -Parliament
Float On -Modest Mouse
Aurora Borealis -Meat Puppets
Draw the Line -Aerosmith

Times:
Lap 1--> 8:47
Lap 2--> 9:58
Lap 3-->10:24
Lap 4-->8:30
Total 37:39

At long last, feet on the concrete

So today I went on a run, at long last. Up over the hill and back again towards Chewacla. I wanted to head all the way down, but after such a prolonged hiatus, I figured it better to keep it short and sweet.

Playlist (punky):
Sweet Child of Mine -G'n'F'nR (I'm learning this song on the banjo uke, FUN!)
Stay Close to Me -Bad Brains
Coup d'Etat -Circle Jerks
The Glory of Man -Minutemen
Motel in My Bed -X
Fell in Love with a Girl -White Stripes
I'm a Mindless Idiot -Meat Puppets
Time out 19:24

Happy Birthday, 'Murica!

I got out again, a bit longer this time. I went out this evening before dark, while the air was still good to breathe, before the celebratory pyrotechnics. Again, I rarely indulge in daytime jogging, but with the kids out of the house for a few days, it seemed like a reasonable proposition.
Hopefully the days of post-running ibuprofen will soon end. For now, I AM BACK. Now, to eat my lovely green salad with Chicken a la Yuengling (AKA Yuengling up the YinYang).

The Playlist, featuring Americans.
Fourth of July -Dave Alvin (A natural choice for today's kick-off)
The World's a Mess It's in My Kiss -X
Astro -White Stripes
Bob Wills is Still The King -Waylon Jennings
Sweet Emotion -Aerosmith
Shake Your Rump -Beastie Boys
Get On The Good Foot -James Brown
Plateau -Meat Puppets
What I'd Say Parts 1 and 2 -Ray Charles
Time out, 34:39

Songs in the Key of W

Good gravy, I've been slacking again. My excuse this time? I've been working on my dissertation. I'm almost done with that. Anyway. I did manage to get out again. Tonight, all W artists.

Playlist
Undone (The Sweater Song) -Weezer
Death Letter -White Stripes
Roses are Free -Ween
The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want to Get Over You) -Waylon Jennings

Time -17:48

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.

Another run through Brooklyn

No, not the one in the Big Apple, the one in Pretoria.
I managed to get out this morning and stay out for 35:49, without Scotch (I didn't have his lead).
But it was probably for the best, as I jogged down to Magnolia Dell and up Queen Wilhelmina Street to Nieuw Muckleneuk Trim Park. Scotch probably wouldn't have been welcome in the parks.

Playlist:
Round and Round -Ratt
The Sky is Falling -Queens of the Stone Age
You're pretty good looking (for a girl) -White Stripes
Jumping Jack Flash -The Rolling Stones
19th Nervous Breakdown -The Rolling Stones
Fat Bottomed Girls -Queen
Won't Get Fooled Again -The Who
Blitzkrieg Bop -The Ramones
A hard rockin' playlist. I'm feeling a bit more sore than usual. Maybe because of the hills and uneven terrain. Maybe because of last night's dinner of beer, biltong and cigarettes. Yeah, probably that last one.

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