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 Direction

I think I missed posting a jog and playlist. I'm pretty sure I did because I did go on another dog swapping jog. Yes. Really I did.
Tonight I decided to leave the dogs at home because I wanted to go out on some less dog-friendly roads. I went over the Interstate, up Gay Street, and over to the Art Museum. Once around the pond and back. Oh and it was around 11:00 PM, so it was pretty quiet. And cold.
I was somewhat surprised at how quickly I could get almost downtown. I like that route. A bit more scenic than just around the neighborhood.

The Playlist: Rock and Roll in more or less alphabetical order
Shake a Leg -AC/DC
Sweet Emotion -Aerosmith
Love Me Two Times -The Doors
Epistle to Dippy -Donovan
Rock and Roll, Part 2 -Gary Glitter
Christine Sixteen -Kiss
The Song Remains the Same -Led Zeppelin
Fat Bottomed Girls -Queen
I Wanna Be Sedated -The Ramones

Total time, 33:33

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

Sonoma Valley Regional Park

Last Sunday I engaged in something I'd rather not do: drive somewhere to go jogging. We're up in Glen Ellen, in Sonoma County California, and there's not much of an alternative.
The alternatives are to go up and down the short landing strip several times, or to drive for five minutes to get to Sonoma Valley Regional Park. SVRP is a nice place for a short jog.
Playlist
Thul'ulalele -Amaswazi Emvelo
Beaux Dimanches -Amadou and Mariam
Lady Luck -Billy Eckstine. A recent addition to the Tune-o-matic. I have this one CD (No Cover, No Minimum), and some 45's by Mr. B.
Never Get Weary -Toots and the Maytals
Bedy -Kanda Bongo Man
The Battle of Evermore -Led Zeppelin. Okay, one of these things is not like the others, and there is a reason. I received a 'tater bug mandolin as a Xmas present, and I've been trying to learn to play it. As with most instruments I've picked up, I come to enjoy songs that feature the new instrument, so there may be more mandolin-containing or mandolin adaptable songs in future playlists.
Total time: 25:48.