The Moment of Truth and The Width of a Circle

Last day of June. Did I run 20 times? Nope. Did I attain 100 logged miles? Nope. What happened? My diagnosis is that I haven't been able to adjust my schedule to accommodate running. Why? For one thing (which I can't control), the weather makes running no fun during the hours I'm accustomed to going out. Running at night is an option, though I usually find myself doing other things, and there's a relatively narrow window of opportunity to head out. If I don't get out between 9 and 10, there's not going out. And I'm not a morning person, so mornings are out as well. What to do?

Today, I did get out, with the goal of getting up to at least 45 miles. I didn't quite make it, though I'm now over 40 for the month of June and that's a big improvement over last month. I went out on a route I haven't hit for a while, down the bike path and back. After the hiatus prior to Monday's effort, I didn't feel great out there. I did stop and walk between the Ogletree stop sign and the first road there (Estate Ave.), so you know it wasn't going well. But I made it back, and am not too beat up (at least I'm not feeling it yet). July? who knows.

Playlist -an all-Bowie set. I'm quite hung up on Bowie at present, if you couldn't tell.
Life On Mars? -From "Hunky Dory"
All The Madmen -From "The Man Who Sold The World"
Diamond Dogs -From "Diamond Dogs"
It Ain't Easy -From "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars"
Space Oddity -From "Space Oddity"
Black Country Rock -From "The Man Who Sold The World"
The Man Who Sold The World -From "The Man Who Sold The World"
Queen Bitch -From "Hunky Dory"
Kooks -From "Hunky Dory"
Suffragette City -From "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars"
Rebel Rebel -From "Diamond Dogs"
Changes -From "Hunky Dory"
Andy Warhol -From "Hunky Dory"
Moonage Daydream -From "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars"
The Width of A Circle -From "The Man Who Sold The World"

Times
L1 8:55
L2 7:27
L3 14:45
L4 9:35
L5 5:53 (Canary Dr. to Wright's Mill)
L6 8:13
L7 2:20 (walking)
L8 6:50
L9 0:57
Total 1:04:54. Not a terrible time, considering.
Distance: 6.6 miles (previously I've measured this as 6.2 or 6.4 miles?)
Cumulative Distance: 42.1 miles

The Man Who Sold The World

I've been slacking again. A whole week off, almost two. Ugh. The heat and crazy schedule have been to blame, though I did go on a couple of short bike rides. I shouldn't make excuses. If I get two more good runs in I could get up to 50 miles this month, which I would call an accomplishment. Today, up to Woodfield and back. Not much of a run at all but better than nothing.

Playlist "The Man Who Sold The World", David Bowie. I've been enchanted by this album, which is a real steal on Amazon. Before, I'd only known the title track but the rest of it is phenomenal.

Width of a Circle
All The Madmen
Black Country Rock
After All
Running Gun Blues
Saviour Machine

Times
L1 13:00
L2 11:09
L3 1:00
Total 25:08

distance 2.7 miles
cumulative distance 38.2

More days off. Feeling beat up

Another few days off. Sunday I went up to Lake Martin with the girls and some friends. It was fun, but in spite of frequent application of sunscreen, I got sunburned about the head and shoulders. Also got a cut on my foot, and a scrape on my knee. So I was feeling pretty beat up.
Today was the first day I really felt up to the challenge of physical activity. My foot felt better, and without my shirt, my skin felt all right as well. Another nighttime run, up to Toomer's and back. Instead of cutting in at Briarwood as I usually do, I ran down to Tanglewood and in to add a few feet.

Playlist
Dirty Water -the Standells
Alone + Easy Target -Foo Fighters
African -Peter Tosh
Sympathy for the Devil -Rolling Stones
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
What a Day That Was -Talking Heads
Mexican Radio -Wall of Voodoo
Fell in Love With a Girl -White Stripes
Unfinished Instrumental -Parliament
Electricity(Drugs) -Talking Heads
Gin and Juice -Snoop Dogg
Wanted Dread and Alive -Peter Tosh
Gangsta Gangsta -N.W.A.

Times
L1 12:25
L2 3:20
L3 11:31
L4 6:52
L5 6:00
L6 12:05
L7 0:45
Total 52:59

Distance 5.8 miles
Cumulative distance 35.5. Probably not getting to 20/100.

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)

Night time is the right time

First time out at night with the flashlight and no sunglasses. It was a bit muggy but nice out. I got a good pace going and kept it up. I was with the girls all day and stayed up to watch the Tim Wakefield and the Sox beat the Tribe, 3-2. Of course the top baseball story of the day was RHP Steve Strasburg, who lived up to the hype leading up to his first MLB start. 14 strikeouts!

I ran the GWCToomer's route, cutting over to Armstrong to add 0.2 miles. The new shoes are starting to feel good, and the night time does seem to be the right time, at least in the summer months.

Playlist
Dirty Water -the Standells
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) -AC/DC
Hang On St. Christopher -Tom Waits
Alabama Song -the Doors
What Is Life -George Harrison
Fire -Jimi Hendrix
Safe European Home -the Clash
Little Sister -Queens of the Stone Age
Pearl's Cafe -the Specials
The New Pollution -Beck
Standing on the Verge of Getting It On -Funkadelic
The Next Episode -Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
Doin' It -Professor Longhair
When Doves Cry -Prince
Oye Como Va -Santana
Times
L1 13:07
L2 3:27
L3 11:57
L4 7:12
L5 6:04
L6 11:14
L7 0:48
Total 53:49

Distance 5.8 miles
Cumulative distance 26.2 (!)

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

P to Z and back to V

Same route as yesterday, only reversed at Gay/Woodfield, i.e. up Gay to Magnolia, and down College from Toomer's. A bit tougher today, even though I hit the uphills earlier on. Probably latent fatigue from yesterday. Feeling a little numb in my right arm and hand. Did I sleep on it funny? Perhaps.

Playlist (P-->Z and back up)
Pink Eye (On My Leg) -Ween
Queen Bitch -David Bowie
Run (I'm a Natural Disaster) -Gnarls Barkley
Seven Nation Army -White Stripes
Today -Smashing Pumpkins
Universal Corner -X
Veronica -Elvis Costello
The W.A.N.D. -Flaming Lips
Xtabenium -Acme Rocket Quartet
You Can't Catch Me -Chuck Berry
Ziggy Stardust -David Bowie
Zimbabwe -Bob Marley
You're Wondering Now -the Specials
X-Static -Foo Fighters
Wow and Flutter -Stereolab
Voodoo Lady -Ween

Times
L1 13:03
L2 6:37
L3 6:21
L4 12:01
L5 3:37
L6 11:54
L7 0:58
Total 54:31. A little slower than yesterday.

Distance 5.6
Cumulative Distance 15.8