To be standing by the flag not feeling shameful, racist or partial

I can't believe it's been nine days since my last run. I kept thinking tomorrow, okay tomorrow, okay tomorrow ... it's been a struggle, the tour was in tech last week, it started Tuesday, every spare moment was on housework, childcare or painting the kitchen.

So those are my excuses. Time to hit the road.

I have this new hat, my MIL got it for me for Christmas. It has a flap to cover the mouth and nose. Unfortunately, that makes my glasses steam up. So I went without glasses. Wasn't as irritating as I thought it might be. But then, it's the middle of the morning.

Run stats:
Distance: 5.15 miles
Weight: 170.5 lbs.
Stretches: yes
Sit-ups: 80
Bicycles: 60
Temperature: 28º
Weather: cold
Gear: long-sleeve jersey, face hat, thermal underwear, long pants, thermal jacket, gloves

Let us take a moment and give thanks for an absence of pain. My shins to do not hurt. My calves do not hurt. My feet do not hurt. My head does not hurt. I feel great.

WARNING: You don't want to know this.

There is a recent development, one I am loathe to report. The last two runs an old complaint has revisited. I have a varicose vein and it's not in my legs. It was big issue in the 90s and I had to wear compression pants for a few years, and it subsided to where I was unaware of its existence. Maybe it's the extra weight I have been carrying around, but I can feel it again.

So ... motivation, anyone?

2004 Playlist
Let Go - Frou Frou
Rip Her to Shreds - Boomkat
Decent Days and Nights * - The Futureheads
Lebanese Blonde - Thievery Corporation
Black Horse & The Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall
(The ex-wife eats music like this for breakfast.)
All Night * - Sam Phillips
Ch-Check It Out - The Beastie Boys
L-L-Love - Astaire
What She Wants - Felix Da Housecat
Tell Her Tonight - Franz Ferdinand
Future Sightings - I Am The World Trade Center
Ohh La La - The Ditty Bops
Irish Blood, English Heart - Morrissey
Cooldown: TKO - Le Tigre

(Last Year's 2004 Playlist)
Holiday - Green Day
Yesterday Never Tomorrows - The Stills
Beware - Jay-Z & Punjabi MC
Arlington - The Wailin' Jennys
No Expectations - I Am the World Trade Center
Chase Me - Hexastatic
Fit But You Know It - The Streets

Move ya arms round like f***** up karate

Every little thaw is cause for rejoicing.

Run stats:
Distance: 5.15 miles
Weight: 171 lbs.
Stretches: yes
Sit-ups: 80
Temperature: 52º
Weather: breezy & cool
Gear: long-sleeve jersey, windbreaker, hanky hat, shorts

I am ditching the "snack" and "drink" reminders. They were added to remind me actually eat something before and drink something before and after, these things are now second nature. I still need to be disciplined about stretching, and the sit-ups, though not necessary, are what Daddy needs right now.

2005 Playlist
Pon de Replay - Rihanna
Random - Lady Sovereign
Sixteen Military Wives - The Decemberists
Modern Times - The Tramp & J-Five
Galang - M.I.A.
Keep Hope Alive (JDS Mix) - The Crystal Method
Ladykillers - The Similou
Every Day Is Exactly The Same - Nine Inch Nails
Solsbury Hill (12" Version) - Erasure
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Fall Out Boy
Cooldown: Tear You Apart - She Wants Revenge

(Last Year's 2005 Playlist)
Touch the Sky - Kanye West feat. Lupe Fiasco
I Predict a Riot - The Kaiser Chiefs
Winners - 7 Seconds of Love
Badass - Chemical Brothers
Water of Nazareth - Justice
The Sporting Life - The Decemberists
Do You Want To - Franz Ferdinand
The Hand That Feeds - Nine Inch Nails

I'm a sexy mama

My headphones fragged - they do that. The last pair went in August, 2006. Is this normal? Is a year and a half an acceptable lifespan for a pair of really good sport headphones?

Recording my intake is pointless, it's just too time consuming. I have been much more aware of what I have been eating, however, in a good way.

God, it has been miserably cold out - ad the roads have been slick with snow and ice. This is truly the first day I have been able to his the pavement in almost a week.

Speaking of pavement - really people, just get off your fat asses and shovel the walk within 24 hours of a snowfall and we wouldn't have this problem. Ankle injuries, indeed.

Run stats:
Distance: 5.15 miles
Weight: 169 lbs.
Stretches: yes
Sit-ups: 80
Lunch: meatless sloppy joe, broccoli soup
Drink: 8 oz. Gatorade
Temperature: 28º (I don't even believe this - after a week near 5º it's fricking balmy out.)
Weather: cool & windy
Gear: thermal cap and jacket, thermal underjersey, thermal underpants, pants, gloves

2006 Playlist
Ankle Injuries - Fujiya Miyagi
In the Morning - The Junior Boys
Rehab - Amy Winehouse
Girl and the Sea - The Presets
Dangerous Power - Gabriel & Dresden
Real Gone - Sheryl Crow
Totally F*cked - Spring Awakening soundtrack
Glass Breaker Force Mass Motion Mix - The Crystal Method ft. Charlotte Martin
Buttons - Pussycat Dolls
Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

(Last Year's 2006 Playlist)
My Love - Justin Timberlake
New Smokes - Project Runway
Prodigal - Project Runway
Beware of the Dog - Jamelia
SOS - Rihanna
Tracking Treasure Down - Gabriel & Dresden
Call On Me - Eric Prydz vs Retarded Funk Mix

People started caring about what they eat

Drastic actions must be taken. I am consuming everything I can lay my hands on. The weather is frigid, the streets are daily covered in snow and ice, preventing a run. I must resume documenting my intake - disclosure will assist in preventing unnecessary comsumption.

Chips, so-called "energy" beverages, cake and cookies, fast food ... it has to stop, and I must keep moving.

Intake:
2 cups of coffee
1 cookie
fried egg, toast, beans and bacon

1 cookie
1 banana

(regulation begins...)
1 sunbutter & honey on whole wheat
8 oz. water

Run stats:
Distance: 3.25 miles
Weight: 172 lbs.
Stretches: yes
Sit-ups: 80
Temperature: 34º
Weather: cool
Gear: thermal cap and jacket, thermal underjersey, pants, gloves

8 oz. Gatorade
1 cup of coffee, milk & sugar
1 apple
one sucker
small bag of air-popped popcorn with butter

1 pint Guiness
bowl of ravioli
salad with creamy dressing
8 oz. water

Should be no surprise here, considering my midwinter insanity ... it was one year ago today that I began 31 Playlists for 31 Years. So ... here we go again.

2007 Playlist
Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns
Stronger - Kanye West
The News - Carbon Silicon
Girls and Boys in Love - The Rumble Strips
Out of Control - Kenna
Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) - MIKA
Time To Pretend - MGMT
Warmdown: The Girls - Calvin Harris
About You Now - Sugababes

(Last Year's 2007 Playlist)
Dashboard- Modest Mouse
No Tomorrow - Orson
It's All True - Tracey Thorn
Acceptable in the 80s - Calvin Harris
Synchronize - Tomboy
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs - Fall Out Boy
Sonido Total - The Pinker Tones
Flathead - The Fratellis
Mister Sister - The Tender Box
Make It Easy (John Tejada Remix) - Lusine
Love Today - Mika

UPDATE: Saturday Intake

2 cups of coffee, milk & sugar
1 sunbutter & honey on wheat
16 oz. water
1 (small) piece of birthday cake
serving of Ramen with egg
orange

(as the afternoon wore on, it got more difficult to get my hands off things)

2 cookies
odd pieces of candy
1 beer (while I was painting)

Indian carryout for dinner: shrimp, chicken with rice, spinach & mushrooms, pakooras

This evening, I believe I will have a cocktail. I will attempt not to nosh.

They're Wang-Chunging, Beavis

Okay, this is weird. My headphones wrap around the back of my head and the cord goes down my back, right? So sometimes (while running) it crawls into and down my left sleeve, so that I have a loop of cable coming out my sleeve and my headphones tug to the left. Kind of annoying.

A few times - when I thought of it - I would duct tape the cable to my back, just above the waist band. It worked, somewhat. The duct tape would stick, but space would form around the cable, sweat would pool, and it would still wreak havok, sliding up in a bunch which was also irritating.

Now, as I said, this was last summer. When I have two layers on (say, undershirt and jacket) the cord doesn't do that trick and just hangs between the layers. I haven't put duct tape on my back since early fall.

And yet, just two weeks ago, a dry, irritated patch of skin, the size of a piece of duct tape, has developed in the center of my back just above the waist band.

What's up with that?

Playlist:
The News - Carbon/Silicon
1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung
When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty - XTC
Pump Up the Volume - M/A/R/R/S
Dig Your Own Hole - Chemical Brothers
Cooldown: Buffalo Stance - Neneh Cherry

Stats:
Distance: 3.25 miles
Weight: 172.5 lbs.
Stretches: yes
Sit-ups: 60
Dinner: spaghetti & meatballs, cauliflower
Drink: Gatorade
Start Time: 8.00 pm
Temperature: 34º
Weather: cool
Gear: thermal cap and jacket, thermal underjersey, pants, gloves
(Just the perfect gear ... until it dips below freezing, I think.)