I had to leave real early

This is my son's favorite song, ever.

My knees feel weak. There's been a lot of talk lately among my slower friends about stretching. And of late I have been feeling like I really really really should resume weight-bearing exercises for my legs and knees. I think all the muscle is gone and I am once again using only my cartilage for cushion. And I have a 13.1 mile race coming up. Will I smart? Or foolish.

Hmn. Let's check the record ...

Oh, and I remain exhausted. We are headed to Athens for the weekend, weather is going to be summery. Run Friday, run Saturday, run Sunday. And lots of sleep inbetween.

1986 Playlist
Experiment IV - Kate Bush
Rhythm Section Want Ad - They Might Be Giants
It's Tricky - Run-D.M.C.
Suburbia - Pet Shop Boys
Mermaid Smiled - XTC
Radio Head - Talking Heads
Notorious - Duran Duran
Oh Yeah - Yello
Brass Monkey - The Beastie Boys

Register NOW - 2010 Earth Day Run
April 21, 2010 at 6:45 PM
Lee Blvd and Forest Hills Blvd
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 47º
Weather: cool & clear
Weight: 157 lbs.

This calls for a toast

Seventeen runs in January, nine in February, and in March ... five. This totally sucks.

It was not my intention to take ten days to get back onto the street. The fact is, I am under a lot of stress. This weekend - I hope - was a breaking point.

That just flowed out of me naturally, it was not my intention to blogroll.

The tour closed, I have some major deadlines in April, there are some artistic situations I am unhappy with (no, you can't) and a bout of headcolds that was passed around to everyone in the family except for the one person who needs to slow down the most. The boy.

And no, I do not know what I was thinking having three martinis with Dave and Ben on Friday night, I do not know what I was thinking. But they tasted very good. At least the first two did, I have no idea what the third one looked like.

So yesterday morning ... well, okay, most of the day was, while not exactly a wash, just very, very difficult. Did I take the boy to his piano lesson? Yes. Did I take them to see the Balto exhibit? Yes, I did. And the wife and I had something we have not had in a very, very long time.

No, not that. Longer. A dinner out at a very nice restaurant and never bothered checking the time or the prices on the menu.

Sp, cool, right? I was going to get up early and make that ten mile run, out the Ghandi and back, that I have been longing for, right? No. This morning it was a that-time-of-the-year, head-shocked, seasonal MIGRAINE. Like two hooks caught in my eyeballs, wrapping up into a skullcap of pain, reaching back to where the hair begins.

I got the morning, but she got the afternoon where I took some less than cheery, yet willing, youngsters on a series of errands before settling in for a new Sunday tradition - dinner watching Project Runway. It's all part of my lifelong scheme to make the boy fabulous. Not sure it's working, he HATES the sight of Michael Kors.

"Why is he always on there?!"

However, I did cut out for ninety minutes when dinner was being made ... to think.

Not much time thinking these days. No, not at all. Not for me. I cannot think.

But I did. I thought. I had a prospective email. About a festival of new works in D.C. And it made me think. It will not pay, but it made me think and though you really shouldn't accept gigs that won't pay, anything that makes me interested is worth my time. At least it is today.

Tonight I am going to sit up thinking. And writing. And that's new.

Oh, and I ran.

2005 Playlist
I Write Sins Not Tragedies (170 bpm) - Panic! At The Disco
Don't Look Back - Telepopmusik
Keep Hope Alive (JDS Mix) - The Crystal Method
Tear You Apart - She Wants Revenge
Winners - 7 Seconds of Love
Solsbury Hill - Erasure
Water of Nazareth - Justice

Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 50º
Weather: very light rain
Weight: 157.5 lbs.

Hot as a Baker

Crazy gorgeous today. Subbed for an ill actor-teacher, the day just broke into loveliness and I had to hit the road - and make distance. Ran down and around Wade Oval and back, but damn, it's not even the first day of spring and the water fountains aren't turned on yet.

But the boy can run up Murray Hill. Yes, he can.

A runner died in my neighborhood last night. They weren't carrying ID, had a heart attack, the hospital had a hard time identifying them. This distresses me for a number of reasons.

1993 Playlist
None of Your Business - Salt-N-Pepa
Whoomp! (There It Is) - Tag Team
My Sister - The Juliana Hatfield Three
Rape Me - Nirvana
Informer - Snow
The Jackal - Ronny Jordan
U Got Me Up - Dajae ft. Cajmere
Just Keep Me Moving - k.d. lang
Divorce Song - Liz Phair
Regret - New Order
I Like To Move It - Reel 2 Real
Love Is Stronger Than Death - The The
Stay (Faraway, So Close!) - U2
Shine - Collective Soul
Hip Hop Hooray - Naughty By Nature

Distance: 7 miles
Temperature: 50º (Uhm, bullshit?)
Weather: warm!
Weight: 156 lbs. - Tour's over.

Death on two legs

So Brian comes up to me last night and asks why it is that you can feel so horrible running that first mile, like you just want to quit, breathing hurts, all your muscles screaming ... but by the time you have passed the three mile mark, you feel like you could just keep going, that you have to choose to stop?

All I could say was:

1. I've been there.
2. It doesn't last forever ... but it does take months.
3. I have no idea why this is.

He was wondering whether it had anything to endorphins, but really, he had no idea what he was talking about. Endorphins, sure, whatever. Pathetic, really.

Here, this is the best way I can explain it - I have a car, right? It's not a new car, it's like, 41 years-old or something. And it's been in the garage for the winter. Actually, no, let's say it's never left the garage. But one day I decide to start it up. And guess what? It makes all these noises, like it's in pain or something. But it keeps going, it keeps trying to turn over, and I'm proud of it, I really am - and after a while, it just starts purring! Running like a fit, old, but perfectly acceptable machine!

That is a metaphor.

1975 Playlist
Shining Star - Earth Wind & Fire
Love Is The Drug - Roxy Music
Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To ...) - Queen
Low Rider - WAR
Love Rollercoaster - Ohio Players
Say You Love Me - Fleetwood Mac
Mamma Mia - ABBA
The Hustle - Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony

ABBA got inducted into the Rock Hall and your favorite band didn't. Aw, boo.

Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 37º
Weather: brisk
Road conditions: dry
Weight: 153.5 lbs.

Like a chicken. A casino.

Yes. Still thinking about the tour. Already my muscles are atrophying, my body misses moving large set pieces in and out of the van. And it made my stomach so flat!

But ... time to run. Six miles today, not bad, close to halfway there. The weather today - cold and rainy - reminded me of the starting line in 2008. God, I hope it isn't like that again. But then, I do live here, I can't be entirely in denial.

2008 Playlist
Poker Face - Lady Gaga
Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) - Beyoncé
Play Your Part (Pt. 1) - Girl Talk
Great DJ - The Ting Tings
Check Yes Juliet (167 bpm) - We the Kings
Jai Ho - A. R. Rahman
A-Punk (175 bpm) - Vampire Weekend
Black & Gold - Sam Sparro
Disturbia - Rihanna
Three-Way - The Magnetic Fields
Breakeven - The Script
Blind - Hercules and Love Affair
4 Minutes - Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake

Distance: 6.1 miles
Temperature: 37º
Weather: rain and brisk. not cold. never cold.
Road conditions: wet
Weight: 153.5 lbs.

Am I original? Am I the only one?

Cleveland Rocks, indeed.
Really? Two and a half weeks? Really? And what a two and a half weeks it has been. It would be truly sad if I had actually wanted to run, but couldn't. Honestly, not only is this the first day in all that time I have had the opportunity to run, it is the first time I have wanted to.

What have been up to? Well, read all about it. I have averaged somewhere between five and six hours on weeknights, and weekends have also been wall-to-wall busy. And then there's all the snow and ice that have covered the sidewalks and streets, makes it easy to put it off. Not like I have to run 13.1 in two months. We'll get it there.

It has been sunshine and happiness the past two days - except for the nasty headache I had today, that was awful. But hey, five miles? Pshaw, I smirk at your puny five miles.

1997 Playlist
My Hero (153 bpm) - Foo Fighters
Turn It On - Sleater-Kinney
Walking On The Sun - Smashmotuh
Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Backstreet Boys
The Perfect Drug - Nine Inch Nails
Cleveland Rocks - The Presidents of the United States of America
Burning Ground - Van Morrison
Around the World - Daft Punk
Ticker-Tape of the Unconscious - Stereolab
I'm Afraid of Americans (160 bpm) - David Bowie

Bonus track: Swans Splashdown/Walking On The Sun Medley

Distance: 5.15 miles
Temperature: 39º
Weather: dark
Road conditions: wet
Weight: 155 lbs. - Time to buy a new pair of jeans.