Pretty soon you're gonna be dead

Struggling to catch up this week. The boy was up in the middle of the night Wednesday morning, and so was I. Sitting with him, folding laundry, I strained my back. All the time since then has been spent a) in pain and b) trying to catch up on much-needed rest. Last night we got eight uninterrupted hours. When was the last time that happened?

1970 Playlist
Mama Told Me Not To Come - Randy Newman
Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
Instant Karma! - John Lennon
Let Go (canto de osshano) (171 bpm) - Astrud Gilberto
In The Summertime (165 bpm) - Mungo Jerry
Snow Flower - Ananda Shankar
Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel
That's All Right (Live) - Elvis Presley
Moondance - Van Morrison

Okay. My back feels good. My knees feel good. The warm weather makes a BIG difference. Now, here's the thing ... the race is in two weeks. Can I get a ten mile run in on Sunday? Can I get up early and do that - all the way to Gandhi and back? If I can do that, I am in good shape.

Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 59º
Weather: sunny!
Weight: 160 lbs.

I'm gonna close my body now

I got nothin'.

2002 Playlist
Die Another Day - Madonna
Cry Me a River - Justin Timberlake
Soul Bossanova (160 bpm) - Skeewiff
Lose Yourself (171 bpm) - Eminem
Breathe In - Frou Frou
Shrimp - Mr. Scruff

Wow. That's not just the worst Bond theme ever - that's the worst Madonna song ever.

Only five more runs - on the 10s.

Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 62º
Weather: sunny!
Weight: 158 lbs.

Brian!

2010 Heights 5K Earth Day Run
Start: 6:45 pm
Time: 00:27.57

Brian ran his first 5K today! And he did not die! I was really impressed with his pace, his breathing - he just wanted to make three ten minute miles, and as he came in a second before I did, you can see that he did.

How are my knees? Fine. There is tightness in my left knee, feels like there is a band around it. What do I do? I would like to try to run ten miles, maybe Saturday early, or Sunday. Not sure if that is wise. Tonight felt really good. I think I need to SLOW THE F*CK DOWN.

Must have been around 60º a much more pleasant experience than last year, but then, I had someone to talk to. We made the race more enjoyable for each other. And Brian's heart rate never went above 180.

Psycho

Following my last run (which was almost a week ago, you'll notice) I thought I felt swelling in my left knee. And I got very, very upset. I kept feeling and checking my knee. Is that fluid under the tissue? Yes, definitely. No ... it feels that way on the right knee. Wait, my knees are bent differently, even them out, how does that feel? Is that spongy? Is that?

I couldn't tell what was my knee, and what was the sensation of skin, bone and muscle under my fingers. What is that pain, why do my knees feel tight? What if it blows up again, will Dr. V. be mad at me? Think I am a moron for continuing to run?

He did say I could run. He did not say I could not run. He was wise, of course, not to tell me nothing else bad might happen. Who knows?

I saw R. for massotherapy and foot reflexology on Saturday. I told her about my knee, she put some kind of "energy light" onto it. Not a heat lamp, it wasn't hot, it was ... well, an energy light. I have no idea. And you know what? It worked.

I have not had time to run since last Thursday ... or I have been afraid to. A bit of both. Tomorrow Brian and I are doing the Earth Day 5K. Last year I tried to run really, super fast. It felt terrible, and I didn't even place, not even with, like five guys in my division. I don't run to win, I run to run. And tomorrow, I will be keeping up with Brian.

New York, Chicago! London and Glasgow!

And now, compulsive snacking. I used to have a very pleasurable evening habit which involved drinking and bringing while cooking dinner, waiting for the wife to get home. Yesterday was much the same, only without the leisurely feeling - cramming anything - cookies, bits of cheese, part of somebody's sandwich - into my mouth as I dictated homework, artwork and music lessons. And then ... pizza!

I will be happy when April is over. Big grant writing month. Oh, and then there's taxes. Doesn't help I have been subbing for two days, throwing off my up-to-the-last-minute way of doing things.

1985 Playlist
Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
To Live and Die in L.A. - Wang Chung
Everybody Wants to Rule The World - Tears For Fears
Face The Face - Pete Townshend
Take On Me (168 bpm) - a-Ha
Dancing In The Streets - David Bowie & Mick Jagger
Around the World in a Day - Prince & the Revolution

The new shoes are working. I need to whip up some of Harris' formula and towel off.

That came out wrong.

Distance: 4 miles
Temperature: 67º
Weather: warm!
Weight: 161 lbs.

Do you fancy Billie Piper, sir?

My knee has been aching pretty much since we got back from Athens. That's the bad news.

The good news comes later.

1998 Playlist
The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning - Smashing Pumpkins
Percolations (167 bpm) - Stereolab
One Week - Barenaked Ladies
History Repeating - Propellerheads
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) - Green Day
Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) - The Offspring
Funky For You (Spacehopper Mix) (172 bpm) - Deadbeats
Because We Want To - Billie Piper

Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 47º
Weather: cool!
Weight: 160 lbs.

... and her daddy has told her to go.

New Shoes: New Balance M1024 Got them on sale at the Import House. They smell trippy.

1971 Playlist
Meet Me on the Corner - Lindisfarne
Smackwater Jack - Carole King
Tokoloshe Man - John Kongos
Baba O'Riley - The Who
Life On Mars? - David Bowie
Joy To The World - Three Dog Night
If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out - Yusuf Islam
Roundabout - Yes

While I will be participating in a summer arts camp this June, my family will be playing on the beaches of North Carolina. I will miss them, and I will miss seeing all the different adventures my kids will be having. But I am already deeply contemplating ten days when nothing or no one wakes me up in the middle of the night.

Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 60º
Weather: home and humidge

Carlos Baerga!

Three runs in three days. Overdoing it? Oh my yes. My left knee hurts, and that is not good. I need a little anti-inflammatory and some rest. And beer. But damn, I have missed good weather and this weekend has been perfect.

1995 Playlist
High and Dry - Radiohead
Animal - Prick
Car Song - Elastica
#1 Crush - Garbage
Wonderwall (173 bpm) - Oasis
In the Meantime - Spacehog
Carnival - Natalie Merchant
Macarena - Los Del Rio
Jackson Cannery - Ben Folds Five
I Don't Wanna Grow Up (182 bpm) - The Ramones

Gotta say it. Natalie Merchant will suck the wind out of any run.

Distance: 4.25 miles
Temperature: 69º
Weather: sunny & cloudless, with a breeze coming off the river

One size does not fit all.

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash."

1983 Playlist
Trommeltanz (Din Daa Daa) - Geore Kranz
Major Tom (Coming Home) (161 bpm) - Peter Schilling
Africa - Toto
The Reflex - Duran Duran
Make a Circuit With Me - The Polecats
The One Thing - INXS
The Greatest Thing - Elvis Costello
Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
Theme from "Doctor Detroit" (160 bpm) - Devo
Wishing (If I Had a Photograph) - A Flock of Seagulls
Effigy (I'm Not An) - Ministry
Gone Daddy Gone (160 bpm) - Violent Femmes
Square Pegs (172 bpm) - The Waitresses
Racist Friend(159 bpm) - Special AKA
Bad Boys - Wham!

Distance: 6.75 miles
Temperature: 74º
Weather: overcast and a bit humid

Never was a cloudy day

Sunbathing college girls by the Hocking. Boys with their shirts off fishing - fishing in the river. Fat-bottomed girls on bikes. There is something seriously right about looking at ladies in bikinis during the rockabilly riff in My Best Friend's Girl.

1978 Playlist
September - Earth Wind & Fire
Truth Hits Everybody (164 bpm) - The Police
My Best Friend's Girl - The Cars
Shattered - The Rolling Stones
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (169 bpm) - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
All Along the Watchtower - XTC
Heart of Glass - Blondie
Thank You For Being a Friend - Andrew Gold
The Eton Rifles (156 bpm) - The Jam
Jungle Love - Steve Miller Band

Wow. What a great year in music.

Distance: 4.25 miles
Temperature: 83º
Weather: sunny & clear