Busting makes me feel good.

Oops.

What do we runners actually sound like to ordinary human beings? I spotted a dude at a social charitable event last night, we were both the "wives" for the evening. Didn't know anyone, our own spouses generously introduced us to people, it was at a bowling alley and I did have the kids, it would have been easy to be anti-social and yet not appear like an a-hole.

And yet, I thought I would play nice and asked about his Chicago Marathon T-shirt. It was an all right conversation, his wife was going to be running Cleveland, he says he never had and he will be in Sweden or somewhere on the 15th so he is going to run 26.2 miles that day, where he is, in support of her.

He asked if I would be an I said I was considering running the Half and it took a few more moments of conversation to realize he scorned the very idea of "The Half." He informed me it is a well-know fact that over a 10K the damage you are doing to yourself makes running any further entirely useless, why bother if you aren't going to run the entire thing?

And I'm like, huh. Do I sound like that kind of a dick to non-runners?

1984 Playlist
Concealed Weapons (12" remix) (152 bpm) - J. Geils Band
Master And Servant (Slavery Whip Mix) - Depeche Mode
Street Dance - Break Machine
Love Kills - Freddie Mercury
Are We Ourselves? - The Fixx
Rock Me Tonight - Billy Squier
Ghostbusters (12" remix) - Ray Parker Jr.

Distance: 5.15 miles
Duration: 40.5 minutes
Pace: 7.8 min.
Temperature: 59º
Weather: wet ... cool ... glorious
Weight: 170.5 lbs.

I officially need an intervention.

I am the truth from which you run.

Wore my jacket. That was a mistake. 48º? Seriously? Had it wrapped around my waist after a mile.

After the rains. Okay, not really, they'll be back. But a perfect morning run. Asleep around midnight, woke at 5 and knew I would not be able to get back to sleep. Am I ... in training for something? Just the rest of my life, I guess.

1994 Playlist
- or -
The Downward Spiral (Side One)
Mr. Self Destruct
Piggy
Heresy
March Of The Pigs
Closer
Ruiner
The Becoming
I Do Not Want This
Big Man With A Gun
- Nine Inch Nails
Not the most obvious way to greet a beautiful spring morning when all appears correct with the world. And now my ears are ringing. I remember when I was unhappy. Or at least, unhappy in that way. And that was a very long time ago.

You know, Broken loses some of its sex appeal when you know it's all about a record contract dispute.

Distance: 5.1 miles
Duration: 40 minutes
Pace: 7.8 min.
Temperature: 48º
Weather: wet ... cool ... glorious
Weight: 169 lbs.

Finish Line

I think I almost had a heart attack last night. I know it looked that way.

The room was very warm for the closing performance of AND THEN YOU DIE. I was sweating profusely, and several times out of breath. Apparently my coloring had Kelly worried. So now you know that.

Having this opportunity to further develop this piece has been extremely useful. Up until last night I was making internal edits (sorry, booth people) ripping out text that was redundant, finding new meaning for the same words.

It is a shame reviewers do not have time to return to productions with such brief runs. One of Christine Howey's main points about this evening of plays is that the tale of running a marathon does not rise to the emotional heights of coping with perinatal demise. True enough. And in the original run of AND THEN YOU DIE, and in fact at the beginning of this run, there were passages that were weighted with angst that just ... fell away as the run continued. I found humor where there had been doubt, and the audience responded. I doubted myself, and doubted text. I made it work, or I changed it. And now that we have closed, I am ready to open.

My mother-in-law (she of I HATE THIS) has been that earlier play several times, but was introduced to AND THEN YOU DIE last night for the first time. She thought they worked together marvelously. And I think, at last, they do.

My wife realizes she cannot speak objectively on either work, but said this morning that she feels that AND THEN YOU DIE is more artistically adventurous. One last night commented that she couldn't understand how I was able to switch so fast and so cleanly from one character to another. It feels second nature. I know these works better than any plays I have ever performed in. The language is instinctive, the voices are inherent, my brain no longer concentrates on what comes next, but who I am in the moment - and how I am relating to my audience. My very, very close audience.

By the end of I HATE THIS last night, I was depressed. I was thrown by a walk-out, and self-conscious for the rest of the show. By the end of AND THEN YOU DIE I felt triumphant. Sweaty and triumphant.

If I cross the finish line ... I win.

And I don't know what's good for me.

Awesome. Last chance tonight, 7:30 PM. Be there.

2004 Playlist
Pale Yellow - The Ditty Bops
Hounds of Love (New Mix) (168 bpm) - The Futureheads
Lebanese Blonde - Thievery Corporation
Beware - Punjabi MC ft. Jay-Z
Call On Me - Eric Prydz
No Expectations - I Am The World Trade Center
As The Rush Comes (Gabriel & Dresden Mix) - Motorcycle
Holiday - Green Dauy

Distance: 3.25 miles
Duration: 28 minutes
Pace: 8.6 min.
Temperature: 73º
Weather: real sunny
Weight: 166.5 lbs.

On my way to MELT to ruin that.

I'm just looking for some tush.

1975 Playlist
Love Rollercoaster - Ohio Players
Love Is The Drug - Roxy Music
The Hustle - Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony
Tush - ZZ Top
S.O.S. - ABBA
Ease On Down The Road - Stephanie Mills, Tiger Haynes, Ted Ross, & Hinton Battle
Island Girl - Elton John
Stand By Me - John Lennon

It is not my fault I always thought they were saying, "I'm just lookin' for some touch."

Distance: 3.25 miles
Temperature: 45º
Weather: rainy!
Weight: 168 lbs.

They gave you life. And in return you gave them hell.

That was incredible. At first I was a little irritated, the air was so comfortable this morning, and now quite brisk - but perfect-brisk, with a little tailwind (thanks for sending that my way, Boston Marathon People) and I was utterly flying.

Good Lord, I have been wanting to run all week. I had a sudden, mild back spasm on Monday (more on that here) and there just wasn't much to do about that except swallow ibuprofen, take hot baths and stretch. Today was perfect timing to run, I guess.

Three more performances, tomorrow, Friday and Saturday. I had no idea the run would be so emotional for me, but it is, and in ways I did not expect. I even have ideas how to cut more time out of And Then You Die, but that can wait for another day.

Still. You know. Minnesota.

1985 Playlist
Take Me Home - Phil Collins
Kiss Me On The Bus (164 bpm) - the Replacements
Some People - Belouis Some
Something About You - Level 42
Baby Screams - The Cure
We Care A Lot - Faith No More
Can't Get There From Here - R.E.M.
I Must Confess - Everything But The Girl
Tambourine - Prince & The Revolution
Running Up That Hill (12" mix) - Kate Bush
Shout - Tears For Fears

Distance: 5.15 miles
Temperature: 48º
Weather: spirited!
Weight: 168 lbs.

beats back death

"A thoughtful, endearing, and heartfelt performance." - CLE+
Distance: 5.15 miles
Temperature: 52º
Weather: delightful!
Weight: 168 lbs.

Anxiety. Uncertainty. And a lot of cheese curls. Damn you, Dan Dee.

1995 Playlist
Clubbed To Death (Kurayamino Mix) - Rob D
Army of Me (171 bpm) - Björk
Where's Summer B? - Ben Folds Five
Hey Man, Nice Shot - Filter
1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
Hello - Poe
In the Meantime (168 bpm) - Spacehog
Jaded (157 bpm) - Green Day
I'll Be There For You - The Rembrandts
The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) (163 bpm) - Liz Phair with Material Issue
The Heart's Filthy Lesson - David Bowie

I'm gonna make somebody love me.

Thanks, Ali!
Emotional withdrawal, the heightened sense of tension and excitement that comes with the dawn of a new endeavor, getting to the beginning, what will it be, what will happen, followed by the, well, there it is. Okay. What next?

Houses have been small. Productions like these count on word of mouth. My mouth has been open an screaming for attention for weeks now. I am still a little surprised, and disappointed, by turnout. We "opened" last night. There were maybe 12 people in the house.

The cleveland.com review was, indeed, in the print edition of The Plain Dealer. The Saturday edition, which no one actually reads. It is difficult to build word of mouth when there are so few mouths to speak.

My house in empty this morning, they all (wife included) spent the night at a friends' house. Went grocery shopping. Made coffee. Feeling depressed. Nothing to do but go running.

Distance: 5.15 miles
Temperature: 63º
Weather: incredible!
Weight: 168 lbs.

Well. That put things into perspective. Moving through space, warm air, deep breaths, sweat, bright light. Time to accomplish mighty works.

Next performance: Tomorrow night! Yes! Monday!

2005 Playlist
Sixteen Military Wives - The Decemberists
Bound Too Long (Hyper Mix) - The Crystal Method
That's How I Know - D'Nell
Every Day Is Exactly The Same - Nine Inch Nails
Tear You Apart - She Wants Revenge
Water of Nazareth - Justice
Solsbury Hill (12" Version) - Erasure
Summer Skin - Death Cab For Cutie
Do You Want To - Franz Ferdinand

Hmn. 2005. Boring.

The continuing story of the skinny little boy ...

'I Hate This'/'And Then You Die' at Cleveland Public Theatre: The first is brilliant, second pales
By Christine Howey, cleveland.com
It's too bad the title "The Agony and the Ecstasy" has been taken, for it might accurately describe the journey David Hansen wants to take his audience on in his solo one-acts: "I Hate This" followed by "And Then You Die." (more)

Go ahead. Read it. Then come to the show tonight. The whole thing is awesome.

1976 Playlist
Cherry Bomb - The Runaways
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
Let's Dance - The Ramons
More, More, More - Andre True
Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
Blinded By The Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John w/Kiki Dee
Golden Years - David Bowie
Skinny - Alex Bevan

Distance: 5 miles
Duration: 42 minutes
Pace: 8.4 min/mile
Temperature: 54º
Weather: bright awesomeness
Weight: 168 lbs.

We're only living this instant.

Took a personal day to rest, drink tea and run lines. And run.

1986 Playlist
Left of Center - Suzanne Vega
Puzzlin' Evidence (156 bpm) - Talking Heads
Throwing It All Away - Genesis
Tokyo Storm Warning (159 bpm) - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Peter Gunn Theme (The Twang Mix) - The Art of Noise
Christopher Tracy's Parade - Prince
Paranomia - The Art of Noise


Show opens tonight. Come see it.

Distance: 4 miles
Duration: 32 minutes
Pace: 8 min/mile
Temperature: 41º
Weather: bright. perfect.
Weight: 166 lbs.

Reluctantly crouched at the starting line ...

1996 Playlist
Standing Ouside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in my Hands - Primitive Radio Gods
Tombstone (176 bpm) - Suzanne Vega
Got My Own Thing Now - Squirrel Nut Zippers
The Distance - Cake
The New Pollution - Beck
Broken English - Queue Up
Bazamba - Sister Soleil
Talk Show Host - Radiohead
Collapse (157 bpm) - Soul Coughing

Distance: 4 miles
Temperature: 41º
Weather: rainy
Weight: 169.5 lbs.

Gained weight ... but my pants fit. It's not about the weight. It's where you put it.

Final dress tonight.

You either got it or you don't.

Put Those Shoes On: Running Won't Kill Your Knees
NPR 3/29/2011
In one study, Swedish researchers found that exercise, including jogging, may even be beneficial. Felson describes how researchers took one group of people at risk of osteoarthritis and had them engage in exercise, including jogging. The other group didn't exercise. After imaging the joints of the participants in both study groups, they found that the biochemistry of cartilage actually appeared to improve in those participants who were running. Felson says that suggests that "running is actually healthy for the joint."

Imagine my relief.

Going over both plays in my head while running, they become one. Little similarities bounce back and forth ... things I had not noticed. In case of emergency I have a pager in 2001, a cellphone in 2006. I have not run in two weeks, over two weeks. This makes me sad. It cannot be helped, there is no time. But my heart beats peaceably, my breathing is regular, I feel good. I feel very good.



Today is a full-day technical rehearsal. Multimedia is in a really good place, thanks to Mr. Josh. Did I mention he is designing two shows which open on the same day? I hope everyone appreciates that. Josh Brown is awesome.

Josh-hawk (not Josh) and the crew were taking care of lighting yesterday (I had something like a day off) and we put it all together today. That is some kind of good place to be.

2006 Playlist - All Timbaland, All The Time
My Love - Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.
SexyBack - Justin Timberlake
Wound Up - Office
Upside Down - Jack Johnson
Pump It - Black Eyed Peas
Munich - Editors
Ankle Injuries - Fujiya & Miyagi
Say It Right - Nelly Furtado
Mass Repeat (Extended 12" Version) - Gabriel & Dresden
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem

Distance: 5.15 miles
Temperature: 37º
Weather: awesome.
Weight: 168 lbs.