Run instead of walking.

Decadent nights. A late birthday party. The end-of-year affair for the residency program. I have consumed more calories in the past two nights than the past two weeks. I exaggerate. But not by much.

I spent five hours cleaning the house today. And it remains clean! God, I remember back in the day, when we would clean the house ... and then after the party there would be beer all over the floor, and cigarette smoke in the air and all of the fabric of the house. Today was so nice, most of the party took place outdoors.

Even the outdoors is nice. Things work out well. We are good.

Distance: 3.20 miles
Duration: 29:30
Pace: 9:12
Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 71°
Climate: sunny & HUMID
Mood: weary
Stretches: yes
Bandage: yes

Farewell, Nike Flight headphones, we shall never meet again. This discontinued headphone got me through the NYC Marathon and so much training since, but seriously. I got these secondhand online and they worked fine, until today. Always the wires next to the input. The shortest lived phones I have ever owned. So, suck it.

Can anyone recommend decently priced Bluetooth phones? It's time.

1970 Playlist
Your Song - Elton John
I Think I Love You - The Partridge Family
Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel

I was unaware of Your Song, until a girl wrote the lyrics to give to me. To me. It is my song.

Anyway, the phones went out and I tried running to the sound of my own breathing but it was a little difficult to take. Very humid today, very bright. Then I remembered I was holding an actual phone.

The Current
Tumult Around the World - Titus Andronicus
Ophelia - The Lumineers
Boozophilia - Low Cut Connie

That's right. Turn on the radio, and I get two Shakespeare references.

Baseline: 179.5 lbs.
Today: 172.5 lbs. (+0.5)
Goal: 170 lbs.

Where do we go from here?

Been out on Martin Point Road three times today already.

Wife Walk
Distance: 3.5 miles

Easy morning. Quiet house. Finished a book, started writing my book report. The wife and I took a walk. It has been cool the past two days, today it is a bit warm again. Another summer I may have gone for a run first, but this year I am allowing the days to be a bit more shapeless. So? A hot afternoon run.

Solo Run
Distance: 3.5 miles

Why Me? Playlist
The Voice - Moody Blues
Games People Play - The Alan Parsons Project
Destroyer - The Kinks
If I Didn't Love You - Squeeze
New World Man - Rush
Swallowed By The Cracks - David & David
Abacab - Genesis

You might notice the playlist this week, a computer generated list based on the song Why Me? by Planet P. You know, there are songs which only I remember (or so I'd like to believe) which have fallen off the Gen X oldies station radar.

On our drive here, we were in a gas station when they were playing My Brave Face by Paul McCartney. Released in 1989, it was co-written by Elvis Costello for one of McCartney's albums. The same year Veronica was a single for Elvis, also co-written by McCartney. They each had airplay, only you might hear Veronica on the radio from time to time. but never My Brave Face.

Honestly I can't remember hearing it since the very early 90s. I had entirely forgotten it had existed. And it's a good song, fun to listen to, well-performed and produced, not irritating in any way. The question is not why did this song disappear, it's why did this one when so many other minor hits have not?

Why Me? is a song I will never forget, but also one I never hear played anywhere but on my iPod. Possibly the song that was on MTV the first turn I switched it on in my own home in early 1983. It's not exactly new wave, more just this synth-heavy, rock-pop song with a video that featured a lot of NASA b-roll.

But this mix is crazy, it's so entirely my teenage years. Exactly what I needed for this trip, just randomly early 80s.

Girl Run
Distance: 1.5 miles

The girl came home from a shopping trip at Remy's with her friend. I'd promised her a run before the trip was announced, that just kind of happened. But when she came back she asked if I would run with her. I could say no, but I didn't have a reason why. How could I say no?