Old man ran away.

It was a good week. It was a wearying week. I had to sub three out of five days, the other days I also had to field phone calls at five am.

Working with middle school students is the best. Because they are still kids, they still want very much to volunteer -- to act, and to express their opinions.

And they made me feel relevant. That I could connect. There were a couple of moments, throughout the week, when I saw students gaining in confidence, and opening up. It was beautiful.

But I am dizzy, every day. All I need to do is rock my head back a little and the room spins. It's just part of my life now. I think it's because of the earplugs, they yanked something loose. I have a screw loose! I hate them, but I need them to sleep.

The weather is warmer. But so windy! It is spring. I like spring.

Big free Saturday. What will happen?

Distance: 3,1 miles
Duration: 30:55
Pace: 9:58

1987 Playlist

Paid In Full - Eric B. & Rakim ft. Marley Marl

I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man  - Prince & The Revolution

The One I Love - R.E.M.

Panic - The Smiths

I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) - Aretha Franklin ft. George Michael

Mystify - INXS

I Don't Want to Be a Hero - Johnny Hates Jazz

Shooting Dirty Pool - The Replacements

Rock Steady - Sting

Deep cuts! Speaking of which ...

Healing, day three.

Wednesday, I had the worst migraine that I have had in some time. As the day went on, and I began to feel more human -- but also a bit delirious -- I was doing housework like a crazy person.

I wanted to do some yardwork and took an irritatingly long time to change the spool on the weedwhacker. It was chilly, but I was in my flip-flops and for the first time in my life I did something I always told myself I would never, ever do, which is to use a mechanical mowing device without closed-toed shoes.

This time, this one time. And with a new spool, the line whipped out extra far and cut my first two toes. I looked at my feet and waited for the blood to begin gushing out, and I am grateful to say it did not, I merely suffered a lattice small, ugly, wide but not deep lacerations. I am lucky. I am also very dumb.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 70°
Climate: overcast & warm
Mood: all right

Wow. Woozy, hungry, winded. Stiff calves! I think that's from being on my feet a lot of the week. Not happy about that.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

I saw the decade in, when it seemed the world could change at the blink of an eye.

Working in my mother's attic last night was a strain on my back.

I haven't run in almost two weeks. It's been cold.

Today, not cold! A beautiful day, and a strong run. Didn't walk once.

Distance: 2.55 miles
Duration: 24:06
Pace: 9:27
Route: Forest Hill Pond
Temperature: 60°
Climate: light clouds, bright
Mood: all right

Ran at a comfortable distance past a guy taking out dandelions with a hand sprayer. I hope I did not receive virus from him, but I sure got a mouthful of weed killer. 

What's That Lyric?
Right Here, Right Now - Jesus Jones

Let my mind do the walking.

Graphic: Butcher Billy

So she asks, what goes on in your head when you run? Do you just zone out, or ..? And I tell her, No! Running is when it all happens, that's when I am free to think. I have directed entire scenes in my head when running, and written scenes, made mental and emotional connections, even with music blasting through my 'phones, because of it, often.

I had forgotten. It's not just the emotional uplift, it's not just the heart and the muscles and everything. It's the way my brain works when I am running that is so important, so necessary. Making time for running is so necessary.

Distance: 3.6 miles
Route: Forest Hill Loop

Today was the first Saturday in many, many weekends when I had no responsibilities, no meetings, no events. And I took it, I worked in the yard for hours, and I completed one major project. There are so many others, but if I can complete one at a time - plan, procure, prepare and execute - I can keep my feelings high.

We live here, and we love living here. Improving on the house and the yard is a gift to everyone here, and to my neighborhood and community. I do try.

Temperature: 64°
Climate: humid, beautiful evening
Mood: all right

Also, the tile work in the kitchen. We had a guy come in, he did a great job. I look at the mess in my backyard, but then I look at the garage, then the deck. We move slowly but we move. So much has to do with the kids. Now that they're more independent, there's more time for that kind of thing.

Speaking of which, the girl and I started watching Stranger Things together. She's thinking of going as Eleven for Halloween.

What's That Lyric?
World In My Eyes - Depeche Mode

Feeling somewhat winded tonight, but it was not bad. Big family barbeque at the pavilion. Open, clear skies. Now that rehearsals are complete for the residency I may be able to create a more regular pattern of exercise.

To win the race.

The temperature dips again. The air tastes like snow coming in. Brisk run in the cool, March air. At least it is not raining. Can't be thankful enough for clear, dry pavement.

Yesterday I returned to the scene of the crime - yardwork. The backyard remains a battleground since there was a backhoe parked in it. Brush to be cleared, gravel and large stones to be exhumed. It is a mass of wet, hard earth which must be carefully brought back to life. Only, hopefully, this time, without damaging me and further in the process.

Temperature: 39°
Distance: 5.15 miles

Baseline: 178.5 lbs.
Today: 175 lbs. (-0.5)
Goal: 170 lbs.

Thank you, St. Patrick! Yes, one-half pound a day, for a week, is too steep a drop. But I made myself a promise ... if I can see 175 pounds, then I can have one tasty, high-calorie, alcoholic beverage. And just in time, too. Tonight we are meeting friends for something of a tradition, St. Patrick's Day at Brennan's. If we can get a table.

Now, if I can only take it easy on the corned beef. Wish me "luck".

1990 Playlist
Birdhouse In Your Soul - They Might Be Giants
Freedom 90 - George Michael
Tom's Diner - DNA ft. Suzanne Vega
Can't Stop This Feeling I Got - Prince
Don't Fence Me In * - David Byrne
Too Darn Hot *  - Erasure
So Hard - Pet Shop Boys
Pure - Lightning Seeds
Hippychick - Soho
Everybody Everybody - Black Box
Hello, I Love You - The Cure

With burning feet we run.

Question: Can you go running when you had the beer first?
Answer: Yes, because you were drinking while doing yardwork, and beer consumed while performing household tasks contains no alcohol. Or calories.

Temperature: 64°
Distance: 3.25 miles

The boy began studying at School of Rock this winter. He has been playing the drums since he was six, but this was his first time working with a band. He insisted in January that he would not be performing live, on-stage, in front of an audience.

Today he and the band Screaming Lemons played Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes and Money Maker by The Black Keys live, on-stage, in front of an audience at Brothers Lounge.

And last week the girl ran a complete five kilometers, next week she runs in a 5K race. She is eleven, a week from tomorrow the boy turns nine.

My children are passing me.

Rise Above Playlist
Rise Above from "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark"
All That's Known from "Spring Awakening"
The Beat Goes On - Beady Eye
Letters from the Sky - Civil Twilight
Heartland - U2
Symptom - Atlas Genius
This Is What Rock N Roll Looks Like - Porcelain Black ft. Lil Wayne
After the Disco - Broken Bells

Huh. Genius generated a playlist based on a song from Spider-Man that was entirely made up of singles downloaded free from iTunes from non-names bands who want to sound like U2.

I came to win

Headaches! The week I have had is the kind that makes headaches - short nights of broken sleep. Friday night, nothing, no kids, no cats - BAMM-O! I wake up at 4 am with a blanket of pain draped across my eyes and forehead.

Nothing, not Imitrex, heavy-duty OTC sinus meds, extra-strength whatever, my morning was miserable. Then it just faded away around noon.

Today, exact same thing.

The run was more challenging for the weather, I've gotten spoiled. My shins are achy, and my ankles have that broken feeling. Ugh. Forecast says it will last two days, we'll see.

Damn, and I just put out grass seed.

1993 Playlist
Supermodel (You Better Work) - RuPaul
All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
I Feel You - Depeche Mode
F*ck and Run - Liz Phair
Jump Around - House of Pain
Informer - Snow
Cannonball - The Breeders
Step It Up - Stereo MC's
Cooldown: Enid - Barenaked Ladies
Slow Emotion Replay - The The
Spin the Bottle - The Juliana Hatfield Three

(Last Year's 1993 Playlist)
Stay (Faraway, So Close!) - U2
Big Time Sensuality - Bjørk
Regret - New Order
Hip Hop Hooray - Naughty By Nature
Just Keep Me Moving - k.d. lang
Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) - Us3
Dreams - The Cranberries
U Got Me Up - Dajae w/Cajmere

Run stats:
Days to Cleveland: 34
Distance: 3.6 miles
Weight: 170 lbs. (Nope.)
Stretches: yes
Push-ups: 10
Sit-Ups: 80
Temperature: 36º
Weather: Sometimes it snows in April

That cloud looks like Ireland!

Tired run today, very tired. Done lost my pep. I asked the wife to talk me into going out, it would have been much easier to get back to do housework. She has been picking up the slack in the personal energy department, signing up for cardio-kickboxing twce a week at the rec center, and trying to create and maintain a personal yoga routine. It's been a good two weeks - for her.

To compensate for feeling like I have been slacking in the personal envirnoment arena, the minute I got back from my jog (it was like a jog, not a run) I didn't even stretch or change, I just got the rake and gloves and got to work on the front yard. So now I feel good all over.

Stats:
Distance: 3.25 miles
Weight: 171.5 lbs.
Yardwork: yes
Lunch: Beef cinnamon noodle soup with spinach
Drink: Accelerade
Start Time: 1.00 pm
Temperature: 45º
Weather: cool, overcast

Running Playlist:
The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stafni
In Between Days - The Cure
Wogs Will Walk - Cornershop
Compression - Everything But the Girl
Kinda I Want To - Nine Inch Nails
Stupid Girls - Pink
Big Sky - Kate Bush

Yardwork Playlist:
Teenage Lobotomy - The Ramones
Dangerous Power (Cicada Radio Edit) - Gabriel & Dresden
Gett Off - Prince
I Would Die 4 U - Prince
Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box - Radiohead
I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow

The Cure
"In Between Days"