And it was still hot.

What a day. It started groggily, as a weekend of being the "on" parent (the wife, having taken ill with the flu late Saturday evening) staying up past midnight every night to hold down the fort meant that the three-day weekend really didn't add up to much relaxation.

It progressed angrily, and then pathetically as I mentally gave myself a major muscle pull in my back, between the shoulder blades.

The day limped on miserably, as I felt like even the basic work-related project took about five times longer than expected.

Then it went quite dreamily (as in dream-like, not as in Patrick Dempsey-ish) as I said f.u. to my family and headed off to my foot reflexologist and massage therapist Rachelle, who I have not seen since my feet were a mess (hey, and check out Rachelle's new website) who did amazing things to my physical and mental self. This was followed by an awesome run, and the reading of a truly bizarre chapter of Mary Poppins to the children.

Now I am baking cookies.

2004 Playlist
Wake Up - Arcade Fire
Beware - Punjabi ft. Jay-Z
Call On Me - Eric Prydz
One of These Things First - Nick Drake
She's a Rebel (159 bpm) - Green Day
Hounds of Love (168 bpm) - The Futureheads
Ohh La La - The Ditty Bops

When I can no longer run 3.30 at 168 bpm, then I will truly feel old.

Distance: 3.15 miles
Temperature: 33º
Weather: cold
Road conditions: crunchy
Weight: 161.5 lbs.

LATER: F*cked up the cookies. *Sigh*

I just sit back and watch you make a fool of yourself

Yep. That's me.

Running two miles in shorts! In near freezing temps! No, bad, bad, bad idea! Already my left knee, which has been giving me some grief in the past week, is aching. Exposure to the cold has such a profound effect on my muscles, it always has, reaching back as far as college.

During the winter of 1992 I actually used a cane to get around for a week or so. This was when I was 23 years old, which meant, of course, that going to a doctor and getting advice was out of the question.

Tomorrow - a day off. From running, from work, from everything but home and family. And of course, Dr. King.

1992 Playlist
The Statue Got Me High - They Might Be Giants
Humpin' Around - Bobby Brown
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) - En Vogue
The World's Green Laughter - The B-52's

Distance: 2 miles
Temperature: 33º
Weather: cold
Road conditions: wet
Weight: 162.5 lbs.

Holy cow!

In 1977, when I was 9 years old, I knew this song was about having sex in a car. What I did not understand was how funny it is.

The training schedule for the Cleveland Half is so ... Cleveland. You should run 3 miles today ... or two, it's okay if you run two. And don't run on Saturdays, sleep in, eat a big stack of pancakes. But do run your peak-to-date distance on Sunday, so that on Monday, when you also shouldn't run, you can hobble around feeling weak and miserable and hate yourself.

I ran today.

1977 Playlist
Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meat Loaf
Second Hand News - Fleetwood Mac
Holidays in the Sun - Sex Pistols
Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment - The Ramones
Swingtown - Steve Miller Band
Jungle Fever - The Chakachas
I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick
Nothing Achieving - The Police
I'm Not Angry - Elvis Costello
Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees

Distance: 4 miles
Temperature: 33º
Weather: cool
Road conditions: slushy & wet
Weight: 162.5 lbs.

How young are you? How old am I?

In the early-mid 80s we produced a comedy program for local access cable. This is a video retrospective of three years of sub-par hilarity.

My, but it was FREAKISHLY balmy this evening! I had hoped to run in the sunshine (hello, yes) but after four hours of giving workshops in Shakespeare I discovered the sun had set and feared that the temperature would dip considerably. It didn't. I overdressed, but it was marvelous. Three miles winding through the side streets of CH.

Tomorrow is the last time (hopefully) I need to wake up at 5 am, for a while. And no rehearsal Saturday! Looking forward to checking out Josh & Kelly's show at CPT on Saturday night - join me! There will be blood!!!!

1984 Playlist
Dance Halls Days [12" version] - Wang Chung
I Will Dare (167 bpm) - The Replacements
Cue Fanfare - Prefab Sprout
Two Tribes [12" version] - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Harborcoat (157 bpm) - R.E.M.

Distance: 3 miles
Temperature: 40º
Weather: breezy, cool
Road conditions: slushy & wet
Weight: 162.5 lbs.

How come I end up where I started?

First day of training! And look - you can train yourself!



The fact that I took a run this morning at 5 am is no indication of my dedication to my sport. It is because I have no f*cking time. Next I am going to drop ten pounds my cutting off my head.



2007 Playlist
United State of Pop (2007) - DJ Earworm
Uninvited - Freemasons
Merrymaking At My Place - Calvin Harris
Girls and Boys In Love - The Rumble Strips
Henrietta - The Fratellis
15 Step - Radiohead

Distance: 2 miles
Temperature: 24º
Weather: lovely, light snowflakes
Road conditions: thick & slippery
Weight: 161 lbs.

To search, to find, to have, to hold

The temperature may rise above freezing on Wednesday. The streets are clear-ish, where snow remains it is even enough to may running just a little slippery, and in some cases pleasantly cushioned. Like running on a sandy beach. Only freezing.

My normal route goes out and around a familiar track, mostly level, but uses main arteries of traffic. With the snow entirely untouched in front of abandoned homes, it would be necessary to run in the street, which is stupidly dangerous on those streets. So I stick to the side-streets around my home, infrequently traveled and below the speed limit. Two miles is fine, next week I will need to raise that to three and will no doubt just do another circuit very near my house. Safe. Sane.

Initiating my running routine, prior to getting a gym membership in 1998, It was always such an endurance test getting up that first street. Was it my weight? Was it the fact that I still smoked? Well, it is only with modern technology that I have gone online and checked the elevation of that first street, and what do you know - it is steep!

I have been running it the past week. It is still steep! But not such an endurance test anymore.

1974 Playlist
Junior's Farm - Paul McCartney & Wings
Waterloo - ABBA
Killer Queen - Queen
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Loose Booty - Sly & the Family Stone
Verb: That's What's Happening - Zachary Sanders

Distance: 2 miles
Temperature: 24º
Weather: face is freezing, torso sweaty. discuss.
Weight: 161.5 lbs.

Twice in two days? Sure, that's what a weekend is for.

You have got my favorite face

That's right, betches, I will be running the Cleveland this spring, 13.1 of it, anyhow. Me and not one - but three of my colleagues from work. My young, fit colleagues. Big sigh.

What is up with this city that they have a marathon in mid-May? Training officially begins Tuesday, so we are, all of us, training in the snow and sleet - those of us too cheap to have gym memberships. But I have to say, running on a treadmill is not a good way to train for a marathon, nor any road race. It's too gentle.

Today, the past two days, no, three, I have been achy and miserable physically. Today I have been sinking into bad sinus/migraine business. Getting out into the night air was a goal and it was extremely helpful. The cold did not even trouble me, the air was still, I just felt bright and strong. I could have added another mile tonight.

I will have to add that third mile soon enough, anyhow. I hope the winter is kind.

1994 Playlist
Locked Out - Crowded House
Mr. Bitterness - Soul Coughing
All that She Wants - Ace of Base
Ripper Sole - Stomp
Gel - Collective Soul
Supernova - Liz Phair

Distance: 2 miles
Temperature: 19º
Weather: clear & cold ... but not cold enough