Running like a watercolor in the rain.

Tiger is also a Master of Disguise
(Loganberry Books)

Driving to Hudson and back first thing in the morning has messed with my weekend groove. I got back into bed and slept for another hour and a half. To be fair, I had a small orange cat under the covers with me, and he is a hypnotist. Also, I had a bit of a struggle getting out of bed yesterday, anyway.

Why? Too much exercise? Really? It's not that much exercise. But it is consistent. No idea. Just a Saturday morning. I should be grateful not to have any head pain. Like, really. Thanks the heavens for no head pain on a Saturday morning.

Distance: 3.1 miles
Duration: 30:38
Pace: 9:53

Also, it is a regressive morning, raining and cool. Not my favorite day for running, but not the worst, either. It's not my favorite day to do anything, really, but not the worst, either. Great day for sleeping in, though.

1976 Playlist

Magic Fly - Space  
Silly Love Songs - Paul McCartney & Wings
Year of the Cat - Al Stewart
Come Together - Tina Turner
Young Hearts Run Free - Candi Staton
Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue - The Ramones
Detroit Rock City - Kiss
Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy

Literally discovered Space this morning, on Instagram, a French synthesizer band that appeared onstage dressed as astronauts, complete with face-obscuring helmets. Huh. Good idea. 

Also, "Magic Fly" must have been the inspiration for the theme to "Buckaroo Banzai." Space is the place!

Contemporary Youth Orchestra
(Loganberry Books)

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 55°
Climate: partly cloudy & nice
Mood: good

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

The clouds broke, the sun even came out!

Knees getting sore. Wore the braces on the run. Will take pain reliever. I need days off, to be sure. 

Upper body: 60 reps.

Core Strength:

   Sit-Ups: 40

   Bicycles: 40 

Baseline: 185 lbs.
Weight: 179 lbs. (-0-)

Goal: 175 lbs.

Breakfast: fresh fruit, granola, yogurt

Lunch: veggie chili over rice, iced coffee

Dinner: pizza (1), salad, Dort

You take my breath away.

Body by Perrier

Exercise is mental. I mean, it's physical, but it's also mental. And requires planning. But not as much time as I think it does. Last night I thought oh, I didn't do abdominals. Do I need to do abdominals? That's how it starts. But I got up and did them. It didn't take very long. And then they were done.

Keep it going.

Distance: 1 mile
Duration: 9:03

1986 Playlist

Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) - Glass Tiger ft. Ryan Adams  

Seven Day Weekend - Elvis Costello & the Attractions ft. Jimmy Cliff

Don't Leave Me Behind - Everything But the Girl

It's funny my graduation cohort has two songs pleading for you not to forget about us. Three if you want to count that EBG track.

Route: Neighborhood Loop
Temperature: 51°
Climate: sunny & cool
Mood: good!
Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Motivating a one mile is tough. Like, is it worth it? And then I'm like, don't be a dick, some folks can't even run one mile, what's your excuse? 

The day begins with energy.

Upper body: 60 rep

Core Strength: 

   Sit-Ups: 40

   Bicycles: 40

   Planks: 60 sec.

Jesus. I just remembered that it was on this date in 1986 that I first got laid. Why does my brain work like this?

Baseline: 185 lbs.
Weight: 179 lbs. (-1.0)

Goal: 175 lbs.

Breakfast: coffee w/cream, fresh fruit, granola  yogurt

Lunch: roast beef sandwich, chips, ginger ale

Happy Hour: Bumble Berry

Rehearsal Treat: Twizzlers

Dinner: ramen w/scallion & veggie sausage

Cocktail Hour: Midwest IPA

See? Record your meals.

We landed on the good foot.

Butcher Billy

Moderation. Time. Thinking. Planning. Also being. Moving forward. The running is its own reward. So is mindful consumption. Last night I was going to have a drink simply because it was night. I thought about it. I did not wish to consume a heavy beverage. So I didn't.

Also, it helps to watch X-Men '97 while doing upper body work.

Distance: 4 miles
Duration: 39:19
Pace: 9:49

1996 Playlist  
Brakes - De La Soul

Flipside - Everything But the Girl

Trainspotting- Primal Scream

Broken English - Queue Up

Sleep to Dream - Fiona Apple

Super Bon Bon (Propellerheads Radio Edit Version) - Soul Coughing

Down Rodeo (170 BPM)  - Rage Against the Machine

Born Slippy (Nuxx) - Underworld 

Can we get more 90s? I do not believe that we could.

Man. My twenties went fast.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 55
Climate: overcast & cool
Mood: good
Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Upper body: 60 rep 

Core Strength: 

   Sit-up: 40

   Bicycle: 40

   Plank: 90 sec.

Baseline: 185 lbs.
Weight: 180 lbs. (-0-)

Goal: 175 lbs.

Breakfast: coffee w/cream, fresh berries, yogurt, granola 

Lunch: chili over rice

Happy Hour: old fashioned

Dinner: popcorn, beer

The clock starts ticking now.

Good morning. Headachy, but. Take some discipline to run one mile when you know the music will be hot. But. I don't want to tax my knees. So far, so good. Four runs this week. Tomorrow we will visit the park ... or the city! I hope.

Distance: 1 miles
Duration: 9:12

Note: Jagged flashing.

2006 Playlist

Whoo! Alright - Yeah ... Uh Huh. - The Rapture

Overtime - Girl Talk

Push The Button - Sugababes

Route: Neighborhood Loop
Temperature: 65°
Climate: sunny & nice
Mood: all right

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Upper body: 40 reps

Core Strength: 

   Sit-Ups: 20

   Bicycle 20

Can I keep this up? Maintain. I hope to push myself further.

Baseline: 185 lbs.
Weight: 182 lbs. (+2.0)

Goal: 175 lbs.

Come on, man.

Breakfast: fresh fruit, granola, yogurt

Coffee Break: coffee w/cream

Lunch: Clif Bar, fizzy water

Snack: almonds, dried fruit, fizzy water

Dinner: vegetarian chili over rice

You've got my heart working ovetime.

But what can I do to stem the apocalypse? Of course, the world isn't going to end, the world will be fine. It's all the animals that are going to do, and not nearly all of them. When you look at it that way

Distance: 3.1 miles
Duration: 29:44
Pace: 9:34

So, a day with mindful exercise. Can we do it again today? And then again tomorrow? And am I just going to hurt my knees again? These are good questions. 

2016 Playlist

Cheap Thrills - Sia  

Dear World, - Nine Inch Nails

Overtime - Knower

Breathe Life - Jack Garratt

OneHundred - Sims

TCR - Sleaford Mods

That's What I Like - Bruno Mars

Satisfied - Sia ft. Miguel  Queen Latifah

The Hamilton Mixtape is ... problematic.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 57°
Climate: overcast & cool
Mood: good

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Upper body: 40 reps

Core Strength: 

   Sit-ups: 40

   Bicycle: 40

Baseline: 185 lbs.
Weight: 180 lbs. (-0-)

Goal: 175 lbs.

Breakfast: coffee w/cream, smoothie bowl w/fresh fruit, PB granola, Nutella 

Lunch: baba w/pita

Happy Hour: old fashioned

Dinner: chicken Caesar, beer

Where you going to?

And here we are, in 1967. Short run, after all. Stand tall, take it easy, run slow. Yesterday felt really good. I'd like to keep it that ay.

Distance: 1 mile
Duration: 9:23

1967 Playlist

Windy - The Association  
96 Tears - ? & The Mysterians
Bring Down the Birds - Herbie Hancock
Mary, Mary - The Monkees

Pretty boss set, actually.

Route: Neighborhood Loop
Temperature: 57°
Climate: overcast  cool
Mood: good

The wife tipped me off to the podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs by Andrew Hickey. He said it was a ten year project but it started in 2018 and he isn't halfway there yet, but that's fine with me. We are listening and so should you.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Upper body: 40 reps.

Core Strength: 

   Sit-Up: 40

   Bicycle: 40

Baseline: 185 lbs.
Weight: 180 lbs.

Goal: 175 lbs.

Can I lose five pounds by May 22? I have a particular reason for this, and it is to fit more comfortably into the tuxedo I will be wearing on the big boat.

Breakfast: coffee w/cream, fresh fruit, dried fruit, yogurt, granola & seeds

Lunch: garlic bread, spaghetti & meatball

Dinner: popcorn, beer

Her little white boys.

Thank you, Zendaya, for this big horny bi tennis movie (that's not really about tennis). Seriously, though. When do we get unapologetically non-phobic bisexual men in mainstream film? It was a hoot, the last five minutes made me so happy.

Distance: 3.2 miles
Duration: 29:36
Pace:  9:17

 

But it's not just all the sloppy tongue kissing, Reznor and Ross have been making incredible film scores, and this one had me so thrilled. Listening to it on its own I was reminded of all the new music I discovered as I trained for my first marathon.

And then I remembered my first marathon was in 2006. And the events of this film begin in 2006. Jesus Christ! They made a period-accurate techno album!  

Challengers (Original Score) - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (2024)

Challengers

"I Know"

Yeah x10

The Signal

Brutalizer

Stopper

Brutalizer 2

The Points That Matter

Pull Over

Challengers: Match Point

Compress/Repress

Route: Hocking River Bike Path
Temperature: 68°
Climate: overcast & glorious
Mood: good

Here's the thing, music is the motivation. I didn't begin running in earnest until the invention of the iPod. It's just a fact. I can run because I want or need to run, but sometimes just knowing what I will be listening to on the run drives me to get that kit on and go.

The "year" runs began as a way to get me back on the street after my first marathon. What if I create playlists from every year of my life, that could be fun. I have been doing that, more or less, since 2007.

But the fact is, the earlier we go the less interested I am. Music from the late 60s isn't my bag. I mean, it moves me but it doesn't move me. So, in spite of good weather, knowing I need to listen to the 1967 playlist has actually been a deterrent. And ain't that a shame.

Anyway, we are in Athens. And the weather is perfect, I can listen to whatever I want, if it gets me on the bike path. Today that's some retro techno. 

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Perfect day by the Hocking. And I felt good. You can see, my time was faster. Last week I was trudging, it wasn't enjoyable. Today? Very enjoyable. It's about weather. It's about rest. So much to do with rest.

I was hoping to run yesterday, but I started the day with a headache and that kind of threw everything off. Can I run at least three times a week for the next three weeks? It is a goal. And we will begin with music from 1967.

Upper Body: 20 reps.