Saturday, April 18, 2026

Hers is a tonic while mine is a gin.

Connections, 4/17/2026
I got this immediately. Is that bad?
Seriously, though. This school year has to end. And I need to stop eating fast food, I need to plan ahead. 

Distance: 3.1 miles
Duration: 28:20
Pace: 9:07

Also? I need to stop doing the NY Times daily puzzles. I am committed to a year-long streak of Connections, and have a month to go. And I got into Wordle, though that one isn't as important to me (though I have a 100+ day streak in that, too).

This means the first thing I do every morning is look at my phone for five to ten minutes. And then I am without any kind of motivation. I used to write first thing, now I puzzle. And I haven't written anything new since I completed the Marbury play a couple months ago. 

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 70°
Climate: overcast & coolish
Mood: not great

Beat the rain by minutes.

2007 Playlist
Ice Cream - New Pony Club
Get Innocuous! (Soulwax Remix) - LCD Soundsystem
Flathead - The Fratellis
Apologize - Timbaland ft. OneRepublic
Don't You Evah - Spoon
Love Will Tear Us Apart (158 BPM) - José González
1973 - James Blunt

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 160 lbs. (-6.0)

Saw Barns Courtney last night at the Grog Shop. And between four in the afternoon and midnight I had far too much to drink. Spent the morning in bed. I have systems. I can be in control. But this week has been a mess. That's not an excuse, merely an explanation.

Great run. My head ached before I went out, it aches now, But while I was outside and running, I felt great. Maybe I should just run fr the rest of the day.

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA
Sit-Ups: TBA

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

I feel so strong now.

Home again. Rainy day. Funny how a 64° morning, after a spring rain, can feel cooler than a dry 56°. Maybe it's the moisture in the air? 

Distance: 3.1 miles
Duration: 28:57
Pace: 9:20

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 64°
Climate: damp. nice.
Mood: all right

Last night, depression. This morning, better. I was awake for about an hour in the middle of the night, just when I would distract myself from one concern, another would take its place.

1977 Playlist
New Rose - The Damned
Love → Building on Fire  Talking Heads
Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment - The Ramones
Point of Know Return - Kansas
Pulled Up - Talking Heads
Deacon Blues - Steely Dan
Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
Dust in the Wind - Kansas

Good run, though. Lovely, après le déluge.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 165 lbs. (+3.0)

This is not a surprise. Lot of fast food, restaurant food, Maria's delicious, calorie-dense breakfasts. I need to eat at home, be mindful of portions, choose the salad, etc.

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA
Sit-Ups: TBA

Monday, April 13, 2026

Have a nice life.

We have been aching lately. Check the exercise roster, that may have something to do with it. Hips, ankles, feet, knees. All a bit sore. Unpleasant.

Distance: 4.15 miles
Duration: 37:25
Pace: 9:01

But anyway, I did bring my kit to Cincinnati. I have a day all to myself, and that should include exercise. The forecast is wonderful and I would have seriously regretted not taking the opportunity for a run.

How were we last year? Not bad.

Route: Gaslight Loop (2x)
Temperature: 71°
Climate: dark clouds w/thunder in the distance
Mood: good?

1997 Playlist
Drinking In L.A. - Bran Van 3000
Candyman - Cornershop
Selfless, Cold & Composed - Ben Folds Five
Everything * - Mary J. Blige
Dark & Long - Underworld
MMMBop - Hanson
The Impression That I Get - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Atom Bomb (Atomix 1) - Fluke

Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Decent rest. Good breakfast, Maria always makes something nice. Now, what am I going to do with the rest of the day? The last time I was in this room, I was writing and doing research for the play that goes up later this month. Today, I may just read.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes
Sit-Ups: yes

Sunday, April 12, 2026

Sweet serotonin rushes.

The old man is not well, his eye is ulcerated and requires medicine and attention. Friday night he woke me up several times, to get under the covers which is nice except when he gets in and out of bed.

Distance: 3.1 miles
Duration: 26:44
Pace: 8:37

Also, the new cat likes to get on top of me when I sleep, which is usually pleasant, but if Tiger is under the covers, then that's an issue. Anyway, it was a bad night's sleep. 

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 57°
Climate: overcast & beautiful
Mood: all right

Today, I will travel to Cincinnati to attend a recital/gig. The wife remains at home to care for an old cat.

2017 Playlist
Formidable Cool - Wolf Alice
Waving Through a Window - Ben Platt
On Hold - The xx
Green Light (Chromeo Remix) - Lorde
Serotonin Rushes - Fujiya & Miyagi
We Got the Power - Gorillaz ft. Jehnny Beth
High Ticket Attractions- New Pornographers
Bad Liar- Selena Gomez

Twenty years ago, on April 10, 2006, I was lamenting the fact that, though I had taken a running kit with me to London, I hadn't done any running. By that time in my life, I had gotten used to -- nay, looked forward to -- taking a run in New York City. Not that I had done it a lot, but I did a few times when I was there for the 2004 NY Fringe.
"Ran roughly four miles. Man, Sunday it is a free-for-all, everyone running in every direction. Keep your head up."
Millennium Bridge, 2006
But that was because I was squatting at an apartment two blocks from the Central Park on the Upper East Side. I knew my way around that part of New York. 
What's On Daddy's iPod?
Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie
In spring 2006, we were staying at my brother's place in Battersea. I had not yet started using mapping programs to find my way around unusual places. The next year, when we returned for the I Hate This tour, I took a run in London and another in Plymouth. I had learned how to prepare.

This weekend, I am preparing by running at home on Sunday morning, and then hopefully on Tuesday, so I don't need to run in Cincinnati at all.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 162 lbs. (+2.0)

We're eating more junk food! Lot of grazing. And cookies. Time to bear down again.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: TBA
Sit-Ups: TBA

Friday, April 10, 2026

Requiem for a twat.

Throwing Muses
The Grog Shop, 4/9/2026
This year has been unnecessarily stressful. I mean, you could say that reaching back to forever. But in these recent years I had relaxed into a certain mode, one which involved seeing movies on my own, reading more, cooking, that kind of thing. I need to get back to that. Because otherwise, I'm just watching videos on YouTube.

Am I still middle age? Or am I leaning senior? I'm cool either way. Whatever. You know.

Distance: 3.1 miles
Duration: 27:13
Pace: 8:46

Spring vacillates. Perfect temps in the morning, it will rain this afternoon. So we run.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 59°
Climate: gorgeous
Mood: all right

1968 Playlist
Requiem pour un con - Serge Gainsbourg
The Letter - Nirvana Sitar & String Group
I Say a Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
Harper Valley PTA - Jeannie C. Riley
Green Tambourine - The Lemon Pipers
Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf
Classical Gas - Mason Williams
Those Were the Days * - Mary Hopkins

Man. Those kids would listen to anything.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 160 lbs. (-1.0)

Sometimes, often these days, I think about all the running. And that's not good. Because I think, God. That's a lot of running. And then I think, why am I doing this? It brings my enthusiasm down. Then I pull myself together and get out there, and I feel great. I feel great now, having run.

Folks think running is hard. But it's really just getting out there that is.

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA
Sit-Ups: TBA

Wednesday, April 08, 2026

But still physically fit.

What will happen?

Distance: 3.2 miles
Duration: 28:21
Pace: 8:51

Snacking on Tuesday, all day. Chocolate, Cheez-Its, extra bowls of granola & yogurt. Watch that shit.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 57°
Climate: sunny & beautiful
Mood: pretty okay

1988 Playlist
VX Gas Attack - Skinny Puppy
All She Wants Is (US Master Mix) - Duran Duran
Awake and Watching - Click Click
I'm Your Pusher/Pusherman - Ice-T
Blind - Talking Heads
Beat of Love - Voice of the Beehive

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 161 lbs. (+1.0)

Planks: TBA
Push-ups: TBA
Sit-Ups: TBA

Monday, April 06, 2026

The type of person capable of such deceit.

Back to the gym. Sometimes it snows in April.

Distance: 3 miles
Duration: 25:56
Route: rec center
Temperature: 36°
Climate: light snow
Mood: getting busy

2008 Playlist
Sex On Fire (153 BPM) - Kings of Leon
Spaz - N.E.R.D.
Nada - Zoe
Sweet Dreams - Beyoncé
Black & Gold (Marcussen Album Version) - Sam Sparro
Long Division (164 BPM) - Death Cab for Cutie
L.E.S. Artistes - Santigold

Aught runs take me to some unhappy places. Which is shame. It was a special time.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes 
Weight: 160 lbs. (-0-)

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes
Sit-Ups: TBA