Pre-Marathon Two-Miler

Took a two-mile pre-race run with Allie, up Foster Avenue to Lake Michigan. That was a very good idea, not just because that's the thing you're supposed to do, but I have gotten really freaked out about the weather.

Allie keeps saying how perfect the forecast is. Yes, dry is paramount, I would be miserable if it were due to rain, downright maudlin. It would be like saying goodbye to all my toenails. But it's supposed to be in the mid-40s tomorrow, and I would prefer the mid-50s.

And yet, it was the mid-40s  this morning and it felt all right. I have my disposable cold weather sweatsuit, and think I can manage in shorts. The wind will be a challenge, but I just don't want to wear long pants.

We are Team Challenge!

Distance: 2 miles
Duration: 19:41
Pace: 9:51
Route: Foster Avenue to Lake Michigan and Back
Temperature: 45°
Climate: sunny & cold
Mood: getting better
Stretches: oh, uh. no.
Water: yes

Met up with all the Team Challenge folks at Bar Louie last night, got to chat up some of the organizers, runners, and supporters, and to enjoy a fine Goose Island IPA. I was hardly the one who had traveled farthest to be here. For several this will be their first marathon, and I was feeding off their excitement.

The plan is to meet up at the Congress Plaza Hotel tomorrow morning at 6:30, a warm place to gather before heading into the elements. This is a welcome invitation, as so many marathons I have attended require hours of standing around outside in the cold until the start.

It was pretty brisk out last night, but Chris, Allie and I still did a little walk around that neighborhood after the meet-up in search of dessert, and I found Gordo's which makes hand-dipped ice cream bars. Perfect!

We closed the evening seeing The Infinite Wrench, which is literally one block from where we are staying. It's always fascinating to me to share the Neo-Futurists with new people. It has been some time.

You run from me.

Warning: Gross.

Okay, look. I'm just not doing the work for this marathon anymore and it is really getting to me. Just Monday night (long day, no time to run) I was tending to my wounded feet. In spite of my best efforts, nails had cut into nails and I was trying to trim them and clear up some of the callouses.

The nail on my middle toe on my right foot was bruised, and I was attempting to trim that back, when it went SQUISH. The nail started emitting fluid and then blood. It had separated from the nail bed. I have lost a toe nail two weeks before the big race.

Distance: 5.75 miles
Duration: 48:52
Pace: 8:29
Route: Forest Hill-Cain Park Loop
Temperature: 70°
Climate: gorgeous

Mood: not bad
Stretches: no
Water: no

And yet, we run. I messaged Marc Blandin, Team Challenge Coach, immediately after it happened with a very simple question, what do I do about this? You can see his response at right, basically don't freak out, it will be fine. And don't we all need advice like that?

Thanks, Marc!

Baseline: 179.5 lbs.
Today: 165.5 lbs. (-0.5)
Goal: 160 lbs.

What's That Lyric?
Oh Baby * - LCD Soundsystem

Woke up the same morning, I felt fine.

Selling hip-hop to white people.

Got a decent night's sleep last night. Driving home from camp I was seriously drowsy. Got to watch my daughter's summer league soccer game last night, when was the last time I got to do that?

Today we reached the 3/4 mark to our goal in my TEAM CHALLENGE campaign to find a cure for Crohn's and colitis! Will you join the team, and get us to the finish line? Hit the TEAM CHALLENGE button at top right (or this link!) Many thanks!

Distance: 3 miles
Duration: 26:06
Pace: 8:42
Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 59°
Climate: cloudy & cool
Mood: good

Nice, brisk run. Gonna rain later. Today the wife was supposed to resume her writing schedule but she was up all night coughing, poor thing. She moved into another room to let me sleep, for which I am much appreciative.

Theater camp is also going well, so far. An auspicious start to the summer. Plans are being laid, the girl and I will run in Central Park in July. Training will take place everywhere.

1989 Playlist
Freedom of Speak (We Got Three Minutes) - De La Soul
Waiting For Mary (What Are We Doing Here) - Pere Ubu
The Sensual World - Kate Bush
Jenifa (Taught Me) (12" Version) - De La Soul
Eye Know (The Know It All Mix) - De La Soul
Cuts You Up - Peter Murphy

Nineteen Eighty-Nine remains the greatest year in the history of popular music. Fight me. They say the year you turned twenty-one is the year you will thin was the best in pop music history, but in this case, it's true. After the doldrums on the mid-80s, hip-hop was making its move into the mainstream, 80s solo artists were releasing their very best work, the only person who did not succeed in 1989 was Prince.

"Throw it."

Baseline: 179.5 lbs.
Today: 169.5 lbs. (-1.5)
Goal: 165 lbs.

Until the ocean covers every mountain high.

Good morning.

Today would be for either cross training or rest, but as I did not run on Monday, today I ran instead.

Rose at 5:00 am, as a nice change of pace, to write. It has been a while. rather than free writing, I used this time to gather my thoughts from the other night's reading of the marathon play. This will eventually become a blog post.

Distance: 3 miles
Duration: 25:06
Pace: 8:22
Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 57°
Climate: no clouds, cool
Mood: positive

What a glorious morning, just as the sun was rising. End of the century tunes, cool and trouble-free. my body feels great. No pain (okay, slight pain, left hip, that's not going away, ever) clear head, strong, light, moving easy strides, things are going very well on day two.

I'm taking the month of June to remind you of this TEAM CHALLENGE campaign, and reach my goal of $2,000, to find a cure for Crohn's and colitis? Will you kick in something today? Hit the TEAM CHALLENGE button at top right (or this link!) Many thanks!

1999 Playlist
Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65
Machete - Moby
Thursday's Child - David Bowie
As - George Michael ft. Mary J. Blige
The Carpet Crawlers 1999 - Genesis
Cups - Underworld

Camp is also going well, in our quadrant, after two days. Energetic, enthusiastic participants, most of whom are returning after several years. That must mean we are doing something right.

Baseline: 179.5 lbs.
Today: 171 lbs. (+2.0)
Goal: 165 lbs.

That would be the Doritos.

See, I've got heart like John Starks.

Tori Amos always reminds me of my ex-wife, and that's just fine.

Distance: 3.75 miles
Duration: 33:02
Pace: 8:48
Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 70°
Climate: overcast & humid
Mood: good
Stretches: yes
Bandage: no

TRUE STORY! If left untreated, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC) can lead to some life-threatening complications.

My brother has lived with UC his entire life ... and though it's only incidental to his story, when I was two I ate all of his medication and had to have my stomach pumped. Not actually relevant, but I wanted to tell the tale.

But! Crohn's disease also increases a patient's risk of developing colorectal cancer. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the third highest risk factor for colorectal cancer cases.

I'm taking the month of June to remind you of this TEAM CHALLENGE campaign, and reach my goal of $2,000, to find a cure for Crohn's and other IBDs? Will you kick in something today? Hit the TEAM CHALLENGE button at top right (or this link!) Many thanks!

Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/582241/crohns-disease-facts

1994 Playlist
God - Tori Amos
Realm - Lestat
Funk Dat - Sagat
Khang Tone - Stereolab
Snail Shell - They Might Be Giants
Get It Together - Beastie Boys ft. Q-Tip
The Man Who Sold The World - Nirvana
Moon Sammy - Soul Coughing
Night In My Veins - The Pretenders

That's some Maximum 90s!


Beautiful night in the park, took the extra loop. Think I spotted my daughter and some friends existing as teen phenomena at the top of the hill overlooking the City.

No complaints in my legs or lungs. Doing all right, getting stronger, no need to walk at all. The girl runs around 8:07 at soccer practice these days but there we go. I've been passed.

Baseline: 179.5 lbs.
Today: 172 lbs. (+1.0)
Goal: 170 lbs.

Okay, fellah. Take it easy now.

A shadow on the run.

It has been quite a week. I did not imagine I would go seven days without exercise, that was not part of the plan. Yesterday I received my brand new TEAM CHALLENGE training shirt, and am excited to train in it.

Distance: 3 miles
Route: Rec Center
Mood: anxious
Exercises: yes

Baseline: 179.5 lbs.
Today: 178.5 lbs. (-1.0)
Goal: 175 lbs.

There is enough empirical evidence in this blog that I could, if I chose to, determine whether an impending playlist will deter me from exercise. To wit; I like music from the 1960s, I am not crazy about music from the 60s. Ditto specific years, like 2005. Or 2006. Or 2007.

1967 Playlist
Mary, Mary - The Monkees
Baby, You're a Rich Man - The Beatles
Funky Broadway - Funky BroadwayPaper Sun - Traffic
Easy Rider - Janis Joplin
Hip Hug-Her - Booker T. & The MG's
She's Looking Good - Rodger Clemens
There She Goes - The Velvet Underground
Little Games - The Yardbirds
Oogum Boogum Song - Brenton Wood
Somebody to Love - Jefferson Airplane

Cooldown:
Star ****** - The Monkees

Man, that last one is offensive.

Visit my Team Challenge Crohn's & Colitis page and support my bid for the Chicago Marathon!

She's got a wall around her nobody can climb.

I have changed three flat tires in the past year, two in the past month. What is up with that? Is that a metaphor?

Also, found a cheap pair of "flight" headphones on eBay. To think I had said goodbye to those forever. Thinking of getting AirPods, someone talk me out of it.

Distance: 3 miles
Route: Rec Center
Mood: good
Exercises: yes

Good day at the rec center with the girl. She can run fast.

1993 Playlist
Ubiquitous Mister Lovegrove - Dead Can Dance
Hip Hop Hooray - Naughty By Nature
Jump Around - House of Pain
Ordinary World - Duran Duran
Shape of My Heart - Sting
Come To Me - Björk

Cooldown:
My Sister - Juliana Hatfield Three

Baseline: 179.5 lbs.
Today: 178.5 lbs. (-1.0)
Goal: 175 lbs.

Amazing. Say what you will about Facebook, I was able to create a campaign for Team Challenge and raised almost four hundred dollars in small donations in a day! Very helpful and greatly appreciated. There were also a few big donations in there, too. We're over a third of the way there!

Visit my Team Challenge Crohn's & Colitis page and support my bid for the Chicago Marathon!