The only thing that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now.

More illness, saddled by neck pain and fatigue. Is this winter? Is this ageing?

Distance: 3 miles

Duration: 27:24

Another go round the track. Noonish on a Friday, the place is full of walkers. Some of them were even using walkers. I felt a little pain in my neck and shoulders, perhaps that is how it happened in the first place. Holding my phone, to better manage the stopwatch, and counting on my fingers so I don't forget how many laps I've taken, that could certainly cause tension in my shoulders.  

Route: Rec Center
Mood: all right
Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Weight: 165 lbs.

2004 Playlist

Jesus Walks - Kanye West

TKO - Le Tigre

Holiday - Green Day

Musicology - Prince

Me Plus One - Annie

Toxic - Britney Spears

Air - Owls

Ch-Check It Out - Beastie Boys

Decent Days and Nights - The Futureheads

Running the streets.

Woke sore, of course. Thought it would be best to run than not to. Work those sore muscles. On another day I would have gone to the park but I don't want to injure myself.

My heart hurts.

Distance: 2 miles
Duration: 19:20
Pace: 9:40
Route: Two times around the block.
Temperature: 72°
Climate: sunny & bright
Mood: complicated
Weight: 184 lbs. (+1.0)

What's That Lyric?
Rough Boys - Pete Townshend

When routine bites hard and ambitions are low.

Augustus Gloop will not be harmed.

No, but for reals. Seriously. You guys. Sitting on this wooden bench all week has been a real drag. And not only do I feel it in my butt, but also my left calf feels on the verge of straining. Ugh. Ugh, ugh. Time for some serious dance moves.

Distance: 3.25 miles
Avg. Pace: 8:09
Duration: 26:29
Route: Boulevard Loop

Took some effort to motivate myself out the door. The last few days have spoiled me, this isn't even  cold. Part of my reluctance (not ambivalence, I was looking forward to this) was no doubt due to the fact that this is the first evening run I have taken in some time.

Yes, long days sitting can be wearying -- however, one of our actors was ill today and so I co-taught a class in Death of a Salesman. I even acted in a scene, that was refreshing.

Pavement: dry
Temperature: 25°
Climate: cold and clear
Mood: managing

Baseline: 174 lbs.
Today: 170 lbs. (-0-)
New Goal: 165 lbs.
Ideal: 160 lbs.

As the years pass I have been discovering that the "aughts" were perhaps the least interesting decade in popular music -- in general, of course, you don't need to hit me up with all the great music released 2000-2009, there is always great music. Just, in aggregate. I find it tedious.

I had to skip a number of songs just to settle on these:

2005 Playlist
Galang - M.I.A.
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Fall Out Boy
I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic! At The Disco
Don't Look Back - Telepopmusik
Summer Skin - Death Cab for Cutie
Augustus Gloop - Danny Elfman
Technologic - Daft Punk

Love is you.

Mmn. Doesn't take much. Hate to complain. Don't want to be a complainer. But one week of winter is wearing me down something serious. Mostly, I cannot get warm. I am wearing layers - layers of pants, thermal shirts under my shirts, always in boots.

And my muscles. Sitting has become a real pain. Yes, I said it. Buttocks, hips and thighs. Aches, some familiar and some not so much. Running should help this, but the weather works against it.

But hey. It's not cancer, right?

God damn it.

Distance: 3.3 miles
Avg Pace: 8:54
Duration: 29:23
Route: Four times around the block
Temperature: 23°
Climate: cold, bright
Pavement: drifts of chunky snow
Weight: 162 lbs. (-1.5)
Mood: not good

1990 Playlist
Love - The Dream Academy
Love For Sale - Fine Young Cannibals
New Power Generation - Prince
Hard To Handle - The Black Crowes
So Hard - Pet Shop Boys
Praying For Time - George Michael
Keep On Marching - The Meters
Night and Day - U2

Here's my comeback on the road again.

Hot daylight recovery run. My entire right leg feels like it's about the flame out, from my Achilles tendon to my hamstrings, all the way up. They do not burn, yet. I just feel as though any day they might. Must continue the yoga, I believe it is helpful. There is no indication that it hurts.

Tiny steps at the outset, but I had reversed my run and was taking the steep incline first. This worked out extremely well, and by the end of the first mile I felt strong and my strides were long.

Distance: 3 miles
Duration: 24:37
Avg Pace: 8:10
Route: Boulevard Loop

Must make plans for the week. Eight miles tomorrow, eight on Thursday, six on Friday. Early to bed, early to rise. Or failing that, just early to rise.

Temperature: 84°
Climate: hot, humid and bright
Weight: 159 lbs.
Intake: yogurt, granola & banana (and coffee)
Hydration: yes
Water Stop: no
Stretches: no (sorry)

What's That Lyric?
Big In Japan - Alphaville

Thanks to Jim, as always, for the awesome graphic,

Barefoot and on the run.

Torturing Hayden Christensen. It's only fair.

Yesterday's was the first run in a long time to truly make me sore. Of course, in addition to eight miles the boy and I worked together in the garage. getting left over building supplies up and onto the rafters, which was challenging work. I was glad that the most strenuous part involved bending backwards, and not reaching forwards. My thighs hurt today. My back does not.

Distance: 3 miles
Avg Pace: 7.42
Route: Boulevard Loop

Temperature: 70°
Climate: clammy
Weight: 156 lbs. (-4.0)
Intake: fruit yogurt & granola
Hydration: yes
Stretches: not really
Upper Body: 40 reps

What's That Lyric?
A New England* - Kirsty MacColl
Five Get Over Excited - The Housemartins

Aztec Camera Radio on Spotify ... The Jam, Style Council and Paul Weller! But no Aztec Camera. 

Don't it make you feel alive.

Reading "King Lear" at Beachwood Library last night.

One week of camp can go awful fast ... even when you are staying up late to watch basketball. It has been a good week, even if it affords little time to run. Two days off and already my thigh is complaining. We have been eating well, I have been doing upper body work, but my legs feels little thin.

The heat has settled in, every day it is supposed to storm. Summer is here and I hope we do not lose many performances of Timon. Not too much we can do about that.

Temperature: 73°
Distance: 3.38 miles
Avg Pace: 7.52
Climate: hot and humid, but overcast

Two glasses of water, sir, before you go out. Three mile run and I was parched. Training starts Monday, this is how we must go for the duration. Any run with an average below eight is fast enough, when I push it out in July and August this will become very painful without more water or more water stops.

I fell asleep while running. Not literally asleep, as in closed my eyes and dozed, but for a moment I imagined I was actually wearing the chukka boots. A hallucination. Haven't had one of those in years. That is what I am talking about -- rest, hydration, sustenance.

There are almost a half dozen gel packs in my drawer from the race three years ago. Are they still good?

Weight: 157 lbs.
From Goal: -3.0

What's On Daddy's iPhone?
Get Innocuous! - LCD Soundsystem

WCPN "Sound of Applause" Interview: THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS