Wonder why you stopped getting high.

The wife has departed for points west, not to return for almost two weeks. The elder will join me in a day or so, but they have such a busy schedule I will still be largely on my own.

The school year winds to a close, there is so much yet to do. The question is whether I will be able to take advantage of my time alone to be productive, remain focused, and feel satisfied with how I am spending my time.

Distance: 3.2 miles

Duration: 28:35
Pace: 8:55

Prepared my first batch of cannabis brownies last night, yes, a 57 year-old man making the pot brownies. Would I be successful? I was. They hit after about an hour, I wisely took a modest sample because they turned out to be pleasantly potent. For the first time in many days, I slept well and long -- and still woke up before eight am. What a weekend! 

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 68°
Climate: partly cloudy & nice
Mood: mellow

"For the inventive spirit of man there is no Utopia: there is only a Not-yet."

- "Metropolis" by Thea von Harbou

"And if you use crack now ... get help now!"
- Jenny Lewis (1986)

Block Rockin' Weekend - The Current

Charles Bradley:

   Changes

   Heart of Gold

   Stay Away

Hank Williams:

   Your Cheatin' Heart

   Jambalaya on the Bayou (165 BPM)

   Honky Tonk Blues

Jenny Lewis:

   Red Bull & Hennessey

   Heads Gonna Roll

My shins, both of them, have been stressed. No doubt the result of a week spent on my feet, teaching three days of classes in schools. I will take additional ibuprofen and wear some bandages.

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 164 lbs. (-1.0)

It's easier to manage my intake when I am alone. I set alarms for meals so I'm not thinking about it. But then I don't have to wonder; when does she get home? Six? Seven? Eight-thirty? We had dinner Friday night after 9 PM, of course I was snacking before then.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes

Maybe that's the real punk rock.

What was on Clark Kent's iPod?

Yes, I respect James Gunn for geeking out and making playlists for each of his major characters in the new Superman movie. I do the same thing. Of course, by posting them on Spotify, he's also promoting the product. I do the same thing.

That this new movie includes a conversation about pop music made me very happy. Even better, they don't name check real bands, but the names of fiction bands which evoke the name of other real bands, and the fact that you know just what kind of bands they are talking about is very, very fun.

Because according to this film, Clark Kent was born in 1995. He was an adolescent in the late aughts. And like many of us, his taste hasn't changed since we were thirteen.  An Clark Kent is a dork. And we love him. 

Superman Playlist

Punkrocker - Teddybears ft. Iggy Pop

The Mighty Crabjoys Theme - The Mighty Crabjoys

The Middle (162 BPM) - Jimmy Eat World

Dear Maria, Count Me In - All Time Low

Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine

For Nancy ('Cos It Already Is) - Pete Yorn

I'm Not Down - The Clash

You Get What You Give - New Radicals

Don't Stop Believin' - Journey

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 29:53
Pace: 9:38

Headachy morning. Still, nice run. Going to take a few days off now, for several reasons. One, the festival impends, and I would just as soon reserve my strength. Two, I'd like to rest my shins. Even my left shin had pain earlier this morning. Three, I am packing my gear to go with everyone by car to Maine. I'm flying out Sunday early.

Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 75°
Climate: overcast
Mood: okay (head pain)
Stretches: yes
Water: yes

Weight: 160 lbs.

"See you in the cove."

She's so funky, yeah.

Waking early is beautiful. And it is hard. The wife has been engged the past several nights, and I have not. I read, I write, I sleep by nine. But I wake before five, to write, and prepare myself with peace and ease. But I still have to get out by six. This is the final push, there will be more air starting next week.

It feels as though I have not run in a month. I missed one day. My knees can tell the difference. 

Distance: 4 miles

Duration: 38:16
Pace: 9:33

Route: Forest Hill Loop

Temperature: 67°
Climate: partly cloudy, cool

Mood: good

Eesh. Stretch those shins. As the weather turns these runs do seem a bit arduous. But then, I may be overdoing it. More breaks. More short runs. Keep the engine running, you don't need to tear it up every time.

Stretches: yes

Water: yes

Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (1980)

Intruder
No Self Control
I Don't Remember
And Through the Wire
Games Without Frontiers
Not One of Us
Lead a Normal Life
Biko

This was one I discovered later, starting with his fourth album (alo called Security) and working backward. I was surprised to learn that "Shock the Monkey" was by the same guy who did "Solsbury Hill" which I remembered from when it was played a lot on the radio in 1977.

I'm still not a huge fan of his first two albums. Was he a prog? Was he a rocker? But this one, this third one. This is where he truly started to figure out some things. It was when he became Peter Gabriel. How many industrial rockers of the 1990s owe their career to this one record? 

Hell, Trent Reznor owes his entire career just to the song "Intruder."

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

Lunch: Cobb salad, bread & butter, Cheetos, pumpkin roll (autumn!)

Pre-Run Snack: half-banana, nuts

Dinner: borscht w/potato, egg  sourcream

Alcohol? IPA (1x)

The lovely people at our test school have provided lunch this week, and they are very nice and complete.

Baseline: 195 lbs.

Current: 171 lbs. (+1.0)

Goal: 165 lbs.

Reading: Corley, E.

Writing: 30 min.

Let the rhythm pull you in.

All of these songs are from twenty years ago. What the fuck.

Distance: 3.1 miles

Duration: 29:11
Pace: 9:25

Route: Forest Hill Loop

Temperature: 44°
Climate: overcast & cool

Mood: very good

Forty degrees? Don't forget the gloves.

2003 Playlist

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - Postal Service

Milkshake - Kelis

Move Your Feet - Junior Senior

It's My Life - No Doubt

Heartbeats - The Knife

Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes

Slow - Kylie Minogue ft. The Chemical Brothers

What was 2003? We got a Zelda! I Hate This premiered, and we brought it to the Minnesota Fringe. The Blackout, the Iraq War, we discovered iTunes.

 
Stretches: yes
Abdominals: 90 sec.

Upper body: 10 reps (2x)
Water: yes

Saturday

Breakfast: coffee w/cream

Lunch: General Tso's chicken w/fried rice & eggroll

Happy Hour: Two-Hearted IPA, banana

Dinner: Cain’s chicken fingers, fries & slaw ... and Texas toast.

Some day's off are well earned. Achy on Saturday. It was a big week. Wore a shin brace all day on Saturday, been wearing the knee brace on and off all week.

Sunday

Breakfast: coffee w/cream

Lunch: leftover Chinese

Treat: two chocolate chip cookies, oatmilk

Tea Time: tea w/cream & honey,  dark chocolate Oreos

Dinner: Cilantro barbacoa burrito, fizzy lemon water

Baseline: 195 lbs.

Current: 181.5 lbs. (+2.0)

Goal: 175 lbs.

Put simply, fast food is high in calories. Cook more.

Keeping versed and on my feet.

Now it's winter. There is a blanket of snow on the ground, which has been rare this year. I stay close to home, running around the block, because going further makes me feel "far from home." Like, if I start feeling cold or tired or just beaten down by the weather, I know I can get back home easily.

Fourteen days. Two weeks in. Feeling good, right? Not feeling bad, anyway.

Distance: 3.25 miles

Duration: 34:37
Pace: 10:39

Route: four times around the block

Temperature: 25°
Climate: cold

Pavement: an inch or so of snow
Mood: determined

I planned to run around the block one time. It was cold, there was snow. But one time around, it just didn't feel like enough. Having said, that I hope I don't regret this. My shins are already singing. Snow is slippery.

1999 Playlist

La Nouba - Cirque du Soleil

Temperamental - Everything But the Girl

Accepting Applications at University - Lily

Thong Song - Sisqo

Maria - Blondie *

Steal My Sunshine - Len

Bruce Lee - Underworld

Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65 ft. Gabry Ponte

What was 1999? Directed Hamlet. Got married. Visited Alaska. Feared the future. Dug those tunes.

 
Stretches: yes
Abdominals: 90 sec. (2x)
Water: yes

Breakfast: coffee w/oat cream, bagel w/lox, cream cheese & red onion

Lunch: strawberry yogurt w/fresh strawberries, banana, granola & honey

Cocktail Hour: raspberry fizzy water 

Dinner: spaghetti w/marinara & parmesan, buttered con, buttered bread

Baseline: 195 lbs.

Current: 188 lbs. (-0.5)

Goal: 185 lbs.

That's all there is.

Woof. Running every day is taking a toll. Calf muscles are sore. Worried I might get taken out by shin splints. Warm weather would help. Spent last night with a bandage on my leg. But these days are cold, will be cold. And I need to press through that.

Part of this is keeping my kits clean and accessible. And making sure this blog is something I prepare in advance. If I do not prepare in advance for a run, getting out onto the street can take forever, and that brings down my mood.

Like right now.

Distance: 2.25 miles

Duration: 23:51
Pace: 10:34

Route: Horizon Loop (clockwise)

Temperature: 32°
Climate: dry

Pavement: sunny, windy & cold
Mood: tired & sore

 

1990 Playlist

Raspberry Beret - Hindu Love Gods

World In My Eyes (Cicada Mix) - Depeche Mode

Vogue - Madonna

Hippychick - Soho

Ring of Fire - Social Distortion

The Sinister Minister - Bela Fleck & the Flecktones

What was 1990? Earth Day! Live-in girlfriend. Twin Peaks. Played Seymour in Little Shop. Fell in love with the person who would eventually become my life partner. Yep.

 
Stretches: yes
Abdominals: 90 sec.
Water: yes

Breakfast: coffee w/oatmilk cream, pineberries & bananas w/granola & strawberry yogurt

Coffee Break: latte w/oatmilk 

Lunch: spinach pie, baba w/pita

Happy Hour: Tea w/oatmilk cream, Fresca

Dinner: big salad w/feta, pistachios & buttered bread

Baseline: 195 lbs.

Current: 189.5 lbs. (+2.0)

Goal: 185 lbs.

See, that's a reality check. The scale is not strictly accurate. Taking a daily read on my weight is barometer, to be sure. But what is actually going on? I believe there must be foodstuff (excuse me for getting gross) sitting in my system at all times. The level of food needs to decrease, and I am working on that. And that it's food and not non-food. Fat from chocolate, or processed and fried potato and corn. I am trying to purge myself of these things while instead consuming good things.

I didn't really eat much yesterday. The day before, however. Anyway. I was going to take a break from running today, but decided against it. Maybe tomorrow, though! Delayed gratification. And when I take a break, I want to spend it well.

The nature of my game.

Since the semester concluded, I have fallen into a post-project malaise. It's not like I don't have a lot to do at the moment, but I lack the endorphin-generating pressure of reading and writing for a grade and the approval of my professors.

Last week I was able to focus my energies on staining the deck, but that is complete and today it is rainy and cool, which is contributing to my mood.

BUT, now that classes are over, I am going to try to see a movie at the Cedar-Lee theater every Monday evening.

Distance: 3.25 miles
Duration: 31:42
Pace: 9:45
Route: Forest Hill Loop
Temperature: 61°
Climate: sunny & warm
Mood: good?

Stretches: yes, but not enough

Oh, boy! Three fast, hot runs in three days! And now my shins are sore and my back aches a little. Maybe take tomorrow off? Maybe? Maybe not?

Intake

Breakfast: empanadas (1 sweet, 1 savory), coffee (2x)

Lunch: sunbutter & jelly on cranberry bagel

Dinner: popcorn, beer

Cocktail hour: Old fashioned

Also; fizzy water (2x)

1968 Playlist

Licking Stick - James Brown

Grazing In the Grass - Hugh Masekela

Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones

Astral Weeks* - Van Morrison

Say It Loud (I'm Black and Proud) - James Brown

Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)* - John Fred & His Playboy Band

Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf

Classical Gas* - Mason Williams

Mony Mony - Tommy James & the Shondells