90 Minute Playlist

Here is my current 90 minute playlist. Even as I post it, I still feel like making changes to it. So consider this a snapshot of an ever-evolving work.

1. Mustang Sally (Eric Clapton)
2. Theme From Shaft (Isaac Hayes)
3. Hey Now, Hey Now (Crowded House)
4. Wee (Johnny Griffin)
5. Big Time (Peter Gabriel)
6. Shades Of Sound (DJ Dara)
7. Like Toy Soldiers (Eminem)
8. Peaches En Regalia (Frank Zappa)
9. You Can't Always Get What You Want (Ben Harper)
10. Good Vibrations (Beach Boys)
11. The World Is New (Save Ferris)
12. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynard Skynard)
13. Run For It (Juvenile)
14. Omaha (Counting Crows)
15. Big Yellow Taxi (Counting Crows)
16. These Dreams of You (Van Morrison)
17. Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley)
18. Jeremy (Pearl Jam)
19. Every Ship Must Sail Away (Blue Merle)
20. I Wanna Be Sedated (Ramones)
21. Bukanga Man (Lucien Windrich)
22. Baba O'Riley (The Who)
23. She Gave Me Love (The Getaway People)
24. Bad Touch (Bloodhound Gang)

1 Hour: W&OD Trail (Herndon)

After my last spirited run in Herndon, I decided it was time to do another, sooner not later. The skies were blue, the air was in the low 60s. Perfect weather. I was still feeling the effects from Sunday's long run. Starting out, my legs felt a little tight and sore. Gradually things loosened up, but with about ten minutes to go I felt a sudden twinge in my right hamstring. It didn't stay long and felt better as I continued to run. As I type this, my leg feels pretty good, though I do feel a little bit of unusual soreness where I felt the twinge. I don't think it's anything serious, but with the recent uptake in mileage, I think it's best to be cautious at this point. I'm going to rest my leg for a few days and try again with a short run. If all feels well, I'm hoping to still get in a long run this weekend.

Today's Inspiration

He’s run 262 miles non-stop. He’s won the Badwater Ultramarathon. He’s run 100 mile all-nighter, arriving just in time to start a marathon the following morning. He’s written a new book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner. He is Dean Karnazes. He is today’s inspiration.

"As the years rolled by, however, the job pressures began to mount, and the car payments and hefty mortgages didn’t help. Suddenly, work was stressing me out. The long hours and the travel were becoming mundane. At first it was glamorous, but somewhere among all the meetings, dinners, and cocktail receptions, I became aware of an inner hollowness. Something was missing in my life.

… There was an emptiness that my career didn’t fulfill. I began to secretly long to fill this void, even though I wasn’t sure what it was or how it could be filled."

Karnazes was nearing his thirtieth birthday. By most measures, his life was heading up, but to him life was a downward spiral. He did what a lot of people do when the turn thirty. He went out with friends that night. He drank himself into oblivion. He was just like any other guy…until he got home. He stripped down to his underwear, put on an old pair of shoes … went out for a thirty mile run. Oh, and this was the first time he’d run in fifteen years.

Leaving the house, he was another thirty year-old burnout. Somewhere that night, looking up at the night sky, he was reborn:

For the first time this evening—hell for the first time in years—I felt like this spot was precisely where I belonged…never mind that I was half naked, in the middle of nowhere, and nearly incapable of taking another step forward. That was inconsequential. I was happy—entirely content just standing there I had listened to my heart, and this is where it had led me.

In between his well-worded inspirations are astounding feats, but what is readily apparent is he is as grounded as they come. He is a husband, a dad, and carries a full-time job running his own company. He makes it to his kids’ events. He makes it all happen, including his long runs of 75 miles. He knows not only how to run insane distances and push the human body to absolute limits, he knows how to balance it with his family life. Because of his background, I find his words carry more weight. They aren’t coming from a straight out professional runner. They are coming from someone who could be me.

I’d also come to recognize that the simplicity of running was quite liberating. Modern man has virtually everything one could desire, but too often we’re still not fulfilled. “Things” don’t bring happiness. Some of my finest moments came while running down the open road, little more than a pair of shoes and shorts to my name. A runner doesn’t need much. Thoreau once said a man’s riches are based on what he can do without. Perhaps in needing less, you’re actually getting more.

Reading his book really opened my eyes to what’s possible. It made my gripes of not having enough time, or enough energy, inconceivably ridiculous.

Every devout runner has an awakening. We know the place, the time, and the reason we accepted running into our life. After half a lifetime, I’d been reborn. Most runners are able to keep a rational perspective on the devotion, and practice responsibly. I couldn’t, and became a fanatic.

I didn’t just read this book. Somehow, in finishing his story, I felt compelled to do something about it...

I went for a run.

110 Minutes: W&OD Trail (Purcellville)

I didn’t realize it when I started out, but today’s run was the longest I’ve done since I started running again back in November 2002. The naiveté probably helped me finish strong. Like yesterday, the playlist I put together really helped distract my attention from sore hamstrings and gave me a nice floating effect for 110 minutes. The skies were overcast and the temperature was in the mid-40s, which was perfect once I warmed up. I figured I would run out 55 minutes and then turn around. I didn’t notice my watch until more than an hour had passed, at least one indication that was feeling pretty good. I managed to make it back to my car without looking at my watch again and seeing 110 minutes. On the way back, I even had spurts where I was able to pick up the pace a little. Oh, and for 75% of the run, I was on the horse trails, not the paved path.

It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that my schedule called for 100 minutes, not 110. Oh well.

45 Minutes: Bluemont

While my wife was at the coffee shop reading, I drove out to Bluemont for this morning’s run. It was a short one, 45 minutes, and I was looking forward to the break. I parked my car at the realty building (ironically up for sale), and ran out of town before making a right on Foggy Bottom, aptly named for today’s cloudy skies. It was a great stretch of road that later forked, I chose the right fork, Buck Mountain Road, an unpaved gravel road. I was a great break for my legs. Coming back felt great. My new playlist really worked for me—more mellow music, less dance music. I felt like I was floating with that kind of music rather than the pounding that’s accompanied me of late with the Chemical Brothers. On the way back into town, I noticed a nudy magazine. Fortunately, my pace was so slow that I was able to take due note of how truly distasteful it was.

1 Hour: W&OD Trail (Herndon)

I decided to change things up a bit today and went on a section of the W&OD Trail I've never run on before--a section in Herndon. The best part is it's close to where I work. I picked up the trail at the old train station and ran east for 30 minutes, then came back. On the way back, another guy started to pass me and I chose to try and keep pace. He had a great pace going, not too fast but a lot faster than I was going. I somewhat kept up with him even though I was running on the horse trail and he was on the paved section, so I had more zigs, zags, and hills. I felt great at run's end, ready to start the weekend.

1 Hour: Treadmill

With the rain, I decided to head indoors to a treadmill at Ida Lee. Not much to report. I started and finished 60 minutes later. Compared to some of the great run's I've had outside recently, this one was uninspired and uninspiring. Maybe I'll have better luck with tomorrow's weather.

1 Hour: Williams Gap Loop

I woke up this morning a little groggy from a terrible night's sleep. Today was to be the beginning of the grand experiment. I was going to try running BEFORE work. Instead, I hit the snooze button and rolled over.

Then my eyes opened. "What am I doing?" I thought.

The dog looked up from her bed. The two cats sat up and looked at me with surprise. They were caught completely off-guard. They couldn't believe I was getting up so early. They didn't know whether to get ready for the day or go back to sleep. They waited for my next move.

My right foot clunked on the floor in a heavy pendulum swing. My left foot fell off the bed as if in chase. I slid the rest of my body off the bed and soon found myself laying on the floor. The dog and cats sighed with relief.

Then, as the Phoenix rose from the ashes, my right hand moved slowly and surely to the bed's edge. It gripped the sheets, pulling my lifeless hulk from the floor. The cats watched in horror. The sheets came pulled off the bed and onto the floor, protecting me from the cold draft.

I began to drift into and out of consciousness. The dog looked concerned. She stood up to the cats' dismay, walked cautiously, but bravely, over to me and licked my face. It was just enough to wake me up and center my attention. I took my left hand (the right not to be trusted) and reached again for bed's edge. This time I pulled myself to my knees, then pushed myself to my feet. The cats recoiled, the dog wagged her tail.

What happened after that heroic moment is a blur. Somehow I made it out of the house. Then I ran very slowly for one hour.

45 Minutes: W&OD Trail

I got into work early and left work early (well, earlier than usual). I came home. I suited up. I opened the yard gate and let Maggie tear out to the car. I drove to the W&OD trail. I parked the car. I let Maggie drag me out of the driver's seat and onto the trail. I let her drag me for the next 45 minutes. I ran a lot faster than I wanted to, or should have. But it felt good.

90 Minutes: W&OD Trail

Still a little sore from yesterday's run, I started in on my long run for the week. It took me a while to decide on the route. Ultimately, I decided on the W&OD trail, which is straight and relatively flat. The weather was beautiful, in the upper 50s and slightly overcast. My body took its sweet time warming up, about 20 minutes. Once it did, I hit a nice stretch of easy running. At the halfway point, "The Obvious Child" from Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints started playing, sending me into pure reverie. In college, I stayed at school one summer to get ahead on some class work. My roommate and I woke up nearly every morning with some degree of hangover. It was the same routine. I always woke up on time. I always had to beat him out of bed. We always stumbled bleary-eyed into his old Volvo station wagon. Then he'd put on this song and we'd tear out of the parking lot and sped to Spanish class. The song was a huge motivator. Without it, we probably would have fallen asleep in the car, never to make it out of the parking lot.

After the nostalgia faded, I felt my legs getting heavy and stiff. The last 15 minutes of the run were marked by pure inertia. My legs kept moving because they'd grown accustomed to movement. They didn't know how to stop. And so it was until I arrived back where I started. And when I finished...

I
FELT
GREAT.

Today's music: Nirvana (In Utero) and Paul Simon (Rhythm of the Saints)

1 Hour: Round Hill

Well, I missed my Friday run by opting to meet my wife for a couple drinks. All this goes to show that I need to get my runs done in the morning. I made up for a portion of the run by extending today's run by 15 minutes. I planned on doing the Allder School loop, but about ten minutes into the run, I realized I left the back door open and all I could think about was the cats wandering outside. I didn't much care about my cat, but if my wife's cat went AWOL, I would have to go MIA to avoid her disappointment. So I turned around to close the door. Striking back out on the roads, I had to adjust my route to around-town, which put me out near Yatton Rd and the nice gravel road that brought me back to New Cut. The only problem is one house where a dog at the top of the hill likes to intimidate passers-by. It's a great run when the dog's not there, but no such luck today. He was waiting and when he got sight of me he started barking and came out to meet me. I stopped running, started walking, and kept myself facing him until the owner came out and called him back. Then I started on my way again. All in all, it was a great run in some GREAT weather.

Today's Music: R.E.M. (Out of Time, Green)

1 Hour: Williams Gap Loop & Round Hill

I finally have a training schedule to work from (see the right column of this page). Today's run: 60 minutes. I arrived home a little later than expected, so the sun was setting during my run, which made some of the country road portions a little eerie. The run felt pretty good, though I can't wait for the air to get a little warmer. The Williams Gap loop wasn't long enough to fill out the hour time goal, so I ran around town a little bit to round it off. When I came into the house, my dog gave me the evil eye.

1 Hour: Round Hill

I made it home a littler earlier in the evening, allowing me to get a start with some daylight. For the most part, I stuck to the new developments surrounding Round Hill, which don't offer much in the way of inspiration, but have safe places to run when the sun goes down. My body felt great. I'm in the process of putting together a training plan and am generally happy with my current state of fitness. When I'm done, I'll upload it to the blog.

Oh, and it looks like my knee was a temporary thing. Everything loosened up after walking around on Sunday.

6.7 Miles: Allder School Loop

I decided to bite off a little more this time and stretch the run out a little further. I kept the pace even and slow, finishing in about 64 minutes. The air was warm, but 20+ mph winds made for a challenge along the way. One minute I was hot, then next I was cold.

My right knee is bothering me a little right now. After showering off, I watched a movies with my wife before heading to a neighbor's party. Somehow, I locked myself into a position on the couch that my knee didn't like. I wasn't the same after the movie and had a slight limp walking around the party. For all I know, some of my neighbors probably thought to themselves silently, "So that's the young kids are walking these days."

Today's Inspiration

I've talked about it a little on this blog. I've seen others talking about it on their blogs. Music and running go hand in hand, but it can be a time-consuming art to craft the perfect playlist for running. Wouldn't it be great it we could all pool our shared experiences with playlists in one place.

Enter Bob Marcus. Bob launched a new website at jogTunes.com, which posts playlists and songs that correspond to various BPMs. Even better, he's soliciting our help by accepting submissions. Together, we can find those perfect playlists that keep us running strong, but don't burn us out in the first half.

1 Hour: Ida Lee Park

The weather was fantastic today--somewhere in the lower-to-mid-50s. I was a little sore from yesterday's run, but nothing bad enough to stop me from getting outside. The only problem was that I couldn't decide on where to go. At first, I thought about going to the gym for some low impact cardio on the elliptical, but it was just too nice outside for that. I decided to head towards the gym anyway, and decide along the way which of my old routes in Leesburg to revisit. Well, I decided to do something new and ran on Ida Lee's grounds, which serve as the Loudoun County High School XC course. Unfortunately, I don't know the course and it wasn't clearly marked, so I just ran around the perimeter, then explored the numerous mowed paths in the center, which wound up, down, and along the sides of hills. It was a great run, though all the twisting and turning and unevenness of the ground started to take a toll on my ankles and calves. The great thing about running on old farm fields is they really use all the stabilizing muscles that are dormant on flat roads.

In the end, I think I put away about 12 miles this weekend. Now I'm going to rest my legs for a day or two to avoid overdoing it and injuring myself. Hopefully, I pick back up on Wednesday. In the meantime, I think I'm going to work on the hip flexor exercises and do some crunches.

5.7 Miles: Williams Gap Loop (Reverse)

The weather is getting warmer again. After a week of snow and slush, the ground was getting dry and firm enough to run on. I did the Williams Gap loop, this time in reverse. At first, I didn't really feel like getting outside. My wife caught a number of lowgrade illnesses from her students over the last ten days. I don't think I fully caught them, but I was feeling a little sluggish. All that changed when I kicked off my playlist, which starts with Electric Light Orchestra's Mr. Blue Sky. That song single handedly put me in a positive mood that carried through my entire run. I also found that running the loop in reverse gave me an entirely different lay of the land.