• run: 2.9
• time: under 30
• temp: 69
• road conditions: dark
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: josh ritter - come and find me, camera obscura - come back margaret, guster - come downstairs and say hello, liam finn - come home sam, matthew sweet - come to love, paul mccartney and wings - coming up, elliott smith - condor ave., pearl jam - corduroy, jefferson airplane - count on me
• comments: got up at 5:20 so i could run before my hubby left for work. with school out this week, i just couldn't let the kids stay at home alone or at the babysitter's all morning just so i could run. i took the hit to make it work and i'm glad i did. it was really dark out there, even though i stayed on lit streets for the most part. i'd much rather run early when it's tolerably cool out than after work, late, when it's 90. kids are already acting up. it could be a long morning.

• run: 3.5
• time: ?
• temp: 58
• road conditions: cool and lovely
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: fastball - the way, regina spektor - samson, teenage fanclub - say no, ben folds five - mess, depeche mode - any second now, depeche mode - ice machine, teenage fanclub - into the city, belle and sebastian - is it wicked not to care?, elliott smith - baby britain, teenage fanclub - the fall, elliott smith - bled white.
• comments: rest in peace, larry.

• run: 3.5
• time:?
• temp: 65
• road conditions: sunny
• aches/pains: lower back at end, sock was bunched up on my r foot
• what i listened to when i ran: five for fightings - superman, elliott smith - king's crossing, some other stuff but ended with ben folds five - the last polka
• comments: missed thursday's run with my friend as i was whacked out on meds for my ear infection. i decided not to take the claritin today because i didn't want to spend the weekend all cotton-mouthed and needed to keep training for the 10k. continued to expand my route even further. it's really not hard when it's so cool and lovely out. i was thinking about the 2nd time i heard the last polka. i had just bought the s/t cd at a cute indie record store in bowling green and drove home listening to it. i would never have guessed that 14 years later it would have me break into a huge grin as i'd be getting ready to tackle the last big hill on my way home on a run.

• run: 3.2 mi
• time: 35 or so
• temp: 70
• road conditions: sunny
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: the model - belle and sebastian, landed - ben folds, tom and mary - ben folds five, underground - ben folds five, jesusland - ben folds, the back of my mind - teenage fanclub, lawyers in love - jackson browne, the ultimate sacrifice - ben folds five, cologne - ben folds
• comments: lots of ben folds today. i really dug the ultimate sacrifice - it's such a fun song and I don't hear it often. i got to hear the awesome bridge of lawyers in love as i was hitting my favorite part of my run - the trip down shady divison. i didn't want to go out today but, as always, i'm glad i did. truly scared about the 10k. truly scared about a lot of things, but that's beside the point.

• run: 3.1 mi
• time: 28.52
• temp: 70
• road conditions: cool and cloudy, pavement a little rough
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: xo - elliott smith when i tried to power my way to the finish line.
• comments: ran the 5k. this was my first race on my own and i'm glad i did it. waited all the long day for the results. came in 4th in my age group, which i'm very proud of. except that they gave prizes for the top 3 in each age group. to be honest i'm a little bummed. i was racing against another woman for the last half of the race and i struggled with trying to push myself to get past her yet again for the finish line. she came in a few feet ahead of me. i also wrestled with guilt about passing her, as she'd been ahead of me for most of the race. i need to let that shit go.

• run: 3.3 mi
• time: ?
• temp: 73
• road conditions: cloudy, cool, threatening rain
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: waltz # 2 - elliott smith, on the radio - regina spektor, what you wish for - guster, annie waits - ben folds, golden slumbers - ben folds, tears for fears - everybody wants to rule the world, pop song 89 - rem, lantern - josh ritter.
• comments: such nice weather. passed my running buddy - probably at the end of her long run as i was just getting started. so motivating. i'm starting to plan running the 5k tomorrow. if i change my mind, eh. it's all good. got home, went to mcdonalds to get breakfast for the fam. i'm not indulging. i think that double whopper continued to power me this am as i forgot to eat in order to avoid the rain.

friday, august 20

• run: 4 mi
• time: garmin wasn't set right
• temp: 88
• road conditions: sunny
• aches/pains: knees a little achy at the end
• what i listened to when i ran: chatted with my running buddy
• comments: thinking about running a 5k on sunday. should have started thinking seriously earlier, but i can still register at packet pickup saturday. didn't get out during the week like i thought i would. oh well. ate a double whopper to celebrate my 4 mi. run!

• run: 3 mi
• time: ?
• temp: 78
• road conditions: sunny and muggy
• aches/pains: none. feet seem to be well.
• what i listened to when i ran: martha my dear - the beatles, in my life - the beatles, hot venom - miniature tigers, moons - josh ritter, battle of who could care less - ben folds 5, orbital - josh ritter, i need all the friends i can get - camera obscura, lazy line painter jane - belle & sebastian, you to thank - ben folds, kinda i want to - nin.
• comments: felt off step right off the bat. wore the same outfit i wore yesterday and it was pretty smelly. tried to get out earlier but got caught up in some reality tv show about teens at a fat camp. the whole family was piled on the couch watching it and it was nice, comfy, and ripe for snarky commentary. made it home in time to shower and pull my wet hair back in a ponytail for church.

• run: 3.3 mi
• time: ??
• temp: 76
• road conditions: muggy, sunny
• aches/pains: r knee from bike riding last night, but went away quickly
• what i listened to when i ran: miss misery - elliott smith is the only one i remember, but it kept me going. ended with razzle dazzle rose - camera obscura.
• comments: i don't know how this has become a lifestyle, but it has. i've decided that i'm going to do a 10k, so i'm trying to make my daily runs longer. my weekday schedule is filling up during the mornings for the next 2 weeks, but at this point i'd be more surprised at myself if i started slacking off than working to meet the challenge. if only life were as easy as tacking on a couple of blocks onto a favorite route...

• run: 4 mi
• time: ??
• temp: 90
• road conditions: hot, humid and sunny
• aches/pains: heartache
• what i listened to when i ran: chatted with my friend
• comments: she got a garmin, which was pretty cool. kept us honest, but we did walk part of the way because it was so flipping hot. ate yogurt and a banana about an hour or so before we ran and i was in good shape.

• run: 3 mi
• time: 30-35
• temp: 74
• road conditions: partly sunny and humid
• aches/pains: none. feet feeling really good. must have been the pedicure over the weekend.
• what i listened to when i ran: casiotone for the painfully alone - don't they have payphones, guster - two points for honesty, debby boone - you light up my life, teenage fanclub - sometimes i don't need to believe, elton john - all the girls love alice, chuck arrington - gather up the fragments, elliott smith - the white lady loves you more, elliott smith - a question mark, jackson brown - the pretender
• comments: gather up the fragments really touched me. chuck's voice always does. debby boone put me right back in my childhood bedroom, green plush carpeting and all. there are way too many problems in the world to solve today. glad i took some notes.

sunday, august 8

• run: 3.2 mi
• time: ??
• temp: 65-70
• road conditions: cool and lovely
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: it was good, but i don't remember it.
• comments: decided to take a new route. mapped it much later and was surprised that it wasn't longer :( oh well, it was nice to see a new street while i crossed town. i do enjoy city running vs. trail running.

• run: 3 mi
• time: ??
• temp: 60
• road conditions: beautiful
• aches/pains: neck was really achy when i got up, feels much better now
• what i listened to when i ran: the fratellis - baby fratelli, the beatles - another girl, nin - suck, ben folds five - selfless, cold and composed, josh ritter - lillian, egypt, depeche mode - only when i lose myself, guster - center of attention, britney spears - i'm a slave 4u, the morning benders - worth the fight.
• comments: i need to stop running to fight off the demons. instead, work to get closer to who i am, who i want to be, and how to get there. i'm imagining prayer needs to be involved. or maybe i can continue to use running as my self-righteous distraction from life. great, more things to think about.

thursday, august 4

• run: 4 mi
• time: ??
• temp: 85
• road conditions: sunny
• aches/pains: none
• what i listened to when i ran: heard the story of my friend who ran a half marathon!
• comments: i'm a wimp, but i'm okay with that.

• run: 3 mi
• time: 30 min
• temp: 77
• road conditions: cloudy and humid
• aches/pains: neck achy
• what i listened to when i ran: elliott smith - 2:45 am, ben folds - not the same, josh ritter - the remnant, ben folds - landed, the jayhawks - blue, night ranger - sing me away, ben folds fivve - theme from dr. pyser, a flock of seagulls - space age love song
• comments: i can still hear my friend nickie making the "whaa whaa" sounds to that night ranger song every time i hear it. dr. pyser really got me going back up the hill to home. i love music. i love stretching when i get home because it feels so good. i put some moleskin on the balls of my feet, next to my calluses and it seemed to help. we'll see when i try to walk barefoot.

• run: 3 mi
• time: ?
• temp: *62*
• road conditions: sunny
• aches/pains: balls of feet
• what i listened to when i ran: the new teenage fanclub album, "shadows". it sounds like them, but less fuzz bass and the jangly guitars are softer. kind of like running on an indie lite cloud. underorchestrated adult pop.
• comments: i did get out tues, wed, and thurs last week while in NC. i just didn't have time to blog about it. i tried the "lake trail" the last day to break things up and it truly was a trail run. i had to keep trying not to trip on a tree root. glad to be back home, running in town vs. nature. i went to a really cool running store, bull city running, and the owner helped me find a solution (moleskin under the insole) to help alleviate my calluses. i also bought a cool new top and a skort! still looking for new shoes, even though i really don't need them yet. now that i know i have mild pronation, it's helpful.