Running in a Garden of Eden - 5.01 Miles With Iron Butterfly

5.01 miles run
0.50 miles hard walk warmdown

total: 5.51 miles
course: Cardinal Fitness

Over 17 minutes of drums, guitar and a guy repeating something about the Garden of Eden. There's some good stuff to run to, I'll tell you what. Iron Butterfly had only one song worth remembering, but it is a great one.

When I drive, and the long version comes on, you might see me playing the steering wheel bongos. More runs are ahead with this as the backdrop.

As far as the running part of the run -- first four day stretch since last August. Hit over 36 miles that week. Now, I'm up to 20 miles, with hopes of putting in a few tomorrow. I'll play it by ear. Though my miles are slow, there is still impact on my knees I want to senstively watch for. 

Recovery is good. Legs were not nearly as stiff this morning as previous mornings. My pulse at three miles was higher than expected. The flu is about as gone as it will go, so I expect my runs to get better. No complaints here, mind you, just looking forward to good things to come. I need to keep putting in days like today, letting the LSD miles add up, slowly increasing my speed. As I told Coach Jim, I'm convinced if I string together six solid months, I'll find some of my old speed. I won't be 20, but I will do my best at age 43.

Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

My Pre-Dinner Run With Andre - 5.25 Miles

5.25 miles run

1.05 miles hard walk

total: 6.35 miles

course: Cardinal Fitness

A fine run. Stiff legs and all. Nothing too fast. The stiff legs assured they would have none of this. First three-day stretch of running since late August last year.

BBQ chicken is on the grill. I thought about this the entire run.  I still am.

My warm down music was Andres Segovia. Not the piece below, but if this guy touched a string, even a warm, wet string found in the mud, it would sound melodic. Classical guitar extraordinaire.

The sunset view is tonight, looking, obviously, westward, on Roosevelt/Rt 38, roughly at Park Ave. in Glen Ellyn.

Van Halen to Gregorian - 5.1 Miles

5.10 miles run

0.90 miles hard walk

total: 6.00 miles

course: Cardinal Fitness

I didn't listen to Jimi today. I might have. I love Jimi. He just didn't happen to be in my playlist. In my tunes today were Van Halen, Queen, the Who and the usual classic rock mix. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly could have been, newly loaded, but just didn't come around. 17:02 of pure testosterone.

My warmdown music? Gregorian chants. I'm not kidding. More on this later, but it helps.

My run was better than yesterday. I almost took a nap, but got things together just in time. My thighs ached, but that's OK. A good meal, night's rest and lots of water will help that out. Or two days of rest? We'll see.

My pace started at 9:31, and moved eventually to the low 9s. My mojo isn't back, but it is nice to string two days in a row. I missed the Sunday afternoon nap, but in a few months, I will be happy I ran. I'm happy now.

Picture: That's me just as I began my warmdown.

Skip, Skip, Skip with My Flu - 4.65 Miles Post-sickness

4.65 miles
1.10 miles hard walk

total: 5.75 miles
course: Cardinal Fitness

If there's a good side to the flu, it is weight loss. I'm notched a pound lower than last week. The extended misery in between was no thrill. Started, I think, a week ago Thursday, but really manifested itself Sunday. The long and the short of it? No running, just bed rest all week. 

Today's run was an exercise is slowness. Each mile, a little faster. One click. One point mph. 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5. Residual exhaustion from the previous week reminded me that this coming week will be no breeze. Happily, the weather is getting warmer, and longer runs, long walks and weight loss are bound to follow.

Snow? 4.25 Miles Watching It from the Inside

4.25 miles run
0.75 miles hard walk warm down

total: 5.00 miles
course: Cardinal Fitness

Late last night, as I looked at the day's schedule, I realized things will be tight. An old friend is coming up from central Illinois to see Rez Band, a 1970-80s Christian rock band. We'll have lunch, hang up, and head up to JPUSA where the concert is being held. So I thought, "How it is from here to (around a variety of streets nearby)? I need to run outside." After all, my Facebook page is filled with local runner friends bragging up how they caught some rays while running outdoors. Mid-60s all last week, so it made sense.

Then I woke up. To snow. All over. Still coming down. Back to the gym.
A decent run. Started a little faster than I had been, at 9:31/mile instead of 9:40, and nicked it up some in the last mile. All pretty slow, all said, but it felt good.

I don't know what happens physiologically when people start running. What I mean it, what is the body's first reaction? Is my sweat different than a seasoned runner who otherwise is my size and eats the same? What about the heart, the other organs? I realize there are ordinary fitness things improving, like a more efficient heart, but what about blood vessels? Etc.

None of which matters. It does matter, but my job, as it were, is to run. My body knows what to do and does not need to include me in on the discussion.

Bad Training Runs

Given the last two nights extreme's, this makes sense:
"Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones."

As read on Twitter, posted by Jill Bruyere http://twitter.com/runwithjill

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AnthonyTrendl

Put Down the Duckie - 5 Cool Miles

5.0 miles run
0.50 miles hard walk warmdown

 total: 5.50 miles
course: Cardinal Fitness

Better run than yesterday. Picked up the last mile or so. Felt good.

Started the run with a song of wisdom, delivered by Ernie and Mr. Hoots. What's the duck slowing down your runs to a nast squeak? 

Put Down The Duckie 
Notice all the celebrities - can you name them all? How big? Try Izhack Perlman, John Candy, Danny Davito. Dancing.  Not happy? You will be. Crank it up.

Four Tired Miles and a Fire in the Glen

4.0 miles run
0.50 walk warm down

total: 4.50 miles
course: Cardinal Fitness

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day, I listened to Irish tunes, from the Raggle Taggle Gypsy by Nickel Creek and the Chieftains to Celtic Christmas Carols.

I'm exhausted. Just to plop out four miles at 9:40/mile yanked every bit of sap from this feeble oak. I'm hoping to get beyond this stage, get my sleep together and find again my groove.

Fellow Amazon reviewer Tom Knapp is in a little Irish duet worth a listen. This has nothing to do with running, but he's having fun. Fine music. If you find yourself in Lancaster, PA, check them out. Or, see their website.

Fire in the Glen

Moving Forward - 3.25 Miles

3.25 miles run
1.25 miles hard walk (as fast as 12:46/mile)

total: 4.50 miles

Looking good? Not me. There's work to be done to improve that mug. And I don't just mean plastic surgery. Miles, miles, miles! That's me after a mere 3.25 very slow miles. Winter demons need exorcism.

I felt OK going into the gym. Legs vaguely achy, but nothing to be concerned about.

Happily, the Stinking Perfumed woman of Cardinal was not there, nor was the crabby Cardinal employee. 

Side effects from a prescription once again gave me a terrible night's rest, and I finally got up at 5-something am. After my run, however, I slept 1.5 hours. I'm still groggy. 

Stinking Woman at Cardinal Fitness - 3.0 Miles

3.00 miles run

0.30 miles walk warm down

total: 3.30 miles

course: Cardinal Fitness Glen Ellyn

Why the old lady perfume picture on the left? Ladies, if you go to a gym, don't wear perfume. Such was not the decision of a woman who came in to walk a mile. I had to change treadmills because the stink was so awful. 

The staff at Cardinal were no help. I asked if they could quietly put up a sign, Rather than sympathize, she rejected my comment to tell me she'd rather BO over perfume. I'm guessing she isn't a runner, and hopefully, not working any time I am there.

So I'm torqued. Cardinal is a great place to workout. This lady does not typify the great staff there. Maybe I'll post something on their Facebook page.

I ran just three miles. My layoff, both before, and most recently, is due to some medication I'm on which causes, among other things, lethargy and insomnia. I'm running on maybe five hours a night, and not all of those are good. Running has not been a priority, nor an option.

I've lost significant fitness. My cardio-vascular system is not happy. My pulse was at least as high as 200 when I ran quicker for 0.15 miles. By quicker, I just mean 7:03/mile pace.

Today was the first official day returning to the track with the Jim Spivey Running Club. Obviously, I wasn't there.