Umstead Playlist Part 2

I have to admit, that it’s a little embarrassing to see what songs I’ve bought recently. There are more Flo Rida and Pitbull songs in my playlist than I care to admit. But, I will wave my freak flag high if it keeps me moving in the wee hours of the night. Here’s a sampling of tunes for my all-night adventure:

• America – Neil Diamond
• Back in Black – AC/DC
• Bad Medicine – Bon Jovi
• Bad Romance – Lada Gaga
• Boogie Shoes – KC and the Sunshine Band
• Brand New Lover – Dead or Alive
• Breakin’ Dishes – Rihanna
• California Love – 2Pac
• Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel
• Colors – April Smith and the Great Picture Show

Umstead Playlist Part 1

I’ve been working on my playlist for Umstead for weeks. I added some of the songs because certain lyrics struck a chord. Not that any of these lyrics were intended for some fool who willingly signed up for a 100-mile run.

Some are reminders to stay calm (“Home”, Phillip Phillips):

Settle down, it’ll all be clear
Don’t pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

While others acknowledge that this is gonna hurt and that I have no idea what’s going to happen (“Shake It Out”, Florence and the Machine):

And I’m ready to suffer and I’m ready to hope
It’s a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat

Some lyrics will seem appropriate when I’m exhausted (“Waiting for the End”, Linkin Park):

Waiting for the end to come
Wishing I had strength to stand
This is not what I had planned
It’s out of my control

With Open Arms (or Doors)

Sigh. The Jeep is showing signs of middle age. Today the screw that keeps the strap that serves as the door stopper broke in the door. Yes, my car is so fancy that it uses a mere strap to keep the door from flying into someone’s ridiculously expensive car.

Oh Snap

Fortunately, I wasn’t parked to anyone when it broke.

Open Sesame

I sure hope the screws that are holding the hard top in place don’t break off too.

Taper Brain

Also known as pre-race hypochondria. Since I’ve cut down my mileage my right knee has been nagging me. It’s not a sharp pain. Just enough of a dull “hey there” that on my calm days is annoying, but on my hyper-paronoid days has me convinced I need a knee replacement. I’m sure that in reality it’s a lobotomy that I need to get me through the next week.

It’s not just the knee. About 2 miles into our run last Saturday, I asked Sara if my right eye looked weird. When I turned to face her, her eyes popped open like a cartoon character as she said, “We should get you back to the car NOW.” Apparently, my lower, right eyelid was swollen. Oddly, the upper eyelid was fine. In her attempt to persuade me back to the car, Sara took a picture of me. If you’ve ever seen the movie Hitch with Will Smith and remember the scene where he has an allergic reaction, that’s what it reminded me of. I promised Sara that my alien eye wasn’t affecting my vision and that I would turn around immediately if it started to affect my vision. She unwillingly agreed.

Run, Rinse, and Repeat

I’m happy to report that it’s taper time! After months of training, it’s finally time to rest a bit before the big day.

Since my last entry, I really don’t have much new to report other than running and more running. When I’m not running, I’m recovering from running. According to my training log, I’ve run 705 miles since the beginning of the year. How long does it take to run 705 miles? Approximately 140 hours and 11 minutes at my pace. I’ve usually had company on my Saturday runs, but I’ve had to do most of the other runs on my own. It wasn’t always easy, but I got most of my training miles in.

Steve and I ran the Shamrock Marathon a few weeks ago. He PRd with a 3:44 and I drank beer during the race. About a mile from the finish a group of rowdy spectators were offering runners beer. Since this was just a training run for me, I threw all caution to the wind (and it was windy) and gulped one down. Refreshing! Although I’m not sure I’d recommend it to anyone who was actually racing.

At Shamrock with My Beau