Down here in the far south of the planet we are settling into spring quite nicely thank you with a mix of sublimely beautiful days and some dripping wet rainy days; thus far a classic spring. Time now to shake off some of that winter flab - a few runs here and there and the 200 Sit Ups Challenge are helping in that regard, although there's been a small set back in MLCM household with the breaking of the treadmill's back. I'd been aware that the tready was feeling a bit "spongy" and guessed what had happened...
Domestic treadmills use a cheap bit of MDF coated in high-temperature wax for the running deck which invariably cracks after a while. Not really a problem if you can do a basic bit of maintenance once every few years, but you have to be aware of it or you'll end up running on a spongy deck which can bugger your knees if you don't pay attention.
So the tready is out of action for a little while until I fix the deck - not that it's a huge problem as the weather is more than fine enough to hit the streets anyhow. But I do like my treadmill and its proximity to all things useful, e.g. the beer fridge.
My last classic albums run (AC/DC) certainly provoked a few comments. EG and I possibly would have come to blows if we'd been discussing it after a few beers in a pub somewhere ... I'm going to have to put some serious thought into the next choice. Something similar perhaps, or should I go down a different path? Hmm...
A suggestion by Sweder on Twitter (and there's quite a bit of RC activity on Twitter of late) had me reaching for that Buzzcock's 1978 classic Love Bites. I've long had the single from that album (Ever Fallen In Love) on my list of favourite running songs so it seemed natural to check out the whole album as a running companion.
I have to say, it's pretty damn good. Right from the get go it's punchy, pacey, infectious music.
The first track, Real World, really sets the tone nicely and is immediately followed by Ever Fallen In Love by which time I was already well warmed up and finding some rhythm. After the third track, which relatively speaking is a little dull, everything's just fine with some excellent stand out tracks such as Nostalgia, Sixteen Again, and my favourite, E.S.P.
I came late to the Buzzcocks as they weren't massive in Australia as I was growing up, so there isn't that nostalgia connection for me as there is with some other punk bands (Ramones, Sex Pistols for example), but this is an excellent running album with no bad tracks and no slow tracks. Worth checking out.
Album du jour: Love Bites, Buzzcocks (1978) Track du jour: E.S.P.
All That You Can't Leave Behind ... on a treadmill.
The great thing about running is that you don't have to necessarily run faster or longer to get the fabled runners' high. Sometimes it sneaks up on you totally unexpected; and like unexpected sex, a sneaky run can be an equally blissful experience. Such was today's run.
Today's run was in fact completely unplanned, but after a restless night I awoke to a blocked toilet, bad news on the radio and generally crap weather. By late morning I was fed up and the idea just popped into my head to go for a run. So I donned the running shoes and leaped on to the (now repaired) treadmill, set it at cruise mode (ie slow, flat) and jogged off into a Sisyphusian sunset, with no idea how far I would go, nor much care about it either.
Being such a miserable day I selected as album du jour U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind, principally for its ironic opening track Beautiful Day.
Now I have to say that to my mind the first four tracks on the album: Beautiful Day, Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Elevation and Walk On are four outstanding running classics and regularly get played by me while running. However today not even Walk On which is one of my very best liked running songs was working for me*.
Track 5 is Kite, and far from flying high I was really struggling and wondering if I'd even make it to the 30 minute mark. And in my mind I had a bit of a battle. It was a fight between thinking that as this was an unscheduled run, 20 minutes was 20 minutes more than planned and nothing to be ashamed of, and the other idea that if I gave up, the next run was going to be damnably difficult to find motivation for. And I decided to struggle on, knowing that the bad periods nearly always fade if I just persist. And so the 30 minute mark came and went, and the slower tracks actually helped me find some rhythm. Before I knew it I was cruising along reasonably comfortably and then almost out of the blue, the final track (the wonderfully hypnotic Grace) came to an end and I did something completely out of left field. I kind of watched myself do it really, as if from afar. I turned the record over and dropped the needle back on track 1 (metaphorically of course) and played the album again.
This time the opening tracks really got me going. 60 minutes came and went and I was still cruising, happy and content. The 10km mark went past with no trouble and then it dawned on me that two plays of the album was very nearly 100 minutes, the point at which the treadmill decides that enough is enough and auto-shuts down, deaf to any protestations from the mere owner. And that's what I did... ran through the album twice on a supposed rest day. True I only covered a little over 13km, but this was my longest run in months, and being quite out of the blue I am more than happy with that.
A towel-down, a cool isotonic and one of my special salmon/tofu/yoghurt salads** and I was floating very happily around the house in complete contrast to my mood when I first jumped on the machine. Thank you running world, thank you U2.
We keep saying it because it's true - running really is the answer.
Album du jour:All That You Can't Leave Behind - U2 (2000) Track du jour: Walk On
*It's rather ironic that two of my all time favourite tracks to run to are actually walking songs - this one by U2 and The Stranglers' cover of Walk On By...
**You probably need to go for a nice long run to properly appreciate how good this actually is.
Congratulations, MLCM. 100 minutes running is tough but on a treadmill must be really tough. When I went to a gym, I managed to do 20 or 30 minutes on the treadmill and I finished more tired and with much more sweat than when I went for a longer run in the open.
That's a great result MLCM. I find the running high either during or after a run relatively elusive. Or maybe it's just recently whilst I've been struggling with injury. But when it does happen it's a wonderful thing. Particularly as you're running; to feel completely absorbed and in-tune; holding something back so it lasts longer. Did this thread come full-circle?
100 minutes? Great effort. Funny how sometimes the best runs are those that start off in a bad frame of mind. Or perhaps it's *because* they start that way, that they produce something good.
Like Antonio, 100 mins on a treadmill sounds like quite an ordeal to me, but this has been discussed before. Over here, the weather is just about never too extreme to run in. I suspect domestic treddies are much more common in very hot or very cold climates. Since I've been going to the gym regularly (last couple of years), I've actually become much more tolerant towards treadmills. It's just the length of time in one go that I can't quite get my head around.
But anyway, that sounds like a great way to greet the spring. Over here, we're the exact opposite of course. It's started to get chilly the last couple of weeks. Autumn's on the doorstep, with probably no extended warmth now for the next 6 months. Damn.
Good to hear that most of us are easing back into some sort of activity. I'm still laying off the road running, but at least the pounds are dripping off me in the spinning room. I've done a little bit of treadmill and elliptical myself recently, and it won't be long before I try an extended go on the former. Though my "extended" is not likely to be more than 20% of your fine effort.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Spring has got its claws into me dear viewers, as it does most years, with three more runs to report from the last few days, as well as pleasing progress in both the two hundred sit-ups program and also the one hundred push-ups program.
First run was a 30-minute intervals session of no great consequence, other than that I actually bothered to get off my lazy arse and do it, which was pleasing, but no great shakes otherwise.
Next run was a classic album affair - this time a firm favourite in the form of the supergroup Asia's self-titled first album from 1982. It's a heavily produced album, and therefore perhaps lacking in that simplistic grinding rock that is so good for running to, but it's still a great one for runners if only because most of the tracks are so appropriate: Heat Of The Moment, Only Time Will Tell, Sole Survivor get you off to a great start, and then just as you warm up along comes One Step Closer and Time (and time) Again. And so it goes on. The second half has the other wonderfully apt tracks Wildest Dreams, Cutting It Fine and the fantastic Here Comes The Feeling to end with! I tell you, it's like this album was made for runners.
So another great album done in the series - a tad over 6km covered.
Album du jour: Asia, by Asia (1982) Track du jour: Here Comes The Feeling, for finishing it off just right.
Third run of the week was my long slowie, completed today (Saturday). This was to be a Sunday run, but a change of plans late yesterday saw me up early (and not in the best frame of mind) and off I set to tackle a two hour session, fortunately in ideal running conditions. Not a lot to say really: just a slow, steady plod completed without too much difficulty - 17 kms in 2 hours and 3 minutes. I'm happy with that.
Actually I'm very pleased with my endurance fitness which is returning despite a lack of commitment in recent months. I'm still very slow but that hardly matters at this stage. It's just such great running weather now that it's a real pleasure to run. I met up with my brother in law and his wife about a week ago, and they are pretty inspiring newish runners. He runs 20km every Saturday just for fitness and she is in training for the New York marathon in a few weeks time. They recently ran a half in 1h 45m, so they've got me motivated as well.
Am also making good progress with my sit-ups programme, now completing well over 100 per session. The push-ups are much harder, but progress is to be seen there as well.
No injuries, no significant soreness and feeling great with it - so I'll keep plodding on.
Aims and goals with all this? Well it does seem a little odd to be doing this much running with no goal. I guess I'll squeeze in a half marathon somewhere, and if I can get some serious hill training done over the next few weeks and tim e off work, the Point to Pinnacle might be feasible at the end of November... but we'll see. I'm just making it up as I go along at present, and for the moment that suits me fine.
(04-09-2010, 02:22 PM)anlu247 Wrote: 100 minutes running is tough but on a treadmill must be really tough...
Well I suppose it comes down to whatever suits the individual Antonio. I like all kinds of running and luckily that includes treadmill. If I'm working, my only real option at the moment is the treadmill because the good running tracks around where I live are all unlit, off-road tracks and the roads are frankly far more boring than the treadmill!
Perhaps incongruously, I find long distances easier on the treadmill because I can go into a trance-like state and run without thinking or watching. As long as I have some music I have never found long periods of time on the tready an issue, although it certainly helps to have a view and some fresh air, which I generally ensure I have.
(04-09-2010, 05:32 PM)glaconman Wrote: I find the running high either during or after a run relatively elusive.
Me too g'man, although it seems more common for me when coming back from a lay-off. A long run (>15km) will however nearly always provide some kind of endorphin hit. Helluva difficult way to get a bit of a warm fuzzy though.
(06-09-2010, 03:17 PM)El Gordo Wrote: Funny how sometimes the best runs are those that start off in a bad frame of mind. Or perhaps it's *because* they start that way, that they produce something good.
Not much doubt about it EG, the best runs often start out with tired body and bad attitude. I don't however recommend putting that theory to the test too often!
Nice steady injury-free progress, core strength developing ... you just can't beat that MLCMan. I've been laid low by a stomach virus, a parting gift rom Brazil, yet with recent steady mileage banked I'm not worried about the long-term effects of a short lay-off.
I find the lack of an immediate goal refreshing. There's no pressure to bank a particular number of miles; you can run as and when you feel like it. Should you feel overly knackered on any given day you can cut your session short and not feel the icy hand of guilt on your conscience.
These pressure-free sessions are worth their weight in gold. This is priceless foundation work building strength and confidence. When the time comes to put your foot on the gas I'll wager you'll be pleasantly surprised at the response.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
(11-09-2010, 04:32 PM)Sweder Wrote: Nice steady injury-free progress, core strength developing ... you just can't beat that MLCMan. I've been laid low by a stomach virus, a parting gift rom Brazil, yet with recent steady mileage banked I'm not worried about the long-term effects of a short lay-off.
I find the lack of an immediate goal refreshing. There's no pressure to bank a particular number of miles; you can run as and when you feel like it. Should you feel overly knackered on any given day you can cut your session short and not feel the icy hand of guilt on your conscience.
These pressure-free sessions are worth their weight in gold. This is priceless foundation work building strength and confidence. When the time comes to put your foot on the gas I'll wager you'll be pleasantly surprised at the response.
Good work MLCM. Sweder's response pretty much sums it up. I'm hoping it might apply to me too. I'm not running at all, but trying to build cardiovascular fitness through spinning, losing a few pounds into the bargain, and also developing some core strength through exercising. I'm hoping that these are investments that will pay dividends when I do manage to get back out there. Often in the past, I've just abandoned all activity when injured. This is a bad idea, making it much harder to get back into it when the time comes. In fact, dammit, I should go for a short plod tomorrow just to see what it feels like.
If you can keep this up and stay injury-free, you won't be too far behind me at the Point-to-Pinnacle in November 2011.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Now here's a truly classic album: multiple platinum-selling with 4 hit singles and easily their best recording - a beaut blend of great songs, classic guitar-driven rock, brilliant production and some restrained but excellent guest keyboards by the inestimable Thomas Dolby (Thomas Dobly for the Spinal Tap fans among us), I just had to go and run to this album within a few bars of hearing track 1.
As it happened, this was a crap run, following four arduous days at work and the fighting off of other peoples' bugs, but I was able to grind out a 5km fartlek and thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed plodding along to this album. Try not running to songs like Luanne or Woman In Black - I don't think it can be done, certainly not by me... this is definitely going on my list of top few albums to run to. Even the slower songs are great running material. And that saxophone by Junior Walker on Urgent is spine-tinglingly brilliant. Love it!
Album du jour: 4, Foreigner (1981) Track du jour: Don't Let Go.
In 1995 we were official on the World Fishing Exhibition in Vigo, Spain. The event was held in a series of temporary structures set up on the end of the customs dock in the port. This was a stress-laden affair back in the day when European borders required that you show your papers and you had to get your T form or Carnet stamped on arrival before your exhibits could enter the halls.
We set up a series of porta-cabins at the entrance to the show site where customs installed the meanest, grumpiest woman for miles decked out in military-style uniform replete with big flat hat, the peak of which rested permanently on the bridge of her nose. I tried all my whiles and charms to communicate with her (so as to oil the wheels of beaurocracy and speed up the process of moving hundreds of tons of equipment into the halls) to no avail. Language was a barrier (my Spanish was/ is halting at best, her English restricted to 'no'). Comminucations, such as they were between us, were conducted through Juan, my trusted local customs agent. One afternoon, as we sat in the sun chomping on our boccadillo lomos, I expressed my frustration at not being able to bond with our resident Zollbeamter.
Juan looked at me quizzically before breaking out a broad grin.
'Is easy! Just take her to dinner, then go dancing'
Eh? You what?
Juan explained that, like most people in Vigo this lady hated work because it got in the way of every Spaniard's raison d'etre, all-night carousing in the bars and clubs of the town. She was, he assured me, a party animal. With his help we arranged an intimate dinner for two at a local place where, after ten o'clock, the tables were whisked away to allow a night of hot salsa to ensue. Despite a horribly painful first hour where we exchanged rehearsed pleasantries whilst picking over a variety of delicious tapas, the time came. My prowess on the dance floor jostles manfully with my linguistic abilities for the wooden spoon in the Social Skills stakes. I was terrified that I might crush one or more toes or dent the slightly hairy, well-tanned skin on those formidable shins. I shouldn't have worried. Out of unifiorm and wrapped in a deliciously spicy red salsa dress my customs officer whirled and twirled with lithe skill and grace, teaching me enough basic steps to allow me to shuffle around the packed dance floor without causing mayhem or starting a mass brawl. We danced and drank long into the night, our rehearsed pleasantries replaced by slightly sozzled 'ole!'s, increasingly knowing glances and open, beaming smiles. The need for language evapourated in the sizzling nightclub air as we danced towards dawn.
Next day I crawled onto showsite having bagged around three hours sleep, looking and feeling like death warmed up and in desparate need of a soda. I spied the customs lady through the bars of her porta-cabin window. She looked immaculate and, I'm bound to say, just as severe as ever. As I peered through squinting, bloodshot eyes she looked up and held my gaze. I swear I saw the tiniest flicker of a smile at the corner of her mouth before her face closed like a steel trap and she turned her icy glare to the pile of papers in front of her.
It's fair to say things did move a little easier after that, though we left the magic of that evening behind us, not wanting to taint the memories with a clumsy attempt at a repeat.
And the Foreigner reference? Sorry, as ever I digress.
Juan, whilst being an adept and honest broker, had something of the Scarlett Pimpernell about him close to the lunching hours (in Vigo that's anything from 12 noon to 4 pm). My colleagues and I would exchange frantic radio messages in an effort to keep tabs on him, usually to no avail. One afternoon, surrounded by a band of large, disgruntled Icelanders looking for their container, I held the radio button down and bellowed: 'I wanna know where Juan iiis!'
You can imagine what became the song du show in Vigo that year.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Long slow day - 20 kilometres under the belt, after which I demolished a tofu/tahini salad which tasted divine. And did I have a beer? No, I had fruit juice!
I fear I may be transmogrifying into something vaguely alien.
A fit alien, mind.
No track du jour this time, and for a rather particular reason: for the last couple of years I have been compiling a list of my favourite running songs. It now has around 70 songs and I think it's high time I compiled a definitive list of the top ten. Part of the reason for today's run, other than to notch up some mileage was to start whittling the list down. So rather than drop any hints as to what might be on the list, I'll refrain from TdJs and instead start counting down the MLCMan Definitive Top Ten Running Songs, hopefully over the course of the next ten postings.
Good work Brother Crisis. I'm about to embark on a 20k of my own here in darkest Sussex. A posse gatheres in the lee of Firle House to re-enact the Firle 20 (I last ran it with Moyleman back in 2007).
No official race today, just me, Tom R & the Brighton Babes.
It's a tough job ...
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Fanbloodytastic work going on here MLCM. I've somehow missed keeping up with your diary for a couple of weeks (incredible, considering how slow things are at work here). Your ability to stay patient and keep the faith while real life kept you off the streets has paid dividends. And long-term I guess you want to be well prepared to show those Anglo-Saxon invaders a clean pair of heels next year...
Sit up September
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