About 26 minutes into a 30-minute run last night on the dreadmill (aptly named by my triathlete friend Clay), my iPod pulls up Pat Green and Cory Morrow singing Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? It had been a pretty good run: I was walking two minutes and running for eight and had been adjusting my pace from 10-8:30 minute miles, which ranges from my normal pace to significantly faster than my flabby, old legs carry me. I was pretty pooped and planned to slow the pace back to 10-10:14.
Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? begins with a hard, almost-angry guitar strumming, and the first verse ends with:
We've been the same way for years
We need to change
Interesting thought for someone who regularly asks if this is going to get any easier or wonders why he never gets any faster.
Thanks, Pat and Cory (and Hank and Waylon). For the last four minutes of my run, I pushed the pace to 8:30 and down to about 7:45. For those rabbits among you, that's cruising for me. I feel good!
Showing posts with label IPod. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IPod. Show all posts
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
'. . . I am the Frito Bandito'
Originally published May 1, 2007
Who'd thought that Frito Pie (you know . . . chili, Fritos, onions and cheese, sour cream and picante sauce if you want) would qualify as a training meal? Promised myself that I'd run this evening, but couldn't get out 'til after dinner. I thought the Frito Pie would be serve 'ala sidewalk' after a few steps into the run, but I had a great run!
I hit the spot that I think is a mile in about 9:23, which to me, especially now, is cruising. Of course, the last 15 minutes were at at 13:30 pace, but that's unimportant (okay, not really . . . the 13:30 part).
Have I ranted in my 'I'm madder 'n hell, and I'm not gonna take it more' mode? About a month ago, a runner in his early 20s was beaten up for his IPod along one of the routes I usually run. I'd like to think that I'm big enough to seem not worth the effort, but in reality, I'm more like that lumbering elephant that gets left by the herd and now word has quickly spread among the hyenas that dinner's ready.
I HATE being intimidated enough to not run after dark (or near dark in this other runner's case) with my IPod. Not that I'm a huge music fan, but this is MY neighborhood, and I don't want to give it up to thugs. Especially thugs not old enough to pay taxes! (huh?)
Coincidentally, the bridge that I use to approximate one mile is the spot where the other runner was mugged.
Anyway . . . enjoyed this evening's run. AND my Penguin hat's started to look worn and sweaty. I'm so proud! Okay, life's little pleasures.
Who'd thought that Frito Pie (you know . . . chili, Fritos, onions and cheese, sour cream and picante sauce if you want) would qualify as a training meal? Promised myself that I'd run this evening, but couldn't get out 'til after dinner. I thought the Frito Pie would be serve 'ala sidewalk' after a few steps into the run, but I had a great run!
I hit the spot that I think is a mile in about 9:23, which to me, especially now, is cruising. Of course, the last 15 minutes were at at 13:30 pace, but that's unimportant (okay, not really . . . the 13:30 part).
Have I ranted in my 'I'm madder 'n hell, and I'm not gonna take it more' mode? About a month ago, a runner in his early 20s was beaten up for his IPod along one of the routes I usually run. I'd like to think that I'm big enough to seem not worth the effort, but in reality, I'm more like that lumbering elephant that gets left by the herd and now word has quickly spread among the hyenas that dinner's ready.
I HATE being intimidated enough to not run after dark (or near dark in this other runner's case) with my IPod. Not that I'm a huge music fan, but this is MY neighborhood, and I don't want to give it up to thugs. Especially thugs not old enough to pay taxes! (huh?)
Coincidentally, the bridge that I use to approximate one mile is the spot where the other runner was mugged.
Anyway . . . enjoyed this evening's run. AND my Penguin hat's started to look worn and sweaty. I'm so proud! Okay, life's little pleasures.
Labels:
Frito Pie,
IPod,
madder 'n hell,
neighborhood,
penguin
Long live the 70s; the 70s are dead
Originally published March 15, 2007
I've never listened to music when I've run before, but this time around, I listen to my IPod. I haven't figured out if dialing up 70s rock anthems is good or bad for a run. Good because you can lose yourself in WAY too familiar tunes and enjoy the memories associated with the time when you could run but didn't need to. Bad because . . . well, you have the beat that you couldn't really dance to as a teenager that now won't let you get into a consistent running rhythm, and you have the reminder that this music is 25-30 years old and if it's politely referred to as 'classic,' then so are you.
A few years ago, I volunteered to work at a festival sponsored by the Keller (a small town near me) Chamber of Commerce. I had the opportunity to go to the airport to pick up 'The Classic Rock All Stars,' who performed at the festival. Loved Rare Earth as a kid, and lead singer Peter Rivera (really Rivers) was there. Jerry Corbetta, lead singer and organist for Sugar Loaf also was a member of the band, and so were Dennis Noda (who?) from Cannibal and the Headhunters (who?) and Mike Pinera from Blues Image, Iron Butterfly and Alice Cooper (job hopper).
Pete Rivera has a son who plays baseball in the Dodgers system. Hearing the guy who warned 'Hey, Big Brother' sound like a soccer mom asking about today's game was a little unsettling (but sweet) . . . has everybody grown up (thank God!)? Jerry Corbetta, who also sang with Frankie Vallie (but shouldn't try to hit those high notes now), asked about a church organ that Van Cliburn donated to a church in Fort Worth. 'Dang, we had lunch the other day and I forgot to ask.' Felt bad for Dennis Noda. He hummed a few bars of the Headhunters 'Land of 1,000 Dances' when I said that I didn't recognize the band or the song title. I was ecstatic when I blurted, 'It's that song that high school bands play!' Probably didn't impress him too much. Wasn't a huge fan of Mike Pinera's bands, but he seemed to be having the most fun on stage, fun enough that even never-heard-of-him teenagers played air guitar with him.
Gray hair, pot bellies, scratchy voices and all . . . loved listening to the All Stars.
BUT, I probably need to create a new running playlist for my IPod. Enjoyed a good run tonight . . . then had to decide between going out for pizza or Mexican food. Hmmm?
I've never listened to music when I've run before, but this time around, I listen to my IPod. I haven't figured out if dialing up 70s rock anthems is good or bad for a run. Good because you can lose yourself in WAY too familiar tunes and enjoy the memories associated with the time when you could run but didn't need to. Bad because . . . well, you have the beat that you couldn't really dance to as a teenager that now won't let you get into a consistent running rhythm, and you have the reminder that this music is 25-30 years old and if it's politely referred to as 'classic,' then so are you.
A few years ago, I volunteered to work at a festival sponsored by the Keller (a small town near me) Chamber of Commerce. I had the opportunity to go to the airport to pick up 'The Classic Rock All Stars,' who performed at the festival. Loved Rare Earth as a kid, and lead singer Peter Rivera (really Rivers) was there. Jerry Corbetta, lead singer and organist for Sugar Loaf also was a member of the band, and so were Dennis Noda (who?) from Cannibal and the Headhunters (who?) and Mike Pinera from Blues Image, Iron Butterfly and Alice Cooper (job hopper).
Pete Rivera has a son who plays baseball in the Dodgers system. Hearing the guy who warned 'Hey, Big Brother' sound like a soccer mom asking about today's game was a little unsettling (but sweet) . . . has everybody grown up (thank God!)? Jerry Corbetta, who also sang with Frankie Vallie (but shouldn't try to hit those high notes now), asked about a church organ that Van Cliburn donated to a church in Fort Worth. 'Dang, we had lunch the other day and I forgot to ask.' Felt bad for Dennis Noda. He hummed a few bars of the Headhunters 'Land of 1,000 Dances' when I said that I didn't recognize the band or the song title. I was ecstatic when I blurted, 'It's that song that high school bands play!' Probably didn't impress him too much. Wasn't a huge fan of Mike Pinera's bands, but he seemed to be having the most fun on stage, fun enough that even never-heard-of-him teenagers played air guitar with him.
Gray hair, pot bellies, scratchy voices and all . . . loved listening to the All Stars.
BUT, I probably need to create a new running playlist for my IPod. Enjoyed a good run tonight . . . then had to decide between going out for pizza or Mexican food. Hmmm?
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