5 Early Morning Miles and a NEW #1

Open Up Your Eyes -- Tonic
Shame on You -- Indigo Girls
Home Sweet Home -- Carrie Underwood
Don't Drink the Water -- Dave Matthews Band
Glamorous -- Fergie
Father Figure -- George Michael
What You Wish For -- Guster
Poker Face -- Lady Gaga
*Always be My Baby -- Mariah Carey
**See You Again -- Miley Cyrus
Just Like a Pill -- Pink
Old Enough -- The Raconteurs

This morning's lesson: I need to stop being so crazy-psycho regimented when it comes to my running.

My goal is to run a minimum of 20 miles per week. I only like to go on three runs per week, if possible, for two reasons: 1, My legs tend to get beaten up so I'd like to minimize the number of days I pound them into the pavement and 2, If I I work out longer and harder, I can work out fewer days. That leaves free nights for baking and watching Barefoot Contessa.What could be better than that?

So my mindset always tends to be that if I can't go big (6 miles or more), then I shouldn't bother, because then I'll have to make up for it later in the week, and blah blah blah, STOP THINKING AND GO.

I set my alarm early this morning to run a 6-8 miler. At 6:15 I snoozed. At 6:25 I re-set my alarm for 7:30. And then at 7:30 I woke up annoyed at myself.

But then, I thought....you know, you could throw on some clothes and run for 45 minutes and still make it to work (kind of) on time...Do it. Do it. Go. Do it. It's so absolutely better than nothing, you idiot. Do it, moron. Go.

And I did! And I feel fab. And I ran an extra 5 minutes, anyway.

I'm aware this reads very silly, but runners are crazy beasts and we tend to get caught up in the rhythms of our heads and our thoughts. Here's to more shorter runs and happier mornings.

*Oh Mariah. I've missed you! Welcome back to my runs.

**WHOOP! New #1! Pop perfection.

A 12-Mile Shuffled Weekend

I had all intentions of planning ahead for this past weekend, creating playlists in advance, but time passed and before I knew it we were on a bus to Northampton. Visiting Lindsay and Rob is superawesome for many reasons, one of them being they love food as much as we do. We were treated to a home cooked four-course meal that included cocktails and wine, a trio of international bruschetta, the prettiest cheese plate you ever did see, smoked ribs with mashed potatoes, string beans, quinoa  stuffed zucchini, and a homemade cake that doubled as a work of art. Goodness, it was fantastic.

The next morning I set off on my yearly 6-mile Northampton run, sans playlist. In honor of my location, I played all of the Indigo Girls I had on my Nano, and then the Dar Williams, and then just shuffled:

Shame on You -- Indigo Girls
It's Alright -- Indigo Girls
Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate -- Indigo Girls
Fill It Up Again -- Indigo Girls
As Cool as I Am -- Dar Williams
Sober -- Tool
Avril Lavigne -- Sk8rboi
Hand on My Heart -- Dan Wilson
E-Pro -- Beck
Waking Up in Vegas -- Katy Perry
It's Gonna Be Me -- N*SYNC
Bohemian Like You -- The Dandy Warhols
Drain You -- Nirvana
Love Will Never Do (Without You) -- Janet Jackson

Then I went on a breezy 6-miler at 9:30 last night. Too lazy to go upstairs, I just shuffled again. So, you know, no master planning behind this one, either. But it turned out well.

The Choice is Yours -- Black Sheep
L.S.F. -- Kasabian
Message in a Bottle -- The Police
Closer -- Nine Inch Nails
Not Big -- Lily Allen
Waiting for You -- Seal
Fly on the Wall -- Miley Cyrus
Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts -- Wolf Parade
Holiday -- Weezer
Easy Silence -- Dan Wilson
Maria -- Green Day
Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-a-Lot
What Are You Waiting For? -- Kathleen Edwards

6 Miles of Babbo Pain

Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors -- Editors

Father Figure -- George Michael

Hey Jealousy -- Gin Blossoms

2,000 Light Years Away -- Green Day

Walking On Broken Glass -- Annie Lennox

Everything's Just Wonderful -- Lily Allen
Shame on You -- Indigo Girls
In The Closet -- Michael Jackson
**Love Will Never Do (Without You) -- Janet Jackson
Smile -- Lily Allen
Better Things (live) -- Dar Williams
As Cool As I Am (live) -- Dar Williams

Die Alone -- Ingrid Michaelson

Hand On My Heart -- Dan Wilson

Against History -- Dan Wilson

Great Escape -- Guster

When you have a gift certificate to Babbo, you go all out. When you order an 8-course pasta tasting meal (pappardelle with peas! beet/ricotta ravioli! pyramids of braised beef! cherry tart with mint ice cream! and on! and on!) that only takes up a little more than half of what you can spend, you fill out the rest of your meal with cocktails (a rhubarb bellini!) and wine.

My tender lil' tummy, which never leaves the house, was all, "dude, that's a lot of alcohol (and not to mention food), missy." She was still VERY VERY angry with me on Wednesday. I thought it would end by the afternoon, but no, come running time everything was all askew inside my body. Body be damned! I was running!

This was a painful 6 miles in every way. But complete. Ugh.

**Janet's best, obvi.

One time I was at the gym and this came on VH1. Looking around the room, I saw everyone's personal TV turn to it, one by one. You can't look away. Hi, Antonio! Hi, Djimon Hounsou!

7.5, Almost a New Champion

Paper Planes -- MIA
I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week -- Mandy Moore
Give Me Novacaine -- Green Day
Got You (Where I Want You) -- The Flys
Bleed It Out -- Linkin Park
*Trouble -- Pink
The Best Of What's Around -- Dave Matthews Band
Take Me Home Tonight -- Eddie Money
Ulysses -- Franz Ferdinand
No You Girls -- Franz Ferdinand
Feel Good Inc -- Gorillaz
Jesus Of Suburbia -- Green Day
Fill It Up Again -- Indigo Girls
Girlfriend -- Matthew Sweet
I Just Want The Girl In The Blue Dress To Keep On Dancin' -- Mike Doughty
Mistaken For Strangers -- The National
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight -- The Postal Service

One upside of the gloomy weather -- the nice cool sprinkle that's been falling on every run for the past two weeks. I won't miss carrying an umbrella everywhere I go, but I will long for a heat that's not oppressive and migraine-inducing. I know it's coming soon.

Just in case anyone doubted it, the gradual incline of Union Street, from Nevins to about Court, is oh so much more fun while going down. I usually find myself running back home up that hill, but today I took another route to Park Slope. During my glorious decline, I remembered not to enjoy it TOO much; the easier it is going down, the harder it is going up. I can will Brooklyn's streets into changing, you know.

*This almost displaced Eddie Money over there on the sidebar. Pink is an awesome running buddy. But then Mr. Money kicked in and I was pretty much singing out loud. He's still king for now.

Sickety Sick Sick

You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son -- Wolf Parade
Clint Eastwood -- Gorillaz
Got You (Where I Want You) -- The Flys
*One Thing -- Amerie
**I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week -- Mandy Moore
L.E.S. Artists -- Santogold
When You Were Young -- The Killers
***Smile Like You Mean It -- The Killers
Last Exit -- Pearl Jam
When I'm Gone (Sadie) -- No Address
Don't Change -- INXS
Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate -- Indigo Girls
Give Me Novacaine -- Green Day

Bah, one of the worst runs I've had in a while. Plodding, heavy, draggy. I planned to do anywhere from 6-8, but just stopped in the middle of Carroll Gardens after 4. Disappointing, because I can always push through the "But I don't WANNA run anymore!" feeling, but not yesterday. As it turns out, I'm sick. Boo. After 12 hours of sleep, I've promised Jeff I won't run today. Fine.

*I first downloaded this song after reading it on a few "Top 10 Summer Songs" lists a few years ago. A few listens, a few "meh"s, and I deleted it. It just didn't jive for me. Then, last week, Idolator introduced me to this awesome decade countdown of the best songs. Downloaded it again, tried it again, and... meh. It just doesn't get me going at all.

**My, this is a cute little ditty, isn't it?

***This is so by far the best song on Hot Fuss, right?

8-mile Rainbow Mix

Red Herring -- Kris Delmhorst
Orange Crush -- R.E.M.
*Yellow -- Coldplay
Yellow Brick Road -- Kris Delmhorst
**Hitchin' a Ride -- Green Day
J.A.R. -- Green Day
Blue Orchid -- The White Stripes
Violet -- Hole
***Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate -- Indigo Girls
It's Alright -- Indigo Girls
Black -- Pete Yorn
Fell On Black Days -- Soundgarden
Mr. Brownstone -- Guns N' Roses
Here I Go Again On My Own -- Whitesnake
18 Wheeler -- Pink
All For Love -- Color Me Badd

*Why did everything go downhill after this album? What an absolutely fantastic song, and what a far fall.

**I almost went with Pearl Jam, "Green Disease" here, but then remembered how much that song, well, sucks.

***Thanks, Haley, for the suggestion. LOVED it.