Before the Storm and Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams and The Cardinals at the Missouri Theatre on Thursday, February 26th


Thursday, February 26th
Nike+: 4.01 @36:27 (9:04/mile)
Gear: Shorts, white short-sleeve shirt, **NEW shoes**
Weather: about 60 degrees
Although my Nike watch read 4.01 miles, I'm pretty sure I ran somewhere closer to 4.28. I wore my new Nike shoes and have not calibrated the new sensor. I think I ran close to an 8:30/mile pace.
This was a difficult run for me. My legs hurt pretty good and I found my breathing to be somewhat difficult, but at least I was out there. I ran with Dark Horse and followed his lead -he had a great line about how it's probably a good thing we didn't know each other back in the day. I think he may be on to something. But on the flip side, life is long. We still gotz some room for memories (maybe just not mammories).
After the run, I went home and walked Sly. About 1/2 way through the walk, the rain came down. We got soaked, but Sly didn't seem to mind. I wanted to make sure he stretched his legs before we left the house and went to see Ryan Adams at the Missouri Theatre.
Because we arrived at the concert an hour early, Mary, Dark Horse and I decided to go to Shakespeare's. There, I saw Mary Kay Blakely. It was great to see her. We invited her to the crib on Rothwell for dinner. She's still working on her book and expects to travel this summer - outside of the U.S. Maybe South America? She introduced me to her brother and told him about me reading her book during my honeymoon in St. Thomas.
Once Kristina showed up, we finished our business and went to the show. Ryan Adams compared the concert to an NPR experience. He's right. People sat in their chairs and nodded their heads. Kind of calm, but good nonetheless. Mary and I sat next to the sound guy and everything hit us in the chest. It was a good show. Sometimes there's nothing better than sitting in the dark and listening to music.
After Ryan finished (no encore), we went to Snapper's and met up with Jason, Kristina, Kevin Crowe and his girlfriend. We stayed until 11:45 and then went home. I was kind of tired this morning. I didn't eat much last night and my muscles are sore. I need to re-group.
Dark Horse and I ate Chipotle for lunch.
This weekend = 16 miler (and True/False Film Festival)
I also just found out that the Arrow Rock book is up for consideration in the PIctures of the Year International Book Award Category. We'll see what happens. I doubt it'll do anything.

8 is Enough

Nike+: 8.0 @ 1:09:30 (8:40/mile)
Gear: Black shorts, white short-sleeve shirt, headlamp, blinking wristband
Weather: about 60 degress at run time (5:35 p.m.)
Ran this one with Posscoon from his cavern. Dark Horse would have run with us but he had to meet Kristina at the Rec Center so he ran a different route. Posscoon took pity on me again and ran alongside the Running Deer - definitely slower than his normal pace. We actually ended up running all the way to Anytime Fitness on Scott Boulevard - kind of ironic that we ran to my gym and then turned around.
At about the 5 mile mark, the sun's light left us. We turned on our headlamps and kept moving. Had to dodge a pitbull on Chapel Hill and a couple cars on Stadium but we eventually made it to the sanctuary of the trail with only 1/2 mile to go. The temperature dropped as we ran but felt good. I finished with a little slower time than I thought I would but I'm not too worried about it - I'm definitely not 100%. My damn nose is running more than my legs. Need rest.
Check out the elevation on this run - it ain't no joke.

Post Illness Run on the Trail

Posscoon in Indiana (post-run)

Tuesday, February 24th
Nike+: 4.08 @ 34:21 (8:24/mile)
Gear: Tights, black/red long sleeve top, neon cap
Weather: lower to mid-40's
I intentionally over-dressed for this run because I haven't been feeling too well that past couple of days and I wanted to be sure and stay warm. I even took off of work on Monday and 1/2 day on Tuesday. I'm not sure what illness I suffer from but I sure as hell hope it's not similar to last year when I was basically sick for 6 weeks. I think I've got some serious allergy issues and running in the wind on Saturday for more than 2 hours probably didn't help. I basically stayed horizontal all day Sunday and Monday. Now I'm dealing with a sore throat, runny rose, aching body and the beginning of a cough. I have got to shake this shit and move forward.
Met up with Posscoon at his cavern after work and changed clothes there before hitting the trail for a 4-miler. We talked about our respective 15 mile runs. Ol' Posscoon ran 15 miles into the wind when he went to Indiana this past weekend - snow in his face and everything. He said he alternated putting his hand over his eyes the latter part of the run until he finished and his friends met him at a bar where a Vietnam Vet bought him a couple shots of whiskey.
Our 4-miler was pretty straight forward w/ not much to report, although Posscoon did have some serious chafing issues and had to run bow-legged for awhile.
We ran all 4 miles on the trail. Started at the point where Posscoon's neighborhood intersects the MKT and headed west until we hit Forum.
Felt good to stretch the legs.
After the run, I went to El Maguey on Broadway (across from Hy-Vee) to pick up some chicken fajitas to-go. The guy at the register asked me if I'm still running. I asked him how he knew that I was a runner. He said that he's seen me at a few runs - First Night 5K and the Columbia 1/2 Marathon. I told him that I was training for a full marathon in St. Louis. He said that he'd like to do the Heart of America this year. I told him he should do it - especially since it's the 50th anniversary of the run. Speaking of which, I was contacted by some members of the Columbia Track Club who want to use my photos from last year's Heart of America race in this year's brochure. The guy's name at El Maguey is Pepe. I told him I'd see him on da' streets.

Longest Run of My Life

Saturday, February 21st
Nike+: 15.20 @ 2:15:48 (8:55/mile)
Gear: Tights, black long-sleeve shirt, black wife-beater under long-sleeve shirt, gloves, neon cap, one Accel Gel, no H20 bottle
Weather: slightly below 30 degrees, wind chill about 17 degrees, very windy when running west (20-25 mph)
I was not looking forward to this run. I woke up on Saturday morning with a headache, so I took a couple Ibuprofen. Unfortunately, the medicine didn't immediately work. I also heard from my mom, via a text message, that the wind was biting. A headache, a biting wind and 15 miles of running do no necessarily make a good recipe. I was also a little concerned about how my legs would feel at the end of the day when I was scheduled to photograph a Mardi Gras party in downtown Columbia. After some procrastination, including 3 poops, I put on my gear and got ready to go.
I left the house and headed south. After about a mile or so, I really heated up. It was less than 30 degrees outside, but I felt like it was much warmer. This was the hottest part of the run for some reason. As I continued, I cooled down. Part of this was due to the wind that I would later face. But for the few miles, the wind wasn't really that noticeable. After about 3.5 miles, and the disappearance of my headache, I exited Stadium Blvd. and entered the MKT trail where I headed west. There was snow beneath my feet. I saw a few runners on the MKT and they were dressed in cold weather gear. After about a 1.5 miles on the trail, I arrived at the water fountain beneath Forum where I stopped to take a drink. I then exited the trail and headed south on Forum - this is a noticeable hill, but really didn't feel too bad. It was when I hit Nifong that things got interesting. This is where I found the wind waiting for me - hidden around a corner waiting to smack me in the face after I had about 6.5 miles under my belt. I said aloud, "Bring it on motherfucker." And Mother Nature did. She came at me pretty good for the next 2.5 miles while I worked my way west to Scott Blvd. Once I got back on the trail at Scott/MKT, I stopped at the water fountain, but only found hot water. I nonetheless took a few sips and even splashed some on my face. I don't know why it was hot. The next two miles, from 9 to 11, were all on the trail. At about mile 10, I started feeling pretty beat up. This is when I took an Accel Gel out of my pocket and spilled about 1/2 of it on the ground when I ripped it open. I squeezed the remaining amount into my mouth and stopped again at Forum/MKT to get some water and wash everything down. I then exited the trail and started north up Forum. I think the gel really helped my energy level for the rest of the run. For the most part, I felt pretty good.
At the bottom of Stadium, after facing wind from the west again, I hit the 13 mile mark - equal to my longest runs in the past. Not surprisingly, I faced about a 3/4 mile mile at this spot. Nothing worth anything comes easy when you're running. I remember thinking, "This is new territory. I've never run more than 13 miles. I feel good." I didn't really have any doubts that I'd make it. Two miles later, I ran north on Rothwell Drive land finished in front of the house at 15.20 miles. I was a little surprised to see that I averaged less than a 9-minute mile - especially since I stopped 3 times for water. There were also several serious hills on this route - gotz to keep it real.
One of the downsides to running this far is that it takes a toll on my body. I pretty much took things easy the rest of the day and stayed horizontal on the couch. I hope that as I keep doing these long runs that my body recovers more quickly.
This was a great run. I didn't really have any terrible moments. I heard later from Dark Horse that he survived his run, too. We were not literally together, but we were in spirit. Haven't heard from Posscoon, but I'm sure he was out there keeping us company.
When I went to the Mardi Gras party last night, I found out it was happening. Evidently the person who originally contacted me, didn't let me know that the event was cancelled. This was very disappointing. So I went home, watched some more tv, and spoke to my friend Christian, who lives in Philly. My throat began to hurt and when I woke up this morning, Sunday, my throat was quite sore. Not sure what's happening, but I'll probably take things real easy today. I did sleep well last night, so perhaps I just need to keep resting.
As I mentioned in the beginning, I didn't want to take on this run. My head hurt, the wind was blowing up to 25 MPH and I was going to be on my own. But sometimes I just have to show up. And that's what happened.

4 with Pookie Face

Thursday, February 19
Nike+: 4.15 @ 37:02 (8:54/mile)
Weather: about 25 degrees
Gear: Tights, black long-sleeve shirt, gloves, neon cap, headlamp
I was going to run this 4-miler at Anytime Fitness, but then on my way to the gym, I saw two dudes running up Stadium. I literally turned out of the left lane that would have led me to a treadmill and just kept going straight. If those guys were running outside, then I should too. One dude was even wearing shorts and not a hat - kind of stupid in 25 degree weather, but motivational nonetheless.
I asked Pookie-Face if she wanted to go with me and she agreed; we left from the house and ran to Chapel Hill and back. Usually Pookie-Face doesn't want to run w/ me, but she took a chance and ended up enjoying herself. We chit-chatted along the way and I got an ear-full about her day at work - kind of a good way for both of us to de-stress the day's events.
This was a good run with a nice, consistent pace in enjoyable weather (granted we were dressed for it). Got a little dark before we hit the half-way mark, but still wasn't too bad since I had on my headlamp.
Gotta do a 15-miler this weekend. My thighs hurt from the past three days but I'll be ready. Posscoon will be in Indiana and Dark Horse will be in Kansas City. It'll be the first time since the three of us starting doing long runs together that we'll be on our own. It'll also be the longest distance that each one of us has ever run. I'll be thinking about my brother warriors while I sojourn the lonesome valley.

Stepped on Treadmill at 10:00 PM

Nike+: 7.03 @ 59:40 (8:29/mile) - Anytime Fitness
Weight: 174.4 (before) and 171.8 (after)
Today, Wednesday, was busier than I would have liked. I've been busy posting pictures on the Mizzou Live Wire Blog for the past few days. It feels good to get my stuff out there, though. From the Beauty & the Beast event on Friday night, to basketball against Nebraska on Saturday to wrestling against Iowa State on Sunday, I'd say I had a good weekend of shooting.
Anyway, I decided to photograph Ishmael Beah and his mother Laura Simms tonight when they spoke at Jesse Hall at 7 p.m. Ishmael wrote a book called A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier and was adopted by a woman in New York after he survived the war in Sierra Leone. This is someone who killed people at the age of approximately 13 years old. His book has sold more than 600,000 copies - slightly more than the Arrow Rock book I worked on that has sold a few hundred copies. That was a joke. Before the venue began, I had an opportunity to meet Ishmael and his mom behind stage. There was talk that they might be interested in a formal portrait, but due to their busy schedule this week, an opportunity didn't surface. Ishmael was so tired on Friday that he went to his hotel to rest and even cancelled an event.
To be honest, I can't say I learned much from Ishmael's presentations. Perhaps this is because I was taking pictures and not actually actively listening. Ironically, I did hear him say that listening is just as important as speaking. Ishmael did not talk about being a boy soldier. Instead, he concentrated on the idea of 'storytelling.' If nothing else, I do believe that everyone has a story to tell. It's just a matter of telling it.
Because I didn't go home after work, but stayed to photograph Ishmael and Laura, I ran after their presentation. This meant that I stepped on the treadmill when the 10 o'clock news began. I started out relatively slow and sped up as I felt better. There were parts of this run when I just wanted to stop and go home. But I kept going and eventually finished at 11 o'clock.
It was a long day, but I'm glad I didn't postpone the run. After a hot shower, I slept well.
Between work and the presentation, I hung out with Posscoon and reviewed his photography portfolio. The dude is a very solid shooter with an eye for grit. It's funny that he wants to take pictures of clouds and rainbows. I think he's best when doing the opposite. But wtf do I know? I'm just glad he showed me his stuff. POY is the season and Posscoon is gold.

Propensity for Genius - I Bet that's What You Tell All the Guys

Nike+: 3.09 @ 24:45 (8:00/mile)
Weather: 45 degrees
Gear: Tights, black/red long-sleeve top, neon cap, headlamp (no gloves)
Ran this one after work today. Started on 5th/Elm, south on Providence, west on Stadium to bottom of hill and back.
Although this run wasn't too long, there were some hills to get things challenging. I finished huffing and puffing. Probably ran a little too fast on this one, but I just couldn't help myself. Or something like that.
Got a massage yesterday (Pookie Face's Valentine's Day treat) at Massage Envy for $39. The light was dim and the atmosphere was relaxing. Felt good to lie down and get rubbed.
The masseuse spent quite a bit of time on my neck/shoulders and my legs - she didn't even have time to get to my back. She said my legs were tight, but not too bad. She also said that I have a propensity for genius so I'm not real sure she knew what the hell she was talking about. Anyway, it felt pretty good. If I could afford it, I'd get massages after every single long run. But that's not going to happen. Kneeding the thighs is a good substitute.
Oh, I have to run 15 miles this weekend and the three stooges will not be running together. Not looking forward to it.