Monday - lost the day, a bit unnecessarily, for running. 2 miles at practice. Ugh.
Tuesday AM - 6.1 miles, about 4 with GW.
PM - 6.1 miles around practice.
Wednesday AM - 5 miles on the Ridgeview Ditch loop. Moving well. That means averaging sub 8 over the run and then getting into 7:30 or maybe even quicker at the end. This represents some level of progress from where I was 2 months ago, but I recognize it ain't anything to really blog about. But that is physiology: you can't just force it. I am coming along slowly. Some of that is tempered by other life choices I have / that I make. Those could be altered if I get inch up the discipline.
PM - 4 miles around practice. Hot.
Thursday AM - 3.6 with GW and JZ. Great company but feeling the joy of last night this AM.
Dropped 30 degrees in 30 minutes in the evening. Played at Rails in the evening for the open mic. Here is my IG excerpt on this.
Ah the @railsendbeerco open mic.
This was one of the first open mics I ever played 3 years ago. Even though I have played there a bunch of times now, it seems like each time, I get that same level of newbie nervousness and anxiety. Sometimes it is a little better but mostly this stage always has me sweating. It’s home court, and the talent that comes to it is amazing. Last night was no exception - the crew knocked it out at whole ‘nother level of awesome.
I botched my first song: “Pink Cadillac” by the Boss. (@springsteen )
I fumbled the words, almost as I expected, even though I had practiced it countless times. It was one of those “well you stuck the landing” things but it almost seemed destined to be a flop as it was my first time performing it publicly.
Tried to recover with “Knowing You” (@kennychesney )
but the sweat was burning my eyes and I now had a bit of the yips. It was a bit better but not my best.
I invited @the_quarrelman up onto the stage for “Light You Up”. (@shawnmullinsmusic )
I texted the day before and asked if he’d pull sax on the tune. He gave it a listen and agreed. We hadn’t rehearsed it so it was gonna be a complete raw winging of it. I knew that we’d have an energy that would make it special in any case. And it was! Unbeknownst to me @slyjaxband drummer @wonderbentstudio joined us a measure in and kicked the beat perfect (and kept me from hitting the gas on the song) and we just nailed it. Boom. Nerves and energy reset from the red into the black. Thanks guys. That was awesome.
Finished with Stapleton’s “Maggie’s Song.” Another first time roll out for me - I haven’t played it because it is such a sad song and it sometimes breaks me up when I think too much about it. It seemed really anti climatic post the high energy the tune before, but it seemed to stick. I got asked if I wrote it and I had to laugh. No. No, check out @chrisstapleton if you haven’t yet.
Thanks Rails. Your mic, community of musicians, the crowd … kicks my ass every time but that is part of why I go back.
Friday mid AM - 5.3 miles. Rain and a cold front blew in. Typical late May stuff these days.
Friday afternoon - snowing. Really wet late May sort of snow. 5.8 miles with GW and BV (!).
Saturday AM - snow clearing after the big dumping yesterday but in the 30s. Hopped in some reps with some of the boys prepping for Bolder Boulder. 8 miles. Down to the State Meet in the afternoon where MH ran a SB of 2:12 for 3rd in 5A. v
Sunday AM - 8.5 miles. Tired. Then down to the State Meet in the afternoon again. MH ran another SB of 4:58 for 5th.
Not a great week but a "check the box" sort of week. Two days where I was barely getting out (2 miles and 3 and change) but somehow managed 50 plus over the week. Got in some short reps occasionally. With track now done, I'll see if the story of actually getting on the training train is just a pipe dream or something I can muster up.
Off to Chicago next week.
