Category Archives: music

Rains turn to sun and four in a row again

Posted on by
Reply

Yesterday was as soggy a run as I have had in awhile, but today the sun broke out as the universe cracks a joke about spring being here (snow expected this weekend…) I guess if we get 24 hours of no rain we shouldn’t complain and instead we should go out for a run! So that is what I did this morning. I felt really good through most of it, but ended up taking several walking breaks. Still I managed to run under 10 min miles. The extra walking breaks were a bit surprising but I think my body is feeling it a bit, especially with all the night rehearsals I have had this week. My energy level will get a break this weekend sort of as the band heads out for a southern “tour” which is really just a show we are playing at a band-mates uncle’s commune in southern Oregon. Should be a lot of fun, but also a lot of driving (I’ve heard estimates of anywhere from 6 to 11 hours, so we’ll see I guess.)

My experiment with running and playing music on the same day has gone really well this week. I even got a couple of five milers in on rehearsal days. I was especially concerned with those days and I felt pretty well (though somewhat tired, but not what I would consider “ms fatigued”). On all three days I did this this week I made sure I was fully hydrated and ate a good amount of protein afterwards. It really seems to help, especially the water. I also included a large cup of tea before the rehearsals to give me boost. I just wish I had gotten a bit more sleep this week. But that’s ok, life isn’t perfect!

So this has been the third week I have been serious about running and managed to get my runs in (maybe not the mileage totals I would like, but I was out on the roads!) I can already feel some vast improvements in my energy levels and health and mood. It is interesting to me about the effects on my mood. I feel great even though a tad sore and more than a tad tired. Its that feeling of a spring in my step that I think best describes it.

Short run in the wind

Posted on by
Reply

Last night I was a bit tired in rehearsal, but not exhausted. I think being properly hydrated had a lot to do with my recovery and ability to play after a run. So to keep the experiment rolling, and to attempt to keep up my string of running four runs in a row, I ran again this morning. I only went for three miles, but in the cold wind that was more than enough. Plus tonight’s rehearsal is later than usual so I didn’t want to push it too hard.

I am feeling really good about the last couple weeks with the running I have been doing. I already feel a boost both physically and mentally. Shouldn’t be long before some of this winter gut gets run off as well. Pretty happy about that. Also my back feels so much better after a run, as if the bouncing loosens up my back up some. I was worried that I would cause futher problems with it, but the running seems to be helping quite a bit. I also think restricting my runs to 5 or less miles is a good thing as well. Gonna need to boost that soon though, I am starting to get the milage bug!

Day (week?) off for music

Posted on by
Reply

I am a day late for this, yesterday I decided to not run despite not running on Sunday. I had planned a long run up to the volcano for both days, but neither happened. My Sunday excuse was a need for a rest day after four in a row (though I felt like physically I could have done it), my Monday excuse was musical. I got a call this weekend to come into the studio and do some recording for a reggae album! I was really excited and was supposed to get a CD of the music from a fellow musician at a big band show we were both subbing for. Well he forgot it, so I had no idea of what I would be playing. So I figured I had better not run on Monday in order to keep as sharp as possible. When 2:30 arrived I headed to the studio and went for it. The musician was a bit perturbed that I hadn’t heard the music, but we made the best of it. I listened to the first song and we went over ALL the parts I needed the play the bari sax for, there where a number of them. I wasn’t that nervous, but I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to do what was needed. But once the recording actually started it all came together rather well. We got the two songs done in the three studio hours we had and it sounded pretty good. I think the artist was happy with what we came up with. It was an interesting mental challenge and I am really glad I didn’t chicken out and not do it. I did miss my run opportunities but I think I made the best of my time away from the roads.

So this week is not an opportunistic one for running. I have rehearsals Tues-Thurs and a show out of town on Saturday that will keep me away from my shoes until Sunday night. So since I missed out on my opportunities to run this week music free, I decided to risk it today and get a five-miler in (which has become my go-to run as of late). We had really strong winds today and I was super-tempted to not do it. But once I got out there the winds weren’t too bad (at least one way wasn’t, unfortunately it was on the way home.) It was a tad chilly, but I was layered up and I didn’t feel too much. I considered going for longer but good sense got the best of me and I kept it to five.

I realized that I could actually make it another four in a row week if I really wanted to. So that is the goal now. I am not going to attempt to meet my miles total from last week (21.5 mi) but I think I can pull off four in a row again if I do some short ones before my Wednes and Thurs rehearsals. The bummer is every one this week is a big one. I have a show next week with the big band and the out-of-town show this weekend with teh soul band (we haven’t rehearsed in a couple months so it could be rough). Still I am trying to toughen up a bit and not use music as an excuse to not run. Or at the very least to at least try shorter runs. We’ll see…

Life getting in the way of running

Posted on by
Reply

Well not really in the big picture but it sure has these last couple of weeks. I have been playing a lot of music lately with several bands I am in as well as some others. I have talked quite a bit about how running before rehearsals is really hard for me. The level of exhaustion I experience after a hard run makes it really hard to concentrate on what I need to do for playing music. Notes tend to blur together, I forget to read key signatures, etc. So these last two weeks have been hard for me to get all the practice in along with the running. I have found that it is not ALL running that is the problem just the harder workouts. Hydration seems to play a part in it as well. For example yesterday I ran for a couple miles with my running partner who is coming back from a substantial injury to her hip that she suffered abut six months ago. This is her second attempt to come back from it. Hopefully this is the one that takes! Back to the example, last night I was able to play this benefit concert and solo just fine. It was the largest crowd I have played in front of since college football and it was a hoot! Huge bunch of screaming and singing people and me belting out the sax solo from Careless Whisper (it was an 80s love song concert from seven local bands.)

Today’s run started out with no real plan in mind. After an unplanned diversion to find a bathroom I decided to go for a long run and ended up doing 10.5 miles and a pretty slow pace (which was fine. I was actually under 10 min miles until the very end when I started to get pretty tired.) I did feel like I could have kept going if I had to (or if I was doing a half-marathon). I am thinking I’d like to do another this year sometime. We’ll see. This was actually the third day of running in a row, so I am back on track from a little (4 day) break.

Two for one

Posted on by
Reply

I have now missed blogging after two runs so I will do my best to get caught up here. Both of these runs were somewhat similar as we finally got some nice weather this spring. I ran my Saturday run in the afternoon and it was actually HOT! Seems like forever (well since the Seattle half) that I have actually felt too warm on a run. The sun was almost directly overhead and I got no shade (plus the trees haven’t leafed out yet. Other than the heat and realizing I need to start bringing water with me again, the run was awesome. It felt really great to have the sweat just pour out of me again, loved it. I ended up doing a longer run than usual at 6.5 miles. After my run I guzzled a huge glass (actually I drank it somewhat sow) of electrolyte replacement drink, well ER soda anyway (powerade).

Yesterday was a banner day for my running. It was warm, but only getting there as I went out somewhat early. I brought my Ipod for the run. I am always amazed at the affect music has on my running over just listening to the radio (which I have been doing a lot of lately). I choose a type of music called donk, which is an extremely fast-paced blend of reggae, rav and rap that is popular in England. The beat is pretty consistent throughout and almost perfectly set to a fast running pace. If I slowed down and got off beat, I would quickly find myself back on the beat and my body would naturally try to keep up. I listened to it for about four miles before I decided I needed to go slower and listen to something mellower. The pace felt great and even though I slowed down for the last half, I broke a nine minute mile pace for the first time since I recalibrated my watch. I ended up doing a nearly 8 mile run too, so fast and long. It felt awesome and I feel like I am getting back to a point where I can start improving on my running again beyond the “getting back into it” improvement. For the first time in a long while I have been thinking about going to the track and doing speed work, we’ll see but I should be doing it soon!

Two for one

Posted on by
Reply

I have now missed blogging after two runs so I will do my best to get caught up here. Both of these runs were somewhat similar as we finally got some nice weather this spring. I ran my Saturday run in the afternoon and it was actually HOT! Seems like forever (well since the Seattle half) that I have actually felt too warm on a run. The sun was almost directly overhead and I got no shade (plus the trees haven’t leafed out yet. Other than the heat and realizing I need to start bringing water with me again, the run was awesome. It felt really great to have the sweat just pour out of me again, loved it. I ended up doing a longer run than usual at 6.5 miles. After my run I guzzled a huge glass (actually I drank it somewhat sow) of electrolyte replacement drink, well ER soda anyway (powerade).

Yesterday was a banner day for my running. It was warm, but only getting there as I went out somewhat early. I brought my Ipod for the run. I am always amazed at the affect music has on my running over just listening to the radio (which I have been doing a lot of lately). I choose a type of music called donk, which is an extremely fast-paced blend of reggae, rav and rap that is popular in England. The beat is pretty consistent throughout and almost perfectly set to a fast running pace. If I slowed down and got off beat, I would quickly find myself back on the beat and my body would naturally try to keep up. I listened to it for about four miles before I decided I needed to go slower and listen to something mellower. The pace felt great and even though I slowed down for the last half, I broke a nine minute mile pace for the first time since I recalibrated my watch. I ended up doing a nearly 8 mile run too, so fast and long. It felt awesome and I feel like I am getting back to a point where I can start improving on my running again beyond the “getting back into it” improvement. For the first time in a long while I have been thinking about going to the track and doing speed work, we’ll see but I should be doing it soon!