Cobwebs

My ankle feels a lot better. I woke this morning to no soreness or stiffness, in my ankle.. Went to the gym and it still feels ok.

I've been taking Nerofen and icing the ankle 2 or 3 times day and have been doing heel drop exercises recommended by a PT at the gym, who has just qualified as a physio. Apparently in Canada, where this chap did 6 months training, this is now the latest way to heal Achilles tendonitis.

What you do is -
1) Start with both feet on a step with heels hanging off the step. Weight should be on the balls of both feet to start.
2) Drop down off of the step and decelerate quickly at the bottom of the movement. Don't bounce at the bottom but halt the lowering movement as fast as possible.
3) do a toe raise slowly. Start with both feet. Then progress to one foot at a time.

I've been doing these exercises since Saturday along with the Nerofen and icing, and not running; *maybe* things are getting better. I am going to London Marathon Store at lunchtime to see if I can now sort out if my current trainers (Brooks Vapour) are to blame. And hopefully I may run at the weekend.. But we shall see. I am not going to push it. And it is early days.

On the way to the factory today I found myself playing a favourite Spiritualized track. This being a cover of a Junior Kimbrough track 'Sad Days and Lonely Nights'. And on a cold London morning trudging through the 'transport' system it blew my cobwebs away. Go here for a copy and play LOUD - http://www.mediafire.com/?6uknnynggpmjavascript:void(0)
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1 Week and 0 Miles

It's been a week. I have not run since last Sunday.

The ankle does feel better, but when I cup the ankle and lift it back towards my calf the Achilles tendon hurts.

I've been to the gym 4 or 5 times. But I need to run. It was raining this morning. I would have been as happy as I could ever be heading out into that for a hour today. Instead I ambled in to work listening to Bob Dylan's 'Love & Theft' - "today has been a sad and lonesome day" he sang. And it was only 10:00.

Oh well. Eat 'Reggae Reggae Sauce'. I did and it was nice.

T

Findlay Brown - Paperman

Music means different things to me now than it did before. Listening to say, the Nuggets Box Set now is a very different experience for me than it did when I first heard it as a teenager. Then, Nuggets (a box set of once obscure and now iconic 60's American garage pysch rock) was an 'authentic' soundtrack to my teenage hedonism. It sounded like the real deal. And within it I felt there was some psychedelic cypher waiting to be decoded. Now when I listen to those same songs I consider the musicians, then American teenagers with terrible trousers and lots of attitude, but now old men fading into horizon of middle America. Their passions and anger left behind like a forgotten hangover. It is, for me now, a rather more melancholic affair.

As the summer is now finally disappearing fast and I settle in the for long haul of winter, the choice of what to music to play is also changing. Spring and summer for me is about getting outside and living with the sun overhead and grass under my feet with my kids at my side. I love England in the spring and summer. My choice of music these past few months reflects this and has been psych folk, pastoral country and chiming guitars; the likes of which I have on occasion posted here. But now I feel myself looking for something harder and processed. Recent choices have been 'Satan's Circus' by DIV, and the Knife album. I've even been playing one or two Radiohead tracks.

However, one album I know I am far from finished playing is the Findlay Brown album 'Separated By The Sea'. It is in essence the psych folk blues of spring and summer but it is also more than the soundtrack to my bucolic daydreams. It is an album which I am told is very specifically a collection of love songs. To me it ducks and rolls and buzzes with life. It is occupied with temporary loss and yearning. It is also a record that affirms life and hope. It is a wonderfully sung and performed album. The production is perfect. Findlay's voice is close, almost as if he singing just for you. The arrangements both classic and modern. A truly remarkable record. The best album of the year so far and possibly the best British album in years.

I saw Findlay outside Niketown in Oxford Street two weeks ago. I went up to him and congratulated him on such a great record. He was a nice bloke, a little taken aback by me, a big skinhead extolling the virtues of his album back to him, but hey what's to be done ?

Check out Paperman, one of my fave tracks from 'Seperated By The Sea'. You can get a copy here - http://www.mediafire.com/?0zskzzyhtcy

Go here for more Findlay - http://www.findlaybrown.com/

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2 Weeks Off

I've been to the physio and I have small tears in the fibers and sinews near the Achilles tendon. I may also have mild tendonitis. I need to rest long enough for the leg and foot to feel 100% better and then rest, from running, for a further week. I reckon I'll not be running for 2 weeks... This will be difficult but overall I feel good. All this is provided the prognosis is correct.

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Achilles Tendonitis

I ache. The back of my left ankle hurts. I can't walk properly. I am having to walk up and down stairs sideways..

I ran to Hampstead on Thursday - 4 miles. Rested till Sunday when I did 9 miles (but the Ipod stopped after 7...).

My left ankle has been hurting for a week or two now. But after Sundays run, or more specifically Monday morning (today), my ankle has nearly seized up. I've been online and I am fairly sure I have a damaged tendon and it looks like achilles tendonitis. It hrts more when I flex my foot straight out / point my feet and toes. I am gutted. I'm going to rest it now for as long as I can. I am very worried.

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Hampstead Ponds - lunchtime run and swim

I just ran to Hampstead Heath, from Kilburn. Swam in the mixed pond for 20 minutes and then run back to the factory. It was great. The last time I swam in a pond was Frensham Ponds when I was a child. I went with Lee today. He rode his bike and I ran.. What a fine way to spend a lunchtime in September. It beats eating a packet of Monster Much and staring at some rubbish on You Tube.

4 mile run - not sure of the pace. It'll be sub 10 mins though. The Nike+ will split it into two runs.

What did you do for lunch ?

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Songbird

So. I got distracted from the new Tarantino movie by last year's Willie Nelson album 'Songbird'. Produced by Ryan Adams, who along with his band the Cardinals, also plays on the album. 'Songbird' is an album of covers with some originals.

It's wonderful record. I don't think it had great reviews when it was released, but what does everyone else know ? Not a lot.

'Songbird' is peppered with 3 or 4 kinda standard country rock tracks. The rest are celestial modern country classics; shimmering guitars with Willie's iconic voice set in the middle of the mix like the north star. The whole record swings and reflects on life. It's melancholic and yet resigned. Perfect company for a Friday night.

I particularly like the title track, 'Songbird'. You can get a copy on this track here - http://www.mediafire.com/?exmsli9n2gx

I did 11 miles on Saturday. Private road / Hylands Park and woods, Writtle, path(s) to Admiral Part, Station, etc. Fantastic run. I'd not run since Thursday. So I'd been waiting for this chance to get out. Perfect way to spend a couple of hours.

Oh, and I did appx 5 miles on Thursday in the evening in Chelmsford. But the Nike Plus wasn't working so I don't know how far and at what pace. Good run though.

This morning (Monday) I did 26 mins on the treadmill at the gym. I pushed the speed up to 8 min miles, for appx 9 mins, and nearly fell off. It was hard work. I kept the speed up and ran as hard and fast as I could. I came off there feeling more knackered than my 11 miles on Saturday.

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The Pugilist At Rest

In preparation for this week's diabolical journeys to and from the factory I grabbed my old copy of 'The Pugilist At Rest' by Thom Jones. I have been struggling through George Sheehan's 'Running And Being' and felt I needed something else to chew on whilst stuck on the Jubilee Line.

George Sheehan has been described as the 'philosopher king' of running and indeed his work is littered with remarkable quotes that make you realize why maybe you do the stuff the you do, or think the things you do when you run.

Running and Being's basic premise is that to achieve our true goals and become who we really need to be we must learn to 'play' again and be childlike, fearless and strong. It is very Nietzsche in parts.

Although the book is split into chapters (Learning, Doing etc) I'm halfway through and it is kind of melding together in an endorphine like stream of consciousness. It can also be a bit slog. So I picked up the 'Pugilist At Rest'.

The 'Pugilist' is Thom Jones first book; a collection of short stories. The stories are largely based on the writer's own experience as some kind of special forces marine in the Vietnam war. It's real macho writing that aspires to Hemingway and Buckowski. He lacks the innate craft of these writers but in the end makes his points and takes you where he intends. The overall theme of the book is redemption through manly pursuits such as boxing, shooting guns, having mental breakdowns etc.. It's a good book. But it struck me how both books, the 'Pugilist' and 'Running and Being' are in effect saying the same thing; This being rise above yourself. Rise above your alloted place in the world and grasp reality becuase you live but once. Don't be afraid. Be the best you can be and let yourself be your only judge.

I'd recommend both.

Anyway, after work today I found small bag of skunk on the pavement outside. Tonight wifey is 'out on the town'. I'm at home on my own. I'm going skin some of that skunk up, drink a beer and watch a download of the new Tarrantino movie 'Death Proof'. Then tomorrow get up at 06:30 and run till I feel sick. I guess I'm more of a Thom Jones man.

T

Lunchtime run to the ponds

A lunchtime run with Lee to the Mens Swimming Ponds at Hampstead Heath. I ran and Lee rode his bike. 4.96 miles 09:50 mile / pace. A good good run. Hot, sunny with constant hills but not at all busy. My legs felt strong before (my post 10 mile stretch session on Sunday worked) and if I wasn't rushing to get back to the factory I could have gone on for miles..

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I have done 3 runs which I need to log here.

Sunday (yesterday) - 9.6 miles. 9:47 / mile pace. An early morning run in Chelmsford, up Longstomps / private road / Hylands / Writtle / Chelm. Fantastic. Loved it. Tried a gel booster thing. I think it worked.

Friday - 5 miles 9:58 / mile pace. At lunchtime to Parliment Hill. Hilly, hard work. My ankles ached like hell after.

Wed - 4 miles 10 / mile pace. At Lunch to Hampstead Heath. Those hills are still there..

I have also -

1) watched Sunshine, the latest Danny Boyle movie. Really quite good apart from the dreadful closing credits with a terrible I Am Kloot track. This aside the movie has stayed with me. Certain details are starting to make sense to me now (the dust on Icarus 1..). Recommended.

2) watched Transformers; rubbish. A big toy advert. Preposterous. But it is for kids, not old men like me.

3) watched Bourne Ultimatum; thoroughly enjoyed it. Although, I have been trying to work out why.. I keep thinking I like Matt Damon in it, and he does carry the movie. But thinking back, all I can recall of Matt is a of baby faced amorphous frowning action man. Can you remember what he was even wearing ?

4) listened to the Cramps 'Human Fly' all weekend, as my little boy (who is 3) loves it, and so do I. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Go here for a copy - http://www.mediafire.com/?aiy7zslz31z

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