I Didn't Run to Run but I Ran with Red Umbrella

Red Umbrella -- Wishing For Boardwalk (2006)
Two days off from running -- Saturday and Sunday -- but not because it was the weekend. Just no excuse why not. That streak would not continue any longer, I made sure of that when I got ready earlier to head on over to the Rec Center for a run tonight. Was not easy, getting there, that is. I mean, it was simple enough to drive over and park and walk inside and get my tunes ready and run and then repeat the process in reverse to get back to my house. What was not so easy was easily finding the will to momentarily be outside when the temp is 20 below zero. This is my 3rd winter here in Alaska (and it's not even truly winter yet) so I've gotten used to this... mostly... but probably not fully. 20 below zero is not weird to me anymore... but that doesn't mean that I necessarily wanna go outside in it. Seriously, why?! 20 below is nearly crazy cold, it's wicked freakin' cold, that's for sure.

Exercise is tonight's reason why to venture out into the abyss of the sub-arctic end of Autumn night. Many people have a stationary bike or a treadmill to use in the warm comfort of their central Alaska domicile... I just can't bring myself to exercise that way. I suppose I would if I had no other choice... but the running track at the University Rec Center is just miles away. So that's what I do. I brave the temps to burn some calories and keep my heart healthy and that in return leaves me feelin' great. Definitely worth it!

Back now in the cozy warmth of my house while my dog sleeps on the snow in the backyard... Siberian ancestry means 20 below for him ain't time to sleep inside, not yet. Close, oh so close, 25 to 30 below is about his limit, I think. But right now he's sound asleep outside while I stay warm inside trying to forget about the Bears losing again tonight.

• Run Time: 15 minutes 23 seconds

• indoors

• Total Running Time for December -- 1 hour 30 min 37 sec
____________________November -- 2 hours 18 min 45 sec
_____________________October ---_______57 min 06 sec
____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
_________· So Far -- 10 lb

Excellent run. Just... excellent. No problems or at least very low on the Problem Scale. As usual the first few songs are at a slower Beat Per Minute and that increases with the last song or two. By the time I was at my last song, I was even able to keep the pace and not think along the lines of: God, please let the song end, please let the run soon be over, please let the song end! Nope, none of that today. Just a pretty nice 15+ minutes. I'm lookin' forward to repeating it all over again tomorrow night!

Running tunes
from the album of the day...

Red Umbrella

Wishing For Boardwalk

2006






Storm Warning
Strait Jacket
Already Won
Home
What About Me
Run
Trade Your Dreams
Elevator
Wishing For Boardwalk
Slide
Broken Hearts
Saving Grace
Tonight

This is good rockin' stuff. I'm always a little wary about Canadian bands. Why? Don't really know, Might have to do with sharing the continent with a country that's just almost like us but still a foreign land in some ways. But music's music and these guys from Parry Sound, Ontario put out a sweet "alternative" sound. I don't especially like to compare one band to another... but if I had to lump Red Umbrella in with others it might be with Switchfoot and Delirious?, and probably Third Day, as well, to name a few. And here again is another album where songs don't always blatantly name God. There's much ambiguity in the lyrics so at times it doesn't necessarily feel like Christian music. One who doesn't want to be preached to in music won't feel that here at all. But God is in every song, He's the center of every song, because, afterall, He is the center of life. Very cool stuff with some really nice edge. Definitely not simple praise and worship, no way. This isn't lullin' ya to sleep music... more like get ya pumped up for Christ music that you wanna turn the volume UP on!

128 kbps dload @ Som Cristão