Was looking at some race photos. In each and every one I'm puckered up like I've just been goosed. So today at the track I decided to work on my race face. The problem is that I usually find my rhythm by breathing, which naturally causes a kind of lip-pucker. The alternative is humming something under my breath, but with all due respect to Gospodin Pachev it needed to be suitable for a bachelor: no B-I-N-G-O for me. Reviews follow.
"Let's Fall In Love"-- Not bad. Syllables on the downbeat with modest syncopation. Runs pretty well.
"The Guns of Brixton"-- Probably the best. Strong, clear, repetitive melody. Trochees, with the stress on the downbeat. Fast paced. Top notch.
"My Funny Valentine"--Surprisingly effective. You have to butcher the song quite a bit to get it to work, of course.
"Mr. Paganini"--Awful! Syncopation, irregular syllables. Swing is not good for runners. Totally got me off my stride.
"A Tisket a Tasket"--Well, it worked, but (a) it made me run too fast, and (b) I felt really stupid muttering about that little yellow basket I lost.
"What Does The Deep Sea Say"--Excellent. Strong downbeat on 1, easy syncopation, then downbeat on three and four. Good old Doc Watson.
The run itself was pretty good. Walked half a mile, then jogged to the track. The arch felt super tight at first; I had to stop a couple of times and stretch. After that it gave me a few warning twinges (not pain, just the tight feeling) whenever I got much above 9:00 miles for any extended period, so I tried to stay in the 9:10 range. We'll see how it is later this evening.
With the half-mile warmup and cooldown walk, 6 miles and 1:02 in all. | 