A Rose Is A Rose By Any Other Name

Had to switch things up a little yesterday and today to accommodate my doctors appointment.
It's only taken 10 weeks to get an appointment w/ my doctor but it was worth the wait I've been going to see John for 13 years and yesterdays visit was proof why I go to see him.
He encouraged me to keep taking the Iron tablets but also expressed a concern my blood pressure was a little high and wants me to monitor that over the next six weeks till I see him again,he did an EKG test and sent me for a chest xray, and also wants me to have a follow up blood test in 5 weeks time prior to my next visit.
The upshot of all that was it was 6.20pm when I got home and a tad late for my 8 miler,so I switched up rest days and ran today.

I'd have preferred today as my rest day prior to a return to the track tomorrow for 3x2 mile repeat and then a 12 miler on Sunday to rack up a 50 mile week but I knew as long as I took it nice and easy this evening I'll be fine for tomorrow.
The other day it was brought to my attention that it was Duran Duran appreciation day,timely given I'd just gotten tickets for their 30th anniversary tour and got me to thinking back to the summer of 85 when Power Station and Arcadia put out albums.
Power Station featured John and Andy Taylor plus Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson and enjoyed hit singles "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On(Bang A Gong) meanwhile Simon Le Bon,Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor made "So Red The Rose'' which featured the likes of Grace Jones,Sting and Herbie Hancock.
It was once said "So Red The Rose'' was the best album Duran Duran ever made and to be honest I'd put it right alongside the first three Duran Duran albums,even today some 26 years later both albums sound great,"So Red The Rose" remains one of my all time favourite 80's albums and a staple on my ipod.

It Was A Good Day For Bruce

I've no idea if Bruce Rash is Australian and since I don't have a photo of Bruce I went w/ the above picture and title it's a little play on words and just a bit of pithy fun,if you don't like it you can always....pith off!!!

Coming into the second annual Greater Philadelphia Track Club Track Pentathlon as the defending champion I wasn't sure if I could defend my "Ironman" title,last year I was in much better shape but just like Worlds and Nationals b4 I owed it to myself to see what I could do.
Last year the format was:3,000m,800m,200m,1,500m,400m this year it switched to:3,000m,200m,1,500m,100m,800m or 400m.
Another change of format was the order last year we went fastest to slowest which put me in the first heat of each distance,this year I was in the last or second to last heat.

3,000m,My best distance and the race that set me up for victory last year,after a 77 second opening lap in second place I hit the front and never looked back,1st in 9.48.0. a far cry from the 9.07.1. I ran last year,this year I earnt 83.53 on the age graded scoring where as last year I earnt 89.07 and instead of leading I was second.

200m,After seeing my teammate Nick Berra pull a hamstring in the 200m last year I was hellbent on not going the same way,drawn in lane three in heat seven I finished 6th in 29.68. to score 73.89 a far cry from 27.35 and 79.63 last year,after 2 events last year I was 7 points ahead now I was 6 points out of first in third.

1,500m,I knew the only way to claw back the points deficit was to go out hard in my final 2 distance events so I opened the 1,500m in 70 seconds but couldn't shake Dana who laid in wait behind me till 250m to go b4 launching his kick to best me by 4 seconds,what the hell I was "spotting him" almost 20 years!
2nd in 4.37.9. and 84.36 points,compared to my 1st place in 4.19.0 and 89.67 last year,I was 8 points behind leader Lorraine Jasper but had reclaimed 2nd just ahead of Bruce 241.78-241.16

100m,The one distance I had no experience in,I can always dial up a hard final 200m on my repeats over 400m,600m,800m,1,000m,mile,2 miles but 100m?????Usain Bolt I am NOT!!!
6th again in 14.82 and w/ it any hopes of holding onto my title,I was now 11 points adrift of Lorraine and Bruce w/ only 72.60 to show for my effort.

800m, As a former and I hope again 800m runner I had to opt for the 800m over the 400m,once again Dana got the better of me taking it out hard from the gun, I heard 68 seconds at 400m and had another "young buck" Nick Geigle overtake me at 250m to go,but I sat in behind him till coming off the final turn b4 reclaiming 2nd in 2.18.9.
Last year I finished the 800m albeit the second event in 2.07.1. to earn 88.31points today I got 81.51.

When the final points were added up I was third in 395.90 just ahead of Larry Rechtin w/ 392.20,for the second year Lorraine Jasper was runner up 9 points ahead of me but 4 points behind the new champion Bruce Rash who won in 410.95
Props to Bruce he only completed three events last year but has been an active member of the GPTC this season and I'm pleased for him.....but don't get too cozy there Bruce,I'm coming for you next year!!!!

It'd be remiss of me not to thank all those involved w/ the event,the 44 runners who showed up to compete,some running distances they were not comfortable w/(sidebar Bruce's win proved a sprinter can win this event)the considerable efforts of Kyle Mecklenborg who has been the driving force behind this unique event the past two years,all the volunteers who gave their time to make sure the event ran smoothly,see you all next year!

Stuck Inside My Head

I know I'm not the only person to deal w/ this,but ever get a song stuck inside your head that you can't get rid of?
''Nowhere Girl" by B Movie is one of a number of songs I own on 12'' vinyl but can't download to my ipod which means scouring the net usually Amazon to find,I did find a B Movie Best Of cd but read the mix was different than the original and after a 30 second sample I saw what they meant,somehow I ended up finding the Soundtrack to "200 Cigarettes" and boyah not only does it sound like the original mix(score) but a used copy of the cd is only 20c....(double score!!)
That's two down two to go,last year I found "Images Of Heaven" by Peter Godwin and now I need to find "Soul Train" by Swansway(found a copy of their Best Of on Amazon UK) and then "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag" by Pigbag,ye olde ipod will be sounding tres 80's!!!

Hit the track this afternoon for my first repeat workout since that 7am workout on July 23rd,I need to make the most of my mid week repeats now as last year once the fall semester began access to the track became a crap shoot till the weekends but maybe Chuck and I can do hill repeats on Belmont Plateau starting next week as a back up.
Mile repeats today,4x1 aiming for 5.20 per mile

#1 mile,1.20,1.25,1.20,1.18-5.23.0.Kind of went to sleep on lap 2 thinking of things I just shouldn't be thinking but otherwise a good start
#2 mile,1.19,1.25,1.23,1.19-5.26.1.Did it again on lap 2 but after a two and a half week absence from repeats I knew not to expect all the components to come back off the bat
#3 mile,1.20,1.24,1.23,1.18-5.25.4.Frighteningly consistent w/ repeat #2 and as w/ my other 2 repeats solid opening lap, laps 2 & 3 dipping b4 closing well.
#4 mile,1.21,1.24,1.25,1.14-5.24.0.When I came through 1,200m in 4.10 I knew I had to haul arse if I wanted to stay in the same time zone I'd been in and thanks to a 1.14 final lap I did.

Yes there's work to be done just to get to 5.20 per mile pace but while my track season may be over after Sundays track pentathlon I have plenty of weeks of repeats to get myself ready for my 10k assault in early November so hopefully this was a jump start to a late summer/early fall of weekly repeats.

Road Trippin' Again

First of all apologies for the lack of Track Pentathlon 411,at the time of "going to press" the results weren't available however they are now but since tomorrow is a scheduled track day(4x1 mile repeats) it'll have to hold over till Thursday......damn all this build up I better be able to deliver a kick arse report.......LOL!!!

More of the same again this evening following yesterdays recovery run over 8 miles tonite was an easy 8 miles.....what's the difference between a recovery run and easy run?.....very little!
So looking to continue the trend from the weekend after scoring Duran Duran tickets and seeing Berlin it looks like I'll be going to NYC to catch the Human League in September,and w/ it continuing a recent pre 5th Avenue Mile gig tradition!

Originally I was going to catch the Human League here in Philly at The Keswick in Glenside on Sept 21st b4 seeing OMD the following nite at the TLA however upon checking their tour dates I discovered Phil and the girls will be in Times Square on Friday at the old Nokia Theater(Best Buy Theater now) the nite b4 this years 5th Avenue Mile.
I don't like The Keswick to be honest(1 gig in almost 24 years here bares testimony to that tit bit of information!!!)plus it's a seated venue and for the Human League I want to be able to stand and shake my arse so since I have to be in Manhattan early Saturday morning for the race why not go up to New York Friday,see the Human League and stay overnite so I can be at 5th Avenue for the race?
In 07 I saw Motorhead 2 days b4 the race,in 08 U2 2 days b4 the race and last year it was James 2 days b4 the race,I could've kept the 2 day streak alive w/ OMD but I want to be able to dance and get my groove on for Human League so a NYC road trip weekend it is...........

Still Taking My Breath Away After All These Years

''I remember the letter wrinkled in my hand, I Love You always filled my eyes,I remember the night we walked along the Seine,riding on the metro"
The Metro- Berlin

Ok since this is Kevinrunningfree not Kevin80'sfree I should talk about my run this evening,in fairness there wasn't a lot to blog about it was an 8 mile recovery run following yesterdays 5 event track pentathlon,conditions were hot w/ a decent amount of humidity in the air,for an easy run my bandanna and dri fit shirt were doused in sweat by the end of my run,I have another easy 8 miler on tap tomorrow b4 returning to the track to begin my prep for "the fall classics,5th Avenue Mile and Masters 5K Road race"on Wednesday.
I had hoped to write my report on yesterdays Track Pentathlon but I'm still waiting for the official results to do that entry justice,hopefully tomorrow.

Alright so last nite and Berlin,to put things in perspective let's go back 26 years to the summer of 85,I had known my future and sadly now ex wife Erica for a few months when she sent me a cassette of Berlin's 2 albums "Pleasure Victim" and "Love Life" and I became a fan, a year later Berlin had a worldwide #1 hit w/ "Take My Breath Away" from the soundtrack to "Top Gun" and it seemed the world was their oyster and yet somehow the original line up never put out another album and fell off the face of the earth.
Moving forward to 2005 Berlin were one of several bands featured on VH1's "Bands Reunited" where the original line ups of now disbanded groups got back together,following on from that Terri Nunn the only member who'd done anything while the band was in limbo w/ her 91 solo album ''Moment Of Truth" took the legal rights to the name Berlin and w/ that a new life for the band,comeback album "Voyeur"live album "Sacred And Profane" covers album "4Play" and cd/dvd "All The Way In",the only thing missing was a Philadelphia tour date...........

I had read that Berlin or as they are being presented Terri Nunn & Berlin were opening for Inxs but frankly Inxs w/out Michael Hutchence is like Berlin w/out Terri Nunn and frankly not worth seeing,plus they'd only play for 35/45 mins as an opening act and they weren't playing Philly only NYC and Atlantic City......lo and behold prior to my trip to Cleveland for Nationals I went on Pollstar to check upcoming Philly shows and there it was Berlin at World Cafe Live by themselves......no brainer I was going,after a 24 year hiatus since I last saw them.
I make no bones about my love for Terri Nunn as a female lead singer she's never dropped out of my top three,she has it all,looks voice,sexuality,Terri could recite the alphabet and I'd hang on every letter......so it's no surprise I was at World Cafe Live almost 2 hours b4 the show to secure a "front and center" spot in front of her microphone stand.
I've said in the past I've had several vivid dreams about Terri but like the old saying goes "reality outweighed the dreams"(but the dreams were awesome!!!!)

Opening w/ "Dancing In Berlin" and closing w/ "Masquerade" this was a tour de force of Berlin at their best,sure I was there to see Terri but Chris Olivas(Drums) Carlton Bost(Guitar) and Dave Schultz(Keyboards) made you forget that "back in the day" Berlin were a 6 piece.
I stood feet away from Terri as she sang and danced and at one point got on the shoulders of a bodyguard and walked into the crowd,when did you last see a singer do that?
At one point Terri invited a dozen fans upon the stage to dance w/ the band as she put her arm around one lucky fan the look on his face was priceless"I'm on stage w/ Terri Nunn and she's touching me"oh for a camera.
If you've ever been to World Cafe Live you'll know there are tables in front of the stage and Terri chose them as a mini stage to get closer to the audience and she stopped right in front of me,I'm standing there looking up at this goddess of a woman I've admire for years.....and she takes my hand for the remainder of the song,if I died on the way home I'd have died a HAPPY man!!!!!

Then b4 the end of the show Terri looked down at me,I know everyone say the lead singer was looking at them but I could prove it,Terri pointed at my tshirt a 1984 "Love Life" tour shirt Erica got me when she saw them at the Allentown Fair,I turned to show Terri the back BERLIN w/ Love Life Tour 84 and she smiled,only one thing could make this nite complete.
I wanted to wait after the show on the off chance I could meet Terri but it had been a long day,I'd been up since 4.30am and it was now 10.30am there was every chance Terri and the band would go straight to their van post show and that would be that.....enter my new BFF Chris Olivas.
I thanked Chris for a great show and complimented him and Carlton and Dave for their excellent musicianship anyway Chris and I got chatting for a few minutes and I asked him if he could get Terri to sign my cd booklet from her solo cd "Moment Of Truth" and Chris went backstage w/it,returning a few moments later to ask me name,when he returned my cd booklet it was signed Kevin,Thank You For Philly Love Terri Nunn.......I could've died and gone to heaven.
My parting comment to Chris was "you are truly a rock star in every sense of the word,don't be strangers coming back to Philly".
I hope it's not another 24 years b4 I see Berlin again,but if it is Terri will be 74 and probably still incredibly hot and desirable and I'll be there front and center hanging on every word.

A Little Less Iron And A Lot Less "The Man" This Year

A more detailed account of this mornings 2nd Greater Philadelphia Track Club Track Pentathlon will be forthcoming tomorrow when I have more time to do it justice,for now let me congratulate this years winner Bruce Rash for his excellent overall performance over 3,000m,200m,1,500m,100m and 400m.
For my troubles I got third and $50 which will go towards a new pair of Asics Speedstar shoes as my current pair have 375 miles on them.
Well I'm off to World Cafe Live to see Terri Nunn and Berlin......providing I don't end up in jail for a crime of passion tonite being THAT close to Terri a women I lusted after in the 80's and 90's I'll double dip tomorrow w/ the Berlin gig and the Track Pentathlon!!!

Getting My 80's Groove On

There are some advantages to being born in the early 60s,I have loose memories of the first Apollo mission in 69,my first World Cup memory was Mexico 70,my first Olympic memory was Montreal 76(I wish I'd been interested in running in 72 in Munich just have seen Pre in the 5,000m final)and because I turned 20 in 83 I have very vivid memories of the 80's and 80's music.
I make no bones about being a sucker for 80's music,a big chunk of my music collection is from that era:Altered Images,Bauhaus,Culture Club,Depeche Mode,Echo & The Bunnymen,Flock Of Seaguls,Go West,Human League,Inxs,Japan,Kraftwerk,Level 42,Marillion,New Order, OMD,Psychedlic Furs,Queen,Roxy Music,Spandau Ballet, TalkTalk,Ultravox,Visage,Waterboys,
XTC,Yazoo,ZZ Top to name but a few.

Yesterday I picked up tickets to see Berlin on Sunday at the World Cafe Live,to say I'm psyched is putting it mildly I haven't seen them since March of 87 when I still lived in London,I had the biggest crush on Terri Nunn back then and Wxpn DJ Robert Drake who hosts the excellent"Land Of The Lost" parties where he plays all 80's music is playing dee jay that nite b4 Berlin so it should be a great evening to forget any aches and pains from the mornings track pentathlon.
Tomorrow morning Duran Duran tickets go on sale,it's their 30th anniversary tour,I've been a fan since their second single "Careless Memoirs'' way back when in 81 and have seen the best thing to come out of B'ham since the M6 motorway on 9 previous occasions so I have to see them on this tour.
Of the 6 gigs I have on tap between now and mid October 5 are 80's bands,Berlin,Human League,OMD,Duran Duran and Howard Jones.

Easy 8 miler this evening to put me at 36 miles for the week,w/ the track pentathlon on tap Sunday I wanted a rest day tomorrow to begin w/ plus now w/ Duran Duran tickets going on sale it's nice to know I don't have to run.
I've enjoyed my 8 milers this week,they will be my bread and butter runs for the next few months as I aim to be back at 50 miles a week till mid November b4 switching to 10 milers and going to 60 miles a week as I head into winter.