I finished week 7 of Active’s Couch-to-5k program on Friday morning. When I arrived at the park, I was wearing my typical Adidas running shoes, some black mesh shorts, and a green moisture-wicking tank underneath my black and grey hoodie. I came out in just a tank earlier in the week and decided it was much too cold to start out that way, which is a weird enough thought to come from me in the first place, but this is why I threw on the hoodie. As the time changes, each morning when I get up to run seems to be a little bit darker, a little bit colder. I stood there Friday morning after stepping out of my car, gazing up at the waning crescent in the sky, the bright stars closing in on it from every direction and I wondered, When / how did it get so cold so quickly? I love the cold weather, though, and my spirits were lifted when I remembered that cold weather brings some of my favorite things: Halloween, Fall/Winter clothes and LAYERS. I decided to run my first mile with my hoodie on before losing it. I finished Friday at 2.61 miles. Only 2 weeks left and then we work on time. What an awesome feeling!

Less than 2 weeks until I go to my follow up doc’s appointment. I’m anxious to see what my hard work has done for me. I’ve lost 25 lbs and while I’ve not measured I’ve noticed a considerable about of inches lost around my waist, mostly by the belt notches I’ve tightened up, the way some of my hard-to-fit-in pants are now fitting, the way I can wear some shirts I used to not be able to.

Friday night I decided to debate in my mind the consequences of potential actions regarding a phone call I received by putting on The Lees of Memory’s debut record Sisyphus Says in the headphones as loud as they would go and laying in the driveway, again, gazing up at the night sky. The moon didn’t seem as bright as it was that morning but there were several clouds in the sky where there were none earlier. Planes flew back and forth, seemingly crossing over each other, neighbors drove in and out, headlights flooding my resting place every few minutes. I closed my eyes and rested for about 30 minutes or so, considering what I was hearing currently, what I’ve heard in the past, what I hope to hear in the future; thinking about who I am as a person, who I had been as a person, who I wanted to be as a person. In the end I reached zero conclusions except this album rocks and, after resting my hand on my chest feeling my heartbeat, I can tell my heart rate has gone down a LOT. I’ve not checked in a couple of weeks now but before that I noticed that my blood pressure readings were consistently low and lower than they’d ever been at that. While I’d like to lose more weight, I think I’ve got my health under control for the first time in a very long while.

I’ll end this short post with a plug for aforementioned band, The Lees Of Memory. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know and work with their guitar player, Brandon, and over the last few months he’s been able to hook me up with sneak peeks and stories behind the writing process of the album Sisyphus Says that dropped this week from SideOneDummy that has also been re-issuing vinyl releases of Brandon and bandmate John’s former band Superdrag’s 90’s freshman and sophomore releases. I picked up the vinyl release of Sisyphus on starburst which also came with a digital download code. Without going into a full-scale review I can honestly say that it’s a great experience on all mediums: cranked up full-blast on the record player, turned all the way up in the headphones playing on my phone or playing at a comfortable volume while riding in the car. These guys are infinitely talented and are worth your time for at least a listen if not a purchase. Below are shots of my record when I received it on Monday, the music video for their debut single We Are Siamese and some info on how to secure your own copy:

http://instagram.com/p/s_Diu1L2Zj

http://instagram.com/p/s_H0AVL2QN

Buy Sisyphus Says at SideOneDummy
Buy Sisyphus Says at iTunes
The Lees of Memory on Facebook
The Lees of Memory on Twitter
The Lees of Memory on BandCamp