SOUNDTRACK: PLACEBO-Running Up That Hill (2003).
Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” is a masterpiece of a song–weird and wonderful and surprisingly moving.
This Placebo cover is much darker, with the sleazy/sultry/hopeless/hopeful edge that Placebo is based around. The video is a collection of fan-submitted headshots of people singing the song, which makes it all the more moving.
I will always love the original more, but this version is pretty great as well.
[READ: December 30, 2018] Barefoot BF [Posts 1-8]
I don’t normally write about blogs. Heck I don’t normally read many blogs (I’m a print guy). I would also never be drawn to a blog about running. But this blog is different. It is about running but it is about a lot more: music, redemption, friendship, relationships and running as a way of coping with the shit you’ve done in the past. And the writing is great–suspenseful, passionate and honest.
This blog about running will have you riveted as he talks about how a run was a metaphor for dealing with the crazy family nonsense that he was coping with–and it is pretty crazy. He writes about the races that he’s run, but he writes in such a way as to make the outcome ever in doubt–running with plantar fasciitis? Running when your foot is swollen and the only conceivable relief is removing the shoe (hence the barefoot title)? Running on Cape Cod in a Nor’easter while your girlfriend is miles behind you?
It’s some pretty intense stuff.
I am friends with the author, but I feel ever so much more close to him after reading this. In fact I feel like I haven’t revealed enough of myself to him–although he hasn’t asked me to, either, which I also pretty nice.
I met Armando at a Phish concert in Camden. I’m usually not all that social at concerts. I will sometimes chat to people if I’m in the mood, but I often don’t. For this show, we were both there stupid early and he was on the lawn, like me. He had grabbed a spot by the rail and I didn’t want to just push my way into the empty spot so we chatted for a bit and he welcomed me to share the railing.
Over the course of the night we had a great chat. I found out he is a teacher and a runner.–I am a librarian and former runner. He’s also not a substance using guy–not as rare as you might think at Phish shows, there’s a group of straight-edge types called the Phellowship–but not the type of person I’ve ever run into before at a show. But what impressed me most was that he realized during the set break that he couldn’t find his room key. It wasn’t on his person and wasn’t anywhere around us. During the break he went to lost and found and called home but it was not recovered. But instead of freaking out he managed to chill out, enjoy the second set of the show and then worry about it afterwards. There was nothing he could do at the moment anyhow. (He did find it later by his car). That calm was nice to see in a time when everyone seems to be freaked out.
At the second show in Camden, I was in a bad mood when I arrived (parking and traffic nightmare, and realizing I don’t really know where to stand on the lawn by myself), but I happened upon Armando and his mom and they invited me over to hang with them. And a friendship was born.
At the time he told me he wasn’t on social media, which I was surprised by. But then a few months later he popped up with this blog.
And he began with his upbringing. How he was taught to work hard but also:
At the same time, I was told I was a special, unique snowflake destined for greatness…. I think one part of the struggle in life is the moment you realize that none of us are special, and we have an equal chance at failure as we do at success…. despite what everyone in my family may think and say, I am not special. I am completely unspectacular and average in every way.
As are we all. Although some of us can rise above the unspectacular–and that’s what Barefoot BF is all about. It’s not even about being the best runner in the race:
I don’t want to win races, because I know I never will. I just want to be the person who never walks, who never quits. Distance is just a number.
But perhaps the most compelling moment comes in the second post where he tells us all that the reason he got into running this time around was because of Bojack Horseman. The reason he continues running is far more complicated but it is aided by the music of Tool, The National, Pearl Jam, and Phish, a soundtrack that is diverse as it is exultant. And the picture of him and Matt Berninger of the National is pretty awesome, and not what you might expect.
The blog (thus far) covers a fairly short period of time (as well as most of his life) that he has been running–from his first half-marathon in 2016 to his 2018 Half Marathon/Marathon Combination run. Future posts will cover the future, including his stint blogging for the Dick’s Marathon in Pittsburgh.
I said the blog doesn’t really cover technique, but that’s not exactly true. Chapter 7 talks about the foolish mistakes he made while starting to run–pushing himself too fast too soon as well as poor recovery techniques. He also talks about techniques that (for him) were successful. I have been wanting to get back into running for a while, but I find that I injure myself quite often. His suggestion about footwear and rethinking your stride were really intriguing.
So much so that on New Year’s Day I decided to go for a 1/4 mile run. By using his suggested technique, I easily did 1/2 a mile with no ill-effects and could have done more. But I also knew not to overdo it (which I knew from my own experience, not his wisdom). I’ve no intention of running a marathon or a half marathon. But I do hope to run a 5K for my birthday.
I also went to the Phish New Year’s Eve Eve show with Armando and “the girlfriend” as she is known in the blog. I had a great night. The show was great and the company was excellent.
So read his blog. Enjoy his musings on music. Enjoy his take on running. And you may even get inspired to run yourself.
Half mile and could’ve done more??? You’re gonna kill the 5K.
This was awesome man, I’m truly touched. Looking forward to your review of the 12/30 show!
Surprise!
I’m so far behind on shows and other posts right now, but I may go in reverse to get the 12/30 show while it’s fresh.
I felt really good after the 1/2 mile! Can’t wait for the shoes to come in.