Fitter, Happier, More Productive

Working And Cycling

2012-02-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

Working at NB has been fantastic. The team creates an atmosphere that (for better or worse) encourages an early start and a late check out. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how to maximize my ability to get in the training around work and travel. Writing this email I find myself on a flight back from Colorado. A few jogs hit the spot but I haven’t been on the bike since Monday. Based on most of the conversations I’ve had, the guys I’ll be racing this year are putting in 15 – 20 hours a week on the bike. I’m doing well if I get in 12 on a normal week and maybe 8 on a travel week. In this regard, running is much more convenient so I try to do as much as I can while keeping my knees somewhat healthy. But its not enough and its not really going to build fitness. Once the Spring kicks in the early morning rides outside will be much more tolerable. To this end I should point out that I am not a morning person – given the fact that I have issues falling asleep – and struggle to get up at 5:30 to do 2+ hours before work. Some people can, and I may come across as soft, but its not that important to me and I’d rather get the sleep and do less. The trainer as much as I hate it has been my friend around the long hours and I’ve decided the best way to train is to go hard for an hour to 1.5 hours with no real structure and on the weekends get out for 2 days of volume. It should work but I imagine I’ll struggle early season in the longer races. Either that or I’ll surprise myself and feel fresh. I spoke with Jason Donald, former Garmin-Chipotle rider, while on my market trip around Denver. Great bloke. He gave me a ton of advice and I’m going to keep in touch. He reckons getting in some running and keeping fresh is fine. Sometimes we absorb what we want to hear. Often I search for the advice I want to hear! Many riders have told me to get up and do long sessions on the trainer, or do double days on the trainer. But Jason told me exactly what I want to hear, emphasize recovery and sleep, do some running and get out on the bike when ever I can. He also told me to use power to get the most out of short training sessions so this is what I’ll do.

Last weekend was the annual Arc-En-Ciel LBL ride and about 30 blokes and 1 female showed up. The weather was fantastic and I felt great. After a bad start, 2 punctures in the first 5 miles, I got rolling and never felt tired, not at least until the end when myself, Amos Brumble, and Mark McCormack broke away and hammered along in a rotating paceline for the last 8-10 miles. The cross winds made it tough but I was never really in trouble and it seems Amos and Mark were on equal levels of fatigue as I was. We maintained a hard pace for 20 minutes and then cruised in the last 2 miles. Good training and a nice confidence booster.

This weekend is the NB Indoor Games in Boston so I have some work on but I’ll try to get out early on Saturday and Sunday with Skip Foley and his crew. Sacrificing my weekend nights out on the sauce is actually quite easy these days. It might mean I am getting old and mature, but I doubt that to be the case. I think I’m just getting more caught up in the biking game.

Peace and Love

Kel

New Dawn

2012-01-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday I started a new Job with New Balance and immediately jumped on a train to head to NYC for a Marketing Campaign launch that was happening. It didn't really feel like I was starting a new job because it was all so familiar except I was really happy. Not that I hated Reebok or anything, I just lost all passion for the brand and working there. The friends will last forever but going into work and feeling like I was completely different from almost everyone was a real struggle. Reebok has hedged the core of its positioning on the current fitness craze - CrossFit. It makes sense for the brand to carve out a new direction, it certainly wasn't working in the running space and seeing how passionate the company is for this "sport of fitness"it makes sense they get after it in a big way. The issue is that I don't like CrossFit. People working out is great and I've seen friends transform themselves by getting involved. But I've see a lot more people transformed by going for a jog or riding a bike. CrossFit preaches a philosophy that is based on short intense exercise routines that change everyday. They believe Routine and Aerobic exercise a major problem. They also preach a Paelo Diet is the way we should eat. Basically lots of lofty claims. I once asked a CrossFit instructor if he considered Lance Armstrong or Paula Radcliffe to be Fit people. He never heard of Paula and he said that Lance is not generally fit, he is good at riding a bike. It was after this conversation that I concluded the program is like a cult. You may be fit but your nothing if your not CrossFit. Going to work became painful because I'd feel like an outsider going for a Jog at lunch time. I was asked every day why I didn't do CrossFit and if you didn't do it there was definitely a feeling of being left out. I loved the people I worked with but thats not enough. You have to believe in what you do when you get up. I have always applied this philosophy to my sport and I used to apply it to work until it was sucked out of me. I love that friends of mine have bought into CrossFit and now they feel really healthy and years younger. But I don't love that CrossFit tells me I'm not Fit. I believe I was the fittest person in Reebok. I imagine my V02 max is higher than everyone in the building and on a stress test of endurance I imagine no one would come close - but I can't do 10 pull ups nor can I do a standing handstand push up. Why in the world would I want to? I race a bike, I need to train for racing a bike, not for dealing with an unfortunate situation I may find myself in that requires me to do a handstand.

I decided I needed to leave and let someone who was passionate about Reebok and CrossFit to take over. I still meet my buddies Thommo, Bryan, and Ben for pints once a week - along with some assorted Reebok crew that come along. My mates know and respect my position. Without blowing my own horn I felt I did the admirable thing. I could still be at Reebok, faking it, taking home a paycheck and laughing but thats not me. I want to live and breath my Job in a healthy way. I believe that at New Balance I'll be able to do that.

When I graduated I signed a small but very meaningful contract with NB. They stood by me through all the injuries - believing that I'd come good. In the end like I did with Reebok I told John Evans that I couldn't be on contract anymore. I needed to move on with my life and the few dollars I was getting would be better off with a new up and comer who needed support. I wanted a Job and in 2006 I started with Reebok. Leaving the world of professional running wasn't hard but leaving NB was. I missed the brand and always wished it well on my travels with Reebok. Now to be back in the NB is really uplifting. I don't believe in fate but this comes close to whatever that word means.

My new boss Josh is fantastic and my co-workers Patrick and Ali have youthful exuberance and energy that makes me feel old! And they are dialed in. Patrick has a big future ahead of him given the breath of ideas and boundless desire to make them come to life. Being in NYC was inspiring. We hosted the launch of our British Milers program, a 12 week TV show in the UK that will follow 7 of our athletes as they chase one of the 3 spots on the Olympic team for London. I used to think I was inspired by the big Marketing presentations at Reebok - and some of them were really inspiring - but by Monday morning reality would kick in. Running is not a priority. At NB the talk of trying to be the best running brand on the planet is real. Full teams dedicated to this goal with a relentless passion to achieve it. Walking in to meet retailers was such an eye opener. They love what we are doing and the product is cranking. Tom Carleo must be the best footwear guy in the business and he is the captain of our ship. Thats what gets me fired up in the morning to go to work. It will be a big year ahead. Very busy and challenging for sure but all in the ways that challenging is great. I am diving in and not looking back. My two previous bosses are at NB too along with a former co-worker and now we are all peers committed to this team and committed to being number one. Exactly the way work should be.

Another highlight of the weekend was some good music talk with Harry Norton. I was pretty down about not riding my bike but now I get to look forward to trainer sessions with new bands to listen to. Harry is into similar music to me so he gave me some suggestions of older bands I might like - Built To Spill and The Microphones. I have heard of them but never gave them a shake so I'll delve into their work this week and report back.

OK thats the buzz. Peace and Love,

Kel

PS - I really miss this guy and need to hear something from him soon.

Learning How To Walk....again

2012-01-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

Its almost one year since I purchased my USAC License. This time last year I was under the knife, getting my final knee surgery. Dr. Brian McKeon telling me, "look, there is really not much left to do other than manage the pain. This means not running so much. If you treat your knees well you'll be fine but if you keep pounding there's few options. Microfracture, O.A.T.S, but you really don't want to deal with those surgeries at this stage". He was right, at 33 why would I choose an evasive surgery to help one of my knees when the other knee was also bad, not to mention the many other problems I have in my hips and back. That was the day I became a jogger and a cyclist.

A guy like me never stops dreaming and deep down I still fantasized about a miraculous cure. One day I'd go for a run and everything would be normal. I wouldn't have to sit on a one inch wide, carbon fiber saddle anymore. I'd get on my shoes and run, thats what I love, thats what I'm good at. And I thought about it all the time - still do. Standing at a show watching one of my beloved bands I would drift into dreaming about running the Boston Marathon. Like an addiction, I had to come to terms that I needed to let go and move on to something that was better for me. And that "better" is cycling.

This morning I renewed my membership and I face a season of racing at the highest level in New England. Not where I was running but who wants to go back to that, living race to race, stressing about everything because the sport is the job. That ship has sailed. Cat. 1 racing at the Amateur level is perfect. On Monday, after a hard race, I want to go to work. With that said it is still bizarre to face this season. After nearly a year of racing I still feel like a blow in. I know everything about running. I can debate with any coach/athlete and be completely dialed in. But with cycling every ride I learn something new. While the rest of my life is still going through a process - visas/job issues - cycling is the only thing I have control over so I'm reading, and learning as much as I can. Do I get a coach, buy a powermeter, get a professional fit etc. All questions I've been researching. My own team mates talk in Watts, the way we would talk about pace in running. You run your 8 mile threshold runs at about 5 min mile pace is now you ride 40 minutes at 300 Watts. I have NO IDEA what watts are about because I don't own a power meter and I really don't know if I want one.

My coach Ray Treacy is old skool. If he was a cycling coach he would have the attitude of Sean Kelly. Its about getting the work done without any bells and whistles. When I lived with Steve Jones it was the same. He firmly believed that too many athletes spend their energy thinking about the micro details rather than just getting out, putting in hard work, and resting. And now I find myself at a cross roads. Do I continue to ride like I did last year, 4 hours one week, 10 hours the next week, intervals because I feel like it or 3 days off because I have a pain in my arse from sitting on the saddle. OR do I develop a training program, get the power meter, get tested, and work on hard data. Its a tough one because cycling is very different to running. Not nearly as black and white. Its in between running and formula 1 racing. Like running it requires fitness, ability to suffer, sacrifice, bravery. But then there is the machine, the wheels, the position, and the power. I fear that if I don't learn these basics I'll lose races. Talent can get you through the early categories but now its the real deal. Guys that have been racing for years with legs carved out of stone. My feeble ass won't be able to match their power unless I train. I need to learn how to ride with stabilizers again.

Fortunately I am surrounded by great people willing to share advice. The great riders at Arc-En-Ciel like Dave Kellogg, all my new teammates at Upton Bass Racing, or the guys I will ride with up here in Boston. Ciaran Mangan, and lately Skip Foley. Guys that have been around the block. This past Sunday I went for a ride with Skip, Peter Sullivan, and a former European Pro Justin Spinelli. Lots of information to be gathered. These rides are like going back to school, at 34! And like a sponge I absorb all the tidbits of wisdom.

We rode some hills up in New Hampshire. At a regrouping after a climb we found ourselves stopped in front of this church. Literally in the middle of nowhere this white chapel and a small house next door. Who goes here? Its part of the charm of New England, something much of us don't appreciate. What we did appreciate was at break after a 3km climb. Skip and Peter looking very "tranquilo" while we regroup. Justin is an interesting bloke. He rode for Farm Frites and Seaco when he was 20. With a lot of bravado around the cycling scene it was refreshing to hear that a former Giro D'Italia rider lives a few miles away and doesn't carry any arrogance. I enjoyed hearing stories about Mario Chipollini.

Yesterday was another 3 hours. Trying to take advantage of the free time and the great weather. I felt amazing. Missing a few days due to a head cold seems to have given me extra energy stores. My only concern now is that I am getting too fit too soon......

Radiohead are headlining the Saturday night at Coachella. I welcomed a text from a buddy last night suggesting we go. There is no doubt that I want to attend this festival but it seems like a hassle. If I go any year though, this is the one. The line up is excellent and the first weekend would work really well. Lots of bands I want to see in addition to Radiohead. Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Buzzcocks, Pulp, Feist, Modeselektor....... Might have to make this one happen.

Meanwhile I just downloaded Memory Tapes - Piano Player. The record is not a patch on Seek Magic but still decent. I was moved to get the album when Stereogum posted the video to Trance Sisters. Lovely tune and on heavy rotation in Brookline this morning.

Peace and Love,
Kel

Memory Tapes 'Trance Sisters' from Ooh Brilliant on Vimeo.

Trainer Rides and Head Colds

2012-01-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

No one likes being sick, especially not me. I've been known to revert to child like behavior with the first itchy throat or stuffy head. It really annoys me because I did 2 trainer sessions this week thus avoiding the freezing temps. Yesterday I rode 3 hours but it was mid 30's, tropical when compared to the previous days. Last night I decided to reward a good week on the eve of an easy day with some scoops down in Providence. I met Joe at Julians for a Blackbean Veggie burger and some IPA.

I knew the cold was in the post but hopefully I can be a baby today, drink lots of fluid (after I get through my customary 2 mugs of black gold this morning) and nip it before tomorrow so I can ride in what is looking like a beautiful day. The trainer rides are going to be very effective for me. Last year I just hammered on the trainer when I felt like it but at the advice of one of my teammates this year I'll do structured heart rate trainer sessions. Without a powermeter, HR is the next best thing. The sessions at this time of year are structured around longer reps and sub threshold HR. On tuesday I did 4 x 10 minutes at 175-80 HR or about 85% of Max. On Wednesday I did big gear work with 3 x 15 minutes at 75-80 RPM, holding a HR at 80% or a little higher of Max. The HR graph can be seen on Strava
3 X 15 minutes big gear work
4X 10 minutes sub threshold

Strava is basically an online training diary with a bunch of add-on features such as maps and average speed/cadence/power etc. You can also compare sections of your ride with all those who have previously ridden those sections and who use Strava. In fact there are guys and gals who seem to want KOM strava status to the point that they seek out popular Strava routes and hammer the sections! I think its a great program and I'll continue to post my training on there.

I listened to PJ Harvey - Let England Shake on my ride yesterday. It is certainly one of the best albums of 2011. Easily in my top 5. I haven't played it in a while but yesterday I went through it twice. I haven't read too many year end lists but I assume this record ranked pretty high on most. There are no bad songs on it. Its certainly a political album. The Guardian described it like so, "an opaque exploration of Englishness delivered in a high, keening voice, that contains not one, not two, but three harrowing songs that explicitly reference the 1915 Gallipoli campaign and a further handful that seem more generally informed by the carnage of the first world war – represents one of the more approachable albums in her oeuvre."
All that aside, the record is full of great songs and melody. Like all great artists PJ Harvey didn't make another PJ Harvey record. She explored a new sound and took on a new challenge with this record. No big fanfair, no promotion, just a fluid and very infectious album. Essential listening. I remember the first time I saw PJ Harvey in concert and I was amazed by the power of her voice given her petit size against the back drop of a massive main stage at the Oxegen festival in Ireland. I was with my friends Grogee and Julie. We danced and sang along even though we didn't know the words. Great times.

Peace and Love,
Kel

New Year

2012-01-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everybody. We are still the same muppit show as we were yesterday. It doesn't take January 1st to make a change. It takes waking up every morning and smashing the day. The Rapha500 got me on my bike so my Redemption, thus Resolution, started on Dec 23. I woke up and decided to get on the saddle again. The week was great. I finished off with a nice 145KM ride on the 31st. It gave me 680 or so k's in 8 rides. The most I've ever done. My goal of 500 miles (800KM) was very attainable but a scratchy throat and not wanting to get sick forced me to take a day off and a day on the trainer. I completely agree that trainer rides shouldn't count so I didn't even think about it.

On New Years eve we rode from Natick, a group ride in the cold and rain. One gnarly day that was awesome. Myself, Ernie T, Aidan Charles, Skip Foley, Tyler Monroe joined Ciaran Mangan for his annual year end ride. We took it steady until the last 30km when Ernie, Skip, and I started a paceline that for me was close to race effort. Hard pulls followed by short recovery into a mild but very cold headwind was enough to leave the three of us feeling pretty wiped. Getting back to my car was a lovely feeling as was the chocolate milk (recovery drink of the year) and americano that waited for me at the corner coffee shop in Natick center.

Right after the ride I jumped in my car and headed north to Burlington to meet Frankie for the New Year. We had food and drink with friends at Flatbread in downtown and I lashed back some excellent IPA. Great conversation, music, and laughs made us forget it was actually New Years eve and when some random people started shouting we decided to join in for about 30 seconds before going back to good chats. Like I said, new years day is just another day but good times are embraced when ever they happen. It was good times that I was celebrating.

Back to Boston yesterday and back at it today. Last couple of days were running, not much, just a few miles and today was my first ride since the epic Saturday morning hammer fest. The bitter cold of this morning made my trainer look ever so special and since I had a workout to do I decided to jump on it and executed the reps. The trainer is actually better in many ways when it comes time to do specific work. I live in the city and dealing with traffic and lights, stop signs and merging lanes makes long reps difficult at the best of times. Add in ice and 18 degree temps and the workout suddenly becomes a torrid affair. I did 4 x 10 minutes at LT (or what I think is LT since I don't use power nor have I been tested on the bike) My running values must be the same so I used those. It was a great session and a few days off the bike has left me fresh.

After watching Liverpool getting thumped at Man City I needed to go for a run, so this afternoon I hit the pavement for 4 miles, stopping at Chipotle at the end. My burrito felt like a 10lb bar bell, which is why I love that place.

I am still working on some tunes of the year for 2011. There won't be a top 10 album list because like I said many times, it wasn't a great year for me as far as music goes. And now that I have a laid back week I can get through my iTunes library and start to pick my highlights.

Mojo magazine released a compilation of New Order covers from the seminal 1993 album Power, Corruption, & Lies. I listened to Destroyer take on 'Leave Me Alone', one of my favorite tracks on the album. I can't wait to hear the rest of it. Some people hate these kinds of cover albums but I love them. Listening to different artists takes on some of my favorite songs is always joyful.

Peace and Love
Kel

Rapha 500 Day 5 - Redemption and Recovery

2011-12-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning my quads hurt and my ass didn't allow me comfort when standing. These feelings were not expected but not surprising considering I've done 5 good days of riding and even some jogging mixed with a lot of IPA and not a lot of real recovery. This morning I decided to go for a light 3 mile jog. Its such a tease, a 3 mile jog, around the block. Nothing really. Barely breaking a sweat. Maybe 7:30 pace, maybe quicker. Spending my entire life running has warped my perception to the point of no return. I accept 3-5 miles is all I can run now but its not training. It will never be part of the conversation. Just something that gets done in between bike rides. But it won't be insignificant either. I read somewhere that running will kill bike riding ability. It will slow you down is what I read. Where it came from I can't remember but I'm sure I can find it. Most likely its true, no arguments here, my lack of understanding with regard to cycling and the training that fuels it doesn't allow me an educated opinion. However, I did OK on the bike in my first year racing and I ran every opportunity I could. A sneaky 5 miler here or there. The only time it hurt me was when I raced that 5 miler in South Boston on a ridiculously hot and humid night with loads of wind. I raced Tour Of The Hilltowns the next day and was wrecked. Lesson learned on that one, no racing before bike races, or ever for that matter. Running however is something I'll never stop. My love of the sport and the endeavor transcends my love of bike racing and fuels my desire to be great at bike racing. They are not exclusive, rather very much intertwined.

With the sore legs and the light jog in the AM I resigned myself to a day off. It lasted until after lunch when an easy recovery ride in the rain became very appealing. Rapha 500 is for sure getting me out. I don't want to miss a day! So into the elements I went for an easy 60km loop. No water, no food, no breaks. Just a quick 2 hour jaunt around familiar roads and some miles in the bank. Motivation was high because I was meeting Kevin Adams for a beer at the Publick House. That turned into several beers and great conversation. Torpedo Extra IPA was my tipple of choice. Never had it before, will have it again. The music, as per usual was excellent. Lots of The Smiths, New Order, and one song by The Church I haven't heard in ages. Made me feel great. Thats the song of this very good day.

Peace and Love,
Kel

Rapha 500 Day 4 The Day After Christmas

2011-12-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

Wiiiindy day today. Give me the bitter cold of the last 3 mornings over what felt like a heatwave - 37F and a 25 mph wind. Riding solo everyday is tough. Running solo, easy, but riding for 3 hours and listening to the iPod is getting old. On New Years Eve my buddy Ciaran Mangan is organizing a ride over about 80 miles of rolling hills and there should be 10+ riders going. Needless to say I'm thoroughly looking forward to this one, and in the meantime its base miles by myself.

My legs felt trashed today. Even though I haven't done much training relative to those I'll race, for me 4 days in a row over 50 miles is uncommon. I wanted to get another 50 miles in today which will keep me on track for my Rapha500 challenge (even if I cheated to make it harder by introducing miles instead of km's). I doubt I'll do 500 miles but I know I'll eclipse 500km. Anyway, my glutes were hurting as I rode up Beacon street, past BC. But then, strangely, the soreness subsided and my Garmin told me that my pace was pretty snappy. And I was going into the wind, kind of. Super compensation? Maybe, I don't really know anything about cycling training but I knew my recovery day was probably gonna be more of a workout.. The wind really pissed me off though. I am not exactly aero on the bike so every gust was sending me sideways with spit coming out each side of my mouth. Then, a sharp turn in Weston and bliss. Tailwind for the next 30km. It was great. Barely putting out watts and flying along. I forgot to drink water and after 1:45 a savage thirst enveloped me. One area of improvement for 2012 is on bike nutrition. I honestly think that the frozen bottles of the last 3 days made me forget. Either way, the water was in liquid state but didn't prepare me for the next turn back into the wind. The last 20 or so km's I was riding at 15mph. On certain stretches (mapped out on Strava) I was minutes slower than usual. With all that said, I felt great. When I did finally arrive home after 82km I really wanted to do more but its either into the city which is not happening or back out into the headwind. A cup of coffee and left overs from Christmas day seemed a better option.

The Rapha500 continues to get me out the door. Its such a great concept that everyone can do. Most decent level riders cover the distance every week of the year but for an amateur like myself its enough to give me motivation through Christmas week when food, beer, and movies seem more appropriate. It is also getting me in the habit of consistently riding 2.5 hrs or more every day. In order to race Cat.1 in 2012 I'll need this volume and the will power to say NO to the trainer when its freezing outside. Additional motivation in the form of a good beer reward is always positive.

I met Tom McArdle and Tom Coogan, aka Thatcher Street Velo (even if I'm the only one riding much these days). We discussed my favorite topic, athletics. I could have stayed at the Beacon Street Tavern all night but the working stiffs I hang out with needing to prioritize we pulled the plug after a few pints of 60 minute IPA and headed home. Bedways is bestways. The bartender had a nice mix on the sound system. I've never been a huge fan of The Shout Out Louds but tonight I heard a song that was very Cure-esque. A lovely tune started playing and using Shazam to quench my musical thirst it told me the song was 'Normandie' by these guys. It could have been Robert Smith and it would have been perfectly natural. So thats my tune of the day.

Peace and Love
Kel

Rapha 500 Day 3 Christmas Day

2011-12-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Another cold one this morning. It was about 26F with some light flurries when I got out at 10am. Despite the cold it was one of the most enjoyable rides I've done in a long time. The roads were very quiet which I expected on Christmas day but there were a lot of people out exercising and everyone acknowledged each others efforts. A nod of the head, a smile, and even a "merry christmas" which I couldn't hear because I had tunes in my ear. I headed out to Carlisle/Chelmsford area. My ride is on Strava. With such quiet roads even the drivers that usually act like your not there passed with plenty of space and often slowed down. Christmas spirit? It should be like this everyday. My water bottles froze again which is a pain in the arse. Fortunately there was a service station open right after the half way point in the ride and I was able to grab a drink and a clif bar. Half a bottle for a 117km ride is not enough so I reckon there will be some insulated bottles purchased from Providence Bike in the next few days.

I have a Zipp 404 wheel on the back because I punctured as soon as I took my bike out. With some snow looking like it was about to fall (you can't see but it but there were flurries) I opted to just stick on my racing wheel and deal with the tube change later. The ride was steady and it felt great. Just shy of 4 hours and another chunk of the Rapha500 done. Upon arrival back to my flat I rewarded myself with the finest of IPA, my favorite Dogfish Head 90 Minute. The first bottle went straight to my head given the lack of water throughout the ride.

So tomorrow is a recovery day. From now on Mondays will be a short ride or even off. Once my fitness comes round and my legs get a little stronger I will be looking to clear 210-220km every weekend. Not much for a serious rider but a lot for me. I can't foresee (with the exception of maybe a training camp) weekends of 250 - 300km which many of the Cat.1 racers I'll be competing against routinely do. Social life is important to me and I will always reward myself with a night out on the weekend.

Took out an older playlist for the ride. One I made for indoor sessions last February after my knee surgery. It really confirmed how much better 2010 was for music in my opinion. Tracks by Mew, LCD Soundsystem, Crystal Castles, Twin Shadow, Wolf Parade, Interpol, Four Tet. I played the list through twice and loved hearing the songs again. Tonight I am putting together or at least attempting to, my favorite music from 2011. One thing I am certain of, "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People (a song I thought was catchy and enjoyable when it first came out) was completely ruined by the radio and its become perhaps the most annoying song of 2011.

One tune I did love and dropped onto my compilation this morning was Jai Paul - 'BTSTU'. Thom Yorke played this slab of plastic magic on his Radio 1 mix when he took over the turntables of Giles Peterson. Wonderful tune.

Peace and Love
Kel

Rapha 500 Day 2 Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T20:09:00.000-08:00

Got in 85k today and it was rough. The plan from the outset was 100k minimum but it was Freezing. I started out at 20F and ended at 25F. Once I warmed up I was fine and the cold really didn't bother me, except for my toes. But it froze my water bottles. The first one I was drinking from was slush after 45 minutes and I couldn't really get much out. After 90 minutes my second bottle was an ice cube. So 2.5 hrs in I knew I had to make my way home because I was very thirsty and starting to feel a bit of a bonk coming on. I got maybe half a bottle in and for a 53 mile ride thats not enough at all.

Right now I should be sleeping in my bed in Drogheda. I am not a big Christmas guy and the older I get the more I drift away but I do love going home and seeing the mates during the holiday. Ireland really embraces Christmas week and it turns into almost a one week national holiday. Everyone is in great form and the banter is first class. I really miss my friends during these times. Frankie is up in Canada and I can't go up there either. My visa status is changing which eliminates my ability to travel. I spent the night with at my friends place in Newton and it was great. I had a real moment of nostalgia watching all the kids buzzing about going to sleep tonight and anticipating the arrival of Santa and the riches he brings! But I also think about the NPR piece I listened to last year about the thousands of kids who don't get a visit from Santa and they don't know why. Really sad. At Dave and Sarahs I drank Creemore Canadian Larger. Good tack.

Tomorrow is supposed to achieve temps in the high 30's which will feel like a heatwave compared to this morning. I want to get in 120km if all goes well. I switched up the iPod with some new tunes. Cruising through the year end lists is just confirming my feelings that 2011 was a below average year for music. Some of the blogs I really respect have maybe one album in the top 10 that I loved - PJ Harveys - Let England Shake. Otherwise its either stuff I thought was boring or hip hop that I don't know about. On my ride this morning I was thinking about this and it would be easier for me to compile 10 albums I listened too and wished I hadn't. For example, Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding. What a complete waste of time, and I'm afraid I had so many of those moments. A list of some kind will be produced but already 2012 is looking much better. I never thought I'd say that given Radiohead put out a record this year but its how I feel. Also, with feeling a little home sick I chose a tune that is in my top 10 all time and one that is speaking my language while I sip my 90 minute IPA.

Peace and Love
Kel

Rapha 500

2011-12-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

I am back on the blog starting now. I had a few attempts but no real heart or reason to blog. Had nothing to say that was of any interest to me or anyone else. But now that I am committed to bike riding and racing again for 2012 I think it will be good to blog about training and racing and the music that fuels it.

I started winter base training about 2 weeks ago and its been moving along slowly. I am terribly unfit and looking for motivation I stumbled on the Rapha 500 challenge. Its not too difficult really, 500km in 8 days, but considering its on during the holidays, typically a time of bad weather and snow, the challenge can be great. Luckily the weather has been very mild and it doesn't look like its really going to get bad over the next week so riding the bike outside isn't difficult at all. On the flip side, I do hope for one or two gnarly days of snow just to make it feel like more of an accomplishment. 500km in 8 days while pretty straightforward is still more than I have ever done in that time period and it is something I hope to maintain over the next 3 months.

Today I rode a steady 84km loop. There were a few nice climbs and it is one of my favorite loops in Rhode Island. I really should've done more because the weather was great and it would have been nice to get some miles in the bank but I was hungry and my one water bottle was empty. I visited White Electric for fuel afterwards. Yes, I was actually wearing a Rapha cap. I wear it all the time! I also got a Christmas gift from my mate Joe Savic at Providence Bike, a book called The Jersey Project. Its epic.

So tomorrow I will hit up 100 or so km's. I really want to ride every day between now and New Years so I can bring some fitness into 2012 and the start of the real winter base training, with workouts and everything. I have a new bike team I'm racing for in 2012 and the lads on their are tough and already logging the hard miles. Out team is called Upton Bass Racing and I will post more about it soon.

The music in 2011 has been average in my opinion. Let down by so many albums its been the worst year for music since I started the blog. There were some highlights for sure, really great tracks and records but compared to last year where my top 10 albums could change on any day/mood it is tough to even compile 10 albums that I really loved. All that is ahead too. For now its IPA in the form of DogFish Head 90 minutes and some music. Frankie sent me a record by a Canadian new wave group - Austra. They are a three piece electopop group out of Toronto with Katie Stelmanis on vocals. The album has a bit of a Metric feel and even hints of Fever Ray, not just because of the female vocal either. You could put Natasha Kahn or Zola Jesus in the same genre - you get the picture. I've been listening to the album on rotation over the last few days and its really satisfying.

Peace and Love,
Kel

Ninigrit Training Crit

2011-05-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

If this is a Training Crit for everyone else, fine. For me it was a race (and generally I think this was the case for most of the field) The positives of it being labeled a training race is the casual warm up, the friendly nature of the pack, and perhaps the controlled risk taking, particularly around bends. It was my first criterium and I was nervous. Not unlike the first time I raced cyclocross I had the feeling that I would be terrible and most likely cause a crash or disrupt the race with poor bike handling. That wasn’t the case at all. I was super comfortable in the pack, cornering with ease, and taking long and what I thought were very aggressive pulls at the front, particularly into the wind. A group of 3 broke away and I was in the chase group with many Arc-En-Ciel team mates. We chased hard but couldn’t bridge. I tried a few times myself but the effort was too much so I’d settle back into the pack. With 3 laps to go another guy broke and tried to bridge over, I caught his wheel after an all out effort but neither of us had the steam to continue the attack. In no mans land we tried to hold off the chasing pack and survived until about 50m before the line when 2 or 3 guys passed us. The race was a huge effort and I really enjoyed it. Like after a hard 5km on the track my stomach was knotted and I had lactate swimming throughout my body. This is a very blissful feeling but not being able to enjoy a beer after, not so much. Next week I am going to sit in a little bit more and take shorter pulls at the front. Learning the tactics and all that lark. It’s a great event to break up the week and it certainly replaces a solo interval session.

I’ve been living in Boston for 2 months now and only been to one show? Not great eh? (little Canadian there for my friends up north) I will be making this whole situation right soon but theres just not much happening. Frankie will come down for Moonface and before that a couple of gigs perk my interest. I would have liked to see White Lies but work commitments prevented that. Bell X1 is most likely the next gig I’ll attend and that’s in 10 days time. Explosions In The Sky announced a Fall tour and I’ll certainly be attending that gig. They play the Orpheum in October and it’ll be fantastic.

Weezer is one of the last acts I'd expect to cover a Radiohead classic like Paranoid Android but they did. Being the purist I am, expectations were pretty grim, but I must admit they did a pretty good job. Staying very true to the original Rivers vocal delivery is spot on. He doesn't try and sound like Thom Yorke (impossible) rather he clearly sings a song he loves and does it justice. Check it out.

Love Kel

Lake Sunapee RR

2011-05-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday of last week, still mulling over the race at Wayne Elliot I decided to contact USA Cycling and upgrade to Cat. 4. I had the win at Battenkill and leading the race last week showed me that I am strong enough to be a 4. It was approved and I entered the Lake Sunapee RR as a 4. Joe Savic and I traveled up the night before and given the stories of other people leaving at 5:30am I'm glad we did. The course was 2 laps around Lake Sunapee with some nice climbs. Certainly more up my ally in terms of course profile. The distance was 46 miles which is ok, I prefer longer. Learning my lessons from last week I opted to hide in the pack and feel out the first loop. After the two back to back hills on the opposite side of lake Sunapee I was pretty confident that I would win. Guys were pushing at the front and other guys were struggling while my HR was low and I was perfectly relaxed. Patience is not one of my virtues so it took a strong effort to focus on staying in the pack until the next time we hit these two hills. The pace was dropping all the time and I was getting very restless. Finally, after what seemed like eternity we arrived back around to the hills. The first kick is 11 miles out from the finish, I went hard and broke clear. Surprised that no one came with me the hammer went down and I pushed all out for home. By the second climb I looked back and I could see no one. I chased the lead car to the finish and won by 1:07 shutting down the last 1km. Bottomline is that when it comes to hilly courses I can compete with the cat 3 racers so I need to get myself in that group. Soon enough.

Other exceptional news this week includes the announcement of a Moonface tour. Frankie and I will be going to many of these gigs and I am certainly going back to Montreal to IL Motore for more good times. I imagine the show will be improved (not that it needs to be) and hopefully extended. Spencer gave us a tune to mull over. It was the second last track on the night I saw him and it was the song that Camilla joined him of stage for. He is releasing his album titled Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped (Great title I think) on August 2nd. Its 5 tracks and comes in at 37 minutes. More of an EP. The tune below is called Fast Peter and is beautiful.

Peace and Love,

Kel

Bike Racing

2011-05-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning I participated in a bike race up in Merrimac, MA. If Battenkill was a 10 in terms of course and performance, the Wayne Elliot Circuit Race was about a 3. The trip back from Montreal was pretty smooth and I thought things were feeling great. I mean, the buzz and energy from the show would surely propel me around the course to an inevitable victory in the cat. 5 race. Well that was not the case at all. The loop was 6.2 miles and we had 4 laps which is essentially an all out effort. There were no real climbs to break things up, just some bumps that even the most novice of climber can handle in a slipstream. I sat in for 3 miles and the pace was slower than training so I figured I'd hit the front, hammer and drop everyone. Lesson, don't ever be so cocky and arrogant and assume just because its a cat. 5 race that no one can ride with you. I hammered and hammered but couldn't drop the guys. Admittedly I was felling very off, no legs as they say in cycling. Despite pushing as hard as I could my speed was slower on the flats than many of my training efforts. I was clearly tired and dehydrated. Either way I continued to attack, settle, attack, settle all the way home. Eventually on the last circuit we were whittled down to a group of 8. Finally, my attacking and relentless pushing was breaking everyone (apparently a small crash took out 2 guys) so I grew in confidence that I would surge over the last mile and win. Not to be! I pushed up the last false flat but had no power and when I made a big push with 200m to go my right calf cramped and the 7 guys in my slipstream all came around me like I was in quicksand and beat me to the line. Horrible. But nothing more than I deserved. I wouldn't let anyone else lead because I wanted an all out effort and with bad legs and general fatigue I was never in a position to try and solo on a flat loop. The only positive take away was the fact that all 7 of the guys who swallowed me up before the line told me that it was great being pulled along. Being recognized for doing the lions share of the work was satisfying. That and the early am hard session I most likely would have avoided if there was no race to go to.

In the masters race my buddies Joe Savic and Eddie O both kicked ass and finished with the bunch sprint in a highly charged and competitive race. Kudos to both of them. I drove home and drank coffee, jogged 2 miles to remind myself why I must bike and not run, and finished off the day with some Pinot Noir. Very nice.

I have fallen behind on what is new and exciting in music. Kind of got in a bit of a same old rut, listening to the reliable music and revisiting old albums like Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights, Blur - Think Tank, and a lot of old Techno. I need to check out some new DJ's too. Its been a while since I stood in the middle of a dark room listening to a DJ play minimal techno to a clued in crowd. Boston's not the best city in the world for that action but it does exist here and I need to find it.......

Peace and Love,

Kel

J'aime Montreal

2011-05-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I drove up to Montreal. Its not the first time I've been to the city, in fact over the last number of years I've visited a few times, including once to do some passport/visa stuff which involved Frankie, Hamish, and I missing a summer school exam and writing a bit of a bullshit excuse in the lobby of a McGill University Dorm building. Happy days they were. Radiohead played Montreal a couple of times over the last number of years and I caught both of those gigs. Every time I came away from Montreal the city failed to live up to the hype.......until this time.

Since I was going to see Moonface (Spencer Krug) on my own I figured a cheapo hotel near the venue would suffice, and given that the venue was about 5km outside of the city the place could have been in any type of neighborhood. Either way it didn't bother me. The trip was about the music not the place I'd be resting my head for 7 hours. As luck would have it, the area was AWESOME. Located on the opposite side of the hill that McGill sits on, away from the city and the tourists, this was real Montreal. Wine Bars, Pubs, Coffee Shops, Restaurants, and great shops littered among apartments and low budget lodging, all inhabited by students, artists, transient folk, hipsters, locals and everyone in between. No one chose to speak English but they were cool if you said you didn't know French. It was like being in Europe and only the money told me I was in Canada.

Terry and Carly Shea suggested a pub to me. It was a place they visited when they traveled to see Sunset Rubdown in the same venue. I got the address, typed it into Google, and its location popped up around the corner from my hotel. 5 minutes later I am sitting at the bar drinking a Double IPA explaining to the bartender how important it was for me to travel up to Montreal to see Spencer Krug perform a solo show. He was totally into it (or at least let on he was) and welcomed me in with open arms (and lots of beer samples). I was the only person in a packed bar that wasn't speaking French.

A few pints later and it was off to IL Motore for the gig. The venue is located about 2km up the road and the weather was beautiful so I strolled passed the numerous bars and coffee shops in the Latin Quarter and wondered why in all my times in Montreal I stayed down town. Il Motore was not what I was expecting. The Paradise Rock Club or at least the Middle East was the kind of place I was looking for. What I found was basically a store front of what may have been a clothes shop at one point. Inside the venue had capacity for maybe 150, a small bar and no seating anywhere. Awesome. I felt like I had just been invited to a private party. And I thought to myself that I really wished Francine was here because she would have been in her element. Spencer and Camilla mingled with the crowd like they were fans of a band about to take the stage as opposed to being the band that I traveled from Boston to see. I chatted to both of them briefly before the gig.

Moonface is one of the many side projects Spencer Krug is involved in. It is his "solo" moniker. However for the live show he had a Percussionist named Mike Bigelow(formerly of Wintersleep) who rocked. He reminded me of the dude on percussion for Jonsi, completely in control of so many sounds and loops, making no mistakes. The opening act, Sean Nicholas Savage were a lot of fun and created a really nice laid back atmosphere before Spencer took to the stage.

Anticipation levels were very high when Spencer started setting up his gear. After the last Wolf Parade show in Austin I wondered when I'd see any performances by the guys again. I've was treated to a Handsome Furs show in April and now this. Spencer is my favorite of the Wolf Parade singers and his style of music and lyrics really do it for me. I only wish I had Frankie there to experience it.

The music is amazing. Lots of synth and baseline loops played by Spencer mixed with Mikes percussion which included marimba. Everything was looped and sampled over each other creating a very intense, primal, and truly emotional mix finished off with Spencer's voice, the most important 'instrument" in the show. Only 6 songs were played, each lasting about 10 minutes. The closing song was a track by Swan Lake called All Fires. Camilla (Sunset Rubdown) joined Spencer on vocals for the last 2 tracks including All Fires and it was beautiful. Some reviews from the previous Brooklyn show were really down on this version but I was completely taken away and I begged for it not to end. Alas, one hour after it started the show was over. Epic and powerful. Like sitting in someones apartment watching one of my favorite singers perform new music that makes me so happy. The lights came on, the bar was still open and most people left. I had a beer and chatted to Camilla. She gave me a high five for being an enthusiastic customer. I've never been one to hide my emotion or feelings when seeing my favorite acts perform so it is nice to feel appreciated. I told Spencer that the experience was incredible and very moving. He joined his hands as if in prayer and bowed with a very gracious thank you. We spoke briefly about a potential tour but he was reluctant to say for sure, opting to smile, take a deep breath, and say maybe. Good enough for me. I floated down the road, had a nightcap at a dodgy bar housing a few dodgy characters speaking French, then retired to my very comfortable bed in the 11/2 star hotel. A near perfect night.

Peace and Love,

Kel

The video has really bad sound. My kodak couldn't handle the mix coming out of the speakers but you'll get the picture.

Brookline MA

2011-05-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

Thats where I live now. Decided I needed change and more importantly decided I wanted to stop driving so much. I can't help but think 2 hrs a day in a car is not good on the old body and that the time would be better served on a bike (or running if that was possible) So thats what I do now. I ride to work and ride home with an add-on. Tom and I found a route to work that is pretty decent and runs about 15 miles. So either in the morning or afternoon I can add-on and get a nice double day. Hopefully it helps me get fit for the bike. The three days I've done it so far have left me feeling like I'm training hard. This morning I rode up the Blue Hill access road. I kept my backpack on and riding my old bike I still managed sub 5 minutes. I guess that is a benchmark although the record on the climb is about 3:45 or something like that. Brentacol will let me know but I want to attack it for real on my current bike and not at 8am and not with a backpack containing a change of clothes.

There are some good people left in the world. On Sunday night I went out planning to ride a steady 40 miles. The route took me out Beacon street, past BC and through Newton and Waban. After 8 miles Beacon connects to Washington (Boston Marathon RT) and a left takes you across 128 (95N) toward Wellesley. It was while crossing 128 that I hit something in the road and blew out my back tire. Not a puncture, I actually tore through my tire so a new tube was useless. A couple of quick calls to Tom and got me no answer so I started walking. After a mile I took off my bike shoes because that was getting silly and strolled in my socks. Just as I was loosing hope and planning on calling someone who would have to go WAY out of their way on a Sunday night to pick me up a mother named Sharon and her daughter invited me into their home, gave me water, and told me to wait while some veggies were thrown in the oven before they would drop me home. Awesome. In a fear monger time when its taboo to just invite someone into your home (there was no dad present) they had no issue. She rode a bike herself and they happened to live in a house once occupied by Ted Williams (a big deal if your a Boston Red Sox fan which I'm not) I plan on sending some Reebok shoes to say thank you.

So the best bit about living here, even better than riding to work, is that the Paradise Rock Club is across the street. I plan on attending so many gigs that my concert ticket book is going to need a partner very soon. Speaking of concerts, Thursday night sees me drive to Montreal for an intimate show with Spencer Krug. Excited doesn't even touch what I'm feeling. Francine's absence will be very noticeable since she would give anything to see Spencer solo in a small venue but a loosely planned summer tour should appease her. The solo drive to Montreal will be good for clearing the head and catching up with the many phone calls I need to make.

So a good start to the week of cycling kicked off with some serious Mt. Bike thrashing by John Lawlor during my last 5 days in Ireland. There is talk of a race on Saturday and if its not a crit I'll jump in and hammer. Hammering is awesome. So is Spencer Krug. And I plan on thoroughly enjoying being in his company on Thursday night. Camilla from Sunset Rubdown will be joining him. Its all a bit too much to take really.

Peace and Love
Kel

Out Of The Cloudburst

2011-05-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

Spent a little over 2 weeks back home and it was great. The trip was only supposed to be 10 days with 4 of those spent in Geneva with Frankie. However, the horrible place that is the US Embassy decided to hold onto my passport for a week rather than pop it in the mail when they said they would. It sickens me, the lack of accountability and the fact that you can't even call up, only email. I had to not only change my plans to travel to GVA but had to change my flight to BOS. The delay was not because of a backlog or anything like that, its about control. They had my passport and my visa and rather than give it to me they said the protocol changed and they had to mail out passports. Obviously to someone this process makes sense. To me it makes no sense. The security risks of a passport with a valid visa going out in the mail surely must be pretty significant. Not to mention the cost and general extra layers of work. Anyway, I told the dude I was going to GVA and then back to USA on Tuesday. He assured me I would have my passport by Friday (a day after my planned trip to GVA) "Nothing I can do about it sir" is what he said. Fair enough, Frankie flew to Dublin and it was all good, even though deep down inside I really wanted to ride the mountains as planned. And the Tour Of Romandie was finishing outside Frankies house on Sunday. Either way the weekend was wonderful and far too quick. My Passport was still missing so I had to change my flight. Since the flight back is in the AM I couldn't fly out until the following day so eventually it arrived on Thursday, almost a week late and I flew out on Friday. There will be no getting the $275 off the embassy for my troubles thats for sure.

Since I no longer run and since no one on the planet can tell me what is wrong with my knee I've turned my hand to a spot of coaching. I never thought I'd be into the coaching game, I tried it before and while it is awesome to see people do well, I was simply not ready. My own running came first and I think when coaching, the athlete must always come first. Fortunately for me I am not working with an ordinary athlete, I am working with a good friend and extraordinary talent in Martin Fagan. We have ben working together for 3 months now and its been great. I never thought I would feel the anxiety of racing again but when Martin races I get those same feelings. I could barely focus on my Battenkill warm up because of my inability to find a cell phone reception that would provide me with the results of the Bupa Great Ireland Run In Dublin. Martin finished 3rd, out kicked by two sharper athletes. Not a bad first race and very positive for him. Last weekend he ran the Broad Street 10 Miler. This was originally on the schedule but we decided against it because of the travel/financial commitments etc. A bout of spring wind however destroyed the training and Martin thought it prudent to go to Philly and race anyway. So in the midst of some hard and frustrating training he went out and ran 46:42 for 10 miles, 17 seconds outside John Treacy's Irish record. Excellent stuff. Next up is Manchester 10k and I have no doubt that if Martin deals with the travel he will run another great race. This is a really strong field so no pressure on Martin to do anything except race. After all, the running game is about racing, not time trialing. Its about getting out there and enjoying the spirit of competition. Some of that has been lost given the focus on times. Everything is about the perfect race and hitting the time. Qualifying standards are very important, no doubt, but running happy and with a sense of enjoyment is more important. Thats the way Martin will race from now on. Fitter, Happier, and More Productive.

Peace and Much Love
Kel

Tour Of The Battenkill

2011-05-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

I rode the tour of the battenkill a couple of weeks ago. It was my first bike race but everything about it being a race ended when the whistle blew. If that sounded cocky it wasn't meant to be. I was wrecked at the end but I am better than Cat. 5 so I found the early pace woefully slow and after an hour of what felt like a warm up I asked Donny Green - another Providence bike rider who is much better than Cat. 5 - to go on a break with me to get something out of the day.

The tour of the battenkill is awesome on so many levels but none more so than the fact that the route is littered with dirt road sections, some of which are very steep - both climbing and descending. Fortunately we had a dry day (although part of me wanted some bad ass Belgian rain, lick of Belgian toothpaste would have only enhanced the experience). It was on one of the early dirt road climbs that we broke away and within a few miles we were gone. Again, no disrespect to the Cat. 5 racers but Donny and I are certainly Cat. 4 level and perhaps even Cat. 3 on a course like that. So we belted away and took 2 min pulls each for the next hour. I felt so much better riding hard and had to remind myself that there was still 40 miles to go, after all I put the A in Amateur when it comes to bike racing. But still, I felt really good. Donny was stronger than me on flat road sections, this was evident in that his pulls on the flats were faster than mine. I was stronger on the hills for the same reasons. Everything was shaping up nicely for us to race in. I wanted to get an idea of what it was like to spring finish (although Donny would have destroyed me in a sprint) With 18 miles to go Donny lost his chain and I waited. We are not team mates but it made more sense to wait because we rode hard for the previous hour. On the next climb a few minutes later I was doing my turn at the front and I didn't notice that I dropped him. I just kept pushing hard (a little adrenaline from stopping maybe) and after my 2-3 minute pull I turned and there was no sign of him. (Donny actually punctured soon after which is why he disappeared) So I put the head down and slammed it home

In running - especially the marathon - we talk about "hitting the wall". Cyclists call it bonking. I thought I bonked on the bike a few times but with 5 miles to go in Battenkill I realized what I thought was a bonk was actually exhaustion, and that bonking is a different level altogether. I rode the last hill and suddenly my quads stopped working. My HR was dropping and I could not generate power. I got over the climb which left me with 6k downhill and flat to the finish. I tucked aero as I could on the downhill and put everything into the pedals over the last 5km flat. Everything meant about 21 mph and rather than make sense of the information on my bike computer I felt like I was on acid (double dipped strawberries is what I believe they were called when we were teenagers) Not that I ever took acid. I couldn't read it and actually started laughing. I was so happy to be bonking knowing that I was going to finish in a few minutes. When I crossed the finish line the town started spinning and nothing mattered to me except fluid - any kind of fluid. I lashed down some water, then Dan Action gave me a beer which I took down in a few minutes and followed that up with the best chocolate milk I ever tasted.

I've no idea why I bonked given the race was only 64 miles and I ate a huge breakfast. I'll put it down to a big effort out front, lack of muscle strength specific to biking, the fact that my training heading into the race was weak at best. The four weeks before Battenkill looked like this:

March 14th to March 20th
Monday: 60 Minutes Trainer w/ 6 x 5 min very hard efforts
Tuesday: 60 Minutes Trainer recovery ride
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 2HRs Scituate Rez - Tempo Loop 35:40 95% effort - solo
Friday: off
Saturday: 3:15 Northern Hill Loop - With Dirt Roads - Joe and Pat T. - Knee Dodgy
Sunday: 90 min Trainer Ride easy spinning to save my knee.
Total: 8:45 Hrs

March 21st to March 27th
Monday: off
Tuesday: off
Wednesday:Trainer Ride 75 Minutes
Thursday: 90 Minute Trainer ride with reps
Friday: off
Saturday: 41 Miles Very easy hilly ride. Mid Atlantic Multi Sport Group 2.5 hrs
Sunday: off
Total: 5:15 Hrs

March 28th to April 3rd
Monday: 80 Minutes Trainer Ride w/ 5 x 5 minutes Hard efforts
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: off
Thursday: off
Friday: off
Saturday: 3:00 ride with 2 laps race effort around Scituate Rez - 1:13:20 - Joe + Pat
Sunday: 4:00 Hrs slow riding - solo - about 75 miles
Total: 8:20 Hrs

April 4th - 10th
Monday: 60 min spin on trainer
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 60 min spin on trainer with 30 min tempo
Friday: off
Saturday: 75 minutes on Battenkill course
Sunday: Tour of BattenKill 3:01
Total: 6:16 Hrs

The training was minimal at best. I used to run more when I was just keeping fit. So I have to admit my confidence got a boost because if I can ride well off 4 days a week on the bike I will be able to ride very well off 6 days a week. I fully intend on getting on the hunt over the summer to get back into great shape. My constant stop/start will hopefully turn into consistent training. Biking is not bad.

Big shout to Dave Kellogg, Joe Savic, Dr. Brad M, and Eddie O (who has the best blog on the internet for biking - Fast Eddy's Flandria Cafe) Read that site often and it will make you happy. These guys rode Battenkill with me and all had great efforts. Dave K was on his way to winning the 50+ race but crashed on some very soft sand at the base of a big climb 20km from the finish. She still finished 12th but missed the break off the front. He is an animal. Joe Savic had an excellent day too, finishing 35th. He was hanging on to Dave's group but lost touch on one of the mid way monster climbs. Missing the break cost him a top 20 but he achieved his pre-race goal. Eddy snagged 54th to round out the three 50+ guys in the top half of the field. Awesome. Brad finished 12th in his section of the 45+ cat.5 race. Again, top half of the field and a great performance over the awesome climbs. A great weekend.

Peace and Love
Kel

Diamond Skies

2011-04-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

I am still alive, I think. Writing on the blog was something I looked forward to every night and its not like I don't enjoy it anymore. Its just that the information is somewhat irrelevant on a blog about running and music. Perhaps the blog needs revamping. Running will still be a core focus but cycling has become the sport of choice these days. Music is always present, it never hurts, and only offers happiness. A lot has happened in the last month and continues to happen today. Change is inevitable and can be very positive if the happiness is real. Problems follow but fortunately so does joy. I am feeling the joy again and coming to terms with not being able to run anymore. So new days and a better outlook moving forward.
Peace and Love
Kel

No More Hanging Around

2011-03-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

This song is essential listening. The band is essential listening. For all those who love their dark, nu-wave.
Love Kel

Let Me Take Control

2011-03-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Thom Yorke is releasing a new single, the first hearing of which apparently took place tonight but I have yet to find both sides. Just Ego which is below and is amazing.

Radiohead's Thom Yorke has released several singles over the past years and, again out of the blue, another one set for release on Monday March 21st on Four Tet’s Text label. Rough Trade have a 12″ vinyl listed by Burial (‘Ego’) backed with a Thom Yorke and Four Tet collaboration entitled ‘Mirror’.The 12″ is available for pre-order starting Today, but the last time we checked the black label single was out of stock. According to Bleep.com, the tracks will get their first airing tonight (Tuesday 15th) on Rinse FM during the Four Tet vs Floating Points 2hr back-to-back.

While I am very happy to hear EGO and its on repeat I'll still spend all night waiting to hear MIRROR as well. I find it interesting that Thom is releasing a single right after the release of TKOL and that he is still in LA, showing up at random club nights as a DJ. Could it mean they are still in the studio recording or does it mean nothing and I am just a looser for spending so much time trying to figure out what these guys are doing rather than figuring out what I'm doing!Its important to note that I am very pissed off about not getting my copy of this record. It sold out in minutes. I am loosing my focus and should have been on this much earlier.

To touch briefly on my knee - its getting a bit better since I saw the doc and he injected me with more cortisone. He actually mentioned maybe doing another surgery, this time a fascia release. I hate to speculate but I think because my leg is short on the right side, all the cycling I have been doing may be contributing to the tightening at the back of the joint. I did get out for some 3 mile runs and while I feel fit I am totally protecting my knee and running slow. Slogging in fact.

So back to listening. Check out the tune, its really beautiful. Maybe better than 6 of the tracks on TKOL? I shouldn't say that. My energy is all over the place, and my knee is hurting, and I'm tired.

Love Kel

And Now I'll Set You Free

2011-03-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

Where did the last three weeks go? Nothing really happened, nothing out of the ordinary anyway. Blogging, like most things, has its ups and downs. One of the downsides is when a few days pass and those days turn into weeks and so on. Given a new Radiohead album I assumed I'd be on here everyday sharing discussion and opinion. But life takes over, persistent knee injury, work, travel, bike riding, socializing and some sleep in mixed in. I've also been reluctant to discuss The King Of Limbs without listening to it 20 or 30 times. So without getting to philosophical or deep I am going to share my short opinion on the record.

Despite only being a few minutes shorter than some other Radiohead records The King Of Limbs has more of an EP feel to it than the long player I expected. I know Radiohead stated that the LP was something of the past but In Rainbows felt like a long record and coupled with the B-Sides their was so much joy. From the off I was disappointed by only 8 tracks. Its not a slight on the band, rather just me being a selfish fan wanting more. This view had me take a look at myself and the other Radiohead fans that have complained about the record. Sometimes, because of our devotion perhaps, we expect nay demand from our band. But really its our choice to follow Radiohead. No one told me it was cool to like Radiohead (although a few years later it seems that is very much the case) I just do. I loved The Bends, I loved OK Computer more. After Kid-A it was a case of fanaticism. But Radiohead don't make music to satisfy me, they make music they want to make, and they put out records and EPs that they are proud of. Who are we to say we want more, or question why certain songs were left off. That was my initial reaction. Where is Present Tense, Open The Flood Gates, Super Collider, Judge, Jury, and Executioner, The Daily Mail? Me Me Me. Its not about me its about a band who are so comfortable in what they do and the direction they are going that with no fanfair they released 8 tracks that they obviously love and while it may not be In Rainbows its still very good. In fact if I knew nothing about Radiohead I would think this album is better than I do now. I suffer from expectation and hope. Expectation is fair, hope is a lost cause.

I remember when many of my friends ripped on Kid-A. Lots of Radiohead fans found the album to be very divisive and ended up turning their back on the band. For me the albums affect has been monumental. And I continue to look back and wonder why so many fans disliked it. I am seeing that same series of events happen right now with The King Of Limbs, and I for one am not going to take some disappointment and let it overshadow the fact that this is still a great record. Coming in at 38 minutes it sees Radiohead in leftfield like never before. Even tracks such as Like Spinning Plates or Worrywort had a melodic feel that was very Radiohead despite the limited instrumentation and more experimental sound. A new sound is every evident on the track Feral which is like a dubstep tune with chopped up and looped Thom Yorke vocals. Something completely different but still very beautiful. See what I'm saying about hearing this album as a neutral. Morning Mr. Magpie is a let down for me, only because I loved Thoms acoustic version on The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth Of All Time. For years I wondered if we would ever see this song see the light of day so naturally I was buzzing when it was listed as one of the tracks. It starts off amazingly but then the loops get too much and I feel it looses its greatness. It may be the first time that I am genuinely disappointed in a recorded version of a Radiohead song. If that is as low as the album gets however its not a bad thing because the track is still decent.

The second half of the record is exceptional. Its only 4 tracks and I have addressed that so looking at it as the second half of the album its as good as anything Radiohead have released. Lotus Flower is magnificent. It will be in contention, along with Codex as my favorite track this year. I have included the video of Lotus Flower below. The parody videos are actually quite funny but for me its one of the best videos I've ever seen. Some people think Thom Yorke is an egomaniac and I think they're nuts. This is how he dances at every live show. His expression of love for the music reminds me of everyone from Kate Bush to Ian Curtis. These are artists that couldn't control the beauty they create and Thom is an excellent example of wearing the passion. The video makes me smile. Codex may even be better. A straight up, melancholy Piano number that harks back to Pyramid Song and Videotape. There is no one that won't like this song unless Thom Yorke sounds to you like nails on a chalk board sound to me. The lyrics are sorrowful and very beautiful. An epic track. We've heard Giving Up The Ghost a few times before. Thom banging his microphone and looping the sound to create a drum loop. The recorded version pays tribute to his live version and unlike Mr. Magpie captures the beauty of the live stripped down version and takes it to a new level. Separater closes the album. Thom is very soulful and four tet sounding drums loop provide a very jazzy soundscape.

The internet has been rife with theories about the closing song "separating" this collection of songs from a King Of Limbs part 2. I bought into it but deep down inside I don't suspect we will see anything soon. Maybe it will be a Kid-A/Amnesiac thing and those other songs I mentioned will be released in a few months. Or maybe its completely coincidental. Either way I have decided not to have expectations or hope.......

Pitchfork Media gave this album a 7.9/10. I like the site and respect some of their reviews and while I didn't agree with everything in the review I did agree with the writer when he said; "A trawl through message boards and social networks leaves the impression that many disappointed fans are still struggling to make sense of the gap between the greatness of the thing they got and the genius of the thing they thought they might get. It's in that gap, when assessing the album overall, that it's easy to get tangled up". This is exactly how I felt. However, The King Of Limbs is a great album and if Radiohead want to go in this direction, shorter records, more experimental, more Thom Yorke, its fine by me. I can't wait to see how the full band perform these songs. Lots of good stuff to look forward to.

Only Pablo Honey is worse than this for me but when dealing with Radiohead something has to be worse than the other stuff and that is not a reflection on this album as such, rather its a reflection on how great the band is. There are very few artists that can produce an album like this so when I say 8/10 after saying its one of my least favorite Radiohead albums you get the picture.

Peace and Love,

Kel

The King Of Limbs

2011-02-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

This morning Radiohead exclaimed to the world that they are releasing a new album titled 'The King Of Limbs'. The album, the bands 8th studio, will be available in digital download formats MP3 and WAV from this Saturday, Feb 19th. You can also go here and pre-order a Newspaper Album with 2 clear 10" vinyls, a CD, artwork, and obviously a digital download. I Pre-Ordered the Newspaper album, and will also purchase any other limited edition releases that may follow. Word around the campfire is that the album will have 8 tracks. I suspect they will release an EP later in the year given the material they have. Some sites/blogs have started to speculate what the 8 tracks will be but I am trying to avoid playing this guessing game because I don't want to be let down. Although, I really, really, really hope Present Tense is on there. It's my favorite of the new songs played over the last 2 years. I've been on a high all day. I even ran 30 minutes at 80% on the alter-g and my knee bothered me after but I wasn't really fussed. I hammered through a hard bike session tonight and overall I am counting down the hours to Saturday. Radiohead certainly don't follow the norm with their recent album release methods and this is no different. The group has such a cult following that the announcement this morning stating the album will be available in 5 days literally crashed Radiohead sites. Some of the messageboards are still not available. Crazy. Its amazing to see how big the band is given the lack of promotion they do. The album will be released on Radiohead's own Ticker Tape imprint by TBD in North America and XL for the rest of the world outside of Asia. Hostess will take care of that release. Its going to be a truly magical album, I have no doubt about it.

My knee is improving slowly but surely and my mood is obviously buoyed by this news which helps, I think? This week I will do another 3 runs on the Alter-G and bring my body weight to about 85% of normal. I don't want to pretend I am getting better If I'm not. Likewise I don't want to hurt myself so I'll be very careful. What about Kim Smith running 67:36 for the half marathon? Its a little depressing to think I may never run that fast again! Kim and the Guru Ray Treacy (who had another athlete go sub 4 this weekend) are doing something right. I believe she will win Boston if her training continues to improve over the next 8 weeks. OK, off to the Big Apple tomorrow morning so time to chill.

Love Kel

Lets Exchange The Experience

2011-02-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

Can't believe its been a week since the Boston Indoor Games. The meet was pretty good highlighted by an unbelievable Mens 3k. Mo Farah is one of the toughest runners I've ever seen. As I progress through the years I become less and less interested in the sprints. I'm not talking about the 100m Olympic final, I'm talking general sprints like the Indoor 60m. It was the case once that I stood up for everything track and field but at the indoor games I was dead bored during the sprints and engaged in conversation while watching disinterested. Sorry if I offend any of my sprinting buddies but the distance races make the meet. The 3k really saved the afternoon athletics from being a lackluster affair. The mens and womens mile races take 2nd and 3rd respectively in my picks of the meet.

It was an intense week of rehab on my right peg and we finally made some progress. I managed to coax Mike into letting me jog at 75% body weight on the alter-g. Progress has been slow and I wanted to test it to see if the pain was any different. I walked for a couple of minutes before breaking into a jog for 10 minutes. It was awesome and the first pain free run I've had since March of 09. Of course it wasn't a real run but thats irrelevant, its progress and I either have to loose 45 lbs or more realistically take the positives and keep using the alter-g with slightly more weight added each week. Yesterday I ran 25 minutes at 75% and it was magical. I understand the false hope that the alter-g can present however false hope is better than no hope and no hope is where I've been for the last 2 years.

Mike let me borrow his Game Ready machine. I find icing to be a bit of a pain but the Game Ready has changed that. This thing is awesome and has definitely helped. I might be over doing it but it works great. It ices such a large area and also compresses leaving my calf, hammy and quad feeling like I just took them out of the Boulder Creek after every use. I am using it about 4 times a day for 20-30 minutes. Colleges and Universities all over the NCAA have these machines by the boat load. Kids in college don't know how good they have it. My injury woes didn't really start until after college (with the exception of a stress fracture my freshman year) so I never needed to use the trainers room. Now PC has an awesome facility with these machines and other gadgets that help with healing. College athletes have no excuses and its certainly showing with faster and faster times being recorded every year.

I got the new PJ Harvey album and I'm listening to it now. Just getting into the second half as I write this so I have to reserve judgment until I get through the thing a couple of times. Thus far its very good. More of a low key affair despite the album title the some of the songs seem to reflect sitting in a cottage on a damp, gray afternoon. There is also a lot more melody compared to her earlier records. Her voice sounds excellent and even though I don't get the references to English history which have been regular so far the songs are lyrically rich and deep. I am eager to read about the songs. I came across another band yesterday called Minks. I know nothing about them other than they hail from Brooklyn. There are only a few songs floating around the intertubes but the ones I've heard are brilliant. I'm hopefully going to see them play with Dum Dum Girls in March. They have a Joy Division sounding baseline to their tunes and a post wave thing going on that I love. Check it.

Peace and love
Kel

Good Old Fashion Streaking

2011-02-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

I had mixed feelings at the Terrier Classic last Saturday. The fan in me loved watching the 3k and 5k. Especially and very specifically the seeded 3k. David McCarthy ran great and did the lions share of the pacing. He ended up 3rd in 7:53 behind Masters and Korir who ran :53 and :51 respectively. Great racing, and its fantastic to see a Friar on the brink of really big things. And then there is the bitter old man in me who wishes desperately to be out on the track racing in the 3k (or 5k or mile) . It is difficult to separate the two. I work in running so I am around it all the time and believe me that doesn't make it easier. Neither does watching great track races. I'm subjecting myself to more torture this weekend at the Boston Indoor Games. Reebok no longer sponsors the meet so I will try and be a fan and just enjoy it. I know I'll get down, especially given the distance races for men and women are the highlight of the meet with 2 3ks and the mile making up the last 3 races of the program.

After Terrier there were no mixed feelings. Mixed drinks maybe, but only very good + positive feelings. Thom McArdle had a housewarming party and it was awesome, even if it did get a little crazy. I will be moving to Boston to live with Thom in April so it was great to see my new digs, even if I didn't leave my intense conversations in the kitchen all night. I don't really remember mingling at the party, rather I took up residence speaking with one of my new neighbors Tom Coogan about life. It was a great laugh and only went downhill when we hit up An Tua Nua, a dodgy college club on Beacon Street. Even if I can't remember the music there was no stopping me throwing shapes to top 40 music. This is something that everyone who knows me knows I don't do. But there was something in the Whiskey or maybe some demons from the Terrier that resulted in too much energy and I found myself dancing with the many great people from the party. A horrible walk home mind you. And then I passed out and on Sunday, with a headache to beat the band, decided I was never drinking again.

I had a dogfish head 90min IPA last night because I was hanging with Joe Savic and talking cycling. It seems that all I do is talk about training and racing while I get fat. However, the all clear to get on my bike has been given so I will jump in head first and start jamming. Bar Biking this Sunday morning will be a nice launch pad.

The problem with Dogfish Head 90 min IPA is that its simply too nice. I really struggle to only have one. After drinking these and developing a taste for them, anything under 8% kind of tastes like water. Next week the Wild Colonial is celebrating their Birthday with some Dogfish Head Burton Baton on tap. The Burton is 10% and is my favorite beer. To call it beautiful is a disservice. Drinking one pint gives you a buzz and drinking one pint and stopping is literally impossible. I can't do it, and don't want to. I always have a minimum of 2 of these bad boys. At the Colonial next week I'll be upping that so hopefully I can punish myself on the bike before hand and develop a thirst........

I have been really diligent with treatment on the tendinopathy in the back of my knee. Its slowly getting better but I am weeks from attempting running. The eyes are still very wide and very much on the prize but in the meantime its back on the trainer and lots of one hour + easy spinning to wake up the legs and maybe reduce the bloating all over my body.

Memory Tapes is releasing a new album soon. It has no title that I know of yet but he gave us a sneak peek by allowing one of the singles to appear on an anniversary compilation for the London based label Something In Construction. It sounds good.

Love Kel

Happy Happy

2011-01-28T18:12:00.000-08:00

I read tonight that Giles Peterson on his Radio 1 show said that the new Radiohead album is DONE. Thats according to Thom Yorke. All pretty good resources I'd say. This kind of news of a Friday night makes me a happy camper. Cold is slowly lifting. My knee is loving the rest. And I am listening to electro pop and drinking tea. Only thing missing is some taxi bars but that I can deal with. My lack of activity has left me feeling fat. Which leads me to beg the question, how the fuck do people not enjoy a little bit of exercise? If that sounded angry it didn't mean to be. I am just very excited at the news. Fortunately the Millrose Games are not even getting me down, but that has more to do with the fact that Tim Hutchings is commentating. He is vastly superior to Dwight and Lewis.

The Tune below might sound a bit cheesey but I could care less. Its lovely Friday night music when there is no wine to share. Sometimes the uplifting sounds hit the spot. Christoph Andersson is from New Orleans and even though his name and music suggest he is a mature French dude, he is in fact just turned 19 and making music thats catchy, sexy, and full of feel good vibes. Only in a world as tragic as the one we live does this guy not even factor and muppits like Justin Bieber are mainstream.

Love Kel

Nothing A Head Cold Won't Fix

2011-01-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

Fortunately my desire (which boarders on insanity at times) to try and workout has been completely squashed due to a brutal head cold I came down with. I haven't had a cold in years. I usually get sick once a year and I'll get some allergy attacks during the spring but right now I have a good old fashioned head cold. The kind that makes your ears hurt and the skin beneath your nose raw from too much nose blowing. I hope its gone by the weekend. The good thing is the fact that I truly have no desire or energy to do anything. That said, the lack of desire to improve is rapidly disrupting my ice schedule. Who wants to put packs of ice on various body parts with a head that feels like its about to explode? Not this guy. I choose to listen to hours and hours of music.

Knee progress is slow. We have kind of figured out that at this stage the surgery was not necessary. We also know that I should have been treating this like I am now, one year ago! The tendons are inflamed and in order for new collegen (sp.) to develop I need time off, and a lot of it. So far its been three weeks of zero activity. Starting tomorrow I will move into an eccentric loading routine for my calves and hammys. Even though it will hurt, or at least irritate my knee, it is the right thing to do. The pain is down significantly but if I don't do the strength work I'll be back where I started.

Whether or not I get back to running this spring is moot because I am going to focus on getting fit on the bike first. With some big races in the pipeline getting the legs used to riding again is certainly the first order of business. I am not attempting running until sometime in April. We'll see what happens then. I am not holding my breath. But I am accepting what ever happens. The thing is, I can't remember what it is like to be pain free. Thats when you know you've been chronically injured. I literally can't imagine running fast with an effortless stride and NO pain! So if it happens again it will be very welcome.

The snow in Providence has been off the charts. We get a solid foot of snow every other week. Last night the storm was "only" 13 inches and no one seemed really bothered. Thats the sign of a bad winter. I'll be braving what ever snow is around this weekend to check out the Friars run the annual Terrier Classic followed by a gathering at Tommy Macs place. Should be lovely.

Because they are touring NA again and because the quality is really good I need to share a few songs from the Interpol video footage shot at The Williamsburg Music Hall. It up on the Matador website. Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down, such a great tune. A couple other new ones too. Enjoy.

Love Kel

We're Not Scaremongering, This Is Really Happening.

2011-01-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

Its been 11 days since Surgery and I am no better. In fact, without being dramatic, I'm a lot worse. The swelling after surgery fueled the already damaged tendons in the back of my knee. Now everything hurts. My calf, my hammy, and my popliteus tendon are all screaming at me. I am trying to pull a Jens Voigt by screaming back at them to shut up but its not working. There is another underlying problem that I cannot get to the bottom of. Obviously there is the messed up pelvis and the leg length discrepancy but thats been part of my current make up for years. Another issue could be all the biking. I have not addressed all the biomechanical issues I have while riding the bike, rather I just use pain as a guide. Nothing hurts riding, everything hurts running. Right now after some treatments I should feel improvement. And yet all I feel is more pain and inflammation. I am seeing Dr. McKeon tomorrow but its in the hands of physiotherapy now. Being an orthopedic surgeon his job is to go in and look around. He said my tear was not bad and that the knee itself is in good shape. That means the tendinosis is worse than I thought and I am in for a long PT journey. I'm really trying to stay positive but over the last few days I've lost some hope. Being around running can be very difficult at times. Not that I'd change it but I can see why certain individuals I know have become bitter towards the sport. It does not reward on an even plane. Lots of luck is required. Some of the most talented and hardworking people I know get let down by their bodies while some of the most selfish runners I know (not to mention the drug cheats I don't know) seem to thrive. I don't believe in Karma so I shouldn't focus on this aspect of life but right now I am. Tomorrow I'll wake up and I won't be in a downer mood and I'll fight hard and stay positive, I'll be motivated to fix this knee. Until tomorrow all I have is some wonderful music to listen to, a healthy bag of ice, and an almost full heart.

Speaking of good music. I've been on a techno kick lately. All weekend I listened to minimal and very melodic electronic music. Its been a joy. A friend recommended the artist Oneohtrix Point Never, an ambient electronic music producer from Brooklyn who before Saturday I'd never heard of. His music is stunning. Despite me referring to him as ambient, the music is much more original than that. Synths and strings layered so deep and shrouded in random vocals. The opener is a big chaotic and terrifying but then the album reaches an equilibrium and truly takes me on a journey. My favorite song is below.

Peace and Much Love,

Kel

Snow Days

2011-01-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

Some people love Snow Days. I can of course relate to this because I remember once too liking snow days. Maybe I still do, but given the fact that I've been laid low for the last week today really sucked. I am beyond bored. Liverpool got manhandled by Blackpool. My knee is sore from trying to move snow so I could get my car out to attend PT. In the end I didn't even go to PT because more snow came down this afternoon and I couldn't deal with more shoveling. Furthermore Mike was having his own issues keeping the parking lot clear at Foundation Performance. We thought it better for everyone if I put an ice pack on my knee. So I did, and I continue to. Boring. I need to start exercising or something.

I visit youtube more than any other website. Today I listened to about 50 songs, all live versions, all on youtube. I love how I can type in a song name and put live on the end to reveal an endless list of versions. Go to most viewed and more often than not its a great camera and great sound. What did we do before the internets? Read? We all know TV is shite so thats not an option. Although outside of watching the Reds embarrass themselves I also watched Obama speak on the campus of the University of Arizona. I thought he did a remarkable job. The cheering was a bit bizarre but by the end it was appropriate. I also youtubed Sarah Palins response to the shootings and I realized that its a mild form of torture to listen to her speak for 8 minutes. Hers was the opposite of Obama's, empty, insincere and all about herself.

Wolf Parade performed an in-studio session with CBC's Q Live. I posted the only available song here a few weeks ago but now the whole show is available. What Did My Lover Say was the song I was really looking forward to hearing/seeing. The performance is awesome and really displays the musicianship of the group. The video has 188 views right now and I think I contributed in a significant way........

Back to treatment on these tendons at the back of my knee. Tomorrow I will get more deep tissue work and hopefully some gentle spinning on the bike. I need to sweat, I'm literally bouncing off the walls here.

Peace and Love,
Kel

Strange Scene It Is

2011-01-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

Good first day in with Mike Silva at Foundation Performance. Mike reckons my range of motion is way ahead of where it should be. I actually walked a brisk 10 minutes at 80% body weight on the Alter-G trainer. A lot of my issues come from some really bad binding up on the lateral side of my calf, right where it inserts into the back of the knee. I need a lot of deep tissue work. I am going to go as much as I can - so if anyone knows a trainee therapist who wants to work for tips, my calf and hammy is all yours.
When I complain of still feeling that familiar pain, Mike thinks its just the inflamed tendon but the root cause is taken care of so all I need to do is get my calf and hammy nice and long/loose, and get into a strengthening routine with minimal running. I'll do Alter-G this time. I kind of blew it off last time because I was on the road so much. Good first day of treatment. More of the same tomorrow. I am listening to The Radio Dept a lot tonight and Never Follow Suit has become a bit of a favorite right now. Its lovely.

Peace,

Kel

The Radio Dept. "Never follow suit" from Labrador Records on Vimeo.

Lets Sing A Song On The Way Back Home

2011-01-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

I've been caning the Twin Shadow record Forget all day. And he did a daytrotter session that fills me with joy. You should check it out. Its been a tough weekend as I am not one who sits around doing nothing. In fact I struggle with it more than most. But it had to be done. I start PT tomorrow and I can't wait. The swelling has really subsided which for a notoriously slow healer like myself is a real positive. However the lingering and all to familiar pain I feel in the back of my knee is a big negative. I don't want to get down on this before I start rehab but being honest I can still feel the same ache. Dr. McKeon, in all fairness, did say that he is pretty sure that the tear was only one part of my pain and that the tendons behind my knee were inflamed and that tendinitis is another issue I need to sort out. So back to Mike and the crew at Foundation Performance for a gallant and committed effort to get this right. I am lucky to have Coxy as my boss because he is allowing me the freedom to get the therapy. Not that I'll be shirking my work duties.

Another huge positive is that Moonface (Spencer Krug) is touring this year with one date announced for May in Montreal. I bought a couple of tix and I am already beside myself with excitement. I have no idea how the show is going to work out. Is he going to have a band or is he going to be behind a bunch of looping keyboards? Whatever way he chooses to bring us the music I have no doubt it will be very special.

A nice live session from Twin Shadow below. Check it.

Love Kel

TWIN SHADOW "SHOOTING HOLES" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Small Tear, Big Pain

2011-01-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

The operation was, at least according to the Dr., a success. The tear was small but very central and the flap was irritated during all weight baring activity. That explains why it was so sore during expo's or any long periods of standing. In fact it was worse when standing than running! The days prior to surgery I ran 5 miles on the treadmill and it explained a lot to me. Day one, 5 miles wasn't too bad. A dull pain that got worse when I stopped. Day 2 I made it to 4.5 and really hurt during the last .5 mile. Afterward my knee, calf and even my foot were all very sore. A minor tear can be dealt with but when irritated it can create a lot of pain. I just happen to keep irritating it so I'm happy its gone.

So the plan is to take it VERY easy over the next month. I am treating this like an ACL injury. I want to get better and the only way is to take it slow, do all the rehab and focus on biking as my primary exercise. I believe that by summer I'll have the top off and the split shorts on (or half tights more likely) and I'll be doing tempo runs around the Coogan loop on the east side. At least thats the small dream.

Might have to reward myself with a Burton Baton at the Colonial tonight. We'll see.

Peace and Love,

Kel

General Anesthetic

2011-01-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I am going under general anesthetic for the 5th time in 4 years. And once again I am getting more parts of my knee removed so that I can function and run occasionally. I developed another tear because I did not rehab correctly after my last surgery and decided that hammering on the bike was completely normal. I now have another tear near the center of my knee. Some people get nervous about surgery but I have actually had more knee surgery than visits to the dentist in the last 4 years. Its pretty easy and comfortable. Couple of celebrex first. A bed to chill out in and get wheeled around in. A quick chat with the doctor in the O.R. then you wake up thinking it hasn't started yet but in fact its been finished for an hour. No dreams just a blink.

What has me somewhat concerned is the question of whether or not I should bother with trying to be able to run. Obviously my body is telling me something. 12 stress fractures, 5 knee surgeries, a blocked nerve in my back that kept me out for a year? Maybe this machine is meant to do something else. But then there is the addiction. That is the challenge because none of the injuries I've sustained in he last few years would have happened had I accepted that I no longer tolerate hard training and that I should just enjoy the running subculture for what it is. I should just run local races and dive headfirst into the craic afterward. That is what I intend on doing this time. If my knee is fixed its only one part of the problem because my left knee, as anyone who reads this knows, is forever cooked. BUT I can tolerate small running loads and my right knee is the one preventing me from even doing that.

So the plan of attack is to finally get my right knee fixed by removing the remaining meniscus. Take full recovery time, as in pretend I have no interest in running. Ride the bike and compete on the bike. Then as the summer approaches build up to running 40 miles a week in 5 runs and run local 5ks to show the new upstarts that it takes more than fancy running gear to drop the old folks.

It should be good but then again it could also be a big waste of time. Either way I am fired up to finally fix this knee because running aside its been a kick in the balls for the last year. Every expo, every event, and every time I wake up dehydrated it hurts bad. This shouldn't be the case. The doc will give me video of the surgery which I'll post here. Technology = awesome. They can stick a camera in to record the process, I love that stuff.

Peace and much love,

Kel

Albums Of The Year

2011-01-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

I've had this list done for a week now but laziness prevented me from putting it up here. Better late than ever. So, like the song list for the most part this list is very interchangeable. I read top 100 album lists and can't fathom how someone puts it into order. I have 15 albums with some honorable mentions. It is important to note that some of these albums are obvious but that my favorite album made hardly any lists this year. Music is exceptionally personal and can speak in many different ways. The live experience alone can take an album to new heights, something that happened me this year with many albums. It was a very good year for music and with 2011 hopefully bringing a new Radiohead masterpiece to the world it looks like the good times are going to keep rolling.

Honorable Mention
Working For A Nuclear Free City - Jojo Burger Tempest
Stars - The Five Ghosts
Superpitcher - Kilimanjaro
Xiu Xiu - Dear God I Hate Myself

15. Beach House - Teen Dream

Beach House - NORWAY

I got into this album late in the year after so many people suggested it to me. I wish I listened more this summer because the lush vocals and arrangement are really bright and complex. Polished from start to finish. This album will take Beach House from opener to headliner in 2011.

14. Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise

Pantha Du Prince - STICK TO MY SIDE

I had to put an album full of the techno sound on my year end list. The turntables might be gathering dust and I don't hit the tiles like I once did but forever dance music, dark clubs, and hours rocking out to DJ's will be part of my life. I loved this album because it incorporates the minimal techno I've grown to love (thanks to the label - Kompakt) but more than that it blends the classic techno sound with house music and layers upon layers of melodic strings and synths. An album that will appeal to a wider audience, and so it should. Fantastic.

13. The National - High Violet

The National - CONVERSATION 16

Lots of my friends don't understand why I don't LOVE The National. It can get annoying, and while I shouldn't take it out on the band it does at times make me not want to like The National. So in all honesty I listened to this album through a lot over the last few weeks to really give it a true opinion and the truth that I found was solid. Its a very good album and very immediate. One listen and the songs make sense and are memorable. The album is stripped bare and disjointed yet is huge in production. Infectious hooks are layered over thundering drums, sweet strings and keys, and the vocals carry it all. Matt Berninger does melancholy very well, his baritone lending itself to this style. But he can still come across warm and very sincere. I've read that he is America's Morrissey, a comparison I disagree with but I can see his uniqueness and even appreciate it. That said, The National will never be a favorite band of mine. The music reminds me of Coldplay in many ways. I can see The National continuing to make bigger sounding music and reaching stadium levels.

12. The Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme

The Radio Dept. - HEAVENS ON FIRE

A straight up romantic, bittersweet pop record. I never got bored of it and the twists and turns in music style kept me going back. Not to mention the lyrics which run like a social commentary on the loss of communication and increased corporate control laced with hypocrisy. The Swedes have been churning out fantastic music over the last few years and long may it last.

11. Glasser - Ring

Glasser - APPLY

Just like the first time I listened to Bat For Lashes, Glasser immediately made me stop what ever I was doing, take a deep breath and the find out more. I listened to Ring straight through and loved it. There are no bad moments on the album. Tribal drums, chanting, swirling pads, and a magical vocal. The music is mysterious and for me very uplifting. A beautiful record.

10. Warpaint - The Fool

Warpaint - COMPOSURE

Apparently this band has been around for a long time but this is their first full length. The Exquisite Corpse EP had some highlights and I imagined that they had a few starters prior to that, I was wrong. I guess it was worth the wait however because The Fool is magnificent. I was hypnotized by the song Undertow when I listened to it on a blog a little while ago. I downloaded it and swiftly followed up with the album (who says blogs don't encourage the purchase of music?) The vocals are haunting and the music infectious. Mesmerizing.

09. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Arcade Fire - SPRAWL II

I really like the highlights on this album and only because they are so good does the album sit in the top 10. I believe that they could have removed 4 or 5 filler tracks and still got the concept/theme across in a more concise and immediate manner. When the British journos tried to tell me that this album was better than OK Computer I nearly lost it. In fact the suburban sprawl imagery with subdivisions and malls was already covered in the Ok Computer accompanying EP Airbag - How Am I Driving. The theme is where the comparisons need to stop. Anyway, the album is still very good. I loved some of the songs and I get it, everyone will. This is a brilliant and very talented band that keep it real. Epic live show and to produce when the expectations are so great is a true testament to the song writing.

08. Four Tet - There Is Love In You

Four Tet - CIRCLING

One of my most listened to albums this year. Kieran Hebden stripped his sound down, keeps the jazzy drum loops low and layers repetitive vocals and synths on top. He simplified the music and delivered for me an album that I can listen to while killing myself during a bike workout or while drinking a beer in a dark room. The production crisp and polished. The songs swirl and carry the mood. Even if house music is not your thing this album will strike a chord because it has so much more to it. You'll forget the mundane and travel to a place much more colorful.

07. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

LCD Soundsystem - I CAN CHANGE

The last release by LCD Soundsystem so James Murphy decided to go out on a very high note. One of my big regrets was missing this album tour. Dates didn't work out but I imagine the performance was mighty. The opening track, my favorite Dance Yrself Clean encompasses the best of LCD Soundsystem, soft vocals roll along until a synth is looped in and the song turns into a rave. From here the album rolls along with highlight after highlight. It is very sad if this is indeed the last we'll see of LCD Soundsystem but if it is we have been left with great memories, and a final release thats simply a class apart.

06. Interpol - Interpol

Interpol - ALL OF THE WAYS

This was a very unheralded release and I have no idea why. Maybe I love Paul Banks voice and it blinds me from the rest of the music. But that can't be it because I love the music, the arrangement, the lead guitar and the dark swirling sounds. This album explores those dark sounds better than the last release and harks back to the amazing first album. We are brought on a melodic journey through orchestral crescendos and hypnotic, looping lyrics. Moody rock music that lifts me up. And while I thought by now that Interpol would be huge it seems like Paul is content with their popularity. His live performances were magical this year and he was more playful to the crowd than I'd seen on any of the previous album tours. I think this record should have fared a lot better.

05. Future Islands - In Evening Air

Future Islands - INCH OF DUST

This is from-the-heart post nu wave pop music at its very best. Despite the strong influence of 80's sounds this band has delivered a unique and very fresh record. Sam Herring has one of the original stand alone voices in pop music today. He cuts up the post wave synths with everything from heartfelt whispering to all out thunderous wailing. Emotive and inspiring this album may encourage dancing or thinking but for sure will encourage repeat plays.

04. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles 2

Crystal Castles - NOT IN LOVE

They might be difficult, they may have an unusual relationship with fans, and they may have been too lazy to name the second album but I don't care. In fact I am not sure where they will go next because they have mastered the 8-bit sound and at times on this album I can't imagine it getting any better. The sound of Alice Glass shrieking over pulsating synths and drums makes me so happy. And especially on songs like "Not In Love", we are seeing more of the vocal side of Alice Glass and it gives me hope that there is an evolving sound. Whether the sound be ferocious or deeply emotional it belongs to Crystal Castles, there is simply no one like them. They have their style and its magic.

03. Twin Shadow - Forget

Twin Shadow - FORGET

This album took me by surprise. I never heard of Twin Shadow but read that it captures the nostalgia of the 80's high school dance better than M83's Saturday = Youth did. Big claims. So I listened and fell in love. There is certainly a part of me that regrets not listening to more music when I was growing up. Obviously I was too young to appreciate the 80's but by the time I got into music it was the Rave sound or Brit Pop. However, a lot of that music has become dull and I love the wave of 80's inspired music that has been hitting the shelves over the last few years. While many albums have hit the spot, this has hit the bullseye. Twin Shadow is George Lewis Jr. and he uses a difficult childhood and his inspirations from 80's nu wave pioneers to create his masterpiece. Because of how catchy the songs are its easy to overlook the depth of lyrics but don't. They are honest and very telling. He is the breakout star of 2010. Someone on a blog somewhere said this needs to be a soundtrack to a Brett Eston Ellis book, and I couldn't agree more.

02. Jonsi - Go

Jonsi - HENGILAS

As each of the Sigur Ros albums evolved, more color was added. Its almost like Jonsi deliberately penned the albums in this way. Med Sud introduced the most color, it was Sigur Ros summertime album. And then when it couldn't possibly get any sweeter Jonsi gave us this. To appreciate this album you have to let your guard down and accept that Jonsi does moody atmospherics brilliantly and does up beat, overly happy brilliantly as well. He literally tied a knot around the sun and brought it a little closer. However to further appreciate the album one needed to see the live concert. I was fortunate enough to witness the magic on 2 occasions. Coupled with the B-Sides Go is a collection of work that truly inspires. The tears of joy could be seen all throughout Terminal 5 in New York by the end of the show. I know that at times there is almost a cheesy element to the album, Animal Arithmetic for example, but thats ok. The album is supposed to be happy. Even on the atmospheric tracks, bliss over powers darkness. Everyone needs a little color and happiness. I certainly did and I found it here. I'm ready for some new Sigur Ros, but 2010 was the year of Go.

01. Wolf Parade - Expo 86

Wolf Parade - CAVE O SAPIEN

Another album that didn't make any of the lists I read and enjoy so much. I tend to become obsessive about bands and albums. I try to go to as many shows as I can and I listen relentlessly if it hits the spot. Wolf Parade were that band this year. I was lucky to see them in concert 7 times and I will forever regret missing the opportunity to sit on the tour bus and travel from Austin to Dallas to see them again.

Expo 86 is not a flawless album it just happens to be the album I listened to more than any other this year and the highlights are exceptional. The concept of the band is difficult with 2 singer/songwriters splitting up the duties. I prefer everything Spencer Krug does and on Expo 86 its no different. However, Dan's songs on the record are really strong too which gives the album a more complete feel. Wolf Parade embrace the big sound and it really packs a punch from start to finish. It's most likely not everyones cup of tea. Spencer takes a different approach to song writing with obscure lyrics and lots of layers that build and build, along with his wailing voice. Dan on the other hand builds his songs around infectious hooks and the songs play like straight forward rock songs. Together however it seems to work, at least for me it does. In a live setting its really joyful and they play off each other really positively. Expo 86 is catchy, extravagant, dancy, and full of drama. A listen straight through will leave you needing a nap. Much like the live shows they pour their heart and soul into the performance. So much emotion and power. One of the most underrated bands on the planet.

Songs Of The Year.

2010-12-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

Album and song lists start surfacing a the beginning of the month but that doesn't work for me. I don't listen to music full time, only my favorite artists full time. I need the month of December to get through some of those albums I missed or didn't give enough time to. In fact, that alone doesn't really work which has altered my ranking. Last year I didn't include several albums that I should have. The issue was that I didn't get into said albums until after the new year. Take The Antlers, a wonderful band. I didn't listen to Hospice at all despite its place on many top 10 lists after the 09 music year. But when I saw them open for Editors I was blown away. I knew they would be good but not THAT good. I bought the CD and a T-shirt that night. Amazing album that I never gave love to. With that said not only do I accept that I'm no authority on music but that I am not even a true music generalist. I like what I like and spend perhaps too much time liking what I like! Its impossible for me to have a top 50 album list because I don't listen to 50 albums in a year. However, in defense I attempt to listen to lots and my shallow filter only allows so much through so what does make it tends to be very good, at least in my opinion. So here goes my favorite songs of 2010 (that I heard) From 20- 5 have no real order, they can change based on the day or mood. They are just great songs that differ greatly but result in the same end - joy. From 5 -1 is as accurate as I can manage. The only certainty here is number 1. My favorite track of the year won't be touched and has immediately entered my top 10 tracks of all time. Albums will follow but for now, here are the tunes that touched me during this very dull year. I didn't duplicate any artists, that would have resulted in 20 songs by 6 or 7 different groups/singers!

20. The Drums - I Felt Stupid
- this song was on heavy rotation this summer. uplifting and a throw back to the 80's sound I love.
19. Arcade Fire - Ready To Start
- maybe my fav song on the album but Sprawl II comes very close. Great melody, lyrics, and full of energy.
18. Warpaint - Composure
- The change after the intro is like Warpaints very own Paranoid Android. Hauntingly beautiful.
17. Underworld - Scribble
- I love my melodic techno (even if this sounds more drum and bass) and this track was a constant through many workouts this year.
16. Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill
- Best song on Plastic Beach. Damon Albarn has one of the best voices in modern music and this song oozes happiness. A joy to listen to.
15. Superpitcher - Joanna
- Piano driven house music. Nothing big sounding, just a lovely melody that brought me back to 1995 and a hands in the air dancefloor.
14. Stars - The Passanger
- I love the way Amy and Torq bounce lyrics off each other. This is my fav from their new album.
13. Chemical Brothers - Swoon
- Tom and Ed, putting out masterpiece music for years. They transcend the dance music genre.
12. Twin Shadow - Forget
- Its such a wonderful throwback to Nu Wave. Sounds of Tears For Fears, Echo And The Bunnymen, and early Depeche Mode. Love it.
11. Xiu Xiu - Gray Death
- Almost a top 10 and if I didn't burn myself out listening to it perhaps it would have been. Amazing song that reminds me of Morrissey. Love this album.
10. Niki And The Dove - Mother Protect
- This song really hit the spot this winter. Excellent Swedish pop music with a wonderful vocal.

9. Future Islands - As I Fall
- Excellent nu-wave influenced sounds. Lovely synths, drums and arrangement. The vocal delivery is so emotive and uplifting. Samuels voice is extreamly raspy and full of feeling, so much so that its difficult to only listen to one track. But this is the one that stood out for me. Really shines a light on my day. Check out the live version from KCRW.

8. Four Tet - Angel Echoes
- One of many standout tracks on the album, and one of the best tracks I heard this year. I love Four Tet's style of electronic music. Its real jazzy and dreamy. I can dance to this track and equally it can send me to sleep. The vocal repetition is euphoric. No youtube clip so soundcloud will have to do.
Angel Echoes (BBC session) by Four Tet

7. Interpol - Lights
- The song and the album didn't favor well with the critics but from the second I heard Lights I loved it. It helps that I love Paul Banks vocals so much so when he opens his mouth I usually like it. This track however was the lead single and set the tone for what came on the album. Typical dark and moody Interpol, bringing so much joy into my life.

6. LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
- I couldn't get past this opening track from the album. I just kept saying, one more listen. This track is like being in the middle of a crowd that is getting ready to do something really awesome. Its a gathering of friends forgetting their problems and coming together to dance. Its organic and despite the slow jam brings me back to the old rave days. When James Murphy raises his voice and changes the tone coupled with the drums and synths, its time to take off. Fantastic tune.

5. Crystal Castles - Not In Love
- There are two versions of this song. The original and then the version where Alice Glass has her singing replaced by Robert Smith of the Cure. The track is so beautiful, extremely emotional, and very uplifting. I don't know which version I prefer but I'll include the Robert Smith version here. He has such a unique voice and it works so well with the Crystal Castles sound. This song makes me bounce off the walls.

4. The Knife (ft. Mt. Sims and Planningtorock) - Coloring Of Pigeons
- This is one of the most intense songs I heard all year. Its based around Charles Darwin's On the Origin Of Species. As the opening track of an Opera performed with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock the track spans all the epic space one would expect from a stage production. Terror meets fascination throughout the 11 minutes. It builds with romantic tones through different vocals and more dark and eerie sounds. And underneath it all there is so much beauty.

3. Jonsi - New Piano Song
- This is such an important song for me. It wasn't featured on the album GO and I hadn't heard it until I stood in front of the stage at The House Of Blues in Boston. Things were far from good in my world and then I heard this. I love the piano and I love Jonsi's voice, and both sounded perfect. Despite not ever hearing the song before I knew it so well because it had everything I was feeling at that time. It literally blew me away that night. One of the most beautiful tracks I've ever heard.

2. Wolf Parade - What Did My Lover Say (It Always Had To Go This Way)
- It was touch and go whether or not Jonsi got the second spot but I couldn't pass over this track. The simple reason being that it was the first song I heard off the new album and when we saw Wolf Parade practice the songs in Toronto earlier in the year it stood out so clearly. I remember leaving the show and this was the song stuck in my head even though I only heard it one time in my life. Spencers humming at the end was swirling around in my head all night. When I finally heard the recorded version I immediately knew it. It was exactly the same with the Jonsi track above but Spencer Krug has a vocal that really hits me. Throughout the whole tour this song has sounded amazing and despite playing the album on repeat for months I never get sick of it.The guitars and synths sound really great together and the song captures Wolf Parade's sound so perfectly. Love it.

1. Moonface - Marimba and Shit Drums
- I don't know if this qualifies as a song per se. Its over 20 minutes long. However , as the title says, it has only two instruments (not counting the most important instrument - Spencer Krug's voice), a Marimba and some electronic, 8-bit sounding drums that could easily be thought of as Shit Drums. In the context of this song however they are anything but that. The song is by Spencer Krug under his solo alias Moonface and the 20 minutes covers a dream sequence. The imagery is very descriptive and powerful. Spencer released the song for free at the beginning of the year and when I listened to the track straight through I was indeed transported into dreamland. And even now almost one year later I can sit and listen to the twenty minutes and drift back to that dream state. The vocals are delivered with such emotion and the looping of the Marimba, Spencers backing vocals and the drums all create magic that is unlike anything I've heard in years. If you don't like Marimba (think wind chimes) you will hate the song. I happen to love the sound and with Spencer singing the way he does I find it very difficult to control my own emotions. At times I get angry and other times I feel so much happiness. If there is one perfect tune this year, Marimba and Shit Drums has to be it. It is broken into 2 youtube clips. Enjoy this track because you will find something in it. "and I've been here before, and I know your face from the last time I dreamt I was loosing control".
A quick story. When I told Spencer that this was my favorite song this year he said you mean your favorite song with Marimba? I laughed awkwardly because I knew he was being self deprecating. But he thanked me after.

Love Kel

Radiohead For Haiti

2010-12-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

The amazing Radiohead. Being cool again. Looking after fans and doing it for a good cause. So last January Radiohead played a concert in LA and the entire ticket sales, including all the auctioned off tickets, were given to the Haiti relief efforts. The band raised a lot of money and now as a Christmas gift they have approved a free download of the concert on DVD or MP4. A multi cam shot effort. In return the band want people to donate something to Oxfam. They have a specific site that allows you to donate any amount. Of course you don't HAVE to donate but with the band giving up the footage of this rare show you SHOULD donate. I will, not much, but something. The link to download the show is here
There are many options so be sure to avail of the quality you want/need. This is a happy day.

Peace and much love,

Kel

Oh christmas tree oh christmas tree

2010-12-24T21:46:00.000-08:00

We were driving through natick, ma listening to the radio. Frankie and I decided to hit up the various strip malls in the area to look for inexpensive higher end fashion. I just visited the Doctor in Waltham about my knee. Another MRI and Arthroscopic injection. The confusion over my knee pain continues. So we were driving, preparing to buy stuff we may want over need, and stuff to give as xmas gifts. The usual story. And then we stopped talking because NPR, specifically "On Point" with Tom Ashbrook had a story about kids that send Santa letters to USPS. These kids are from poor areas and the stories moved us both to that point where anger and tears meet. I can pretty much, with confidence say that I dislike Christmas. What its become and what it stands for are on either end of what I like about the holiday.

For me, Christmas is about family, friends and coming together. Its a reason for me to jump on the christian holiday to be with my Mam and Dad, my brother, nephew and my mates. Everyone comes together to celebrate the holidays. However I am not oblivious to its shortcomings or the result of the fairytale that create its very existence. The stories on Tom's show made me so angry. I am powerless to do anything about how I feel. Children, here in the USA that ask for so little. Things like, "I want for Christmas just the opportunity to see my Mom smile, she has been so sad", or " My sister and I just want some new shoes so we can fit in when we go back to school". One kid in his letter asked, " I want my mom to be happy because she has been so sad all year, and if you have room I would love a doll for my sister and a transformer toy for myself". How pathetic is this holiday when "Santa" brings some kids so much and yet other kids who believe in the same dream get so little? Its a another holiday of the haves and have nots and for that reason I move further to the dislike side of the holiday.

My Mam and Dad always provided for my brother and I. We got cool toys and gadgets. Only years after did I realize that my parents had to work hard and save for my toys, they had to bust their asses so I could feel like "Santa" brought me something that was as good as my friends. I have great parents but not everyone is that fortunate. These letters hit me so hard that forever my value of this holiday has diminished. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a child asking 'Santa' for a pair of shoes or for happiness. In a society where we spend Billions on war and on the engine of capitalism no child should be left begging for a $15 dollar toy from 'Santa', because he is not going to bring that toy even though every kid in a wealthy neighborhood gets everything they want. It makes me so sad. On a purely secular level, just to be nice I wanted to answer some of these letters and yet I didn't. It is difficult to build programs to meet the requests. But it shouldn't be. I should be able to call up NPR and ask for a few letters. I saw a transformer toy in Nordstrom Rack that day, it was a large yellow car that turned into a bumblebee. It cost $15 bucks. Less than the round of Belgian beer and French wine I bought for Frankie and I a couple of hours later. Our drinks satisfied us. That toy would make some less fortunate kid who believes in 'santa' so happy. It would make their dreams come true and all I would miss is the taste of the first of many IPA's. Christmas, its hard to agree with what its become. And I make it my mission to look out for the less fortunate who believe in the reason for this holiday. Giving and helping does more for me than the personal celebration of the holiday. Kids don't know, they are indoctrinated to the reason for the season but they expect something from it none the less. And the fact that less fortunate kids ask for so little and yet receive even less is sad. I want for Christmas to see the needy have some happiness. To see poor children receive a gift from 'Santa'. And if he throws in a new knee or 2 for yours truly I won't complain.

I miss being at home this time of year. My friends Christy and Lynn are getting married in 2 days and I won't be there because of visa issues. Its not all bad though. I have Skype to talk with my family and friends. Frankie came down for a few great days. I went to a new pub tonight. I rode my bike for a few hours today. And I am still motivated to fix my knees. Its all good. And whatever my gripe about this holiday, I still like it. I was raised loving Chrimbo and I'm far from scrooge when it comes to the week. In fact I embrace it, only now I am going to give the gift to the less fortunate. I want to answer one of those letters. I want to know that I made a difference because someone likes this holiday more than I do.
My favorite christmas tune. Maybe the best christmas tune there is. Check it.

Peace and Love,

Kel

Lists Lists Lists

2010-12-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

Its about that time again. I feel like I just finished 2009's best of lists. What a great year for music. Dare I say better than last year? So many fantastic albums and tracks, some of which were so good that it limited my ability to listen to so many other albums that could potential sit in my top 15. For example, I just got around to listening to Warpaint - Fool. I'll get to that in a second after I finish complaining about how much I hate being sick. This past week was a huge struggle and a constant sore throat, sore back and neck, and even a stomach issue, left me feeling very down. I managed to rally for a night out with Bob Schwelm and the crew but next day I was worse. Its amazing how even those of us that think we're so tough succumb to child like behavior when sick. It was the first illness I suffered this year so I can't complain. Outside of some bad allergy days I had a clean bill of health, from a systemic point of view anyway. Almost better, this weekend will surly have me back on top of my game.

So Warpaint, yes, fantastic. Four kick ass ladies from LA that create beautiful and very haunting art rock. I got the Exquisite Corpse EP earlier in the year and listened , enjoyed, and put out of my mind. Only the other day I saw The Fool on many a year end list and it triggered with me that "of course", Warpaint was a band I fully intended on revisiting. So I bought the record and it's wonderful, hypnotic and full of emotive harmonies. Of course this is very much against the grain of what reviews say about the album but I see the emotion rather than the moody in this kind of music. This album is the post Joy Division sound that I love. It has Bat For Lashes elements, that same expansive sound with very intimate and direct lyrics. Songs that wash around in my head all day. Even though I acknowledge this album would be a grower for most people, its certainly without the explosion of a standout hit, for me it hit a chord. I've always had a penchant for female vocals and this filled my needs right way. I love this album so much. Check out the track below its lovely,

Peace,
Kel

Am I Still Ill

2010-12-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning I met up with the Arc-En-Ciel crew for a long, hard bike ride. It was about 75 miles and the pace was pretty up tempo all the way. These guys are all older than me by 15-20 years but they are animals. As one of them told me, if your still banging out the miles and races into the 50's your good because the weak have long since quit. These guys are some of the best in New England for their age and they have so much knowledge. We rode double pace line all the way and felt OK but a little off. On my second pull with Todd Buckley I decided to go a little harder to see if I could warm up. Todd was willing and since he is much stronger than I am he took it as a bit of a challenge and took it to me big time. Our pull ended up being 20 minutes hard effort. Warming up worked but my overall energy was still lacking. The ride finished up and I was wiped, more than I should have been. By Saturday night I was still cold and even though I tried to rally at a couple of Xmas parties I went to it was not happening. I didn't sleep on Saturday night and woke up Sunday with the cold/virus I have been fighting for months. Throat swollen up, chills, neck and back pain. The usual. No big deal, just a day in bed and a lot of fluids. Today was a little better but not great. I still went into work because the thought of sitting around my house all day was very unappealing. I need to kick this bug tonight because tomorrow I am heading to Philly for some dinner and beers with Bob Schwelm, which usually ends up messy......

Because of my dour mood and negative outlook (I'm a big baby and very angry when I'm sick) I decided that today I would listen to some easy, breezy pop music. I decided to revisit The Radio Dept. On first listen to this album about 3 or 4 months ago I was very much on the fence. I liked it but there was nothing to love. It wasn't fitting the bill given how much good music was knocking around this summer and the fact that everything I heard was being compared to Jonsi-Go and Wolf Parade - Expo 86. So today, with no sun in the sky, a very sore throat, and no energy at all I decided I needed some shoegazy, dream pop stuff. I remembered this album and listened through again. Lovely. This is the Radio Dept. 3rd album. They are a Swedish Indie-pop band with a very Cocteau Twins meets Kings Of Convenience sound. I am going to listen to this album a lot more. Its very enjoyable and melodic. Of course I should have been listening to it on those long hot summer nights but better late than never. Check out tune below. Its lovely.

I just want to take a minute and congratulate the Irish U23 XC team for winning the European Cross Country champs. Great performance that could have been even more dominant if Ciaran O'Lionaird ran how he did at NCAA XC. I reckon he was under the weather. Even David McCarthy had a sub-par run given his recent road race at Manchester. They still battled and still won. Awesome.

Peace and Love,

Kel

The Importance Of Being

2010-12-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

Already there are a lot of year end lists on the intertubes. I just looked through Rolling Stones top 30 Albums and top 50 Singles. Absolutely no imagination. Just straight down the line with the obvious choices, some good, most average. No Wolf Parade, no Interpol, no post-rock or anything left field. A disappointment for my first look. Not that I care about their opinions. I dislike the publication and for some reason I'm still getting free copies sent to me? Makes no sense.

Struggling big time today. I watched Liverpool clinic Aston Villa on how to play football and washed down the joy with some 60 minute IPA. We went to Trinity Brewhouse with the crew from Rhode Runner and tucked into more IPA. I forget how strong it is but quickly realized when I started slurring words and arguing about athletics. It wasn't a nice night to walk home but it had to be done. When I rode down to get my car this morning I was pretty sure I'd have a boot, be towed, or at the very least a nice ticket. None of the above. Happy days. Car was resting where I left it and I hit up the coffee shop to help alleviate the hangover. I felt pretty bad all day and was very busy so I didn't get a workout in. By the time I got home tonight it was almost 8 bells so no exercise. Saving it up for Cyclocross tomorrow night.

I have never heard of British band Little Comets but I heard the song Joanna on one of my daily blog reads and I love it. I've been listening non-stop. They are a pop - rock band from Newcastle who remind me of The Futureheads and a bit like Two Door Cinema Club. Anyway, the song Joanna is fantastic. It comes out in January as the first single off their upcoming debut In Search Of Elusive Little Comets which sees daylight on Jan 30th. These guys will be a band to watch for 2011. Fresh, British Indie Rock at its best. The single is in the youtube clip but they also have a Joannacapella stripped down version that is stunning. Check the soundcould player to hear it. I tend to have a bit of a meh attitude towards straight up indie rock but this song has hit the spot. Strong accent too. I do enjoy when bands sing in their accent.

Enjoy!

Kel

Little Comets - Joannacapella by Mud Hut Digital

Beautifully Illustrated

2010-12-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

I was communicating via text with the Godfather the other day and he was telling me how much he loves post rock music these days. It got me thinking that I hadn't listened to much of the genre lately so I spent tonight digging through the archives and posted a couple of belting tracks that will get you thinking, Whether thats a good thing or not I don't know. But here they are.

Peace,

Kel

Choose Life

2010-12-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

I finally had a decent CycloCross race this morning. I finished third in my race which was cat. 4 and cat. 4 masters 35+. Technically I won the cat. 4 but since 2 guys crossed the line 6 seconds ahead of me I still came away feeling like I could have won outright and that I should have done better, worked harder and had more confidence. Of course its somewhat moot because there is cat. 3 and then Pro 1 -2, another 2 divisions higher than mine. With that said I am happy. I've been saying all year that my starts have been the reason for my not doing well so I made sure to register early for this race. I was placed on the third line out of about 7 lines so my position was great. I kind of squeezed into the second line right before the gun. It was an uphill start which suited me and by the sharp turn I was in about 20th and feeling really comfortable. This course suited me because it had a lot of good riding and one section of beach running. After the first run I passed 5 guys and came into the middle of the course in about 12th. I slowly picked people off the rest of the way and ran out of track to catch the first 2. I don't mean to belittle the riders in front of me but I do think one more run on the beach and I would have got the lead. I'm pleased and looking forward to doing the cat. 3 races soon.

There is another race tomorrow but I can't do it because we are sponsoring the Downtown Jingle 5k so I'll be working that in the morning. However, if time permits I will head down to Goddard in the afternoon to watch the pro race and watch in awe at how easy they ride the course. Its interesting to find a new sport and I keep drawing parallels to running. My winning a cat. 4 race is basically like winning the JV race at college xc or running 18 minutes for 5K on the road and yet I am strangely happy. I will never be as good at cycling as I was at running so I need to reset my expectations and just enjoy it. Easier said then done but I'll try.

The duo Memoryhouse, out of Guelph, Ont. make wonderful music. They layer minimal drums, synths, and reverb under magical shoegaze vocals. I put their track To The Lighthouse on the blog here a year ago. I never really followed up because I wasn't really listening to much shoegaze sounds but this song is beautiful and I wanted to share it with my friends on the internets. Its a B-Side to their new single Caregiver. Enjoy,

Love Kel

More Hopelandic

2010-12-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

It was 20 degrees colder in ATL this morning than it was in Providence. Bizarre. Free internet on the plane is really cool so big props to Delta for providing. The Jonsi "Go Live" DVD and CD was released 2 days ago which means my copy could potentially be waiting for me at home. There is a DVD of a Studio Performance from London last March and the live CD has a full concert recorded in Belgium and Brighton, UK over the last year. You can go to the website and get a free download of New Piano Song which is one of my favorite tunes he plays live. So much emotion and passion. For some reason it was left off the album. Maybe its a 'live only' song or maybe it just didn't fit. At least I get to hear it now as often as I want. The youtubes are alive with footage and I tried to avoid it but alas I'm weak and pretty much watched the whole show, despite the poor quality of sound. Check out the vid below.

Nothing else happening right now. Zero exercise in the last 2 days. This is where my longing for running really takes hold. I miss the convenience of going for a quick 40 minute run in the am or pm. I can't do the hotel gym, the old skool elliptical trainer. No way, its just not satisfying and a cup of coffee with some Jonsi and my Chuck Palahniuk novel is far more appealing.

Peace and much love,

Kel

2010-11-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

Off to the ATL for a couple of days. A little ATC Peachtree discussion followed by quality time with the friends at Big Peach Running Company. Just meself and Coxy. Quick trip. Light backpack, some running gear for the one hour elliptical I won't do, and positive attitude helped no less by my 25 listens in a row to Niki And The Dove - Mother Protect.

I don't know much about them other than the info on their myspace page. She sounds like Fever Ray with even more dramatic music. There may even be a hint of Tegan and Sara, not that I'm a huge fan of the Canadian pop duo, rather her voice just sounds like one of theirs. They are out of Stockholm and sing some wonderful songs. None more so than the one below. It is free to download at their website.

I love the tune, the way it builds to an epic breakdown, her voice, the layers and wonderful arrangement. The Scandinavian female pop singers have been doing something right over the last few years. And here is another one to celebrate alongside Fever Ray and Lykke Li. Fantastic.

Love Kel

Little Vision Come Shake Me Up

2010-11-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

Ah, t'was a bit of a legend 4 days off. I love work but I also enjoy the down times. Thanksgiving provided all of that. I hit the trainer hard on Thursday for some reps to work up an appetite for dinner. I was starving and my hard work was rewarded by a Mylene Cox special thanksgiving dinner, involving deep fried tofu with peanut sauce and a coconut curry. Maybe the best thanksgiving day dinner I've ever had. Throw in some 90 minute IPA and to be honest it was actually the BEST TG dinner I've ever had. I met up with Mark Carroll and Pat Tarpy for a night cap, lovely.

On Saturday morning myself, Coxy, Pat, and Joe hit the road for a ride somewhere around 60 miles. It was very cold so rather than mess around we hit appropriate sections very hard. I started off with a mild hangover after a night of College Football as bizarre as that sounds. Marko is coaching at Auburn and was fired up for their game. Not being one for college football I was pleasantly surprised, the game ended up being pretty epic in the end. The hangover lifted after about 30 minute and the ride turned into a bit of an interval session which suits me just fine. Then on Saturday night we had the 1 year anniversary of RI Threads the clothing line designed by my friends Ro and Myles. The shirts and hoodies are RI themed. The party launched a new shirt and was all in all a very successful evening, followed up by some AS220 and The Avery.

With a beautiful blue sky and large sun greeting us on Sunday morning I had an urge to go for a run. With Pat and Kim doing 12 miles it was only natural that I'd want to join in for some of it, so I did. I lasted about 10 minutes before my calf seized up and my knee swelled up. Liverpool lost to Spurs and all the sunshine in the world wasn't making the slightest bit of difference. I bagged exercise for the rest of the day. Perhaps the rest was wise given the amount of late nights that preceded my hard training sessions but really I wasn't tired. Sometimes I think I am fine with not being able to run and then other times I realize that I am not fine with it at all. Sunday was one of those days.

The brightside was listening to Wolf Parade live on CBC Radio and the Q sessions. They were great and one of the videos has surfaced. All three will come out but for now we just have Ghost Pressure. I know I said I would not show/talk Wolf Parade anymore but the truth is my window is very small. Wolf Parade have announced that they are taking an indefinite hiatus. I have no idea what this means. Are they breaking up? Or are they going to focus on other projects for a few years before they consider a 4th album? Either way I'm sad. It was a great year for the band and I hope they play a couple more gigs before its all over. Check out the video below, the quality is really good.

Love Kel

I'm A Dream Catcher Hanging In The WIndow Of A Mini-Van

2010-11-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

Every Wednesday during the fall NBX put on a cyclocross training race under the floodlights of a city park in Wakefield RI. My buddy Joe Savic, one of the owners of Providence Bike brought me back in October to my first cyclocross event which happened to be one of these training races. I loved it despite crashing and being generally apprehensive at every technical section. But I flogged myself and went to the Mews Tavern after and had a couple of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA's. Fast forward almost 2 months and things have changed, only slightly. Tonight was my 4th Training Race and my 7th Cyclocross race of the season. And like wine I've gotten better with time. I rode well tonight, no crashes and smooth over the barriers. In fact I beat a couple of guys who were a minute ahead of me earlier in the fall. I still think its a very tough game but a night like tonight has me fired up for next season already. Big shout out to the organizers who do a great job considering the event is just a glorified training session.

With tomorrow being Thanksgiving I have a day off work. Ordinarily I'd be heading to a Turkey Trot but alas no more. Even the local 5k is a little too much on the old knees. Instead I'll be going for an easy 2-3 hour ride over the hills to prepare for a day of food and friends. Might end up at Wild Colonial since its open tomorrow night. We'll see. I am also going to use the day to catch up on the long list of music I need to listen to. I have a few albums and a lot of singles in my waiting and they will get the love they deserve over dark coffee.

A few weeks back my friend Dan Mazzocco introduced me to an artist who records under the name Pictureplane. This guy is right up my alley. He is from Denver and has been DJ'ing the techno and trance scene out there for a few years. I may have even come across him during my time in Boulder at the many Communikey parties I used to attend and the random nights down in Denver for a fix of minimal techno. The name of the album is Dark Rift and it is awesome. Despite sounding DIY at the best of times there are some breathtaking moments, especially the delayed synth and chopped vocals of Goth Star the song I have below. Other songs simply give me nostalgic feelings of the rave days back in Ireland. Not disimlar although perhaps less epic than M83, these songs bring up lots of memories. The song 5th Sun has me on the dance floor at Luci's in Drogheda around 1994 with my hands in the air and lined up among the ecstasy induced rave generation. I liked these days, it was all love and peace. A few years on the darkness settled for many but no one can deny the happiness of a piano loop over a 4/4 drum beat. 5th Sun really captures that feeling and I'm sure a lot of people would have flash backs like I had. For those that were a little more into the breakbeat sound or hardcore rave a track like Trance Doll will do the trick. Old Skool breaks intro and pave way for a 4/4 layered over synths and loud stabbing drums with classic rave melody. Superb. While M83 echo the sound of the 80's, Pictureplane captures the early 90's rave. The hands in the air generation, sharing love, joy, and many after parties. Unless of course there was a race on a Saturday morning. Thats why I chose the DJ route.......Coca-Cola seemed to do the trick!

Take a listen to the below track and if you like it check out the album. Its a great tune and perfect for some post race chill out time.

Peace and Love,

Kel

Goth Star

2010-11-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Providence College put out a solid showing at the NCAA's. The guru keeps churning out the results. The Women were 9th and men were 22nd. Both teams are pretty much back in their entirety and the women had an injury at the meet with a stud fresher not running. Very positive. It always makes me reflect on my own NCAA's which was dare I say, 10 years ago.........Getting old as them there hills. Of all the things I miss about running and the great experiences I reflect on one thing stands above everything else, and it is the 5 months from July 2000 - November 2000 and more importantly the people I shared those months with. I doubt there has ever been a team of guys who related better than our crew did. I mean, I have no comparison of course but I have seen teams come and go and I listen to the way Ray or Nick J talk about that group and everyone agrees it was a pretty rare period. We literally did everything together, worked, lived, trained, ate, took the same courses, partied (rarely during those months), and we never argued. We never fell out or had low periods. It was like someone spiked our cornflakes with ecstasy every morning. Maybe I am remembering with rose tinted glasses but I look back on my training diary (it was the only season I kept a thorough one) and it was happiness every day. We were best mates and it may sound sappy but there was a lot of love among the guys and our relationship with Ray and Nick. When we toed the line at Nationals 10 years ago we didn't need to say anything in the group huddle, we were choked up because for one we were nervous and believed we could win the team title and secondly we didn't want to let each other down. It was not about individual performances it was about the team including the guys that were cheering back in Providence. Our whole squad. It was very big and much bigger than my own performance. I had the opportunity to spend time with the one and only Hamish Thorpe a couple of weeks ago. We only had one day so it was spent in the pub reminiscing and it was really great to hear Thorpy speak so fondly of that period given his radical life change from the runner he was. Just awesome. I would love to get everyone together again and maybe it will happen sometime soon. I'm sure Ray and Nick would love it too.

Hamish still looks like he could rip it up in any race (pay no attention to the big cheery beard, he is skin and bones underneath) I'd give the guy 2 months and maybe a shave and he would look world class. He always had that, both he and Sutts. The guys could eat their weight in sugary late night snacks and not gain an ounce. Myself and Reilzer didn't have that luxury but we opted to partake anyway. It really was a fantastic season. The girls did well too and that was expected. If Ray doesn't have a girls team in the top 15 at nationals its considered a bit of a disaster!

So the Monday before Thanksgiving always holds wonderful memories for me and it is one of the great days on the running calender. A big up to Shelby and Lee for achieving All-American. And a big up to The Guru for keeping the streak alive.

Damon Albarn is a fantastic singer. I've always been a bigger Blur fan than Oasis, an important comparison given the rivalry they had during the rise of Brit-Pop and the very need to decided who was better circa 1994. I chose Blur because I thought Damon's voice was better and I could see the band would evolve whereas by the time Be Here Now came out Oasis were on the decline. Blur kept getting better and better. The album 13 is magic. Fast Forward 10 years and Damon continues to be wonderful, he voice distinct and his desire to try new things very clear on each release. He recently played some BBC live sessions of Gorillaz tracks that are stunnging. He also did a cover of XX Crystalised, its amazing. Thats below along with a beautiful rendition of Up On Melancholy Hill that will take you to a different place. Its as good as it gets, and his passion is so evident here, he is simply brilliant. Enjoy.

Love Kel

Awesome Texas

2010-11-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

The last week in Austin was superb. A run around town lake would have been nice but exercise aside everything about the week was really nice. Austin is a great place, throw in great friends from all over, throw in a Wolf Parade gig and throw in a meeting with said band. Mix this with joyful evenings and no hangovers and you have the recipe for a happy Kelrock. This new song by Cut Copy kind of reflects my mood and feelings about the week. Cut Copy have been quite since their In Ghost Colors record from 2008. I listened to these songs a lot when I started this blog and its nice to see them back with some post nu wave happiness.

Cut Copy - "Take Me Over" (Radio Edit) Premiere by modularpeople

So first night down I bump into my main man the AAA Jay Romasco. He is town for Tifosi, bringing fantastic eye-wear to athletes at every level. I know, because he gave me some, and I banged out 3 hours on Saturday wearing them. Joyful.

Anyway the first night was Wolf Parade. I know I talk about this band a lot but they happen to be touring and this truly was a coincidence, not that I would be embarrassed about traveling anywhere in the globe to see these guys. The night was made even more special by the presence of many great friends. Most of the Reebok team came along with my bros John Clarke, Kris Hartner, Henry Guzman, Cody Hill, and Adam White. There was another guy along but in the whole panic I feel before any show I go to I didn't meet him. We met up with Ryan Hall, as in the cool ass Ryan Hall who loves music, not the fast marathon runner. I also met up with Brian Hanley and his lady friend, Courtney. Brian is the guy who got me into Wolf Parade when he played me I'll believe In Anything back in the summer of 2006. I bought Apologies To The Queen Mary when I got back to Boulder and its been a strong relationship ever since.

The show was as expected, breathtaking. More and more I appreciate the chemistry on stage between Dan and Spencer. Usually I just loose it to everything Spencer sings and I somewhat recover during Dans songs. And that is not a knock on Dan. Spencer just sings in a more epic style and his songs are longer, more intense, and for me simply better. A lot of people would disagree and thats all good because if there was no Spencer I'd still love Wolf Parade. Dan is fantastic and brings a wonderful energy to the stage. They blitzed through a typical set with all the tunes I want to hear played. Kissing The Beehive may be my favorite closing song of any show. Its long, its almost too much, and the feeling of being completely melted after the song is rare and matched by maybe one or two songs by other bands. Another song that come to mind, Idioteque by Radiohead. Its on that level.

It was great having our retail partners at the show and I'm glad they enjoyed it. They could be just telling me that but I know they liked it. Its impossible not to like Wolf Parade live. So a few scoops and it was bedways. Next morning we woke feeling inspired and alive so we took a trip to Mellow Johnnys for some Juan Palota coffee (yes Lance Armstrong, I don't care, he is a pretty cool guy and his shop is amazing) and upon returning to the hotel we saw Arlen Thompson sitting down chatting with another dude. Arlen is the drummer in Wolf Parade and I was excited. Coxy told me to go over and chat with him but I decided I'd leave him talk, didn't want to interrupt. By the time I reached my room I changed my mind. I wanted to see who else from the band was around and I wanted to tell them how great they are and how their music has been a massive wind in my sails over the last 4 years.

I sat down next to Arlen and a representative from Sub Pop Records. They were awesome. So nice and friendly and contrary to what I thought Arlen really appreciated my stopping by to thank him for his music. I joined them for coffee and we casually chatted about touring, about playing in Ireland and Europe in general. My own experiences on this tour etc. Fantastic. Next Dante arrived, he plays guitars and keyboard and he was dying with a hangover. In fact he uttered the magic words, "I'm never drinking again". I laughed and told him that its a weekly ritual of mine to speak such words with little intention. We laughed and he napped on the couch. It was at this point that I realized Dan would not be around, he was staying elsewhere with friends. There was no sign of Spencer but this was fine. It was at this point that I was confronted with a major decision. The Sub Pop rep and Arlen told me I was welcome to "Hitch a ride to Dallas on the Bus". As in, sit on the tour bus with the band and go see them perform that night in Dallas. Panic washed over me like a tsunami. I had the stutter and the shakes. Here was a once in a lifetime opportunity to hang on a tour bus with a band that sits comfortably in my top 3 of all time. But I couldn't go. I was in Austin for work and my job paid for me to be there. To hang with our retail partners, to be part of our very important team. I thanked them, told them I'd regret it, and said I had to work. It was all good. I told Arlen it would be like me asking him to skip out on a gig to go on the beer. He laughed. Casual and very friendly. A couple of minutes later Spencer Krug walked out of the lobby Starbucks and I can admit without any shame that I was genuinely lost for words. Don't know why, I was really enjoying the conversation, but it happened. My heart rate elevated and I was not sure what to say such is the respect I have for his talent. The Reebok crew arrived at this point also since we had to leave for expo set up. I shook hands with Spencer, introduced myself and thanked him. I told him I was a big fan and I thought he was exceptional. Coxy told me he has never seen me so nervous. I mean I'm 33 I should not be acting like a bloody teenager but thats what happened. OK maybe I wasn't that bad but you get the picture. Spencer was super cool. In fact, he was more intrigued by our Reebok team and he wanted to know what we did etc. When we told him that we worked in running his response was "we have a song called, I am a runner and I am my fathers son". No shit Spencer, I know every word and note of the song. More handshakes and more respects paid, a few questions about the future, about Moonface and Sunset Rubdown. Spencer thanked me for listening to Moonface and said not many people know that project. Wardy told him that he too loved Moonface. Spencer was happy. And like a click of the fingers it was over. The bus sat across the street and I walked away with the team. No pictures, no signatures, just a conversation with 3 of the 4 members of Wolf Parade. One of the best moments of the last few years.

A couple of nights later and we found ourselves out on the town again. This time hanging with Rich Verney and Mike Rouse, super guys from So Cal via New Zealand and Texas. The Reebok team was out in force and the good times rolled. We bumped into Chris Macca McCormack who recently won the Ironman in Hawaii. Great guy as was his buddy MG. We had BJ from Salt Lake along for some free scoops. Macca is a bit of an animal and a great guy. Loves his running. My respect for he and his team rose significantly when we had a 15 minute conversation about distance running in the 1980's. They have a wealth of knowledge. I will always take my hat off to the Aussies, they know their sport. Later on in the night Macca introduced us to a shot called a Stuntman. It involved drinking a shot of Patron, snorting the salt, and squeezing the lemon in your eye. Silly I know. But I did it and it hurt, it was horrible, and I laughed hard.

Next day we were alive and kicking and back on the floor hanging with retailers, catching up with JC and Guz and generally having a great time. The Reebok booth has been quite in recent years but not 2010. We met lots of new people and thanked our old friends for their continued support. Great week. Below is some Wolf Parade. One last video just to hammer home the point. I'll leave Moonface for another time.

Peace and Love

Kel

Like A Hammer On A Semi-Precious Stone

2010-11-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

I just got back from Austin, TX and I've been inspired to kick off my blog again. Over the last year its seen the grave on more than one occasion, mainly because it was loosing its luster and its very reason for being in existence. Its hard to maintain a training journal when one doesn't actually train anymore. However, over the last month between NYC Marathon week and especially last week at The Running Event in Austin TX many people, some I know well, some I don't know at all told me that they were disappointed in the lack of posting. Some people told me I went from the Favorites toolbar to the deleted bin. And what was most interesting was to hear that it was nothing to do with the running part, it was to do with the music part combined with the struggles of someone who is in constant pain and working full time to get out the door. On Wednesday 2 people came up and told me that they needed the blog to keep them up to date on new music, or different music. There was no mention of running. So after some thought I decided to get back on to daily posting. Maybe every other day during busy periods but at least consistency.

So where to start? Well, I race cyclocross these days and I'm awful at it even though it should be right up my ally. All out bike riding on a cross country course does not equate to all out running on a cross country course. For one, there is no skill in running, nor is there the need to output lots of power. I loose ground on all technical sections and the stop-start nature of the game serves to frustrate me and coming out of every corner I have to watch powerful dudes (less fit too) pull away because my skinny arse cannot push the pedals hard enough. I have crashed in every race and think I broke a bone in my hand because its been three weeks since I landed on it and the pain hasn't subsided. On the flip side, cross is one of the most inviting and cultish sports I've been part of. The guys and gals love it, they live it, and they are hardcore about the scene. Cross Running can learn a LOT from Cyclocross. The courses are challenging, and where in running they avoid too many bends or ditches in cyclocross they seek them out. They have beer sponsors that pop up tents along the most technical parts of the course and allow fans a few pints and the opportunity to see the odd crash. The last time (maybe the only time) we had something like this was Jonseys Ditch at the 2007 national xc in Boulder. Pete Julian decided he was not going to avoid the dodgy and very muddy ditch and reassured by Jonsey he kept it in. Some athletes complained. Coaches were "concerned" about injuries. However, nowhere on the course could you find more people cheering and embracing the joy of cross running then right at the ditch. I have always maintained that Cross Running is too soft and not in the muddy sense. Coaches want to protect athletes and courses are becoming more and more like road races. Flat and firm. Cyclocross is the opposite. They want courses that are unique so that Cross Specialists have their moment to dominate. I would love to put on a race in Providence that was technical, muddy, and had atmosphere in the form of music and a beer tent. It would never work of course but maybe a collaboration with a cyclocross race? That might work. Here is some sketchy video I took at Gloucester this year.

Enough of that. Over the last 6 weeks I've been on the road, San Diego, Alaska, NYC Marathon, and Austin TX. All great trips and very productive. Things at Reebok keep getting better and more and more the positives encourage a stronger work ethic. Happy days. It was during the week in NYC that my highs and lows couldn't have been more pronounced. The week was excellent but I had lots of bottled up feelings of depression. Seeing all the people in town to run the race, not to mention the race itself kills me. Especially given the hangovers and the highs from seeing both Interpol and Wolf Parade in concert. I was going to run NYC this year, just for fun. We were talking about a few of us from Reebok doing it together at 3 hr pace. I know I would have most likely broke off and ran 2:40 or something (7 min pace hurts more than 6 min pace for some reason) but I can't do it. The pain in my knees won't allow me to complete 6 miles let alone 26 miles. Its when I'm resigned to wanting to do something for fun and my legs can't handle it that gets me down even more. On a positive note I went to Philly to see Wolf Parade with Bob Schwelm and Terry + Carley Shea. The show was incredible and we all had a blast. It was Bob's first time seeing Wolf Parade and I think he realized exactly what I've been preaching about this band. He put it best when he said that every song seemed like the last song of the night. I agree. They put such an epic performance into every tune that some songs actually require recovery, like a hard repetition on the track.

The following night myself, coxy and mylene went to see Interpol at the United Palace Theater in Washington Heights. The venue is really beautiful, one of those classic theaters with tight seating and ornate decoration. I am typically not a fan of these venues for shows that I want to dance at but I was close to the front and the people around me were jumping and singing so it was all good. The show was very good but still my least favorite of the 5 Interpol gigs I've been to this year. An Interpol show is always fantastic but one has to be the worst and for me it was this show. The all seater definitely takes something away and the night before Wolf Parade had so much energy that this show seemed a little subdued. I compare it to Interpol up in Rochester NYC at the start of the tour and it was a completely different atmosphere. We were treated to all the great songs and it was still a fantastic and very uplifting show.

The race was wonderful. Haile Geb had his issues but didn't take away from a great day. The womens race was better than the mens in terms of drama. Flannigan had an incredible debut to finish 2nd but I was most excited about my landlord Kim Smith grabbing 5th after a pitstop that cost her 30-40 seconds. She would have undoubtedly challenged for top 3. She is disappointed and fired up so expect to see her on a rostrum at a major very soon. It was great to be in NYC catching up with lots of friends. We had a blast the night before the race taking the show to a dodgy karaoke bar and getting well oiled. My good friend from Drogheda ran and to see him embrace the event made me very happy. He did what all positive people do, took advantage of everything good about the NYC Marathon. High fiving the spectators, chatting with strangers, and embracing the culture of marathon running and the energy of the city. Hopefully we'll see Yogi back next year with some of the other members of the lads fc.

So thats the NYC buzz and thats all for now. I need a separate post to discuss the good times in Austin, TX. Some fantastic stuff happened down there.

Great to be back!

Love Kel

Kid A

2010-10-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked the 10 year anniversary of Kid A, easily one of my favorite and most listened to albums of all time. Not only is every song flawless but one song in particular happens to be my favorite song of all time so needless to say my opinions about the album are lofty. I listened to Kid A straight through a few times over the last 3 days. With so much new music to hear and explore its easy to forget our favorite albums. Driving home from Gloucester on Saturday I put my phone away and turned up the volume to listen through twice (bad traffic) and I was floored. To still find such joy in an album I have heard hundreds of times is testament to the work.

Kid A came out at the perfect time for me. I was heavily into the techno scene and in particular I was listening to a lot of progressive breaks and music with emotive sounding keys. Kid A pretty much married the sound I was spinning with my favorite non-dance music. It was quite literally perfect. Everything in its right place......

The album recording was a very difficult process for the band and nearly broke them up. Ed O'Brien kept an online blog and talked very candidly about the troubles in the studio. He saw himself and a guitar player, an instrument that the album lacked. Phil Selway, the bands drummer, was clearly miffed and the introduction of electronic drum machines. It was all backward. However, in times of difficulty magic can emerge and the Radiohead that came out of the studio was a much different band, a much better band. Thoms existential crisis was fading, and the band members were challenged to use new instruments and find ways to stay involved. Their talent was taken to a new level and continues to evolve even today. The problems Thom was facing, writers block, depression, and his hatred of the music industry machine is best reflected in the song How To Disappear Completely. Thom wrote the song in a hotel room in Dublin, hence the line Float Down The Liffy (The name of the River that runs through Dublin) Word has it that prior to the RDS gig in Dublin Micheal Stipe told Thom, who was having anxiety about performing live, to tell himself that he's not there and its not happening. The song is one of the most beautiful I've ever heard.

This album really does stand for something. Its Radiohead giving the middle finger to the music industry. Its working title was "No Logo", inspired by the Naomi Klein's book and the concept of anti-consumerism is rife throughout the record, most notably on my favorite song Idioteque. But it was not so much the theme that got me, it was the music, Thoms vocals, the experimentation, the courage, and the simple fact that to follow up one of the greatest albums ever written with somehting this different and equally as good is remarkable. Kid A, best album of the decade, maybe the best album ever. Thank you Radiohead. You have changed my life many times over.

I hope everyone is having a smashing Fall.

Love Kel

Its All The Way Behind Us

2010-09-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

This Is The Sound Of The Sky Foaming At The Mouth

2010-09-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Wolf Parade played a new song in Belfast last week. I don't know the name of it, but what I do know is that its brilliant. Spencer Krug has an epic voice. Without sounding like a total looser I can admit that I have listened to this song about 60 times in the last 2 days......

Waiting For This Madness To End

2010-09-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

I decided to go for a jog tonight. At about 5 miles into a 6.5 mile loop I felt a pop in my calf that was actually audible. I no doubt have a minor tear. Its my own fault, I'm all jacked up from my bike crash and I was limping to start the run so I had no business actually going further than the top of Rome Ave. But with the new Interpol album on the shuffle and a lot of desire I thought I would truck on and 'loosen' up. Nice one Kel. So another few weeks off running and a dire need to get my bike to the shop for some new spokes and new tape and maybe a tune up. Boooooo.

Crashing The Party

2010-09-07T17:50:00.001-07:00

Someone told me there are 2 types of bike racers, those who have crashed and those who haven't. I was very happy to fall into the latter of the two, until tonight. I had my first smash and while it hurts it really wasn't as bad as it could have been. It happened on an uphill sprint you see so there wasn't too much skin loss but I landed hard on my shoulder and thought I might have done in my collar bone. Alas it was just a hard landing and unlike my legs it seems my upper body has some resilience. We were sprinting pretty hard - out of the saddle stuff.

It was the biggest smackdown I've ever done and the biggest group I've ever ridden in. About 12 people altogether. We set out steady but I was not comfortable in the pack so I hit the front and pushed the pace. No one was in trouble which was a good sign. The smackdown was taking shape and that shape was one of suffering and torture. On Austin I hit the front again and pushed the pace on my pull up the hill. A group of 4 of us broke away. I'd never ridden with the other 3 guys although I have seen Donnie ride around Providence a lot. He is the spitting image of my friend Hamish Thorpe. I've no pics to show you so you'll have to take my word for it. Anyway, it was Donnie who made the first move and only Evan responded. I was dropped as was Evan's team-mate but not really dropped, rather we took our time bridging which we did comfortably before the first of 2 climbs up to the first sprint point. It was on the first climb that I made my effort, about 450 yards out. The three lads grabbed my wheel, something that I had not experienced recently or expected. I was pushing hard and slowly Evan and I gapped the other two. About 150 yards out from the line, just as the hill was about to level out Evan came around me. We both held our ground and then next thing my quick release got caught in his back wheel and I ripped out 5 of his spokes, causing me to flip off the bike and onto my shoulder. It all happened so quickly. I was on my back and my shoulder was very sore. Evan was pissed because he has been having bad luck with losing spokes lately and I was very nervous because he has a new frame. I didn't realize until an hour later that he actually didn't go down! So at the end of the day we both lost spokes, I need new handle bar tape, and we both missed out on what surly would have been an awesome training ride full of attacks. I was so excited all afternoon for this and its such a letdown to have it end. Its my last smackdown of the season given I'll be traveling for the next 2 Tuesdays.

My love/hate with biking continues. I LOVE the pain, the suffering, the tactics, and the constant attacks. I don't love the fact that the machines and everything else cost so much compared to running and I don't love that punctures or crashes happen so often. I mean, how have they not come up with ways to prevent punctures! I don't like all the nutrition and the need to constantly drink/eat. I struggle with drafting. I'm not comfortable on someones wheel so I tend to lead a lot which means I will never really win anything. But the pain is awesome. Its a killer sport and I find that it is easier to really punish myself because I'm not great and there is no pounding. In running my knees get sore before I get tired these days. So where's the fun in that? Onward and upward. Getting a new bike very soon and will put another winter in the legs so I can race a full season next year. Down but not out.........

Love kel

Interpol - "Interpol"

2010-09-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

The new Interpol album comes out tomorrow. Its been up on their myspace page for some time now, streaming in all its glory. The album has been getting heavily criticized on various reputible blogs and music media outlets. Its not all hate but for the most part Interpol are going to continue to battle the ghosts of the seminal Turn On The Bright Lights. Since they announced a return to their original sound the expectations have been too great and while I think this album is maybe tied with or just ahead of Our Love To Admire (albeit very different) it still has much to celebrate. My least favorite Interpol album is still better than most of the drivel out there.

Some of the struggles stem out of the departure of Carlos D, the bassist responsible for the wonderful hooks on all the classic Interpol tunes. Not to mention his impeccable dress sense. He did play during the recording sessions but clearly didn't see the direction the album was going so rather than compromise he left. At least this is what I read, it could have been something completely different. However, its a minor blip because these songs still sound Interpol to me and thats enough. There are constant challenges for bands to maintain the sound that drew people to them in the first place. My favorite band struggled with it more than most after OK Computer but they kept the real fans and over time solidified their legacy. Our Love To Admire can be criticized as a departure from the Interpol sound but not this album. I think its classic Interpol. Elements of shoegaze, dreampop, ambient, all charged by the magic voice of Paul Banks. I have always believed a good vocalist can keep the fans coming back and this album is an example of why. It is missing the hooks, the big anthems, the dancefloor energy but it has Banks tinged with atmospherics, layers and the same edge we heard in the first album. Thats what pulls us back.

The songs have a lot of repetition and certainly build in the mix with more and more layers, horns, keys, atmospherics, and vocal samples . The leading 2 songs "Lights", and "Barricade" best exemplify this. And fittingly both songs sit in the first part of the record. I guess the fundamental sounding Interpol. The second part of the record sees a more operatic sound take hold and some deeper lyrical content including a bit of Spanish thrown in on "The Undoing", a closer that mixes between the two languages and samples some of Pauls own lyrics into the mix. Even with the two different styles the album flows perfectly and hits a peak right before the closing track. "All Of The Ways" is for me the emotional peak and the song would sound at home on any Interpol album, or even on Pauls solo effort Julian Plenti is Skyscraper. In fact I liken this album to that work more than Interpols last album.

Interpol fans should like this album, maybe even love it. Paul Banks continues to blow me away with his wonderful baritone voice and all of the atmosphere is still there, even if Carlos D's bass is turned down, a lot. Will new fans jump on board? I doubt it but that just means there is more for Interpol followers to keep for themselves including smaller venues and crowds that sing along. Loyalty is becoming more and more a rarity in music and if this is the direction Interpol want to go in (which is actually not really that different) then I'm along for the ride.

I haven't really listened deeply to the lyrics but does the line "I did not take to analysis so I had to make up my mind" refer to some of the recording sessions? Maybe his clash of ideas with Carlos D?

Love it.

Kel

You Have Not Been Paying Attention

2010-09-03T11:30:00.001-07:00

I just got back from a trip to the homeland where I got to meet my new and wonderful niece Alicia. Not that there is much to see, she is only a couple of weeks and holding her is more nerve racking than anything. Well at least it is for me. I also got to hang with the rest of the family, my nephews Ryan and Cian. Awesome. There was the Saturday club with The Lads FC and while we age gracefully I find nothing so thoroughly enjoyable as discussion among the best bunch on the planet over a few creamy pints of Guinness, a throw back to anytime over the last 15 years. I am eternally grateful to have grown up with crew I did. Its humbling to have such friendships. Another reason for the trip home was the wedding of Ro McGettigan and Myles Dumas. It was a spectacular few days down in Wicklow. The Guinness was lovely, the sun was shining and everyone was in party mood. Ro and Myles looked great and I found myself dancing hard to the likes of Kate Perry and Lady GaGa which means that I was pretty much ga-ga myself. The next day saw a horrible bus journey and extreme hangover. I had Spencer Krug for company.

Last year, August 22nd, Radiohead played in Prague on the In Rainbows tour. A bunch of hardcore fans decided to meet up before the show with Flip cameras and agreed to spread out among the crowd so they could film the gig. The goal was to take all the footage and edit it to make a DVD of the live concert experience. There was nothing professional about the shoot, it was literally fans with the same Flip cameras. The editing was done over the last year. Ordinarily this is considered illegal and bands for the most part would not endorse such behavior however Radiohead are not some bands. They are on a completely different level and embrace the internet community which is why in the midst of illegal downloading the file sharing they are still successful. When they heard about what the fans were doing they completely embraced the concept and allowed them to use the soundboard recording from the show. So what started out as a fun project now has the bands stamp of approval and has soundboard 320kbps quality sound. Its a completely free download available in many formats, from fans to fans. So organic and beautiful. You can grab it in any of the many formats offered HERE

You can also read about the people that did the shooting and grab the setlist etc at the site. With so much amazing music out there I find myself often drifting into the sounds that are calling me at a given time. This summer the bands are Wolf Parade and Interpol. I saw 7 concerts between the two of them. However just viewing these videos reminds me how much I love Radiohead. Watching Idioteque literally gives me chills. I wish someone would do this with Wolf Parade because I think Spencer Krug is the closest vocalist to Thom on the scene right now (throw Jonsi in there too but his is a little bit of a different buzz). However such is the size of Radiohead that projects like this only get completed by the die hard community that surrounds them. The downside is of course that its almost impossible to see Radiohead in the venues that Wolf Parade and Interpol etc play. In fact, a band like Interpol are actually getting smaller which completely baffles me. Radiohead have the "cool" factor so therein lies the conundrum, if there is one? I'm waffling here. What I'm saying is that I think a band like Wolf Parade can be Radiohead in stature but won't be and a band like Interpol should be huge but they are now playing smaller venues and no longer selling out some shows. It must be very difficult to make it in the music world today and I respect those that devote their lives to the cause. I can't sing or play so I can only listen and support. Hats off to these kids in Prague. I would love to be part of a project like this. And by downloading and sharing we all kind of have a part. Awesome. Check out a couple of videos below and tell me it doesn't suck you right in. I love the comment one person made under Idioteque, "the best bit is between 0:01 and 4:26", I couldn't agree more.

Good to be back,

Love Kel

As If You Didn't Know That It Would Sting

2010-08-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

The week off has been very good to me. Knees have settled down and while I didn't (actually couldn't) get in to see Dr. McKeon he sent me an email reassuring me that I needed to take days off when my knees swell up because that is all he will tell me to do, along with maybe giving me another shot of cortisone although we both agree that it does nothing for me. I have tried to look back on everything I've been doing and frankly its been a little too much. The buzz is better and tomorrow will be a week off and I should be ready to get back into light jogging.

The Bobby Doyle 5 miler is on Saturday and I am tempted to do it given I missed last year. I am good friends with the Doyle crew and would like to support the event although it could result in my running too hard and going back to square 1. At this point there is no way I will take it easy. Impossible.

In other news I have decided to book a ticket to Chicago to see Wolf Parade in November. I've been having some anxiety about not seeing these guys again so when they added a second round of shows I needed to make a decision which has resulted in my flying to Chicago and hitting the House Of Blues with fellow music scenester Ryan Hall. Can't wait.

The Thom Yorke solo stuff at The Big Chill festival has been nothing short of magical. "Give Up The Ghost" has been played for a while but Thom mentioned (very quietly) for the first time that it was a new Radiohead song. The wheels are in motion. If we get this album by the end of the year, 2010 may be the best year of music I can remember. Then again, I think it will be early 2011 before we see the record surface. Check out the vid below and maybe allow yourself some time to watch it again, immediately. Its haunting and very beautiful. Thoms voice is majestic. And below that we have Planet Telex played on Piano. First time I've seen this action. And how wonderful is it to see Thom playing a song from The Bends amid all the new material. Epic stuff altogether.

Love Kel

Try Pleasing With Stealth

2010-08-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

I finished out the rest of the week with one run. Just a sneaky 5.5 miler with Martin Fagan who was in town for the Interpol show and on a much less important note, to run Beach to Beacon 10k. We did the Blue Hills loop in what was the most humid conditions I've experienced this summer. Brutal. Not to sound like a broken record but knee was sore and swollen. Same result, but a great run with a great friend in anticipation of a great gig keeps the negative energy far away.

My third Interpol gig this Summer was as good as Rochester and better than New Haven. A lot of people (me included) are very negative about the House Of Blues. PBR cans for $6? Please. The attitude of the staff, the fact that you need an ID to get a bracelet and then you still need to show ID every time you order a drink. Whats the point in getting a wrist band if thats the case. Bollox. However, corporate music venue bullshit side, the sound is excellent. The stage is nice and high, and the floor has ample room. I haven't experienced a bad gig in HOB and I've been to 5 this year. All great and all sounded better than any of the other gigs I've been to. Myself and Fagan got a good spot on the floor about 10 rows back from the stage. Cool people around us sang the songs and smiled all the time. A complete d'bag came in late with his girlfriend and started chatting. I lost the plot and got very angry with him. He left and I got high fives from 3 or 4 people who stood around him with the same frustration as I had but lacking confidence to tell him to shut up. Paul sounded excellent and was genuinely surprised at the response from the crowd saying it was the best crowd they played in front so far on the tour. Personally I thought the atmosphere in Rochester was much better but then again there were about 500 people at that gig and about 2000 people at HOB. Small, intimate crowds always seem louder but I'm sure looking down at 2,000 people with their hands in the air gives the band a little more energy. Set list was very similar again with Heinrich Maneuver played in place of Mammoth. Not Even Jail ended the main set and the encore had Hands Away, C'Mere, and Obstacle 1. Absolutely smashing.

I took Friday completely off all exercise and had Tommy McArdle in town for the evening. Always great to see Tom. We headed out for a few scoops to some of my favorite P-Town spots, Garden Grill and The Avery. On Saturday morning we met up with Coxy for a 48 mile ride. I promised to take it easy since Tom has not been riding much more than an hour and Lee is only getting back into shape. We had a lovely ride on one of the nicer mornings this Summer. Tommy got the knock after about 40 miles and after an opportune puncture he decided that since his tire was wrecked he would lay in the grass and have Coxy pick him up since we were only 2 miles from Coxys house. I continued on riding hard all the way home. We did a lot of attacking in the second half which is what buried Tom. It all started out as a bit of a laugh but it still hurts. We kept the attacks going for about 10 miles so ultimately it was a great workout. Took it easy down at Mark Brissettes house for the rest of the day having a few scoops and playing some Bocce Ball. Lovely day.

This morning my plan was 4 hours over hills to proper bury myself. I got about 5 miles in and punctured. I went to get my spare tube but forgot that I gave it to Tom the day before. Lovely. I had my hand pump and was able to get air in to free wheel down hill. The puncture was tiny and releasing air very slowly. I had to walk the last 3 miles but it was no stress. My knee was sore on the first climb so maybe its a good thing. Kicking around some ideas for what to do next week starting with scheduling an appointment with Dr. McKeon to see what my options are.

There are no good videos from the Interpol show in Boston. I'm sure some will surface. I did go back to watching some Wolf Parade from Portland, ME and found a great sounding "Kissing The Beehive" that will bring a massive smile to any face.

Love Kel

Be A War Child Form A Circle

2010-08-03T18:50:00.001-07:00

After taking yesterday off I hoped my knee would feel better but it didn't, its just as bad if not worse. I ran an easy 35 minutes around the Green Street trail to see if easy running on soft trails would be cool. It wasn't a complete failure but it wasn't great either. More of that going through the motions stuff that never ends positively. The whole concept of going through the motions does my head in. It lacks any passion or spontaneity. It is as good as giving up, accepting that life offers nothing great and to use a Radiohead lyric, we are all reduced to not living but killing time. The same is true in running and I don't want to go down that road of getting through a few painful miles here and there because I can tolerate it. It takes the fun away and once the fun is gone whats the point? I accept that like many runners I'm addicted to the activity. I am addicted to racing and very addicted to the pain associated with hard training. But it is not all I am and sometimes when I am limping around a trail or down a road because I can't deal with not running I question myself. What is my plan or at the very least what do I hope to achieve by further damaging my body. Should I not spend that time in the gym working on getting things stronger, something that will help rather than hinder. Should I spend the time doing yoga, or having a nap. I know these are things that will help but I always go down the road of choosing activity either in the form of running or biking. So maybe it is all I am. Maybe I'm in denial that at 32 slowly something I love is being taken away. When I was running at my best in 2000/01 and 2003, I used to take days off all the time. Ray would have me take 3 recovery days between sessions and I loved it. I didn't really care if I had to miss a morning run. But now its like a race against time. I can't bare to miss a session and even though I do take days off the anxiety is still present. I turn to my favorite pass time outside of training which is hearing live music and that helps a lot. So anyway, while I suffer through a down week to let the inflammation go down in my knee I need to really think about the bigger picture. Do I want to still deal with this pain everyday or do I move on and start a new challenge, taking on more of what living has to offer. To quote the wonderful poet Morrissey, "There are brighter sides to life, and I should know because I've seen them, but not very often". I have seen them often and I know there are brighter sides so its time to bring them back. Few days off will help, and it will bring back the positivity that is missing right now.

Love Kel

They Keep Erasing All The Streets We Gre Up In

2010-08-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

I just got back from an Arcade Fire show that lived up to the hype many times over. The Bank Of America Pavilion is not one of my favorite venues in Boston. I find the seats to be very sterile and they contribute to a pretty dull atmosphere. In the case of a show like Sigur Ros it doesn't make a difference, that show is all about listening. Some of the other shows I've been to in BOAP were not sold out and the crowd was chatting with lots of background noise by people who decided to "check out" the gig, maybe not knowing any of the wonderful music being played. Seeing Feist was a real let down because she was awesome but the idiots who decided to treat the gig like a pub show were muppits. I didn't build up this gig at all expecting it to be great music but shitty everything else. Not the case at all. Volume is always an issue, the venue is just not loud, but the crowd, the atmosphere, the passion were all very evident and alive. The people around me either sang the songs or got taken away to a different place. I thought Arcade Fire were magnificent. They opened with one of my favorite songs from the new album, "Ready To Start", and from there it was all new tunes spattered with old favorites. By the second half of the show we got the classics; "Rebellion", "Neighborhood #3" (Power Out), and an amazing closer in Wake Up. The new songs sounded really tight live and even though the album just came out that day everyone around me knew the words to all the songs. I'm not the only one who stole an early copy that was making the rounds online. I'd give the gig a solid 8/10.

One of the issues that contributed to my average mood was the pain in my knees. I really messed up this weekend. It kicked off on Saturday morning with a 3 hr ride. I felt amazing and really strong so when I got home I jumped off the bike and immediately ran 3 miles for no reason. I felt great and was running 5:30 pace, hence why I stopped at 3. I knew I was doing damage so I took it easy for the rest of the day and hung with Myles at the downcity arts and music festival. Went to Garden Grille for a few scoops and hit the bed early. I planned on doing my longest run this morning and I was very fired up. I hit the road with my Garmin (first time I've wore it running in over a year) just to get an idea of the pace I was running. I didn't look at it until about 8 miles which I hit in 46 flat. Right at that point my left knee, the one with the real problem and the one that's actually been pretty good started hurting bad. I needed to stop so took a short cut and ran home. Ended up with 56:40 for 10 miles (pace felt easy) and two swollen knees. My femur and tibia bones have been kissing for the last year but today they made out big time and now the femur has a bruise right where the defect is. I know I'll need time off again. I am an idiot but truly felt that if I run a steady 10 miler it would be find. Everything up to this point has been 45 minutes with the occasional hour and I've only felt my right knee. Now I am limping on each leg.

On a positively positive note, the video below, while not great, captures some of the wonderful energy from the show. The set was too short but for the 90 or so minutes they played things were a little better. Interpol next Thursday, so excited for round 3 with Paul and the lads.

Love Kel

Time Is Like A Broken Watch

2010-07-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

On Friday the Reebok crew pushed the envelope a little more than usual and we ran for one hour. We pushed the paced from the start even if it was just coxy taking the piss by pretending to hammer from the gun. When Ryan thought he may actually be serious he bridged the gap leaving Dan and I straggling about 50 meters back. They kept it up for the first 2 miles before they were cooked and decided to wait. But what it did was it meant our easy pace was still faster than usual and when we added on through Houghtons pond the joy of running fast engulfed everyone and we basically started fartlek training over the last few miles. So much happiness and joy. Knee was 6 out of 10 on the pain scale and got worse in the afternoon but not so bad that it took anything away from the wonderful run. When I got home I jumped on the bike and did a short session that I didn't time. I was tired and bored after so I went to the Wild Colonial and met up with Brien Lang for a pint of Dog Fish Head 60 minute IPA. Twas lovely. While I sit here I have to admit that my left knee is feeling a little sore. The bone on bone issue I get as a result of my osteochondral defect is actually bothering me for the first time in many months. I now have 2 very sore knees - not great.

It's fair to say that I am going to bed in a pretty dull mood. The house is quite but the noise in my head is very loud. I needed to revisit some of the old reliable tunes to ease me into a blissful sleep. Usually when searching for answers I needn't go further than Moz. He always tells it as it is. Real + Honest.

Love Kel

-one of my all time favorite songs. never gets old or tired or normal.

Full Speed Half Blind

2010-07-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Nice one. On Wednesday at lunch time myself, Dan and Ryan ran Ponky. Nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual lunchtime run. Except Ryan decided to do his best Alberto Contador impression and started hammering. Deep down inside I was really happy about this because I have wanted to attempt some faster running to see how my knees would react. When i say hammering, it must be used in the context of our current fitness levels. We may have dipped under 6 minute pace over the last 2 miles, not fast by any means but fast for a group of dudes struggling with all sorts of ailments. We got back to the track and I felt fantastic and over-joyed at how things felt. About an hour later that joy dissipated when BOTH my knees started aching. Got home earlier than usual so jumped on my bike and did a 2 hour ride with some hill repeats up burlingame that hit the spot. Knees still felt sore and my energy was really lacking. In fact, it would be fair to say that I felt horrible over the last 30 minutes. Everything was hurting and I had zero energy. All in all a great day of training.

It was important for me to get a good day in on Wednesday since yesterday I went to NYC for the day - early train down, later train back. No training, although my bike punctured on the way to the station so I had to run back to the house in panic mode and get my car.

Interpol played on david letterman last night. Solid performance of "barricade" and worth staying up for. The video is below. I bought my ticket to see them in NYC on November 5th which will be awesome since it ends their NA tour and I'll be down in the city for the NYC marathon anyway. good stuff. So thats the buzz. Today will be a good day,

Love Kel

Mountains Beyond Mountains

2010-07-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

Missing Tuesday night smackdown was a bit of a bummer. I got on my trainer and did some intervals and since it was after 8pm when I started starvation took over and I limited my session to about 1 hour of work. Earlier in the day Dan Mazz and I did a loop of Ponky nice and easy. So for what was supposed to be a challenging day of work with limited time I still managed almost 2 hours of training. I am not keeping a diary and certainly not posting daily on this site (I have no idea why) so I don't really know what I'm doing or what my plan of attack is. Not committing to a training program has been very purposeful. On any given day I can do 3 hours of exercise but more often I do about 30 minutes of terrible exercise laced with a good dose of pain. I have no energy to complain because it would be a daily occurrence. With that said, I am running more so I should kind of track what I'm doing even if it is slow. I must be fairly fit in the general sense.

The Interpol show from the weekend was outstanding. Toad's Place in New Haven is small and like the gig in Rochester the show had a bit of a pub band feel. I moved around a lot, standing up near the front for a while and then seeking better sound I moved towards the back. The speakers aren't the may west but Interpol made it work. The set list was similar to Rochester with an additional new song in the main set and "Stella Was A Diver, And She Was Always Down" added to the encore. I love that song. They ended with "Not Even Jail" again and the crowd loved it. Only one song from "Our Love To Admire", once again proving that they really didn't think much of the work. The crowd were shouting for "Rest My Chemistry" and I wondered what Paul was thinking. At one point it was deafening. I guess this one group really wanted to hear it. Overall, the Rochester gig was better. Sound was better and the crowd didn't keep chanting for songs that they would obviously not play. I wonder if it ever works? I never understood shouting requests. Its called a SetList lads!

As much as I tried to avoid grabbing an early copy of the new Arcade Fire I couldn't deal with people talking about it anymore. I don't feel bad about downloading it because I will buy a hard copy on Aug 3rd and perhaps a t-shirt at the gig that I'm going to in Boston. Premature evaluation is that the album is very good. I expected it to be good but didn't expect the new instrumentation displayed amazingly well on the song below, "Sprawl II (mountains beyond mountains)" which is fantastic and my fav from the album so far. It sounds like a song Blondie or Siouxsie and the Banshees could have sang. Regine Chassagne (Butler’s wife) sings “Living in the sprawl, Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains, And there’s no end in sight”, and I love this theme. Very emotive and catchy. Loving "Ready To Start"as well. The album is immensely exciting and I can't wait to give it many listens over the next few weeks.

Love Kel

As If You Didn't Know That It Would Sting

2010-07-20T18:09:00.001-07:00

Tuesday night means Mark Nicholson Smack Down and I was in the mood for punishment. Inflicting pain on ones self is considered deviant behavior or even psychotic but when it comes to training it is encouraged. I might get a little too much enjoyment out of it (note chronic injuries for 10 years) and tonight was no exception. We had a solid group of 9 riders and the pace was uptempo from the start. I did the long false flat pull out of town and for some reason didn't want anyone else to lead. An attempt at a pull through just encouraged me to up the pace. The group fractured at after the first long climb and I felt bad because the goal is not to break the group up early, I was just in the mood for some hurt. The result of the early pace was such that I could not participate in the first sprint line as I felt since I pushed the pace I should go back and pick up the last guy and pull him up to the group. Once we regrouped I got back in front where I'm comfortable and pulled hard, actually breaking away until the second regroup spot. Onto Tourtellot hill I went hard with Aaron on my wheel for a bit. I put the head down and ended up having good legs, enough to break off the front by about 40 seconds. Ont he way back into town the strongest riders all took turns at the front. I am still amazed at the difference between pulling and drafting on the bike. GeWilli would go past me in a big gear and put 20 meters on me instantly. I would have to pull all the stops to get back up to him. I certainly lack power and peddling efficiency. I noticed that I spin a lot more than everyone else keeping my chain in the small ring on the front unless I'm descending. This is because I don't have the strength to ride big ring and I don't know if my 100 rpm is efficient? Lots to learn. Overall, a fantastic ride and I am pretty annoyed that I'm going to miss the next couple.

Next week I see Interpol in concert for the second time this year. I suffered an anxiety attack when I realized that I won't see Wolf parade again this year and maybe not again for several years. This displays two significant things. 1. Wolf Parade are AMAZING live and 2. I have to accept that I am a bit of an uber fan. It will be nice to see Interpol again to change things up, I do after all consider them one of my favorite bands. I've posted the video for new Interpol song "Lights" and now we get another Interpol single. This was played when I saw them in Rochester and no doubt will be played again in New Haven. It has a "Slow Hands" feel to it. Building in vocals and instrumentation with lots of layers, harmony and emotion. I love it.

Peace,

kel

Little Vision Come Shake Me Up

2010-07-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Awesome weekend of training and recovery. It kicked off with a trip out to central MA for a medium long ride around Quabben Rez with Ben P. The thing is, the heat beat the crap out of the two of us. 90 degrees and steep climbs make for tough times. I set out hard in order to give both of us a very painful day and seeing as I am stronger than Ben on the bike right now I felt I obliged to take the lead and pull, pull, pull. However, in my leading I forgot to drink for the first 50 minutes. It was only when Ben noticed that my bottles were untouched that he rolled up next to me on a decent and told me I was going to be in trouble if I didn't start drinking asap. I am an amateur when it comes to nutrition on the bike. It definitely hurt me later in the ride but overall I was strong and my climbing was very satisfying. By the end we were both done for and on the last climb which was about four or five minutes long I bonked. I got to the top and waited for Ben, who may have been stronger in the last 10 miles than me, and when I saw him I was draped over handle bars seeing stars. We only had a .5 mile downhill back to the car so it was all good, as was the pizza I ate afterward and the cans of coke I washed it down with. The ride was only about 66 miles but the heat, the 4500 feet of climbing, and the pace was enough to flog me. Bliss really. I came home and listened to the new Klaxons song about 20 times. The video is below but it may get removed since that seems to be the buzz lately. I mean, record companies try to prevent people from promoting their bands. That's why they all suck, that's why people steal music, and that's why bands are now using independent labels or releasing music themselves. Having said that they may not remove it but I stand by my comments. I love you all,

Kel

I've Got A Hand So I've Got A Fist, So I've Got A Plan

2010-07-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

Where has the last month gone. And why have I not been blogging? The simple answer is that I've been busy. Silly busy, between work travel and wedding travel. I am on a train home from NYC right now after a meeting and my third night in a row seeing the magical Wolf Parade live. I'm tired and have lots to report but not right now. There is plenty of time to catch up. Pressing issues take priority and an endless amount of starred emails that need attention. Knee is still sore and I am thinking of asking the doc to take another look in the joint at the end of the summer.

Love Kel

Can You Live With The Way They Make You Look Unreal?

2010-06-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Two days in a row with Reebok Racing Club and two days in a row at 50 minutes. I am a little miffed at how inconsistent this knee pain is. After the race last Saturday I thought I was done for a long time and then with a couple of days off I manage 2 runs in forbidden territory. Not that I'm complaining. I'm buzzing in fact, and even more so at how good I feel and how disciplined I am when it comes to pace and more importantly stopping when I say I will. Myself and Kevin hit a loop of Ponky today and ran steady. Kev reckons it was about 4 minutes faster than usual although I felt like we were jogging. Very happy with the progress.

When I got home I was delighted to see that my new Wolf Parade CD arrived. Even though I have listened through many times it is always great to get the real thing. I already have it uploaded to my iTunes and on both iPods. Love technology. The album is brilliant. Better in my opinion than At Mount Zoomer but still not quite Apologies in terms of impact. The songs are all very uptempo. I believe Spencer said that he wanted songs that would make people dance. Mission accomplished because when we saw them in Toronto the crowd was very rowdy and seeing more of the recent shows despite the awful quality of the youtube videos really conveys the energy they are bringing to the live setting. There are a lot of standout tracks and right now I have no favorites as such, although What Did My Lover Say, and the closer Cave-O-Sapien are really strong. I love In The Direction Of The Moon and Pobodys Nerfect right now too. I certainly lean towards Spencers songs and that is not to downgrade any of Dan's tunage. In fact I think Dan has AMAZING moments on this album and his tunes really complement the desperation of Spencer's unique voice. Sing along to the wonderful choruses and enjoy the frantic guitar and infectious melody, Expo 86 is a complete album that will meet all your needs. Love it, love it.

The video below is terrible quality but it really displays the energy on the current tour.

Love Kel

Smack Down 2

2010-06-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night smack down was more than I hoped for. After a long drive back from Rochester I had an urge to really hammer myself. I haven't biked in a while and unlike running, a week off the bike makes you feel amazing when you get back on. I was full of energy on the ride tonight and was delighted to see Dave Kellogg join the other lads and help set a hard pace from the start. We rode hard on the warm up to get the breathing and perspiration rocking early. By the time we were "on course" we were rolling and Mark G hit the front for a bold, early bid for the first sprint line. I jumped on third and went around with 400 to go, hitting the hill really hard. I managed to drop Dave on the last climb. From that point on it was hard all the way. Everyone was up for punishment and the suffering was all over the road. I loved it. Group riding really does it for me. I will miss the next 2 Smack Down rides but then I will hit 2 in a row. I need to start racing because the lads in the group are giving me shit about not lining up. I am going to find some races and get going. Or at least as I write this I am. We'll see if it actually happens.

Pitchfork brought Jonsi onto their wonderful Cemetery Gates series. It is magical. The setting for the songs is really cool and works perfectly. Check out the show here. And please check out the video below. It is one of his B-Side songs and its really beautiful. I know I've been going on too much about Jonsi but the videos and performances just keep coming and the inspiration never fades. Enjoy.

Love Kel

Say Hello To The Angels

2010-06-23T18:27:00.001-07:00

This video is awesome and creepy and beautiful. Interpol tix go on sale this week. I'll be going to three shows. This may be the best summer of gigs........now I only need Radiohead to tour in the fall. So I met Frankie for the Interpol gig in Rochester on Monday night. It was my third time seeing the band and this gig literally blew away both other times combined. The main reason for this is because the venue was a glorified, large pub. I've seen more people at college alt rock bands. Not that it wasn't sold out, it was just a small music hall. A real rock venue that has seen many acts grace its stage. Smaller than Paradise but a similar vibe. Interpol were outstanding. They opened with a new song called Success and I expected to hear more material from the new album. In the end we only got three new songs. The other two being Summer Well and Lights which has been doing the rounds for a while. Other than that it was pretty much a best of show and I was lost, sweaty, joyful, singing/screaming, and in a very happy place. We got Evil, Narc, NYC, Mammoth, PDA, Take You On A Cruise, Slow Hands, Obstacle 1, and a great encore with Hands Away (one of my favs), C'mere, and an amazing closer in Not Even Jail. Interestingly and fittingly we only got one song from Our Love To Admire, an album Interpol themselves were disappointed in. I guess it proves they weren't just saying it. The three new songs were great and the crowd was into it. I was very anxious before hand when a bunch of Joe College DB's were standing next to us and basically looking to hook up with women. In the end it was all positive and since we were so close to the speakers it was hard to hear anyone talk. Show gets a strong 9/10 for me. Paul was in a great mood, and David Pajo did a great job in place of Carlos D. I didn't notice any differences anyway. The band was amazingly tight with just one glaring error which was laughed off. Their first gig in 2 years and like wine.........

Love Kel

I Am The Moon Faced Flower Child, I Am

2010-06-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

Just back from a week of travel for work. And a wonderful week it was. The first 4 days were spent in Boulder, CO hanging with good friends and sleeping in the basement at Jonseys house. My good friend Henry Guzman got married to his amazing bride Suzanne and it was a great way to cap off 4 days of happiness. Being back in Boulder was really nice and the respite I needed from the constant issues I am dealing with. I didn’t help my situation however when I joined Jimmy Carney, Benita Willis, and Tim O’Donnell for a run lasting 59 minutes (longest run in 15 months) We did take it very easy but with the altitude and the climbs I knew at about 45 minutes that I was making a mistake. Its just so nice which makes it very difficult to stop! After the run my knee swelled up pretty bad and I had a pronounced limp, but nothing a pint with Dafyd at the Hungry Toad couldn’t help me deal with. Next day I went down to Denver to see Donal and watch Spain loose in their World Cup opener. While I was sipping coffee at The Cup on Pearl street I realized that I miss Boulder and that it would be a great place to spend some time figuring out some of my issues with running and life.

Next stop was Peoria, IL for the Steamboat Classic Road Race, arguably the worlds fastest and most competitive 4 mile and an event Reebok sponsors. We have built a great relationship with the team that put on the race and our retail partners at Running Central. Its always a fun time and this year was no different. The same cast of characters and the same hangouts fueled by good beer and craic. One exception this year was the fact that I decided to race. We do a lot of these events and sometimes become so fried after the build up that actually running the event is very much an afterthought. However this year, with all the partying out of our system we actually want to run in the events we support so we all got numbers and at 6:50 AM we lined up with the masses. Here is where my obvious problems surface. Lee, Paddy, and Wardy (although he did the 15k) all decided to run a controlled effort, not much more than training pace. I should have joined them and ran the pace I’ve been running over the last few weeks. Since March 31^st 2009 I have only run about 200 miles. Most of that has been made up of 30 mile weeks in November and last month. Apart from a fun 75 second quarter on the track at the end of a run with the Reebok lunch time crew I haven’t run quicker than 6:30-45 pace and certainly not sustained that pace for more than 3 miles. In a nutshell I am the most under ran I’ve been in my entire adult life. The bike has kept me fit and this is where it goes pear-shaped. The gun fires and with a number on my chest the inner competitive athlete takes over and I bolt away from Lee and Paddy. The pace up front is silly so I settle in just off the lead women and feel really comfortable thinking I’m running a bit too quick but not very fast. Mile 1, 5:05. Not good at all. I back off and find myself allowing the women to drift further ahead. My knee at this point feels fine and I am surprised at how easy the first mile felt. Mile 2, 5:10, not slow enough. I know now that I won’t slow down anymore. It felt like I was holding back so I just kept pace and kept running within myself. Mile 3, 5:05, now my knee starts hurting and getting tight but there is no cardiovascular struggle and my HR is no way near the redline. I attempt to run the last mile by winding down and bringing myself to a training pace which I successfully did only I ran 5:10 instead of the 5:30-40 I wanted. Finished up with 20:30. Its not fast I know, I mean the pace is what I believe I can run a marathon in if I get 6 months of training under my belt but it is still encouraging to know that with NO training for running other than 30 – 45 minute Jogs with the work crew and with Kim I can still feel comfortable running 5 min pace. I would say had I lashed the last mile I would have run 4:45. On the other hand my knee is killing me now and it is clear that no matter how fit I get, my body will always be a hindrance to my enjoying this beautiful sport. One 4 mile effort and my legs feel like I ran a marathon. My right knee is so sore that I couldn’t sleep with the throbbing in the joint.

Tomorrow I am going to Rochester to see Interpol. Yes, you could say I am pretty excited. Interpol are releasing a new self titled album in September and these small gigs are basically live practice sessions. I will be hearing all the new songs mixed with some old classics. They have apparently reverted back to their original sound on Turn On The Bright Lights which is darker and moodier than their more recent offerings, especially Our Love To Admire. The show is happening in a small venue so it will be great viewing and great sound. Their first live gig in 2 years, amazing. Full report will come on Tuesday.

Peace and Love,

Kel

I'm Working On A High Hope

2010-06-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Your Face Grows Hard, Your Eyes Grow Soft.

2010-06-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

AM: 7.5 Miles
PM: 1 Hour Trainer Ride (heavy rain outside)

Today I had the best lunch time run of the year so far and maybe the best run of 2010. My knee pain was 5/10 and didn't swell up as much at the end. Additionally my calf didn't grip as bad as it has been. It was just tight but not unbearable. Minor pain is something I can deal with. Maybe the evening bike ride loosened me out, I did do a lot of stretching after the ride. It was only myself, Fitzy, and Kev G on the run and we ran Ponkapoag Pond, maybe the best run from HQ. I haven't been able to commit to it recently but today was all happy, steady, and moderately sore - very positive.

I wanted to hit the road for a 90 min ride but it started lashing rain and actually got quite cold. I chose to ride on my trainer for an easy hour. I don't feel great tonight, maybe a little run down from everyone being sick at work? Either that or I'm just in need of some kip, something I haven't seemed to do well recently. Switching off the head is one of my biggest challenges. My mother has it so most likely I'll have it too. My mother and I both struggle to sleep very deeply and tend to wake a lot.

I tried to put up a Crystal Castles live performance from Jools Holland a few weeks ago and the video was blocked but all is good now. This is a wonderful performance by the moody Toronto duo who have a major ego and tend to come across extremely arrogant but when they make tunes like this I can completely roll with it. Going to see them in Boston on August 17th. Lovely,

Peace,
Kel

Smack Down

2010-06-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

AM: 6 Miles Easy Run
PM: SMACK DOWN RIDE

Lunch time crew, Myself, Paddy, Kev G, and Dan M. We changed things up, not necessarily for the better (sorry dan). Rather than just loop Houghtons pond Dan took us on an adjacent trail that looped further out and down onto the old rt. 128 which is now over grown and barely able to take humans let alone cars. Its still awesome though. Anyway, when we hit the top of the trail its a sharp decent down onto the defunct road. I like trail running as much as the next fella but this was dangerous. I felt like I should be attached to a climbing rope such was the amount of loose rock and jagged points. I could envision falling and breaking my ankle. Not good thoughts to have! Overall however the run was A+ with lots of music talk (sorry Pat) and even some disagreements. I found out that Kevin hates Depeche Mode and New Order, and pretty much Nu Wave. This doesn't please Kelrock. The conversation will be continued tomorrow.......As for my knee? I'd give the pain in my right knee 3/10, left knee 7/10, left calf (compensating) 7/10. The numbers aren't good but lets be honest, I haven't run truly free of injury since 2001, with the exception of 6 freaky months in 2003 when I thought I was over injuries. A broken back in the fall put paid to those silly thoughts. I'll take moderate pain and the ability to run every day such is my love for this simple activity.

In the PM I did my first Smack Down ride of the year and it was so joyful. I joined in for a Smack Down last year. The ride is in memory of a guy named Mark Nicholson. Last summer he died after a long and very brave battle with brain cancer. I only rode with Mark one time and he never mentioned the fact that he was dying. I'd never have guessed as we rode laps of the Blvd and he gave me advice and helpful tips about training. He told me I should join them on their Tuesday night group rides. When I decided to partake I found out he had just passed. In his memory the team have continued the tradition and every Tuesday during the summer months they ride his loop as a workout with 4 sprint points and a long hill climb for a KOM. The Smack Down is basically the most fun I have on a bike even though I've only done it twice. Its hard to get there from work but I have to make the effort. The guys are great and no one has ego. The ride heads out to the North Providence countryside and they have sprint lines at various points. All banter stops when the first sprint starts to approach, everyone gets cagey and into position. I was loving it, the sprints, the adrenalin, the burn. I took some of the sprints however I wasn't sure where they ended and often went too early on my effort. Its hard trying to balance being the new guy and trying to be nice but coming across like a tough guy (something I'm not). I apologized for my poor handling skills and the impetuous nature of my riding. I will be doing as many of these as I can this year, although I miss next week.

Quick music buzz. I got a new album tonight by Tesla Boy called Modern Thrills. Its new wave and synth pop, just for Kevin Gray! Its very poppy and along the lines of Cut Copy, Nightwaves, Fred Falke, even Empire Of The Sun. The kind of music that is joyful and makes me want to dance around my apartment. It will accompany me on many a bike ride. Maybe my mood is happier tonight?

Peace and Love,
Kel

Beat Street, Break Down

2010-06-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

AM: 50 Minutes Easy Run
PM: 45 Minutes Spin on Trainer

Uneventful day. My knee was sore but I am going to keep trucking on until I figure out the next steps. The Reebok crew were back together for the lunch time loop and it was nice. We lost Ryan LaFleur early due to a nagging Achilles and I could have joined him in hitting the showers early but with such a beautiful day I needed to truck on. The 50 minutes of the run passes with such speed that I question all those years of hammering. Not only do my knees remind me of the mistakes I made but the feeling of getting to 50 minutes and feeling like the run hasn't even started is very unusual. We used to run our 8 mile or 10 mile afternoon runs at 5:30 pace and everyday was tough. Made for some great seasons and lots of doctor visits.

When I got home my knee was tight so I jumped on the bike with little resistance and kept some high cadence to bring blood flow to my knee. It did the job and now I have a nice ice pack sitting on top of my bakers cyst. Lovely. Some good tunes surfacing on the blog world. Nothing released today touches the fabulous new Black Cab Sessions with The Antlers. Check it out. I'd embed it but the folks at Black Cab won't let me. On a brighter note (or darker note depending on how you look at it) a new compilation titled Sing Me To Sleep (opening line of the song below) has been released to raise money for the Valarie Fund which provides comprehensive health care coverage for children with cancer and blood disorders. You can buy the album here. Stars covered one of my favorite Smiths songs, Asleep, and it is really beautiful.

Love Kel

Dead Hearts

2010-06-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

AM: 45 Minutes Run
PM: 85 Minute Bike Workout On Trainer

Another below average night of Kip. Humidity and a healthy dose of thoughts running amok in my head. Not to mention a knee that enjoys throbbing at the worst times. I woke up feeling pretty tired and with a forecast for thunder/lightening I decided to run with Kim rather than venture out on a bike ride. It never did storm in the end and I gave my knee another battering. We ran around RIC, chatted about running and felt very energized (aside from the pain obviously) Kim has been feeling better too so the pace has picked up on the runs.

There was no fatigue after a mere 45 minutes so in the afternoon I set up my trainer in the shell of a basement which is a lot cooler and enjoyed a hard workout. The guts of the set was 10 x 2 minutes hard off 1 minute float. By the last rep my HR was well above 200 and I nearly threw up. I couldn't hear myself breathing considering I had techno blasting in my ears but Pat and Kim assured me that I was making some significant grunting noises. Really pushed it and probably didn't do much for my fitness but certainly did a lot for my soul.

Once these NBA final games are over, Dr. McKeon will be more accessible and I'll be going back for a visit. I need him to reconsider this diagnosis. Bottomline, my knee is in pain, a lot of pain, everyday. It is not just running either, its just joint pain. Standing at an expo at the FRW this weekend was worse than running. For some reason, which we haven't figured out, my knee swells up when I stand or walk or run. I am desperate. I want so badly to race again. I miss it and the summer really exacerbates it because there are races every weekend around here.

So to deal with the issues I didn't turn to my regular vices, opting rather for some uplifting house and post new wave music. Needed to hear joyful melody, beats, synths, airy bliss, positivity, sunny music that can be held in sharp contrast to what is going on in this head of mine.

Love Kel

Stars Is For Lovers

2010-06-02T20:01:00.001-07:00

AM: 6 Miles Easy

Usual run with the Reebok Racing Club at lunch time. Forced myself to take it very easy because I had a date with the wonderful Stars at the Paradise Rock Club. Given that I saw Stars perform in Providence to a handful of people as I explained before, buying a ticket way in advance didn't exactly hit the top of the priority list. So I found myself driving to Somerville, MA to meet a dude who sold me his ticket for $50, 2x face value. He had the audacity to tell me that they were going for $80 on ticketstub but since I was a real fan he would do the right thing and only charge me $50. I waited until I had the ticket in my back pocket before I told him he was a scum bag and a disgrace to the music scene. At first he thought I was joking, either that or it was a nervous laugh. By the time I got into my car he shouted something at me and shut the door. Wanker. I guess he was kind enough to let me know his address to come and pick up the ticket. Some craigslist folks don't do that kind of thing. As my luck would have it, I arrived at the venue and the first guy I saw selling tickets outside was actually a REAL fan and offered me a face value ticket, without the fees! $20 bucks. I told him what happened and we both griped about the situation for 30 seconds before going our separate ways. He sold the ticket to a girl before I said goodbye.

The show itself was really great. Stars lead singer Torq played a DJ set as the opener. It was really great since all the songs he played were new wave anthems that inspired him to write music. Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, XTC, and of course New Order, a band he sited as his most significant influence. Most of the crowd were below the age of 21 (X on the hand signifying that much) so he went into detail about how they need to go home and listen to these bands and be "educated" on how and where Stars found their sound. I thought it was really cool.

The main set was the new upcoming Stars album played from start to finish. He even joked at half way that "this is the point where you get a cup of tea and flip the record to side B". The new songs sounded pretty good. Some maybe a little too poppy, its hard to tell. The second part of the show was a set of 10 songs picked by the fans on their website. Basically the hits and the energy was fantastic. Best Stars gig I've seen. Some interesting observations. There were significantly more youth at this show than any I've been to this year. The group of HS kids next to me had smuggled in snacks like you do at the cinema, so they were getting hopped up on Swedish Fish and Jelly Bellys. Women fans actually love Amy Millan. Don't know why I find this odd but the girls around me were literally screaming her name (see video below), she seemed embarrassed. I felt like I was at a madonna concert at one point. Narragansett is better than PBR.

Peace and Love,
Kel

This Is Hard To See, A Moment In Time

2010-05-31T18:12:00.000-07:00

AM: 7 Miles Easy
PM: 4 Miles Easy

Yes, a double day. My first in about 16 months. 16 MONTHS. Obviously I have done doubles with bike/run etc but a day with exclusively 2 runs is something from a prior life. Didn't think I'd see this day so soon, not that I should have done it or anything. When Kim goes running I somehow find it impossible to not go too. She runs slow on recovery days which helps and in order to help with my transition to a mid-foot landing I need to run easy miles with others. Still tired from Saturday so I avoided the bike at all costs and after waking up with little to no hangover (ok maybe a little) I decided a run was on the cards. We did The RIC loop with add-on and I felt great. After a bit of a bike ride around the city I came home to cook and when Kim was going for 4 miles it was time to get the shoes on for some more action. I might actually be getting better, or I might be making things worse. Right now I have other stuff to worry about.

One of the other things is the fact that STARS are playing in Boston tomorrow night and I still don't have a ticket. It SOLD OUT and last time I saw them there might have been 150 people in the venue, which holds about 1500 or more. Even Torquil (one of the lead singers) joked at how small they felt considering last time they played the venue it was to open for Death Cab For Cutie and the event sold out. Amy (other lead singer) told him to stop feeling sorry for himself, which he did, and proceeded to play a great show. I would never have imagined that a year or so later they would sell out venues. I have about 6 emails into craigslist and no one has gotten back to me. I think I'll still go and scalp a ticket outside if possible. Bought tickets for Interpol in Rochester today so June is shaping up to be decent seeing how busy I am going to be.

Well done to Jimmy Carney for a great run at Bolder Boulder today. Love that event and reminds me of some of the great times out west.

Stars live on Jimmy Fallon from the other night,

Love Kel

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

2010-05-30T20:57:00.001-07:00

AM: 3:02 Bike (about 58 Miles)
PM: 30 Minutes Run

The temps were high even at 8:30 when I hit the road for my ride. I needed to stop at Starbucks on Wayland Sq to meet Coxy and lash in a small dark roast (burned and very average). Things felt great until about 2.5 hours in when I went from being generally tired but still riding with ease to nothing in the tank and desperation to find the nearest gas station for some snickers bars and sugary drinks. Clearly I buried myself yesterday and didn't replenish. I stopped at CVS and got my fix, feeling amazing very soon after. It was a great day to cruise around P-Town drinking coffee. When I got back I decided to hit the road for a short, easy run. T'was lovely and just what I needed before a night of scoops with Jimmy Harvey. The British Cellar Ale House is a new pub just off Thayer street and they have an epic selection of swill. Stuck to Dogfish head and was very happy I rode my bike so I could enjoy a good few bottles and discuss running/life with Jimmy. It is fair to say that these days I spend as much social time with dudes who are 50+ as I do with dudes my own age. Getting buzzed off a little amount of swill usually tells me that I won't spend much money, and that I am still tired from training, not re hydrating. Tomorrow there will be no biking, just some easy miles and a lot of food/fluids.

I'm still listening to the sounds of Apparatjik. Such great music. The video is a DIY by some creative soul. The song is beautiful and I'm not embarrassed to say that I've listened to it about 15 times today. Tomorrow is a day off and one of the few days I can do nothing work related for the next 5 weeks. So I'll deal with the hangover I'll most likely suffer......

Love Kel

Snow Crystals Melting In The Sunhine

2010-05-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

AM: 83 Miles Bike, 4:01
PM: Dogfish Head 60 Min I.P.A + Buddha Bowl @ Garden Grille

I decided to challenge myself to do a harder ride this morning and if I felt good I was going to complete a 100 mile loop. My first 2 hours were into a stiff headwind and maintaining 18 mph was hard. By the time the turn around finally arrived at 41.5 miles I was pretty much cooked. The temps were warm with a lot of humidity in the air. I still maintained the same effort coming back although the speed was more in the 23-25 mph range with the most welcomed tail wind. I arrived back in Providence and had full intentions of swinging by my house to get some water and add on a loop that is just short of 20 miles to get over 100. Things went pear shaped about 3 miles from home. I don't know if it was mental or a coincidence but when I hit 80 miles I bonked. I looked at my Garmin and it was like a switch, 80 miles and an invisible wall. Its all uphill back to my place from down town and I could barely turn the peddles. Legs had nothing and my HR was very high. I cruised home very easy and lay on the floor for 40 minutes. Unlike many folks, I enjoy bonking. I love pushing myself on the bike and having that feeling of sickness/fatigue after. I will be taking it very easy tomorrow with a Bike/Run day.

After my run yesterday I was pretty down. My knee swelled up like a balloon and I couldn't bend or straighten the leg. Very depressing because I literally have no idea what is going on. All the treatments are a joke because they don't work. Time off doesn't work either. So I am just going to keep trying and most likely keep complaining. I went for a few Pints with Coach Kenny White last night and we didn't talk injuries or running (well not too much) and it was really nice. I polished off a lovely Dogfish head tonight and even though I am very tempted to go to the store and pick up a six pack I know I need to rehydrate after today.

Interpol went ahead and canceled the Providence show and New Haven show. I was so excited for these gigs and now I have nothing but frustration. They are playing in Rochester, NY in 3 weeks so I may need to make the drive up. Its a long way to go, especially knowing that Interpol will reschedule but like I have said many times before, I get very anxious that I am missing something and I also feel like a pseudo fan if I don't make the effort to see my favorite bands. I'll prob go. I am also hesitant to buy Crystal Castles tickets for the HOB gig in August because I am pretty sure I won't be here and then I see them on Jools Holland and have really no choice but to buy a ticket. Amazing band, beautiful music, and I forgive their arrogance. Its all about the tunes.
I also came across the band Apparatjik and they are phenomenal. A bit of a mega band really made up of Jonas Bjerre, the lead singer of MEW, Guy Berryman, the bassist of Coldplay, and the keyboard player from A-HA (great keyboards, no one can deny that) Magne Furuholmen. I got the album tonight and its great (even though its not out yet. I will be buying it when its released on June 15th) Really joyful synthpop and shoegaze.

Love Kel

Angel Echoes

2010-05-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

I am comfortably writing this from 33,000 feet on a US Airways Flight from San Diego. Technology is awesome. The internet is fast too. And it was free. Only positives. I was in San Diego with Coxy for meetings so the old training took a bit of a hit. Got in nothing on Tuesday, however on Wednesday morning I did get in about 55 minutes of easy running with Rich Verney and his dog Boston. We ran on sandy trails that snaked through wealthy neighborhoods in Carlsbad. A great start to the day. We then hit some stores and I got a tour from Sean and Coxy through some of their old stomping grounds. Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, etc. Very nice.

My knee is slowly adapting to a mid-foot strike and even though I still get swelling after the run it feels decent during the run. Obviously swelling is a sign that something is very wrong but getting in miles is so joyful that it trumps any rational part of me that thinks it could get worse. Really, nothing a few Celebrex doesn't fix. That and a lot of bike riding to keep the fitness at a reasonable level.

These work trips are awesome because I work with great people who are mates outside of the 9-5. However, it hampers training and keeping up with the latest music news. I get a little nervous if I have not read several blogs about new releases. Silly, I know. I love a site called The Music Slut, and when I typed it in the URL I was blocked based on the obvious use of the word Slut. It was categorized as an adult site. Terrible. But I understand. Although it would take a pretty demented individual to surf porn sites on a plane.

Anyway, it is good to see that Arcade Fire is releasing a new Album in August called The Suburbs. I love the dudes that wear t-shirts saying I was in to Arcade Fire before you. They are that kind of band. Fans don't like their popularity and I can completely relate. I read that many critics think the new Wolf Parade album could see the lads have an Arcade Fire style rise in popularity and while I think its awesome that more people will hear the magical sounds I also like being able to roll up to a show and not be bothered by newbies. Very selfish and maybe a bit arrogant? Just being honest though. You can hear a couple of the new songs here My initial reaction to both tracks is lackluster to be honest. Its not fair to judge an album on 2 songs but I am thinking that the weight of expectation is going to hurt this LP. So I am going to reserve judgment until I hear the whole record.

So thats it. Back home in a few hours and putting the head down over the long weekend. Should be very nice.

Love Kel

Give To Me Your Eyes, I Need Sunshine

2010-05-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

AM: 3:05 Bike Ride (60 Miles)
PM: 4 Mile Run

Humid, cloudy, windless mornings are my favorite. Especially when I know that eventually the cloud cover will dissipate and the sun will shine all afternoon. When I set off on my morning ride it was almost cold and very sticky. It looked like it might rain but the forecast called for a cloudy start and lots of sun. By the time I met coxy I was sweating. We did a nice, steady 2 hours together just cruising along side by side. I had another 30 or so minutes to add on to get over 3hrs and I finished hard. Admittedly I was pretty trashed after the ride, a combination of yesterday, pints last night, and lots of humidity made sure of that. Overall, the ride was really great and I am getting closer to being able to ride hard back to back days. Fitness comes so quickly but unfortunately the healing of my knees likes to take its good ol' time.

Kim had a session in the AM so I joined her for the afternoon recovery run. Ryan Hall (comments from yesterday) pointed out that after a long ride, an easy run will contribute to getting my injured rather than more fit. He is dead right. No arguments here. Its the mental state that needs the work. The act of putting on running shorts and running shoes, the act of heading down the street running, the feeling of the road underneath my feet. Its all so much better and regardless of how much I ride, the few miles I run later in the day offer satisfaction and help me sleep a little better. I am very pleased with the run tonight and to celebrate I am having a cold can of Narragansett and listening to the new Wolf Parade album that is out in June. I love it so much. Kim is watching the last ever episode of "Lost", a show I know nothing about what so ever.

I have been speaking a lot about Jonsi lately, especially on my facebook page. However due to my lack of visits to the blog I never mentioned here how the gigs I saw in Boston and New York are among the best and most emotional of my life. Going through some things right now and to stand and listen to Jonsi and his stunning band is something that is very hard to describe, and I am not a good enough writer to try. Believe me, the shows took me far off to a very different place and it felt like the show lasted about 10 minutes. It was too much for a guy in my state to take. But arguably the best medicine. Since the video footage on my favorite song is so bad, I included a good video of perhaps my second favorite from the show. Could easily post 15 Jonsi songs here! Check em.

Love Kel

To Say The War Is Over Is To Say You Are A Window

2010-05-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

AM: 4:09 Bike Ride (81+ Miles)
PM: 4 Miles Run

Great day for a bike ride. I took the steed to Narragansett and loop around Point Judith before returning home. It was 81.4 miles and I covered it in 4:09. I didn't stop the watch at intersections so my real time was prob about 4:03-04. Nothing super fast but quick enough considering I was by myself and I had cross winds most of the way, coming off the ocean. Not that the wind was strong, just gusty at times. The ride is pretty flat. This was my longest ride since last summer and I am feeling good about getting in shape to do 100 miles most weekends that I am not working. This morning I was happy to be done, the legs were cooked and my heart was not in it for another hour.

In the afternoon Kim called me a "pussy" for not joining her on a flat 4 mile recovery run. You'd think that I'd be mature enough to take this as some fun banter but no, I went in and got my running gear on and went. Since Kim was very dehydrated and had a bowl of Sugar Puffs before the run she felt like crap and actually had nothing in the tank. I felt fantastic and even my knee felt decent. I rubbed it in but in all fairness she would crush me right now.

Today is Morrisseys birthday. He is 51 years old and continues to inspire with his amazing poetry and activism. Regardless of whether you like him or not, you cannot deny his consistency through his work with The Smiths and his solo material. I personally would never want to meet him, I don't want to meet any of my idols and the people who have had a profound impact on my life. There is no reason for this other than I would want to respect their wish to be left alone. Their voice and music is enough for me. I was late to find Moz but since I listened to The Smiths - Singles, given to me by Ben Noad my freshman year of college I was infatuated. The lyrics, the voice, so perfect and speaking to me in that unique way that only Moz fans hear. Keep the tunes coming Moz, there is a light that never goes out. I was at one of the gigs sequenced in the below video. Unforgettable.

Love Kel

Its The Eskimo Blood In My Veins

2010-05-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

AM: 45 Minutes Trainer Ride
PM: 45 Minutes Run (about 6 miles)

Pete Rea and Tommy Morgan stopped by Reebok today to join us for our usual Reebok Racing Club group run. It was great to have them on campus and we had a good crew run the 6 mile loop that has become our daily ritual, complete with fast lap on the track (I said I wasn't doing that again). Pete took up the pace, going like the clappers on the first bend. Paddy J slotted in behind and while I kept telling myself to just have fun and sit back I found pats heels and ended up taking up the pace on the second bend. Dan Maz decided to have a go with 110 to go and we ended up sprinting the home straight. Again, stupid. Fortunately I had a visit with Dr. Tom Michaud planned for later in the evening. Tom is legendary for accepting patients after hours. I was on his table until 9:20pm. That is why he is awesome.

In the morning I jumped on the trainer for an easy 45 minutes to try and get some blood flow to my swollen knee. Tom thinks I have an inflamed "bakers" or what is more commonly referred to as a "bakers cyst". It makes perfect sense when I read it, and in fairness Dr. McKeon said a chronically inflamed Popliteal has the very same symptoms. So I buying that right now and treating it as such. Another potential piece of the puzzle. And its a big puzzle.

Wolf Parade are one of my favorite bands. In my top three actually. I have a total man crush on Spencer Krug because his voice is nothing short of infectious and his genius is rare. Love Dan too, just not as much. Together they put out amazing songs. The Wolf Parade show I saw in Toronto last April was one of the highlights of my year and I have in my possession tickets to see them in Portland ME, Boston MA, and New York NY, on three consecutive nights. Some people think I'm nuts following bands around. "Isn't once enough?", no its not. When I see bands I love my first thought after the show is when can I see them again. Walking back to the hotel after Wolf Parade in Toronto I told Frankie I could see them again next night only we had Atoms For Peace to attend. Some people spend money on vacations, on cars, on flat screen HD tv's, on drink and drugs. I spend it on shows, and I cannot wait for Wolf Parade.

Love Kel

Theres Nothing Left

2010-05-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

Noon: 5.5 Miles Run

That was the session, one short but thoroughly enjoyable run. My knee was killing me all day. This AM I woke up and couldn't bend it very far at all. You could have paid me a million bucks to touch my heel to my ass and I wouldn't have been able to do it. I'm pretty sure I can still claim to be injured and without a proper diagnosis as to what is going on.

I met the crew at lunch time for a solid loop around the local golf course. We had 8 out today and spent a lot of time stretching on the track. Reebok was alive with people working out today. Amazing what the first day over 80 degrees does for the soul. I tried to enjoy the run but my knee really pissed me off. Despite my very happy facade and the fact that I really enjoyed running with the crew, inside my mood was below par. I went for a pint after work at the Hillside Pub, aka Building 6 with Coxy, Ryan, ALee and Skater T and my knee problems faded away. The ice pack wrapped around my leg right now is telling a different story however.

What about the Floyd Landis buzz? Nuts. I believe 50% of what he is saying but his motivation is what has me disturbed. If you want to take down one of the biggest sports stars on earth and the entire cycling industry perhaps there are better ways of doing it than sending emails at 4AM contradicting everything you've said for the last 4 years. He sounds like a bitter, twisted, and very depressed ex cyclist who wants to throw everyone under the bus. Whether Lance cheated or not is somewhat moot because he has been accused since his first Tour win (some one say he was being accused when he won Worlds pre cancer) and no one has been able to prove anything. The lay person, the cancer survivor, the average sports fan is not going to believe the nut job that is Floyd Landis. Someone like Paul Kimmage wants to see Lance busted but goes about it in a strategic manner being fully aware that he may never see Lance busted. Landis on the other hand is using a method of accusation with no proof that will further polarize him from the community he so desperately wishes to be part of. It made for a very unproductive day and I am eagerly anticipating the next move and how it all plays out. Dare I say I'm on the side of cycling because there is too much self serving going on here. There are easier ways to steal the limelight.

I have been on a bit of an electro kick this week and while banging out work today I was listening to some of the new work from Tom and Ed chemical, aka The Chemical Brothers. I loved their new single, Swoon and played it regularly over the last few weeks, however it wasn't until I heard the Don Diablo remix that I fell in love. The track was playing while I rode the bike and I found myself very quickly replaying it again and again. It keeps the melody and energy of the original and evolves it into a more housey, dancefloor tune. Its very simple and infectious. Excellent workout tunage.

Enjoy,

Love Kel

Kissing The Beehive

2010-05-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

AM: 72 Minutes Spin Bike, Gym
PM: Massage

My knee was killing me this morning. I knew I shouldn't have taken the bait by getting involved in the 400m of steady/fast running on the track at the end of the run yesterday. Pride kept me in front when various friends tried to pass. Stupid. I had to hit up spin class at Reebok rather than hitting the Blue Hill trails. I don't mind a spin class to be honest although the music is hard to take. I don't know the names of the artists that were pumping from the system but most people probably like it (not the ones reading this though) and they probably top the charts. Not my cup of tea though. I imagine it was Lady Ga Ga and perhaps some Kanye West? I'm pretty sure his voice was in the mix somewhere. So what I do is bang through the class and after 45 mins when it is over I stick on my iPod shuffle and do another 30 minutes, cleansing my ears with the sounds of Wolf Parade. Works every time.

In the afternoon I took advantage of the on-site massage therapy. My first time availing of the service. I mean, 25 bucks for 30-40 minutes, where else would you get it. And its good. She goes hard and deep with a little encouragement. I was very pleased and tipped an extra $10. Going once a week for the foreseeable future. Where I work is actually kind of awesome and sometimes stepping back is very important. The treatment was solid and I am going to join the lunch time running posse tomorrow for 5 miles. No track nonsense at the end mind you.

Song of the day is from the new Crystal Castles album. Which, interestingly, has the same name as the first Crystal Castles album, Crystal Castles. Not sure what their buzz is as far as album titles go (even though for some reason I think its very cool) but the music is infectious and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved their first album and gave it a top 10 albums of 2008 placing. I just bought the new album and I think it may be better. The songs are more immediate and will certainly find them new fans. I am going to make sure I get a ticket to their show at the House Of Blues this summer. Apparently the live show is nothing short of breathtaking. The song I've chosen samples Jonsi of Sigur Ros. When I initially read about this I had a bit of a panic attack thinking it might sound ridiculous but on the contrary its amazing. Kim Smith who is sitting next to me, hates it. I love it, so much.

Great to be back,

Love Kel

Theres No Earthly Way Of Knowing Which Direction We Are Going

2010-05-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

After this long absence it does feel nice and natural to be back online on Fitter, Happier, More Productive. I have a lot to discuss and its going to take many a blog post to catch up, but it will happen. My inability to run and other real life issues have taken me away from writing (any real writer would laugh at that comment) but I have missed it. Maybe discussing the injury and feeling sorry for myself was too much? Either way it was not necessarily an enjoyable break and it brings joy to be ready and poised for another season of "comeback"

This weekend I put in some decent miles on the bike, back to back 60 mile days. The weather has been nothing short of exceptional so staying on the saddle for 3 hours was pretty easy. I am miffed at my lack of desire to to more. I went out for 4 miles with Kim on Saturday evening and on Sunday I did 3 miles right after the bike ride, "brick" style.

The real fun started during the week however. The lunch time running crew at Reebok has gone to a whole new level and taking the bait I joined the crew for 6 miles over the blue hills. Awesome. So much so that when I got home I sent out an email saying I want more (whats that buzz about drugs and addiction?). Since everyone is very motivated it didn't take much and the crew were ready at 12:10 for another 6 miles. I felt amazing and the banter is something I missed terribly. Fitzy, Paddy, Kev, Ryan, Dan, Bob, and Coxy, all getting after it and having a college style stretch on the track after. My knee was screaming but the endorphins decided to shout a little louder. Tonight on the other hand my knee has decided to remind me that two 6 mile days back to back is far too aggressive. Tomorrow I just ride the bike.

I have so much music to discuss. To be fair it will take a long time. We will catch up though, that much I guarantee. Today however belongs to one person. It is 30 years since the magical Ian Curtis took his life. Many of my favorite bands owe so much of their inspiration to the baritone voice of Curtis that affected so many people in so many ways. The rock world has lost many a soul too soon but few have had such lasting and significant affect after their death then Ian. I was too young to appreciate his genius but now I can reflect like so many others and thank him for what he did, paving the way for a new post punk generation that has spawned some of my favorite music. Gone but never forgotten.

Peace and Love

Kel

Sinking Friendships

2010-05-11T05:58:00.001-07:00

jónsi - sinking friendships (live) from Jónsi on Vimeo.

Thats Why I Hold You

2010-04-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

I've Got A Friend Whos A Genius, No One Listens To Him.

2010-04-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

I will be off this site for the next week or so. I have the Boston Marathon happening. Not that I'm running it, I should be so lucky. Its expo set up, expo itself, and the aftermath, feeling down, taking a day or 2 to recover, and getting back into routine. Its all so predictable. I am taking it very easy this year, although I'm sure I'll have a good go of it one of the nights. I wonder why the good times at these events maintain considering its the same people at every one. Then I think about good times in general, its usually always with the same people. I could go out every weekend with my mates back on the old sod like I did for many years and still hurt from laughing so much. To prepare I rocked some training this weekend. 3.5 hours on Saturday, and 2.5 hours Sunday over hilly loops around Northern Rhode Island. I am very unfit and overweight but a lot of this work will put me straight.

Canadians Stars released a new song from their forthcoming album The Five Ghosts which is expected in June. The lyrics are sung by Amy and she sounds fantastic. I do enjoy this band and love their melancholic lyrics fused with uplifting synths. This track is called Fixed

Love Kel

Sum Up Three Days

2010-04-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

In Three Songs. I ended a 3 night concert tour and I am refreshed. I rode an hour on the trainer and ran 15 minutes with Frankie and Kim. I am lost and questioning after the last three nights. Worrying about pain in my knees because I can't run the way I want and yet I can travel and see/hear performances like I was fortunate enough to over the last week. What have I to really worry about when their is beauty like this? Three vids from each show. Look, listen, cry, sing, dance, be inspired.

Love Kel

Cymbal Rush from Roseland Ballroom, NYC

New Song by Wolf Parade, Toronto. Its silly how good the track is.

Present Tense, Thom Yorke, Citi-Wang Theater Boston. Epic.

Atoms For Peace

2010-04-07T11:59:00.001-07:00

Unreal show last night at the Roseland Ballroom. They played the eraser album from start to finish and then Thom broke into 3 solo songs including "All For The Best", "Fog", and "Everything In Its Right Place". They followed that up with another obscure Radiohead song from the Com Lag EP called "Paperbag Writer". Thom is on a completely different level right now. His energy and passion when performing the Eraser songs infected the crowd and created a unique atmosphere. It was like a sweaty Rave from 1995. Uncontrolled dancing, people bouncing off each other with a smile, and no negative attitudes (although one dude stood by me and tried to light a cigarette, I got angry for a minute) I am now in Toronto having coffee with Frankie and tonight we will bow down at the alter of Wolf Parade! Awesome.

Check out All For The Best below,

Love Kel

Sing Me To Sleep

2010-04-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

AM: 2 Hours Bike Ride
PM: 15 Minutes Run

I took part in the Providence Bike morning ride today. Lovely group of people and very enthusiastic, however a little too slow unfortunately. I am not a bike rider, nor do I claim to be but I have a big engine and the pace was too slow. We set off at a slow pace and at times we would get going only to regroup at every intersection. Its all very cool and friendly but I wanted to keep pushing and get a good ride in so after 40 minutes I had to break away and bid the group best wishes before riding a 20 minute tempo ride over hills. My HR was very high and the hills were like mountains. I'm fat and slow and horribly unfit but lots of this work will swiftly whip me into shape.

I was pretty tired when it was all done, clearly pushing too hard on the hills. I spent the day cleaning more stuff from the basement and after watching an epic Tour Of Flanders I went out and cruised 15 minutes around the street. My calf was like a rock after the run but my knee didn't hurt too much, only when I landed too much on my forefoot. I'm trying to avoid heel striking by landing more mid-foot and under my center of gravity. Whatever it takes to protect these old man knees.

I have a bit of a crazy week ahead so tomorrow I will do another solid run and short bike session. It will set up my concert tour and allow me the pleasure of a few days off to let the knee settle down and the enjoyment of some good beer and food. Tomorrow night I am going to a Tour Of Flanders party (even though I watched tonight) so it will be a nice start to a mental week.

Wolf Parade have announced that they will call their new album Expo 86 and it should drop sometime in June. It may even be a double album. They are playing 6 or 7 new songs on the mini tour and I am very eager to hear them. I have a little Thom Yorke action before that however so the emotion will be running high!

Love Kel

Spend Boring Hours In The Office Tower

2010-04-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

AM: 1:50 Bike Ride, 7 Minutes Run PM: 13 Minutes Run

What a fantastic morning for a bike ride. 65 degrees, light wind, little traffic, lots of energy. I hit the bike path and saw the minor damage from the flood. It wasn't that bad considering the rest of the state. I didn't stay long mind you because the path was jammers with families enjoying the first really warm Saturday of the year. It was nice to see the turn off to Rt. 116 so I could bang out hard miles on the hills. I realized how unfit I was when after the first climb (basic hill) had me reeling and holding back vomit. I provided my body with ample rest, food, and drink over the last few months. You'd think it would give me back some business rather than debt. After the third hill on the road I was cooked and my lap of Log road was really just riding at hard running pace. When I got back I decided to do my 8 minute running loop and ended up coming through the mile at sub 6 minute pace (my first since March 2009). Not realizing I was running so fast there was a little shock when I saw the watch. Clearly getting off the bike, triathlon style, and running soon after leads to higher cadence and thus pace. The legs are dead either way.

I went for a solid 13 minutes with Kim in the afternoon at the more reasonable 7 minute pace that I should be running at. It was pretty nice and I felt like I could go further and hit the 20 minute mark but I exercised caution and swung by the house after 13 mins. No ill effects at all. Went grabbed dinner and a beer, and now I feel like I haven't done any running at all. Amazing.
Tomorrow is more riding and a run in the second half of the day. I'll bump it up to 15 minutes I think.

Since I'm seeing them on Wednesday and because I love them so much, heres a bit of Wolf Parade,

Love Kel

A Punctured Bicycle On A Hillside Desolate

2010-04-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

AM: 8 Minutes
PM: 8 Minutes, 30 Minutes Trainer

Its not really worth taking about my training from today. 2 loops around the usual streets and a quick 30 minutes on the trainer. I told Kim I needed to do a quick ride but she was to force me off the bike (not sure how she would do that) if I chose to stay on. It all worked out in the end and the basic training was followed by comfortable Thai food. Pat arrived on the scene late and the day of clean up ended with some good laughs and the Premier Preview show.

We have most of the basement dried out and all my stuff is scattered around the back garden. I am going to salvage some items and some will go to the salvation army. Most will get thrown out. Life simplified and less clutter. Tomorrow I do some real training. My first real training of the year. I'm very fired up about it and to usher in some dreams I'll continue listening to Letting Up Despite Great Faults

All lovely in 41 Rome,

Kel

Rain Down On Me

2010-04-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

I've heard all the stories about flooded basements. What happened in RI this week was beyond a simple flooding of basements. The whole state was flooded. However in my little world all that matters is the 200-300 destroyed records that soaked up the water and all its contaminants(if there are any, I'm not holding on to them to find out) and I feel pretty depressed about it.

I was on the road for work when I got the call from Kim that the basement had 3-5 inches of water in it. Its never flooded before, but RI never had flooding like it did last week. Because of the history of a perfectly dry basement I stored all my stuff, music, pics/posters/framed stuff, documents, and clothes in a corner of the room. All on the ground. I was really pissed off when I heard but we had some important meetings. I stayed on the road but couldn't focus so jumped on a plane and came back.

While in Chicago it was great to catch up with my good friend Derek Holland but I missed out on coffee with Mike D (plans were to meet on Friday morning) So what lies ahead is a lot of Wet Vac and a lot of seeing what I can salvage. The situation in the State and in Southern Mass is dire and I feel so sorry for the people who's homes are destroyed. I heard about peoples cars, motorbikes, garages etc, all wrecked. Brutal.

Completely wired right now. No desire to sleep and I'm under no illusions that it will happen before 3 or 4 am. Kim did a great Job cleaning up so I'll have to pull my weight in the morning.

Speaking of tomorrow, its going to be beautiful. Chicago was alive with the energy of spring, the summer temps heating up the streets. I think it hit 86 degrees today. Hopefully its like that tomorrow. And since spring is most definitely upon us its time for the first summer video I've seen this year. Letting Up Despite Great Faults is a wonderful shoegaze band from LA. I just discovered them and their breezy melody. The music is very charming and the perfect blend of New Order, M83, and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. This is the soundtrack to walking through a lush, green park with coffee in hand and cares far away.

Love Kel

Letting Up Despite Great Faults: "Our Younger Noise" from Christopher j Ewing on Vimeo.