Bat For Lashes

Saturday: AM: 11.2 Miles, Blvd, Fruit Loop, 1:11:50
Sunday: PM: 10 Miles, Blvd, Fruit Loop, 1:05:25

There was simply not enough time to post yesterday. I ran in the AM with Pat Tarpy and it was fantastic. Felt unreal and had no fatigue from the tempo on Friday. Tonight I did an easy 10. I was tired from yesterday and last night. I was due an easy day and only intended on running 40 odd minutes but since it was so nice I just kept listening to tunes and forced myself to stop at 10 miles. Higher and higher....temptation.

Week 15 Ended As Follows:

Monday: AM: 9.2 Miles, 60:00, Fruit Loop, Blvd.

Tuesday: PM: 12.76 Miles, T-Mill, BSC, 1:20, Followed by Core

Wednesday: AM: 8.3 Miles, 50:07, Fruit Loop, Blvd
PM: 6 Miles, No Time, From Rhode Runner
Thursday: PM: 11 Miles w/ 5 x 40 second pick ups, 1:10, Run From BSC, Core

Friday: AM: Tempo Run, 6 Miles, 29:45, Coogan Loop, 3 Mile WU/CD (12)
Saturday: AM: 11.2 Miles, Blvd, Fruit Loop, 1:11:50
Sunday: PM: 10 Miles, Blvd, Fruit Loop, 1:05:25

Week Total: 80.5 Miles, 8 Runs, Core, Yoga, Tempo.

15 weeks of training in the bag. Of course the first 5 weeks aren't really worth talking about since I was suck below 30 miles but they were important weeks none the less. The past week is exactly the kind of week I want for the next 15. I want to stay below 80 miles but I want it every week. Consistency is what I have missed since 2003 but I am super motivated and willing to be patient to make it right in 2009.

So back to the weekend. Francine ran the Double Bridge Run in Pensacola, FL. She finished a great third! Amy Rudolph was the returning winner and Mark finished second in the mens race to Jimmy Carney. A Great start to the day! I hit Boston right after my morning run to join John Clark and Mark Davis in the Phoenix Landing Liverpool supporters pub in Cambridge. It was epic. We played Portsmouth and although we should be on cruise control through these games it proved very difficult with a weakened team on the field. Pompy had the lead twice and at 2-1 down with 8 minutes to go I was begging for a draw. JC was very relaxed and told me that we would win and it would be epic. And how right he was. Kuyt and Torres in the last minute. The pub erupted and there were man hugs a plenty and everyone was joined in song as we did the Torres bounce. What a start to the day.

After this we hit Reggie for the games. It kicked off with a fantastic run by Chris Hartner of Naperville Running Company. He was one of the guests of Reebok and used the opportunity to jump in the masters mile. He had the lead over the last 100 but was just pipped on the line. Fantastic stuff. After that the meet just had great race after great race. Ro McGettigan broke the Irish record in the mile. And Mary Cullen just missed the 5k record while Shelane Flannigan broke the American Record. The PC boys ran 4:01 in the mile and Charley D nearly won the college 800. Willis won the mile in 3:53 with Chris Lukezic running a great 3:56 for third. You will be able to read all about it at his ultra cool fifteen hundred meters blog.

After the meet we hit up '33' and had some great conversations with former co workers and the dealers who have become mates outside of all the running shoe stuff. T'was a great day and I woke up this morning actually feeling fresh. Only downside was having to watch Man United scrape another win, this time away to West Ham.

I am watching the Grammys right now, only to see Radiohead perform. So I want to save my music stuff for during the week but I am so excited right now that I need to talk about this one thing. I heard my favorite track of 2009 thus far. It is Bat For Lashes - Glass. It will be forthcoming on her new album Two Sons which will be out in April. The link will take you to stereogum and you can here the track there. Please listen to the song from start to finish. At least give it some respect, you know? I can't listen to it once, its that good. Her new album is going to be amazing and I will be buying it and reviewing it here as soon as its available.

Ok, thats the buzz. Keep running, keep listening to great sounds, and keep spreading the peace and love,

Kel

A Day Towards Other Days

AM: Tempo Run, 6 Miles, 29:45, Coogan Loop, 3 Mile WU/CD

Tempo runs are my favorite training session and have been since secondary school. Ray uses tempo runs throughout the whole year to build fitness and I have found that nothing gives me more confidence or a boost in fitness like 6 miles running at a pace I could hold for 10 miles. Today was no different. I did the session with Pat Tarpy and we had Max Smith along on the warm up. Despite the cold we were all in good form and I actually felt quite comfortable in the balmy 25 degree weather.

The splits for the run were, 4:55, 5:00, 4:56, 5:01, 5:00, 4:51. I wanted to really sprint at the end, it was one of those days but I kept it relaxed through the finish and had a massive smile on my face. It never got hard and I never felt tired. Now, even though I am extremely pleased I am not delusional. I used to do this loop in 29 flat with ease but it is just another step in the right direction. I still have no pace but I have a good level of fitness and this low volume approach to milage is really helping me. In two months time I imagine still running the same 6 mile loop in better weather 3 or 4 ticks a mile quicker. This is the kind of training I plan on doing all year until November.

Yesterday I was talking about 'Lights Out Asia' and I spent a large portion of my day, from the moment I woke up, listening to them. They have a couple of tracks for listening to on their site. If you want to know what they sound like listen to "Knock Knock" and don't listen to a few seconds and say ah Kelly is away with the clouds, actually sit down and listen to the track from start to finish. It is awesome and today when I was running the short vocal loop and piano was stuck in my head. Nothing could have suited my mood better. Beautiful music by talented musicians.

Tomorrow is the Boston Indoor Games and I will be attending again. It will be the 8th odd version I've been to and even though tomorrow will be a little odd due to my departure from Reebok (the sponsor) I am still looking forward to meeting friends and watching world class track and field.

A very happy camper writes this blog entry and to show commitment to my training I actually didn't stay up to watch Morrissey perform on Jimmy Kimmel live, rather I just watched it on youtube this morning!

Love Kel

Clouds Passing By

PM: 11 Miles w/ 5 x 40 second pick up/strides, 1:10, Run From BSC, Core

Man, it is so cold. Tonight was a solid 13 degrees but felt like 0 with the wind. I had to run steady because even though I wanted an easy run I needed to get the blood pumping and energy levels up. I started throwing in long strides at the end while I was warm because I knew that if I stopped I would most likely just get back into the gym. I did my usual core routine and hung about the gym afterward. I met some people including a G-Town 800m runner who graduated a year before me. We know a lot of the same people.

I drank enough coffee today to wire a small town. And while sitting in Blue State almost pulling faces like the ravers of yesteryear I listened to some post-rock from Mogwai and Lights Out Asia
These are the two albums I got. I have loved the work of Scottish outfit Mogwai for a while now and in particular a track called "I know you are but what am I". I knew they did stuff with Sigur Ros, and I had random tracks and remixes by them but when I heard this track I fell in love. Simply beautiful work. Their new album has some nice moments and I found myself listening through very quickly and again on my run tonight. The album will take more listens because I started getting tracks mixed up seeing as I also listened to Lights Out Asia. I have never heard about this band and I still don't know much about them other than information from myspace. This album is really good and because it was an instant journey for me I will check out and maybe buy their previous albums although I am trying to limit my spend on music so I might have to search the blogosphere and check them out first. Bottom line is that I am getting more and more into the 'post rock' genre and I am finding that this music inspires happiness and belief in whatever I'm doing. It can be as simple as drinking a cup of coffee or running a hard 11 miles either way it makes my day and what ever activity I'm doing a little bit better.

Love Kel

Theres A Way Out

AM: 8.3 Miles, 50:07, Fruit Loop, Blvd
PM: 6 Miles, No Time, From Rhode Runner

Running hard on treadmill in a sweaty gym takes it out of me. I am not one to sweat excessively like some of the other people I train with but that goes out the window when I run in BSC. Anyway, my point is that this morning I was tired and felt dehydrated. I started out easy and was pleasantly surprised to see I was running 6 min miles after a few minutes. Its a sign that basic fitness is back.

In the PM I joined the Rhode Runner crew for an easy 6 miles. It was actually nice to run slower than 7 min pace as it is not something I do very often. The perfect precursor to the PC-Nova game I went to at the Dunk.

Last Wednesday I saw one of the best PC performances in years when we drained 100 points against Syracuse but last night was just frustrating. We looked asleep out on the court and we couldn't buy a basket. Nova at one point had a 20 point lead. However, about mid-way through the second half the Friars rallied and started hitting 3's and forcing turnovers. We brought the game back to within 5 points. As quick as that happened the lead was 12 again with 2 minutes remaining. Since Frankie was picking me up I called her and was ready to go. Now bare in mind that I really dislike fans that leave games so early. It was an uncharacteristic move for me but Frankie had an early start and the game was late. When I got home I jumped on the box to see the final score and the game was still going. It was down to 1 point 92-91. I nearly lost it. Alas Nova had the ball, got the foul and went to the line for 2. PC never got the shot off before the clock ran out. 94-91. If the first 3/4 of the game was anything to go by this score is a victory for the Friars and shows that the early mistakes, missed free throws cost us. I know that there is always a way out if you take care of the simple things.

With this in mind I approach my last 2 weeks of training before my first race in one year. I find myself getting worried about miles, workouts and getting everything right but in effect it all means nothing if I don't stay the course and prepare for November when my real goal of making the Irish team for Euro XC starts. I need to make the little plays and maintain consistency. That means, getting out for training everyday but never trying to do too much. That means, doing workouts and not worrying about how fast they are compared to my previous life. That means enjoying the fact that I am not fat and out of shape. That means making the start line healthy and ready to run rather than beaten up.

The Ras press conference was yesterday and it was good to catch up with Vinny who was in the community center back in Dunleer. I was asked am I fit and I don't really know how to answer that because yes I am fit, very fit but I won't be winning any races because other guys happen to be fitter and stronger. So I was honest and said I've been fitter but yes I am fit however I wouldn't put money on me unless you fancy some really long odds. Two weeks and counting to my three race series in Ireland. As you can tell, I am getting very excited.

Love it,

Kel

Pace Is The Trick

PM: 12.76 Miles, T-Mill, BSC, 1:20, Followed by Core

The BSC was a hive of activity tonight. After all we did get ANOTHER snowfall today. Not a terribly bad snowfall but a solid 3 inches on top of ice and enough to force me onto the mill. I don't know why I did 80 minutes. I am off schedule after my illness but I really should be using the head on my shoulders and not running this much. With that being said I did have an excellent playlist on my shuffle and it was impossible to stop. Cut Copy, Crystal Castles, Radiohead, Joy Division, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Moz, Apparat, The Knife. I am patting myself on the back for not running 13 miles. It showed some level of cop-on.

In addition to having a fantastic run I had a lovely day. Met up with Mark Flotrack for coffee at the exchange. He is in town doing some stuff with the Providence girls and the BIG. I love the energy the Flotrack crew bring, and I love what they do for the sport. Brilliant stuff.



So the above video is "Hearts On Fire" by Cut Copy and I finished my run with this tune today. Its a fantastic, uplifting track and epitomizes my general mood. Some Fox Soccer Report and then bed, a lovely way to end a solid day.

Love Kel

Back In The Game

AM: 9.2 Miles, 60:00, Fruit Loop, Blvd.

My first run back and even though it was very slow I was really pleased to get out. I did my usual loop and I nearly passed out at one point. I stopped for a pish and I actually think I lost consciousness. It was extremely weird but after it happened I kind of laughed and trucked on for the remaining 8 miles. I have never fainted and I loved the fact that I kind of did. Fantastic.

There is a new Doves album coming out. I have always had a soft spot for Doves (the band) and "Last Broadcast" is a mainstay on many of the mix CD's I make for friends. Anyway, you can check out This Blog, which is awesome and there is a link to one of the new tracks. The album is out in April but I'm sure more tracks will leak. I will be buying it but will also take advantage of all early mp3's. I don't feel bad because I can let the lads know that they will be getting 10 bucks off me. I got a suggestion for some tunes to listen to from a comment yesterday and that is what I'm off to do. Today I got back into the training and got fired up for my upcoming races by talking to Vinny. Lots of training to be done over the next few weeks.

Peace and Love

Kel

Which Way To Happy

NO RUN. NO RUNS SINCE THURSDAY

Feeling sick is the worst. I have always been a baby when it comes to being run down or ill in any fashion. The reason why I tend to act in such an soft manner is that I am typically full of energy and full of life. Any feeling less than awesome tends to disrupt my mood. When I'm sick and feel like ass which was the case for the last three days I'm simply miserable. I can't fake it at all. I had planned a big workout on Saturday that I couldn't do and it was depressing. Today was a bit better, I actually had some energy but not enough to run. Tomorrow I will be back in the saddle. Lots of people like to "run through" sickness, but I have never understood this. It is like some people can't bare to see their training diaries take the hit of a few days off. Francine thinks it was a blessing in disguise, that I was doing too much and maybe increasing the training a little too much. I don't believe in signs but I guess this could be construed as a sign. Around this time last year I began to ramp up the volume and by the end of Feb I was flying, only to blow out my knee. The subsequent surgery knocked me out of action for 6 months. Basically, three days off is nothing compared to six months.

Week 14 Ended As Follows:

Monday: AM: 10.15 Miles, 66 minutes, Lincoln woods.

Tuesday: AM: Workout 6 x 4 Minutes, 70 Sec Rec, 4:45 mile pace. (tot. 12)
PM: Yoga

Wednesday: AM: 12 Miles, T-Mill BSC, 1:15:00

Thursday: AM: 8 Miles, T-Mill, BSC, 51 minutes
PM: 5 Miles, T-Mill, BSC 32:20, Core Work
Friday: OFF
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: OFF

Week Total: 47.15 Miles, 5 Runs, Yoga, Core Work

I was heading for a great week of training and that is all I care about. It is very positive. The session with Mark was fantastic and I had some great running. The three days off were necessary and now I will build up the defences so I should avoid all illness heading back to Ireland. All good.

A major highlight of this weekend was today and in specific about 88 minutes into the Liverpool-Chelsea game. Fernando Torres scored and has perhaps saved Liverpools season. It was fantastic.

Peace and Much Love,

Kelrock