In Pitch Dark, I Go Walking In Your Landscape

PM: 90 Minutes Trainer Ride

PM: 2,000 Yards Swim

Not sure why I didn't get up and ride in the AM. I didn't sleep particularly well so my energy and desire to bang out a session were non-existent. Plans to visit the chiropractor were also on my mind. I have an MRI lined up for next week because my knee is really sore and not getting any better. The Dr doesn't think its super serious. Just a strain or some bad tendonitis but the course of treatment will be determined by what results the MRI show. If there is a tear then I am on the sidelines for a while but if its just inflammation then we will go back to intensive rehab.

I jumped on the bike and banged out 90 solid minutes with 15 x Min on/off. After the session I went straight to the pool and did another session. 500m warm up, followed by 5 x 50m w/15 sec rec. 100m breast stroke, 5 x 100m w/20 sec rec. 100m Breast stroke, 5 x 50m w/15 sec, then 300m cool down. My arms are still weak but my stroke tonight was an improvement over last week.

I did not search out new music today, nor did I listen to new bands in my iTunes. Rather, I drove to an acoustic Radiohead session I found in my car. It is a show from 2003 that I have on DVD. Amazing. Check out the song below. So good!

Love Kel

All Local Ingredients

AM: 90 Minutes Trainer Workout

Last night I had the best sleep in as many years as I can remember. I went to bed fairly late and with no sleep aids and only 2 pages of my book I drifted into a blissful sleep. I awoke in a panic at 9:30am. I NEVER sleep through the night without waking up and I NEVER sleep through the night without feeling like I have to use the bathroom. I drink so much water and coffee that I am completely used to a 3am or 4am trip followed by a 6am trip. So as you can imagine it was pretty weird to wake up at 9:30 having slept 9 hours straight. This is what people experience and I want more of it. I jumped out of bed and onto the bike where I did a very hard session.

After 2o minutes w/u I did 10 minutes really pushing the HR up. From 30 -48 minutes I alternated 1 min out of the saddle in a big gear, 1 min in the saddle in the same gear, and 1 min hard in a lesser gear. I took 2 minutes recovery and then did a set of tabatha sprints. 20 seconds all out with 10 seconds recovery x 8. That part was hard. After that it was 3 x 6 minutes big gear work and about 6 or 7 minutes easy spinning to cool down.

But back to the sleep thing. I am obviously dehydrated or something. What with getting all light headed and then sleeping 9 hours with no herbs or even prescription drugs. Very odd. I spent the day replenishing with lots of fluids and food (although food is never an issue with me). I also took my bike out to ride around Providence because P-Town in the fall is beautiful. Things went pear shaped when the rain pished down on me but nothing that ducking into White Electric coffee shop couldn't fix. I am now over at Blue State about to visit Not Just Snacks with Lee and Myene followed by a trip to Abes. Nice little Saturday.

I spent time surfing the interweb of blog, particularly music blogs and came across this gem of the track. I have heard of the artist, edIT but I never paid too much attention. His music didn't do it for me. He falls under the Glitch-Hop category what ever that is. But this song is just beautiful and on constant rotation here at the coffee shop. Check it out.

Love Kel

I'm Not In Love With The Modern World

AM: 75 Minutes Trainer Ride

PM: 60 Minutes Trainer Ride

Nothing like spending 2.25 hours in a basement sweating hard and listening to tunes. The AM session was just a straight up ride, getting progressively faster and harder. I kept my HR below 150 BPM to keep the session controlled. Lovely ride followed by a lovely cup of thick, black coffee. I took the single speed out and rode around P-Town, since I don't get over the far side too much these days. I stopped into Blue State Coffee and spent hours chatting with John "The Eyeball" Lawlor while getting even higher on more coffee. Blue State do free refills. Awesome. The lady next to me fainted. She seemed like a drama queen but I felt bad for her, at least for about 30 seconds when I realized that she was really over the top. My intuition was spot on because after the ambulance arrived and took her away her friend came back in and told us that she has an eating disorder and it happens all the time because she basically runs out of battery power. And that she is a complete attention seeker.

I raced cars up Smith street and easily beat them. I wish I could ride my bike to work because it is so enjoyable to blow past cars stuck in traffic. Got in the door, went downstairs and jumped on the bike for another solid hour. This time I did some reps and single leg drills. Any plans to test my knee with a jog went out the window sharpish when I nearly had my own episode. I felt very light headed after the session and obviously drank too much coffee and not enough water. A trip to Thai star and some Ben and Jerrys certainly did the trick. I'm a happy camper now.

I just bought my Tix to see MEW. Very happy and really looking forward to it.

Love Kel

Well I Wonder

AM: 35 Minutes Steady

PM: 45 Minutes Bike Trainer Session

PM: 35 Minutes Swim

Not a good day on my right knee. The tendonitis I am experiencing in the back of my knee has bit lit up and has engulfed my knee is flames of swelling. I didn't even run that hard, just some steady miles around a 5.5 mile loop. I was over 6 min pace all the way so needless to say I am exceptionally frustrated. I will have to stay at 20-25 minutes because my knee didn't become as inflamed after the other two runs I did this week.

I had no intentions of riding today but my knee was getting me down and I thought that some biking might help loosen it up. It didn't work. Swelling and general pain was very evident, even during the session. I went straight up to the pool afterwards and did a workout that Kempes gave me today. It involved 2 x 400m warm up. The first set had a buoy between the legs but it kept popping out because I can't swim with my legs together so the warm up ended up being a very hard 800m for me. Like warming up for a track session by "jogging" 3 miles in 14:30! The main set was 3 x 200 using long, slow strokes and counting the amount for 25 years. After that I maintain the same count but increase the output. Disaster. The first set had me anaerobic because gliding in the water requires ability to control breathing which I can't. I did my best but it was a long 600m. I cooled down with 200m of easy freestyle and breaststroke. I need lessons, sharpish.

The only music I listened to today was on the bike and it was all Wolf Parade. So nothing new to report. I think I am addicted to Spencers voice. I never paid much attention to the differences between Dan and Spencer. Both voiced suited their respective songs. However after playing "Dragonslayer" endlessly and revisiting "Random Spirit Lover", my favorite Sunset Rubdown album the distinction between the two voices is really obvious. Not that I don't like Dan's voice. I think its amazing, I just think Spencer Krug has a better voice for my personal taste.

Peace And Love,

Kel

This one's for you Crawlor!

Weak And Empty, But Happy

PM: 60 Minutes Trainer Hard

PM: 21 Minutes Swim, Exhausted

I am so weak. Literally, not figuratively. My Arms were so exhausted tonight that I had to stop after 21 pathetic minutes. I had no power and no energy. The bike portion of the training tonight was quite the opposite. Lots of power and lots of great energy, helped by some Milton Jackson and Gui Boratto. The pace was up tempo all the way, the music was up tempo and the wise thing would have been to stay on the bike for 90 minutes rather than force a swim. Mike DeCoste sent me an email outlining some swimming tips. They worked for the first few lengths before exhaustion and weakness took over. So I got out of the water, not too bothered either.

The weather is on crack. Beautiful, sunny fall days make me miss running so much. There is a smell in the air that is the smell of Cross Country. Its warm but cold, feels like summer but also like winter. The yellow/brown of the leaves gives the whole area a tan. I may go to Franklin Park on Sunday to watch Mayors Cup. Its always hard to watch a race I desperately want to run again but if I don't support cross country running in Boston what hope does the sport have!

Peace and Love

Kel

Grounds For Divorce

AM: 25 Minutes Run

PM: 90 Minutes Trainer Ride

PM: 31 Minutes Swim

Good day of athletics, cycling, and swimming. By most peoples standards, including my own, the running portion was pretty pathetic but being able to jog 25 minutes out of bed is not bad. Knee was sore afterwards and not really bad. I actually forgot about it while getting my root canal. Yes, a root canal. My second visit to the dentist in 10 days. Fortunately I am done for the year with Dr. Barr and his surprisingly comfortable chair.

After work I jumped on my trainer and did 90 minutes. Just like last night I did more than I planned and I made it up as I went along. Some single leg drills, some big gear efforts, some out of the saddle work, and some spinning. And just like last night, Coxy rang my phone with 10 minutes to go so I was chatting while cooling down and I felt amazing.

Right after I hit up the PC pool and swam just over 30 minutes. I felt really tired. Far from a fish is this guy. I might need some lessons on how to be more efficient. I feel like I am slow, and the fact that there was a female student in the next lane literally going three lengths for two of mine makes me realize I need to get some tips now before I develop bad habits. Nothing beats running, thats for sure.

I've been listening to the the new Echo And The Bunnymen album. I am not sure yet. I need many more listens. Its ok on first go around but with so much amazing music I kind of think the the Bunnymen have passed their best days. However, I need many more listens. On first run through the below song is my favorite.

Love Kel

It Spat Its Rain Down On Me

PM: 90 Minutes Trainer Ride, single leg drills

Another night in the basement making up a workout on the bike. I've been thinking about writing a training plan. I know the days I'll be going swimming so thats a start. Beyond that I know I will ride almost everyday and when I can run (if I ever run again) I'll mix in some of that too. Little bit of core work here and there and I have the basics. Today I rode steady for 30 minutes, did single leg drills for 8 minutes and then rode hard for 30 minutes before a steady cool down until I hit 90 minutes. I planned on another 75 mins but Coxy called so it allowed me time to speak to him and add on another 15 minutes. Lovely session and I felt fantastic.

I listened to "Memory Tapes" on my ride today. Some songs are okay and some are fantastic, like the one I have below. Memory Tapes is a collaboration between "Memory Cassettes" and "Weird Tapes". I am not super familiar with either band although I do have some Weird Tapes tracks I just read about their union on the blogosphere. This song has been out for a while. The track, and their other music, is really joyful and emotional with true nostalgia of Nu Wave and summer days drinking cans and living large. Really simple and beautiful.

Love Kel