Ice Age Coming

Today is the 31st of December and I find myself reflecting on the last 2 weeks with much joy and a little restlessness. It is very nice to be sitting on the couch with a large mug of dark coffee finally catching up with the world after a significant absence from the surfing of the web. Not that I missed the web too much. My 4 days in London and 7 days in Ireland were awesome. I have the best mates in the world and despite some current hard times they still smile and offer great cheer. I've had the same group of friends for over 20 years and they are like family. I would lay down in traffic for them. The laughter and hangovers will last a long time. Like all decadent behavior it comes crashing to an end at some point and for me about 4 or 5 nights usually does it. I like to think I can handle the nights out better than most, then I go out with the lads and I realize I'm very much an amateur. Frankie did really well and her improvement was the perfect off set to my below average performance. We got through however and now the switch has been flicked. My friend Ged has noticed this behavior over the years. Basically I live the lifestyle for a while and then I snap because my body rejects the fuel and longs for the burn of some hard training and good sleep. It used to be two months off before I'd snap and now its less than 2 weeks. Maturity is a bitch.

I arrived back last night and got on my trainer for an easy 45 minutes followed by a lot of core work. Its back to the grind. The plan was to go out in Boston tonight to ring in the new year but that looks less and less like its going to happen. The 2 inches of snow that sits and continues to accumulate outside my window will most likely quash the plans.

I was never a big new year fan. And I never felt that the new year was good timing to make radical changes. For some people it offers a target date to make the changes they wish to see but in essence its an arbitrary day, no different than any other tomorrow. For many people the timing comes after their own week of madness through the holidays and it offers a new dawn, a new year where goals are set and dreams are made. I completely respect this. For me the new year was always at the end of the summer. The track season would end and the preparation for cross country would start. It would be a few weeks of swill and getting fat before the double days and the grind. The new year was always just another opportunity to hit the tiles but the decisions and goals were set months prior. Now I find myself actually thinking about 2010 and the goals (or lack thereof) I have set. I am still not sure how my body will react to training. My right knee has improved under the wonderful craftsmanship of Brian McKeon but my left knee is still screwed. Having a hole in my cartilage makes goal setting a little more difficult.

If I can make some changes in 2010 they will entail being more responsible (such an adult) and accepting that I'm not 21 anymore. I need to tone down the hard training and the constant desire to bury myself in every session. This is not a joke, its a real problem. I find it difficult to workout in the right "zones" or what ever you want to call it. My easy hour on the trainer always turns into an interval session. An easy 3 mile run to test my knee always turns into a 6 mile steady run. When I get fit, a 5 mile tempo run turns into a 6-7 mile race. A 12 mile long run turns into an 18 mile hard run. I say I'll run at 7 minute pace but always end up below 6 minute pace. Excess and inability to make the correct decisions always gets me in trouble. The old, I'm going for 1 beer but drink 6 beers mentality. I am literally on my last legs and these are the only knees I have. So 2010, kelrock will be more responsible. Additionally I am going to more concerts and going to get more involved in music. Thats the buzz.

Happy New Year and Keep Believing.

I have a few music lists to put up now.

Love Kel