Well, like the protagonist from A Nightmare on Elm Street, I'm striving to stay awake for this one. So far so good.
I'm not big on the supernatural, predictions of apocalypse and other mystical oddities so I'm looking at this day as the winter solstice. The day in the Northern hemisphere that contains the shortest day and longest night of the year with longer days to follow. Amazingly, we're also closer to the sun than any other time of the year. Sounds like a good reason for a dance around the maypole or maybe a bacchanalian feast that knocks you off your feet.
This year's mix is titled Hi-Lo. It's still a work in process but let's start with the hi and end with the lo. The hi side can take you to a good place and the voices and feel is ethereal. Pretty good times.
The low side of the equation gets you low down to the ground and deeper. Not a good place from my perspective but a place that we visit often and are destined to inhabit for eternity.
Hi:
Intro - M83
What Would I Want? Sky - Animal Collective
Angels - The xx
Origins - Tennis
Genesis - Grimes
Eyeoneye - Andrew Bird
Nothing to Worry About - Peter Bjorn and John
Taking Off - The Cure
Moth's Wings - Passion Pit
She's Fetching - Big Dipper
The House That Heaven Built - Japandroids
That Boston Life - Consonant
In a Big City - Titus Andronicus
The State of Massachusetts - Dropkick Murphys
Sixteen Saltines - Jack White
Ripper - JEFF the Brotherhood
The Wagon - Dinosaur Jr.
Lo:
Copsucker - The Dambuilders
I'm Free - Morphine
Mistaken For Strangers - The National
We Used to Wait - Arcade Fire
I Might Be Wrong - Radiohead
Wolf Like Me - TV On the Radio
Cause = Time - Broken Social Scene
Stay Useless - Cloud Nothings
Get Away - Yuck
True North - Pinback
Moment of Surrender - U2
Hollow Man - REM
F@$%*ng Up - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Serpents - Sharon Van Etten
Coming Down - Dum Dum Girls
Breathe (In the Air) - Pink Floyd
Indifference - Pearl Jam
Merry Christmas from the Dropkick Murphys:
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Autumn Part Deux: Running to Stand Still
As you might have heard, the 2012 ING New York City Marathon was cancelled. For the runners, it was obviously disappointing and inconvenient. Although there has been widespread criticism of every decision from the mayor and race director's lips, I can safely say that despite how you might feel about the process of getting to the final decision, the correct one was made. As with viewing many disasters and life altering events in retrospect, there clearly were misjudgments and hasty decisions that came back to haunt the leaders during this disaster. In the biggest theater, the directors had the greater good of the people of New York City in mind but delivered a show that was spotty and ultimately received poor reviews from the critics.
As the 2012 ING New York City Marathon neared and the behemoth storm Sandy approached the east coast in the week prior to the race, my physical preparation was ending and the mental preparation for both the joy and pain presented by a marathon and specifically by the NYC marathon was underway. This was my first NYC marathon (and fifth overall) and I was told by all that this would be the running experience that I would always remember. The crowds would be deep, diverse and New York City-style "in your face." My friend and running partner who had made this trip possible and I were going to take this one on straight ahead. How could I not take take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to push my physical limits in the intense atmosphere of the legendary NYC Marathon?
And despite early indications of trouble, I made my way northward to run the race, as I believed it was the right thing to do. "Follow through and finish what you start" is a mantra that probably drives a good many marathoners and so I did. However, as the magnitude of the storm's impact grew, so did the volume of my inner voice (and all my buddies' voices via email) asking me if I was running. After New York Road Runners' CEO Mary Wittenberg, now frequently referred to by many as Marie Antoinette Wittenberg and Mayor Michael Bloomberg's pronouncement that the race was on, the finish line and celebration were definitely my focus. I was on my way but the doubts that were present from the first hints of the storm's impact remained with me and could definitely not be checked plane-side at the airport. U2's Bono's lyrics to Running to Stand Still started to transform themselves before my eyes.
As news of disaster and pain spread via channels such as social media and conversations in the airport, I had to fight my selfish instincts to plow forward and instead step back and view the bigger picture. It was becoming clear that the race was not a good idea for anyone. These reflections provided even more mixed emotions about running and "getting in the way" but I thought the local race leaders and politicians would make the right call. They might deliver a hearty, "run the race and help the area recover" or it might be a "thanks for trying but stay home." To my relief, the cancellation was mercifully announced but questions remained for citizens and runners alike. Was the pursuit to complete the race mere folly, especially in the face of the hardship and suffering in the area? Many of my friends and relatives offered empathy in response to not getting to experience my first New York City Marathon. But really, how could one respond to words like that? In the big picture, pursuits of athletic achievement and reward pale in comparison to the more important pursuit of helping those in need.
There will be a race next year. The 2013 New York City Marathon will again be a celebration of athletic achievement. New Yorkers, citizens of the running community and the world alike will survive, adapt, move on and again enjoy the special race that is the New York City Marathon.
As the 2012 ING New York City Marathon neared and the behemoth storm Sandy approached the east coast in the week prior to the race, my physical preparation was ending and the mental preparation for both the joy and pain presented by a marathon and specifically by the NYC marathon was underway. This was my first NYC marathon (and fifth overall) and I was told by all that this would be the running experience that I would always remember. The crowds would be deep, diverse and New York City-style "in your face." My friend and running partner who had made this trip possible and I were going to take this one on straight ahead. How could I not take take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to push my physical limits in the intense atmosphere of the legendary NYC Marathon?
And despite early indications of trouble, I made my way northward to run the race, as I believed it was the right thing to do. "Follow through and finish what you start" is a mantra that probably drives a good many marathoners and so I did. However, as the magnitude of the storm's impact grew, so did the volume of my inner voice (and all my buddies' voices via email) asking me if I was running. After New York Road Runners' CEO Mary Wittenberg, now frequently referred to by many as Marie Antoinette Wittenberg and Mayor Michael Bloomberg's pronouncement that the race was on, the finish line and celebration were definitely my focus. I was on my way but the doubts that were present from the first hints of the storm's impact remained with me and could definitely not be checked plane-side at the airport. U2's Bono's lyrics to Running to Stand Still started to transform themselves before my eyes.
As news of disaster and pain spread via channels such as social media and conversations in the airport, I had to fight my selfish instincts to plow forward and instead step back and view the bigger picture. It was becoming clear that the race was not a good idea for anyone. These reflections provided even more mixed emotions about running and "getting in the way" but I thought the local race leaders and politicians would make the right call. They might deliver a hearty, "run the race and help the area recover" or it might be a "thanks for trying but stay home." To my relief, the cancellation was mercifully announced but questions remained for citizens and runners alike. Was the pursuit to complete the race mere folly, especially in the face of the hardship and suffering in the area? Many of my friends and relatives offered empathy in response to not getting to experience my first New York City Marathon. But really, how could one respond to words like that? In the big picture, pursuits of athletic achievement and reward pale in comparison to the more important pursuit of helping those in need.
There will be a race next year. The 2013 New York City Marathon will again be a celebration of athletic achievement. New Yorkers, citizens of the running community and the world alike will survive, adapt, move on and again enjoy the special race that is the New York City Marathon.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Autumn: Running to stand still
With a web of mixed emotions, my 5th official marathon and my first NYC marathon looms this Sunday (11/5). I'll be wearing bib #28621 and I'll be updating this blog with pictures from all over New York City. I love spending time in NYC and this weekend will surely be bittersweet. Let's keep in touch. - BC
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Project Health: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
How's it going? No, more directly, how are you doing and how are you feeling? This is important to me and selfishly, I care about my own health and that of my friends and family. However, I do also care about your health because you are my neighbor, my fellow American or at a minimum, a cohabitant of planet earth.
We're at the half-way point of 2012 and probably at a good point to look back on what you've done to better yourself while knowing there's still plenty of time to look ahead and take steps to improve your health. At the library a few weeks back, I came across NY Times bestselling author A.J. Jacobs' new book Drop Dead Healthy and after perusing the Intro and Table of Contents, I could not put it down. As the book's sub-title "One Man's Quest for Bodily Perfection" suggests, Jacobs was not just trying to make a few changes to get healthier but instead to achieve "maximal health from head to toe."
As both a project manager and triathlete, page five of the Prologue had me hooked with the following paragraph: " ...this book isn't my first foray into radical self-improvement. Over the last decade, I've had a bit of a fixation. Studies show it's healthy to have a purpose in life, and mine has been a relentless, well-intentioned if often misguided quest for perfection. Project Health will be the third leg of a triathlon devoted to upgrading my mind, my spirit, and my body." Hey A.J., I'm in for the ride.
We're at the half-way point of 2012 and probably at a good point to look back on what you've done to better yourself while knowing there's still plenty of time to look ahead and take steps to improve your health. At the library a few weeks back, I came across NY Times bestselling author A.J. Jacobs' new book Drop Dead Healthy and after perusing the Intro and Table of Contents, I could not put it down. As the book's sub-title "One Man's Quest for Bodily Perfection" suggests, Jacobs was not just trying to make a few changes to get healthier but instead to achieve "maximal health from head to toe."
As both a project manager and triathlete, page five of the Prologue had me hooked with the following paragraph: " ...this book isn't my first foray into radical self-improvement. Over the last decade, I've had a bit of a fixation. Studies show it's healthy to have a purpose in life, and mine has been a relentless, well-intentioned if often misguided quest for perfection. Project Health will be the third leg of a triathlon devoted to upgrading my mind, my spirit, and my body." Hey A.J., I'm in for the ride.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
AQUA: Wave of Mutilation
I maintain a love-love relationship with the water. I love to be on it, living near it and my best days happen when I'm on or around it. I would, however, love to be more comfortable and dare I say, faster in it.
As my 11th place triathlon swim (out of 14 age groupers) at this past weekend's Charleston sprint triathlon shows yet again, I just am not all that comfortable and quite slow in the water. Damn, I thought I was going to better in the water this year but that doesn't appear to be the case. And despite my poor swim result, I actually felt pretty comfortable in the water and biked and ran (4th and 1st respectively in my age group) well. My first thought was that I took a wrong turn out there on the water but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the case. Well, it's back to the drawing board. I guess I'll have to hit the pool/ocean more, get someone to take a look (again) at my stroke and channel the skills of Michael Phelps and the US swim team at the Olympics this summer. My 13-year old daughter, Bridget gave me a bit of advice last year after watching me do a few laps at the pool, "Dad, you need to kick more." Simple, to the point and although triathlon wisdom says to limit kicking, I might be taking the triathlon wisdom too literally. Better kicking...I'll give it a try. Thankfully, all three of my children have been on the swim team for years now and won't have these swimming challenges later in life.
Memorial Day weekend is the official unofficial start to the summer and brings out beach goers in droves. The usual 15 minute ride to the beach turned into a one hour plus struggle, unheard of in these parts. One whole hour!? I vaguely recall the approximately six annual weekend beach days around Boston's south shore and the accompanying full day ordeal to get to the water. Charleston sure has spoiled me so with traffic onto the islands backing up due to construction, the holiday crush and great weather upon us, it was a (relative) struggle to get my daughter Ailish and I there. It was, however, worth the effort as we body-surfed, swam and generally just frolicked in the surf, enjoying each other's company. Summertime bliss on Sullivan's Island.
Summer also means the end of the school year for my three Daniel Island Schoolers and with that comes the the annual grade school yearbook purchases that brought back vague memories of my single, boring, relatively uninteresting high school senior (and only) yearbook. Remember those yearbook quotes and ambitions we had to come up with? I do and remember not having a clue what should be stuck in print next to my soon-to-be outdated picture for me to some day in the future flinchingly revisit and show to my loved ones. The fact that I could not come up with any quick, witty and modestly ambitious nuggets that would stand the test of time might have been an indication that I had not yet really started my life's journey. Maybe I could jump ahead a few years and borrow words from Frank Black of the Pixies from one of my all-time favorite songs, "Wave of Mutilation":
cease to resist, giving my goodbye
drive my car into the ocean
you'll think i'm dead, but i sail away
on a wave of mutilation
a wave
wave
i've kissed mermaids, rode the el nino
walked the sand with the crustaceans
could find my way to mariana
on a wave of mutilation,
wave of mutilation
wave of mutilation
wave
wave of mutilation
wave
I do remember the day I purchased the Pixies' seminal work Doolittle, a melodic, hypnotic, scary and edgy album that that punched me in the nose on first listen. I was working as a 3rd mate on a ship in Japan, found it at a local record store, took it back to my ship and after the first listen thought this was the perfect mix of far-reaching radical screaming non-sense (that made sense) intertwined with perfectly harmonious sounds wrapped up into one special package. After seeing them a few time through the 80s and 90s, I had the good fortune of catching their Lost Cities Tour in Charleston in the spring where they played Doolittle plus b-sides in it's entirety. Although the show was a bit of a paint-by-numbers affair, they did a nice job and Kim, once again, had me at the first note.
I recently heard sad news that an old friend, WFNX radio in Lynn, MA is leaving the greater Boston airwaves. Despite a death spiral to irrelevance for FM radio and the ridiculously poor signal from their "remote" radio studio in Lynn, I still found it sad and a bit like having lost touch with a high school buddy and hearing that he passed away unexpectedly. The station was sold by the Phoenix group to one of the chains for a couple of million bucks and a few cases of tofu. Back in the 80s though, 'FNX was relevant and important to me. I remember the summer between high school and college, brief as it may have been with my July start date, when the sweet sounds of Kim Deal's unforgettable voice and baseline introduced me to the Pixies and great music:
And this I know
His teeth as white as snow
What a gas it was to see him
Walk her every day
Into a shady place
With her lips she said
She said
Hey Paul, Hey Paul, Hey Paul, let's have a ball
Gigantic, gigantic, gigantic
A big big love
Gigantic, gigantic, gigantic
A big big love
Well, it's a few weeks later and a quicker and equally enjoyable trip across the inner coastal waterway onto Sullivan's Island awaits. I wonder if my Boston Latin School English teacher would let me use Perry Farrell's words for my declamation assignment. "Ocean Size" hits all the right notes:
Wish I was ocean size
They cannot move you
No one tries
No one pulls you
Out from your hole
Like a tooth aching a jawbone...
I was made with a heart of stone
To be broken
With one hard blow
I've seen the ocean
Break on the shore
Come together with no harm done...
It ain't easy living...
I want to be
As deep
As the ocean
Mother ocean
Some people tell me
Home is in the sky
In the sky lives a spy
I want to be more like the ocean
No talking
All action...
No talking
All action...
As my 11th place triathlon swim (out of 14 age groupers) at this past weekend's Charleston sprint triathlon shows yet again, I just am not all that comfortable and quite slow in the water. Damn, I thought I was going to better in the water this year but that doesn't appear to be the case. And despite my poor swim result, I actually felt pretty comfortable in the water and biked and ran (4th and 1st respectively in my age group) well. My first thought was that I took a wrong turn out there on the water but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the case. Well, it's back to the drawing board. I guess I'll have to hit the pool/ocean more, get someone to take a look (again) at my stroke and channel the skills of Michael Phelps and the US swim team at the Olympics this summer. My 13-year old daughter, Bridget gave me a bit of advice last year after watching me do a few laps at the pool, "Dad, you need to kick more." Simple, to the point and although triathlon wisdom says to limit kicking, I might be taking the triathlon wisdom too literally. Better kicking...I'll give it a try. Thankfully, all three of my children have been on the swim team for years now and won't have these swimming challenges later in life.
Memorial Day weekend is the official unofficial start to the summer and brings out beach goers in droves. The usual 15 minute ride to the beach turned into a one hour plus struggle, unheard of in these parts. One whole hour!? I vaguely recall the approximately six annual weekend beach days around Boston's south shore and the accompanying full day ordeal to get to the water. Charleston sure has spoiled me so with traffic onto the islands backing up due to construction, the holiday crush and great weather upon us, it was a (relative) struggle to get my daughter Ailish and I there. It was, however, worth the effort as we body-surfed, swam and generally just frolicked in the surf, enjoying each other's company. Summertime bliss on Sullivan's Island.
Summer also means the end of the school year for my three Daniel Island Schoolers and with that comes the the annual grade school yearbook purchases that brought back vague memories of my single, boring, relatively uninteresting high school senior (and only) yearbook. Remember those yearbook quotes and ambitions we had to come up with? I do and remember not having a clue what should be stuck in print next to my soon-to-be outdated picture for me to some day in the future flinchingly revisit and show to my loved ones. The fact that I could not come up with any quick, witty and modestly ambitious nuggets that would stand the test of time might have been an indication that I had not yet really started my life's journey. Maybe I could jump ahead a few years and borrow words from Frank Black of the Pixies from one of my all-time favorite songs, "Wave of Mutilation":
cease to resist, giving my goodbye
drive my car into the ocean
you'll think i'm dead, but i sail away
on a wave of mutilation
a wave
wave
i've kissed mermaids, rode the el nino
walked the sand with the crustaceans
could find my way to mariana
on a wave of mutilation,
wave of mutilation
wave of mutilation
wave
wave of mutilation
wave
I do remember the day I purchased the Pixies' seminal work Doolittle, a melodic, hypnotic, scary and edgy album that that punched me in the nose on first listen. I was working as a 3rd mate on a ship in Japan, found it at a local record store, took it back to my ship and after the first listen thought this was the perfect mix of far-reaching radical screaming non-sense (that made sense) intertwined with perfectly harmonious sounds wrapped up into one special package. After seeing them a few time through the 80s and 90s, I had the good fortune of catching their Lost Cities Tour in Charleston in the spring where they played Doolittle plus b-sides in it's entirety. Although the show was a bit of a paint-by-numbers affair, they did a nice job and Kim, once again, had me at the first note.
I recently heard sad news that an old friend, WFNX radio in Lynn, MA is leaving the greater Boston airwaves. Despite a death spiral to irrelevance for FM radio and the ridiculously poor signal from their "remote" radio studio in Lynn, I still found it sad and a bit like having lost touch with a high school buddy and hearing that he passed away unexpectedly. The station was sold by the Phoenix group to one of the chains for a couple of million bucks and a few cases of tofu. Back in the 80s though, 'FNX was relevant and important to me. I remember the summer between high school and college, brief as it may have been with my July start date, when the sweet sounds of Kim Deal's unforgettable voice and baseline introduced me to the Pixies and great music:
And this I know
His teeth as white as snow
What a gas it was to see him
Walk her every day
Into a shady place
With her lips she said
She said
Hey Paul, Hey Paul, Hey Paul, let's have a ball
Gigantic, gigantic, gigantic
A big big love
Gigantic, gigantic, gigantic
A big big love
Well, it's a few weeks later and a quicker and equally enjoyable trip across the inner coastal waterway onto Sullivan's Island awaits. I wonder if my Boston Latin School English teacher would let me use Perry Farrell's words for my declamation assignment. "Ocean Size" hits all the right notes:
Wish I was ocean size
They cannot move you
No one tries
No one pulls you
Out from your hole
Like a tooth aching a jawbone...
I was made with a heart of stone
To be broken
With one hard blow
I've seen the ocean
Break on the shore
Come together with no harm done...
It ain't easy living...
I want to be
As deep
As the ocean
Mother ocean
Some people tell me
Home is in the sky
In the sky lives a spy
I want to be more like the ocean
No talking
All action...
No talking
All action...
Monday, April 30, 2012
Maru: The rhumb line less taken
A voyage is a powerful word and concept, probably because it works on so many levels; big picture (life), smaller picture (traveling, working, competing in sports) and everything in between. The term is also captured as a journey, kicking off with fanfare, traveling to and through way points, both planned and unplanned, and culminating at a target destination with memories and potential profit for the traveler. The Japanese capture this concept in their maritime culture through language with the term "maru," symbolic of the completion of a voyage, often captured simply with the image of a circle and interestingly (to me), most Japanese merchant ships include the term "Maru" appended to the name.
As a college student at the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and as a mariner post graduation, I had a rare opportunity to travel abroad extensively and complete voyages that helped form who I am, or at least add a few sea stories to my repertoire. As a cadet on one of my first sea year trips, typical voyages included trips down the US East Coast through the Panama Canal, up the West Coast and out to the Far East and back. My best friend Chris and I got to work, travel, play and experience life together in our early twenties as we pulled in and out of port in all kinds of places, essentially on our own, figuring it out on our own. What a gig.
Where's my current voyage taking me? I guess I have a few way points mapped out but in general, I'm winging it. I did recently notice that my 5th grade daughter Ailish's English class is now studying Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken and after taking that one in again, it reminded me why classics are read by each new generation of learners. They're damn good. As life marches on, my three little ones are rapidly becoming my big ones and remain my focus, but what lies ahead for me and my desires, my dreams, my goals, and ultimately my voyage? Will I look back and be proud of the lines I drew on my charts and the deeds, legacy and memories that they produced? Unfortunately, work is just a job and a small part of the journey. Striving to be a better person, strong both physically and mentally is the key to my journey and along the way, I am taking lots of little but important snapshots.
With the reality of the brief and precious nature of this life becoming more obvious by the day, I've found that living healthy is prudent, desirable and makes for an enjoyable journey. Races, buoys and mile markers seem to be my new currency and I think that's a very good thing. Maybe it's a bit egotistical and self-centered but this path produces too many long-term benefits to be wrong. Another cool thing is the opportunity to become faster, stronger, better as you get older, especially if you weren't that fast, strong or good in your younger days is pretty appealing. I'm enjoying passing mile markers, cyclists and other runners but probably more importantly I'm learning to slow down and find time to enjoy running alongside the right people.
To better enjoy the journey, music is a great accompaniment and since I am completely incapable of making my own, I've turned to seeking out good music and compiling songs that work well together. The AquaTerraMaru mix contains lots of vibrant, relevant and fun-to-listen-to music, including track 8 on the third disc, MM17 by Bob Mould. The former lead man from Husker Du and Sugar beautifully puts powerful ideas to words succinctly and captures the journey concept, neatly intertwined with relationships, longing and memories wonderfully in this awesome tune. Enjoy.
MM17 by Bob Mould
no idea where I’m going
here’s a road to lead you there
you were riding by my side
roll the windows tight
star crossed, solar system
another neighborhood
mile marker seventeen
fading from memory
hoping for a better ending
choice you made the one depending
taste mixed with melancholy
bitter sweet goodbye
memory begins to fade
letter never replicated
mile marker seventeen
fading from memory
sometimes in dreams your reappear
stay in dreams
and everything you meant to me
will stay in dreams
a memory to replicate
pure in essence, pure and vain
wrong sign post flying by
kept safe in memory
fade erase replay
my failing memory
everything you say
sometimes in dreams you reappear
stay in dreams
and everything you meant to me
will stay in dreams
flame burning incandescent
replaced by pure and essence
wrong sign post flying by
goodbye to innocence
farewell to all your friends
age weathered memory
mile marker seventeen
mile marker seventeen
mile marker seventeen
As a college student at the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and as a mariner post graduation, I had a rare opportunity to travel abroad extensively and complete voyages that helped form who I am, or at least add a few sea stories to my repertoire. As a cadet on one of my first sea year trips, typical voyages included trips down the US East Coast through the Panama Canal, up the West Coast and out to the Far East and back. My best friend Chris and I got to work, travel, play and experience life together in our early twenties as we pulled in and out of port in all kinds of places, essentially on our own, figuring it out on our own. What a gig.
Where's my current voyage taking me? I guess I have a few way points mapped out but in general, I'm winging it. I did recently notice that my 5th grade daughter Ailish's English class is now studying Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken and after taking that one in again, it reminded me why classics are read by each new generation of learners. They're damn good. As life marches on, my three little ones are rapidly becoming my big ones and remain my focus, but what lies ahead for me and my desires, my dreams, my goals, and ultimately my voyage? Will I look back and be proud of the lines I drew on my charts and the deeds, legacy and memories that they produced? Unfortunately, work is just a job and a small part of the journey. Striving to be a better person, strong both physically and mentally is the key to my journey and along the way, I am taking lots of little but important snapshots.
With the reality of the brief and precious nature of this life becoming more obvious by the day, I've found that living healthy is prudent, desirable and makes for an enjoyable journey. Races, buoys and mile markers seem to be my new currency and I think that's a very good thing. Maybe it's a bit egotistical and self-centered but this path produces too many long-term benefits to be wrong. Another cool thing is the opportunity to become faster, stronger, better as you get older, especially if you weren't that fast, strong or good in your younger days is pretty appealing. I'm enjoying passing mile markers, cyclists and other runners but probably more importantly I'm learning to slow down and find time to enjoy running alongside the right people.
To better enjoy the journey, music is a great accompaniment and since I am completely incapable of making my own, I've turned to seeking out good music and compiling songs that work well together. The AquaTerraMaru mix contains lots of vibrant, relevant and fun-to-listen-to music, including track 8 on the third disc, MM17 by Bob Mould. The former lead man from Husker Du and Sugar beautifully puts powerful ideas to words succinctly and captures the journey concept, neatly intertwined with relationships, longing and memories wonderfully in this awesome tune. Enjoy.
MM17 by Bob Mould
no idea where I’m going
here’s a road to lead you there
you were riding by my side
roll the windows tight
star crossed, solar system
another neighborhood
mile marker seventeen
fading from memory
hoping for a better ending
choice you made the one depending
taste mixed with melancholy
bitter sweet goodbye
memory begins to fade
letter never replicated
mile marker seventeen
fading from memory
sometimes in dreams your reappear
stay in dreams
and everything you meant to me
will stay in dreams
a memory to replicate
pure in essence, pure and vain
wrong sign post flying by
kept safe in memory
fade erase replay
my failing memory
everything you say
sometimes in dreams you reappear
stay in dreams
and everything you meant to me
will stay in dreams
flame burning incandescent
replaced by pure and essence
wrong sign post flying by
goodbye to innocence
farewell to all your friends
age weathered memory
mile marker seventeen
mile marker seventeen
mile marker seventeen
Monday, February 20, 2012
Terra firma: To shod or not
As an adjective, "shod" is defined by Merriam Webster as "wearing footgear (as shoes)," a not-so-common word that has come into play more since Christopher McDougall's best seller Born to Run was published in 2010. For the entertainment value alone you should get a hold of a copy and read the excellent book that was recently released to paperback. Who could resist a cool anthropology lesson touching on the evolution of Homo Sapiens along with running stories on the last known persistent hunters and characters such as Barefoot Ted and Nike's legendary Bill Bowerman? As the book's sub-title suggests (A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen) there's a lot more to the story than simple recommendation to jump aboard the barefoot running train.
Given that popular culture and science have converged to deliver a fairly consistent message that "natural," "unsupported" and dare I say "barefoot" running is good for you, while traditional "heavily cushioned" shod running is not, I've take the opportunity to put forward some related research that I find interesting and thought provoking. I'm a convert and actively wear running shoes that put me in touch with terra firma rather than making me feel like I'm running on a mattress. Those old and now seemingly ridiculously heavy and padded running shoes have been replaced by a pair of Nike Free Runs (9 oz. with flexible sole and unsupported upper) and a pair of New Balance Miniumus MT20s (trail shoes). Both offer "strengthening and natural gait management benefits associated with barefoot training, while offering the necessary cushioning, traction and underfoot protection." Of course, it would be difficult to overlook the fact that Nike is now cashing in on solving the problem that they almost single handedly created. Padded, not padded, cushioned, not cushioned, they're going to get you for your $100 plus anyway AND tell you to replace them every three months or after x amount miles as "they're like tires, they need to be replaced when they wear down." Busting that myth is for another time though.
Food for thought: One of the most amazing anecdotes presented by McDougall in Born to Run as Painful Truth No. 1 was that "The Best Shoes are the Worst." Based on a 1989 study by Dr. Bernard Marti, a preventative medicine specialist at Switzerland's University of Bern, runners wearing top-of-the-line shoes are 123 percent more likely to get injured than runners in cheap shoes. He also points out the fact that the most common variable among the casualties wasn't training surface, running speed, weekly mileage,or "competitive training motivation." It wasn't even body weight, or a history of previous injury: it was the price of the running shoe. Runners in shoes that cost more than $95 were more than twice as likely to get hurt as runners in shoes that cost less than $40. This was no outlier study as follow up studies found similar results.
Anyway, dig in, get fired up, figure out a plan for yourself and strap on a pair of Nikes, NBs, Vibrams, pieces of leather, Chuck Taylors or whatever feels good and stay in touch with terra firma.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Be more than a sports fan, be a sports man
Yes, you can do a triathlon. Nearly anybody can and for your own good, you probably should give it a try. Triathlon participation in the United States and across the globe has exploded in recent years with double digit growth over the last dozen or so years. Despite a widespread (but slowly receding) misconception that a triathlon includes an IronMan-like effort (check out Iron War, Matt Fitzgerald's great recap of the Dave Scott-Mark Allen Kona duel in 1989), there is a race and training schedule that will work for you. With a modest amount of research and training time, a sprint triathlon is attainable and likely to toss the triathlon newbie down a training path that has no off-ramp. Like many others that have started triathlons in the last three years, I'm hooked and given the numbers, you too probably are either involved, or will soon be. But with significant costs, hard to stage races and a prolonged period of declining disposable income, why is the triathlon one of the world's fastest growing and most hyped sports?
It's fun
People enjoy triathlons because it takes us back to being kids again. As kids, what did we love to do? We rode our bikes, we ran with reckless abandon and we went to the beach or to the pool to swim and we played and competed like hell. All hallmarks of the triathlon. And although races are relatively difficult to stage and expensive to join and train for, there's a race and a goal that's right for everybody. It used to be that running a triathlon was taken to be the classic IronMan distance made notable by the yearly televised Kona Hawaii IronMan race, delivering riveting pictures of the resplendent successes and near-tragic physical meltdowns that are part of events that last 140.6 miles and take more than a third of the day for even the fastest and fittest triathletes. But that's no longer the case. Sprint, Olympic (sounds long but it's not), half IM (aka a 70.3) and full IronMan distances (140.6 miles) are all there for the taking, depending on your appetite and will to train and invest.
It's good for you
Research has concluded that exercise is good for you. A truism. Not debatable. The litany of the benefits of exercise are innumerable, including the big one for for anybody staring down their fourth or fifth decade on this earth: longer and healthier lives. The activities of swimming, biking and running act in a complementary fashion, engaging many of our key organs while challenging our minds to incorporate efficient strategies for succeed in all three disciplines. All this is good and there is increasing evidence that there is no such thing as too much of a good thing (exercise, that is). Of course, many can call on the fact that over-training is a common affliction for triathletes but I'll attribute much of that to a lack of common sense, imagination and self-discipline. Training to swim, bike and run faster will make you a healthier person and most likely will make you a more focused, self-aware and confident person to boot.
It's in your genes
Finally, our instincts as humans, and specifically our genetic makeup, direct us to do all that we can to survive. Triathlon races serve as a proxy to those critical survival tasks of our distant past such as hunting prey, avoiding predators and procreating. Adrenaline surges from chaotic charges at the start of the swim, simulate the fight or flight instinct that we still use to survive. It's in us to compete, whether it's for limited resources such as food, water or a mate in the ultimate pursuit to pass on our genes to the next generation. Racing against the open elite, against fellow age groupers or more likely against your last best self, provides a clear feedback loop that rings a very large and loud bell for the athlete to hear. Our successes are obvious, measured in many ways, and ready to be sliced and diced, reviewed and compared for anybody (that cares) to see. Triathlons provided convenient racing intervals (e.g. swim, T1, bike, T2, run and overall)and we like that. We see where you stand versus the competition, your last best self and whatever goal you aspire to meet. Triathlon races serve as our hunting grounds to pursue our goals, no matter how grand or modest and have a great time doing it. What else could you ask for?
For most, the end of January signals the beginning of triathlon season so it is time to get kicking and begin the training cycle that will hurl us toward our 2012 goals. In the words of Julius Caesar, "Veni, Vidi, Vici," loosely translated as, "I came (to swim, bike and run), I saw, I conquered." Even if middle age is upon you or past, triathlons offer ways to improve both our physical and mental fitness and for you to be a better you. Train hard but smart, follow a plan but pay attention to your instincts and take care of your heart. Best of luck in 2012.
It's fun
People enjoy triathlons because it takes us back to being kids again. As kids, what did we love to do? We rode our bikes, we ran with reckless abandon and we went to the beach or to the pool to swim and we played and competed like hell. All hallmarks of the triathlon. And although races are relatively difficult to stage and expensive to join and train for, there's a race and a goal that's right for everybody. It used to be that running a triathlon was taken to be the classic IronMan distance made notable by the yearly televised Kona Hawaii IronMan race, delivering riveting pictures of the resplendent successes and near-tragic physical meltdowns that are part of events that last 140.6 miles and take more than a third of the day for even the fastest and fittest triathletes. But that's no longer the case. Sprint, Olympic (sounds long but it's not), half IM (aka a 70.3) and full IronMan distances (140.6 miles) are all there for the taking, depending on your appetite and will to train and invest.
It's good for you
Research has concluded that exercise is good for you. A truism. Not debatable. The litany of the benefits of exercise are innumerable, including the big one for for anybody staring down their fourth or fifth decade on this earth: longer and healthier lives. The activities of swimming, biking and running act in a complementary fashion, engaging many of our key organs while challenging our minds to incorporate efficient strategies for succeed in all three disciplines. All this is good and there is increasing evidence that there is no such thing as too much of a good thing (exercise, that is). Of course, many can call on the fact that over-training is a common affliction for triathletes but I'll attribute much of that to a lack of common sense, imagination and self-discipline. Training to swim, bike and run faster will make you a healthier person and most likely will make you a more focused, self-aware and confident person to boot.
It's in your genes
Finally, our instincts as humans, and specifically our genetic makeup, direct us to do all that we can to survive. Triathlon races serve as a proxy to those critical survival tasks of our distant past such as hunting prey, avoiding predators and procreating. Adrenaline surges from chaotic charges at the start of the swim, simulate the fight or flight instinct that we still use to survive. It's in us to compete, whether it's for limited resources such as food, water or a mate in the ultimate pursuit to pass on our genes to the next generation. Racing against the open elite, against fellow age groupers or more likely against your last best self, provides a clear feedback loop that rings a very large and loud bell for the athlete to hear. Our successes are obvious, measured in many ways, and ready to be sliced and diced, reviewed and compared for anybody (that cares) to see. Triathlons provided convenient racing intervals (e.g. swim, T1, bike, T2, run and overall)and we like that. We see where you stand versus the competition, your last best self and whatever goal you aspire to meet. Triathlon races serve as our hunting grounds to pursue our goals, no matter how grand or modest and have a great time doing it. What else could you ask for?
For most, the end of January signals the beginning of triathlon season so it is time to get kicking and begin the training cycle that will hurl us toward our 2012 goals. In the words of Julius Caesar, "Veni, Vidi, Vici," loosely translated as, "I came (to swim, bike and run), I saw, I conquered." Even if middle age is upon you or past, triathlons offer ways to improve both our physical and mental fitness and for you to be a better you. Train hard but smart, follow a plan but pay attention to your instincts and take care of your heart. Best of luck in 2012.
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