Del Shannon, Gaemi, 15k and Monday Morning Weigh In

Ran in the rain today. Wow. What a great experience. For the first time in Bangkok I felt cold while running. I am sure it was still in 70's. I ran 15k today; the first 3 laps with with my friend Iain and the last 3 with my friend Gaemi, but she was suffering from depression.;). (Thailand joke?) Anyways, nothing too deep or profound to share here but I did have a very unique song stuck in my head for the last hour of running. Like I said before, I don't listen to music while I run, but when I do it is usually the voices in my head. 




Monday Morning Weigh In: 
Starting Weight June 11th: 119kg (261lbs) 
Last Monday: 107.5kg (237lbs) 
Today: 107.2kg (236.3lbs)

The Day the Music Was Reborn

Don't get me wrong Don McLean. I think we definitely suffered from the loss of Holly, Valens and The Big Bopper but music has suffered death once again. Now into my 4th decade of music and listening to music from my dad's generation I got to say we have suffered through a dark season recently. Suddenly everything is auto-tuned and digitalized. The Billboard charts lost their soul and sold out to commercialism and formulas. All we get is LadyMileyBeiberSpears shoved down our throats and told it is good for us. Soulless music deprived of anything artful, meaningful and just plain good. Country music just became rock with a fiddle. Rap just became about girls, making money and being awesome. Rock all but disappeared and I desperately await its return.

Don't get me wrong. There is still a jewel or two floating around out there. Reminders of what music once was. But good music had been dead and buried. Ladies and gentlemen let me tell you music has been resurrected. It has been resurrected in the form of modern folk music...yes...modern folk music.

My iTunes account is full of names like The Cave Singers, The Civil Wars, Mumford & Sons, First Aid Kit, Josh Garrels, The Mountain Goats, The Decemberists...and on it goes. That is barely scratching the surface. Music is rising again. Real music. Music that has passion, purity, heart and is really good to listen to. What a breath of fresh air. As I write this I am listening to Mumford's new album Babel. So good.

I do truly believe that these other genre's of music will find life again. One day. But I'm not waiting on them. I will go where there is life. I love old country, and the soul of rap music...and pretty much no pop music. Not since the 80's anyways.

OK I take music way too seriously. Maybe. Maybe not. I think music should tell us a story. It should tell us about the artist or the authors perception of the world. Just like painting, sculpting, composing or writing it should compel us and move us...not just ask us "what we gonna do with all that junk?" Good grief. lol.

Anyways. Check out Mumford & Sons if you never have before. Start with "Sigh No More" and move on to  "Babel". I haven't met anyone who has been disappointed. Peace.

Sunday is for Band of Horses and STP

Just listening to some music this afternoon. Enjoy.

Why I Don't Use an IPod While Running

I never run with music. I just don't. I couldn't quite put words to why but this morning during a group run my friend Matt and I discussed it.

Have you ever loved something so much that you just had to take it all in? Standing at the ocean or hiking through the woods or waking up to a cool spring morning. Think about one of those places. What does it smell like? What does it look like? What do you feel with your hands and feet? Can you taste anything? Salt in the air or morning coffee? Also, what do you hear?

When you think of these special places and moments, in many cases all 5 senses are engaged. That is how I feel about running. Oh, don't get me wrong, not every run is some "religious experience" or euphoric. Sometimes it's a terrible run. But it is a meaningful experience to me. I want to be present in that moment.

A lot of times we use music to take our minds off of the task; in this case it is running. It is a chore and burdensome and music is an escape from it. It makes time go faster. It entertains us because we feel bored. We use it so it feels a little less painful. I understand that, but that isn't how I view running.

Running is my opportunity to turn it all off. I don't have to think about what I need to be doing because I am doing it. My schedule for the day. My worries and cares. I can check it all at the door. I originally didn't listen to music because I didn't want to get hit by a car or not hear the dog chasing me down. Now I love the feel of the road on my feet. The taste of sweat on my lips. The view of a beautiful Bangkok morning. The smell of the park and/or the tobacco factory (lol). And the sounds of the morning. I am present in that moment. I have been asked if I pray while I run. Nope. Just turn it all off. But it is a spiritual experience. It is a way for me to commune with God and His creation and be still...so to speak.

You probably think I take running to seriously. Maybe. But you should hear how seriously I take my music too. That's for another day. If you run with music, tell me why. What kind of music motivates you? Why is it important to you?

Saturday is for Jon Foreman

Weekend is for Beastie Boys. Don't Hate.

Saturday is for Singing

Ladies and Gentlemen.... The Civil Wars.

Saturday is for Singing

If I ran with an Ipod, this song would be on the playlist. It runs in my head as I run quite often. Motivating, fun, profound. And hey, who doesn't like Mumford & Sons? Don't answer that. No one needs to know.

Saturday is for Singing

Until I know you all won't judge me, I will keep my Saturday song selection conservative. I think I will keep Saturdays easy and fun by posting a song I love that motivates or inspires me. Music should touch your soul. Sometimes it is musically and sometimes it is lyrically. And on occasion I have the opportunity to present both. And here it is. Ladies and Gentlemen: The Decemberists...