Despite the blehs there have been a couple of really good experiences over the last two weeks. In my last post I set myself the target of a 10km run and I managed that no problem. On the day the weather happened to be sunny but cool, and I was well rested from being on a morning shift (I am always early to bed when I have mornings). It felt like a long way – 55 minutes running – but I guess at that time I was totally on form and it was no trouble. The waterfront is an awesome place to run and the flat terrain makes a welcome change from my usual hilly runs around Johnsonville. No shin pain at all either!

The other high point was something I really wasn’t expecting. I was planning to hit the treadmill one evening, but it broke down (in a puff of smoke) just as I was getting going. Feeling rather frustrated and still up for a run I decided to head out to do 6km around J’Ville instead, just as it was starting to get dark. I was also part way through listening to a new mix by Ancient Methods and wanted to keep listening, so I took my mp3 player along. If you don’t know Ancient Methods they’re a Berlin-based techno outfit that have forged a very heavy, visceral and emotive sound which they describe as “pitch black techno war funk”. It’s the sound of medieval armies throwing themselves into battle, capturing all the panic, fear, fury and elation. Invigorating stuff. And running around in the dark felt like just the right thing to do while listening to it. Years ago I might have been jumping up and down at the House of God in Birmingham to music like this. Now, I get the physical kick of running. I got home after a sprint (!) up the hill absolutely high and energised, shot through with excitement. My partner recalls I looked “jubilant”. It felt like a total mind-body experience: running my arse off to intense, visceral techno. Exhilarating, almost cosmic. Try it!

After that I made the mistake of heading out running three days in a row, including between night shifts when I was actually in need of rest (there was some bad weather on the way, so I thought I would squeeze in just one more run). Then I made the mistake of staying up late the next night when I should have gone to bed and BAM, my throat swelled up and I started feeling really bleh. Not exactly sure what I got – I’ve had it before when I’ve been run down. Lethargic, headachey, a swollen throat, over-tired. Basically feeling worn out and being forced to rest the whole time. So instead of thinking about when I could try for a 12km run, I overdid it and was left wondering when I would get back to training at all. Almighty bleh.

I took it easy, didn’t go running, went to bed early etc and thankfully it went away after a few days. All in all I had 4 days off training, though it feels like longer. I had built up a lot of enthusiasm and motivation before I got sick and that took a hit too. Today I was feeling better and had a good opportunity to go out running, but I found myself making excuses not to go out! It was drizzling a bit. I was still a bit tired. I could do some weeding instead (weeding?!). Happily I didn’t fall for it – I pulled on my running shoes, did some stretches and shot out the door. I did my usual 5km loop run and finished it okay, although I was hot and tired and slow. I’m getting back on track, but I probably need a couple more runs til I’m back to where I was (10km, on a high!). My next milestone is 12km. So my aim is to complete a 12km run by the end of next week (Sat 21st January).

After that it’s only about 5 weeks to the big day! I can’t wait.

Musicwise, I can’t help but share that Ancient Methods mix with you. It’s intense, stygian techno but also truly beautiful and inspiring. Hope you get the same kick out of it that I did. The mix was recorded specially for the Mnml ssgs blog. Here’s what they had to say about it:

“Occasionally a mix comes along which re-defines what you think is possible within a style of music. In my view, what you are about to hear is that mix for techno in 2011. It makes almost everything ‘techno’ I’ve heard this year sound a bit lame, emaciated, and rote. It’s many times more powerful than their previous mixes for us … It’s also more subtle: this mix totally hammers, but it never pummels or resorts to ‘bangin’ it out’. There’s a beauty in the power.”

Ancient Methods – Some Strings Attached (Ssg special)

64 mins. 320kbps MP3 (148 MB)

Click here to download

Full info, and online listening link on the Mnml ssgs blog

Tracklist

•    Reformed Faction – Hollerei (Soleilmoon)
•    Northern Structures – Powertools (Sonic Groove)
•    Gigi Galaxy – Interview with an alien (Teknotika vs. Eye Q UK edit)
•    Orphx vs. Ancient Methods – unreleased
•    Pan Sonic – Lähetys/Transmission (Blast First Petite)
•    NHK – Entire Set (Raster-Noton)
•    Sawf – Zelo Radial Rmx (Perc Trax)
•    Karl O’Connor & Peter Sutton – Under Skin (Tresor)
•    Silent Servant – El Mar Svreca Remix Two (Semantica)
•    Carl Michael von Hausswolff – The North is protected (Sähkö)
•    Edge of Motion – Del Motimiento (Djax Up)
•    Monolith – Tribal Globe (Daft)
•    Waldteufel – Das wilde Heer vom Hörselberg (Percht)
•    Space DJ’s – Statistical Mechanics (Perc Trax)
•    Robert Hood – Minus (Tresor)
•    Mike Parker – Untitled (Geophone)
•    Instincts – The Mystery Visions track 2 (Cyclic Law)
•    Ugandan Methods – unreleased
•    Frown – Untitled (Clip)
•    Trans Am – I’m coming down (Thrill Jockey)
•    Go Hiyama – Quibble (HueHelix)
•    Regis – Blinding Horses (Blackest Ever Black)
•    Makai – Beneath the mask (Prescription)
•    Rory St. John – Noughtsmith (Singularity)
•    Back Pack Poets – Objective G (Electric Deluxe)
•    Siamgda – Andrumeda/Caravan Celebration Loop (Mind Plug)
•    Surgeon – Radiance (Dynamic Tension)
•    Mordant Music – Symptoms (Mordant Music)
•    Forward Strategy Group – Code 02 (Perc Trax)
•    Hecate & Kareem – Medusal (Zhark)
•    Steve Stoll – Machine Riot (Earwiggle)
•    Death in June/Iesope Drift – Fields/People Drift Loop (Leprosy Discs/E-Com)

The downs were a couple of runs where I had to give up and walk because I was too tired and hot, or just feeling too fat from overindulging on the Christmas pud. I don’t like having to admit defeat but I guess I didn’t think through those particular training sessions very well. Between night shifts is not really a good time to attempt your first 8km, and neither is Boxing Day morning, especially when it’s blisteringly hot! There was also an attempt at a run around Churton Park, but the hills killed me. Churton Park is like an endless Escher staircase with hills that only go up! I wanted to reach my 8km milestone by Christmas but didn’t quite make it in time.

I still wasn’t feeling the best when I set off to do 8km on the waterfront on Tuesday. It was the day after my Boxing Day debacle, and my third attempt at 8km. As soon as I got underway I realised I was still tired and stiff and wondered if I was going to make it. However, it was a cool morning and that helped a lot. I think a lot of people must have got running shoes for Christmas because there were loads of people out on the waterfront. I ran from Te Papa to the Niwa offices on Evans Bay Parade (4km) then back again, feeling stiff the whole time but absolutely determined not to give up. I finished on the bridge at Waitangi Park, red-faced, sweaty but very happy; my 8km milestone reached.

My shins hurt quite a bit when I finally made it back, although that eased after about 30 minutes. The shin pain has come and gone over the last couple of weeks. Mostly there’s been very little pain, but sometimes the shooting pains of shin splints have come back. I make a big effort to stay well hydrated so I don’t think dehydration is the issue. I also do stretches before every run. I think it’s to do with not getting enough rest (like after night shifts). I strain my muscles after a run, then don’t rest, then strain them some more the next time I run and then they hurt. I don’t so much need a training programme as a sleep programme.

So, only two months to go now! What next? I feel like I’ve reached a stage where it would be easy to cruise – to keep doing 5km or 7km runs and feel rather pleased with myself, but not progress much. If I’m ever going to be able to run 21km I need to keep pushing myself, and to be honest that’s the exciting bit anyway. It feels real good to do my 5km in a new best time, or to stretch out my long run by another kilometre. Over the next few weeks I aim to run 5 times a week, and the next milestone that presents itself is obviously 10km. I feel like I’m ready for it, but finding the opportunity to do it with the weather recently turning to crap is a different matter! The other limiting factor is getting enough sleep. But anyway, my next goal is to run 10km by the end of next week, 7^th Jan.

Haven’t really been listening to much music while running, but I thought I’d mention this LWE podcast by Legowelt. It’s one of the best things I’ve heard lately. Legowelt aka Danny Wolfers is a Dutch producer of electronic music (techno, house, electro, ambient, soundtracks, you name it) associated with the Bunker/Clone/Creme Organisation crew. His recent Poverties Paradise EP on Echovolt records is among one of his best, although his endlessly creative musical odyssey stretches all the way back to the 90s. This podcast is a fantastic window onto an alternative universe of soulful, Chi-style house and techno.

Merry seasons greetings and a happy new year to all. See you in 2012

Legowelt – LWE Podcast 106

Recorded December 2011

Click here to listen/download from Soundcloud

Music by Trackman, Omar S, Hieroglyphic Being, Legowelt, Jon DaSilva, Bnjmn, Armando. Full info/tracklist here, including an interview with Danny Wolfers himself.

I think I’m finally starting to feel like a runner, not just someone pretending to be a runner. It’s pretty much the first time in my life that I’ve felt committed to a sport. A few weeks ago I set myself the target of being able to run 5km comfortably by Sun Dec 4th. I’m happy to say I’ve got that milestone under my belt. The 5.5km Johnsonville loop is my standard training run now and I’ve done it many times. It was only a few weeks ago that I was unable to run the whole distance, but by staying well hydrated and with some good new shoes I’m running it in under 28 minutes now, including a little sprint at the end. The shin splints are completely gone too, thank heavens! One time last week I had to resort to the treadmill because of rain and that was a boring, unpleasant experience. The difference in running style made my legs ache and it was very dull, even with music to listen to. Give me fresh air and winding roads over the whine of a treadmill any day!

So having got myself into condition, and with less than 12 weeks to go, I figure it’s time to start increasing the amount of training I do. Most of the training schedules I’ve looked at recommend doing one long run a week, and slowly increasing the length of that long run over time (by about 10% a week), so that’s my plan for the coming weeks. I’m up to 6km so far and that wasn’t any harder than my usual loop run. I’m aiming to do 7km this Friday and if that goes okay then 8km the following week. The wonderful MapMyRun website is really coming into its own here, making it easy to figure out new routes with exactly the distance I want. I’ll carry on doing my usual J’Ville loop run on the other days I go running, and push it a bit to try and keep improving my times.

At the moment my vague schedule involves running 3 or 4 times a week (roughly every other day), plus swimming once or twice a week too. It’s a vague schedule because it has to fit around shift work and small children, neither of which leave a great deal of spare time. Night shifts are turning out to be a real drag. Missing lots of sleep means that it takes longer to recover from training, and I’m seriously down on energy for a day or two afterwards. Ho hum. There’s no way to avoid it though, I just need to plan around it. Caffeine is something I avoid before running though, despite being tired. It’s natual to reach for the coffee pot when in need of a boost, but I’ve found it makes me feel weird and buzzed out and then prematurely tired when out when I go running, not to mention worsening the dehydration.

My next milestone? I’d like to get 8km under my belt by Christmas. There’s still some fuel in the tank at the end of my regular runs, so I reckon this is doable. One thing I still need to learn is how to stay hydrated over longer runs. The half hour runs I’ve been doing so far haven’t been long enough to need a drink half way through, but if I’m on the go for an hour or more I’m going to need to re-hydrate. What’s the best thing to do? Carry a bottle in a backpack? Go home halfway through then go out again? Hide bottles of water at strategic places along the route? As a complete noob I’m keen to hear suggestions. Oh, I also found out that I was one of the first 500 to register for the Round the Bays 2012 so I get some free socks and a towel. Woo!

Musicwise, here’s a mix to knock your socks off. Laica (aka Dave Fleet) is a Dj/producer with a regular show on Future Music radio called the Numbers Broadcast (and yes there’s more to it than just reading out lists of numbers, although that would be kinda trippy). This one really blew me away. It effortlessly drifts between deep techno, not so deep techno, “gothno” and electronica with a shoegazy, fuzzy feel to the whole thing. I love music that feels evocative and gets the imagination going. This mix is like closing your eyes and watching a vivid daydream unfold. You might want to keep your eyes open if you’re out running with it on though! Perfect, interesting soundtrack for a long trip.

Laica – Numbers Broadcast #8

Recorded on Future Music radio 14th Nov 2011

Click here to listen on Mixcloud

Full tracklist is available on MixCloud. Music by Andy Stott, Xhin, Falty DL, Cristian Vogel, Sweet Exorcist, Planetary Assault Systems, Surgeon, Black Dog, The Knife, Andrea Parker, Sawf, Martyn,Winterlight, Port Royal and more.

This week’s show has a freewheeling, eclectic feel to it, starting off spaced out and abstract and gradually warming up. There’s new music from Kez Ym, Moomin, Deep Space Orchestra, Boris Werner and John Shima amongst others, plus some golden age tech house from Circulation.

I’m happy to say I’ve had a run of discovering lots of great music recently. “En Livfull Skildring” by Joel Alter and Henrik Jonsson is an evocative, space age slice of tech house which I came across on a Shinohara Heavy Industries podcast and fell in love with straight away. The superb Napalm Enema records hits the right notes again with “Superstar Cosmic Traveller Acid” by Acid Elf, while “The Road to Kefalos” by Noraj Cue is sun fuelled, rolling tech house to perfection.

However pick of the week comes all the way from Alpha Centauri, with some beautiful, low slung, Chi style deep house from Takeshi Kouzuki. “Nothing Sunny” sounds like the soundtrack for a chilled out day on a planet with two suns and green skies, with a freeform, airy feel that conjures up Larry Heard and Jamal Moss.

Thanks everyone who tuned in on Future Music radio for the live broadcast! Despite the picture there’s actually nothing remotely Christmassy or seasonal about this mix, just lots of great house music. Hope it puts a smile on your face. Back with more soon..

Olaf Quintessa – In Deep #035
Recorded live on Future Music radio, 30th Nov 2011

125 mins. 192 kbps MP3 (172 MB).

Click here to download

Tracklist
1. Takeshi Kouzuki – Nothing Sunny
2. Moomin – Neither One
3. Marcello Napoletano – The Land of the Groove
4. Deep Space Orchestra – Vanishing Point (Marcello Napoletano House Mix)
5. Fog – Criminel D’amour
6. Moomin – Watermelon
7. Kez Ym – Alley Of Mind
8. Marco Bernardi – Innocense of Pleasure
9. Deep Space Orchestra – Ghetto Science Institute (Neville Watson Remix)
10. Takeshi Kouzuki – Place Is A Machine
11. Joel Alter, Henrik Jonsson – En Livfull Skildring
12. Subb-an, Anomaly Jones – Positive Expression (Dub Mix)
13. Legowelt – Transmissions from Earth 2011
14. Lone – Cobra
15. Teflon Dons – L.O.V.E.
16. Kez Ym – Rusty Parade
17. Move D, Benjamin Brunn – New Horizon
18. Acid Elf – Superstar Cosmic Traveller Acid
19. The Mafia Sauce Killers – Light
20. John Shima – Boundries
21. Eddi Shkiper – Dream Logic
22. Boris Werner – How Far Can I Go
23. Juju, Jordash – Bleached Roots
24. Noraj Cue – The Road To Kefalos
25. Tony Lionni – Found A Place
26. Circulation – White
27. Craylo – Define By Light

Picture credit:
ZombiePopcorn Dark Magic Winter, Second Life

So the swimming felt good, but the waterfront run I attempted the next day felt terrible! Despite feeling really up for it, I quickly got tired and my shins were sore. I didn’t even manage to get as far as the previous time! In my enthusiasm I might have set off a bit quickly, but it was very disappointing. It foxed me how I could set off feeling so good, but soon get so tired and end up in a heap.

The weekend was payday though, so I went for a fitting at the Shoe Clinic and got some new running shoes. The pressure pad showed how my feet roll from side to side, and how my left foot lands more under my body than my right. Apparently nothing weird, but it called for more supportive shoes and I ended up with some Brooks. I couldn’t wait to try them out, so the next day, Sunday, I tried the 5km loop run around Johnsonville, Newlands and Paparangi again. I’d done it the previous week, walking about a third of the way. I didn’t really know what to expect this time. I left the house in a bit of a hurry and forgot to take my mp3 player. As I started off from the bottom of Stewart Drive I decided to pace myself and run as slowly as possible. My shins didn’t start to hurt immediately, which was a good sign, and it was cloudy and a tad cool which was also good. I got about a kilometre and a half, to the bottom of Newlands Road (the start of the climb) and realised, hey, this doesn’t feel so bad. My shins don’t hurt much. I don’t feel too tired. I’m going to do this! Newlands road is uphill for about a kilometre and a half. I just kept going, slowly. Then round the corner, onto Bracken Road, past the school. Uphill most of the way until Helston Road, then the last kilometre is downhill. I was slow, and pretty tired, but still running! The very last few hundred metres are uphill again, which was not pleasant, but the letterbox on the corner at the bottom of Stewart Drive came into sight again and there I was! A 5km run under my belt! 30 minutes!

The catch of course was that when I stopped my shins were painful, and I walked home very slowly! I caught my breath again quickly, but it took about an hour for my shins to stop hurting. The new shoes had definitely made things better. I’d been able to get all the way round without much pain, but clearly I still had to build up strength in my legs. Despite saying in my previous post how much I love listening to music, I think not having my mp3 player helped this time. I was able to concentrate on pacing myself, and to stick at it.

Johnsonville, Newlands, Paparangi loop (5.5km)

Johnsonville, Newlands, Paparangi loop (elevation)

After that I took a couple of days off running, went swimming again, and in the middle of some bad weather hit the treadmill on Wednesday night. Now that I was a seasoned 5 kilometre road runner I expected a bit of treadmill action to be real easy, but I soon came down to earth with a bump. It turned out to be a massive effort to do 5km on the treadmill. Weirdly it wasn’t my shins that were the problem.  My calves felt weird, I felt tired from an early stage, I hardly had any energy. I forced myself to finish the workout and staggered upstairs again, sweating profusely. It was a humid evening. I felt foxed again that my body wasn’t performing as I expected, despite rest.

It was at that point I realised how dehydrated I was. I guess I don’t normally drink a lot of water, just coffee or tea. In fact drinking lots of plain water usually makes me feel sick. That Wednesday I’d not drunk much water – Only a glass of Berocca in the morning probably, and some sips during the afternoon and evening. But it turns out that dehydration doesn’t just mean headaches, overheating and feeling thirsty. It also means muscles can’t function effectively, joints have less fluid to lubricate them, heart stress increases, and there is a big drop in overall energy levels. I normally have a drink before exercising, but this made me realise I need to change my habits to stay well hydrated all of the time.

For the next couple of days I made an effort to do this, by drinking regular glasses of weak Ribena or water, then had another go at the 5km loop run on Friday afternoon. I also drank a couple of glasses of weak fruit juice about an hour beforehand to make sure I wasn’t going to be dehydrated. This turned out to be my best run yet. I ran the whole 5km (at a slow pace) and didn’t feel much pain from my shins or calves. And when I stopped running, probably for the first time, my shins didn’t kill me! The only unpleasant thing was the blazing sunshine, and my lack of a hat (I need one that won’t blow off).

So where are we up to? The milestone I set for myself in my last post was to be able to run 5km comfortably by Dec 4th. I think I’m closing in on that one. Over the next week I plan to do the 5km loop a couple more times, and go swimming a couple of times as well. Assuming that all goes okay, I think I’ll be able to start increasing the distance.

So here’s what I’ve learned over the last couple of weeks.

1.  Stay hydrated – If you are like me and don’t drink much by habit, write it on your hand! Drink water as often as you can remember (or weak Ribena or weak fruit juice if plain water doesn’t settle too well). Expect to pee more too. The pee should be clear. Google “dehydration” to find out exactly how much you should be drinking.
2. Good running shoes are well worth the investment. I think they made the difference when I finished my first 5km run.
3. Pace runs carefully. I simply try to run as slowly as I can when I start off. A lot of my 5km loop run is uphill, but when I get to the flat bits rather than speed up I take that as an opportunity to slow down and catch my breath.
4. I now understand why roll on deodorant is so popular. It’s a bit more kind to chafed underarms than the spray on kind.
5. Stay hydrated!

Lastly, despite not listening to music much this week, I thought I’d share another mix that I think is a good one for training. I recorded this one at The Drome’s 3rd birthday party last year. The Drome is sort of an online hangout for music heads. I’ve come across lots of cool people there over the last few years, and it was a pleasure to get asked to contribute to their 3rd birthday celebrations. I played lots of upbeat Detroit techno, acid house and electro and it turned out pretty good. Just don’t get carried away and run too fast at the start like I usually do!

Drome 3rd Birthday Tribute

Mixed by Olaf Quintessa

110 mins. 192 kbps MP3 (150MB).

Click here to download

Tracklist
1. Jeff Mills – Condor To Mallorca
2. Shawn Rudiman – Metronic
3. Arthur Oskan – Look Up
4. Robert Hood – Still Hear (Los Hermanos Remix)
5. DJ Bone – We Control The Beat
6. Shawn Rudiman – Squalid Humidity
7. Kerri Chandler – OPL-3
8. Golden Girls – Kinetic (Orbital Mix)
9. Dark Energy – Nightvision
10. The Future Sound of London – Expander
11. Dark Vektor – Vibracion Extrana
12. Chris McCormack – Saturation Point
13. Gods Of Technology – Instruments Of Armageddon
14. Kronos Device – Obey and Survive
15. I-F – M7
16. Paradise 3001 – Once The Magnetic Flow Fails
17. Shawn Rudiman – Dirty
18. Darren Price – Blueprints
19. Teste – The Wipe
20. Claude Young – External
21. Takaaki Itoh – Shift
22. Phase – Decode
23. Coefficient – Jupiter And Beyond
24. Takaaki Itoh – Shadowplay (2010 Remaster)
25. Los Hermanos – Return Of The Dragons
26. Darkmode – Natural City (Decal Remix)
27. Dez Williams – Poetry In Motion
28. Sir Real – Boingers
29. Vinyl Blair, Dave Angel – Mazzoslamma (Dave Angel Mix)
30. Queaver, Versis – To The B

A cracking show this week as I’ve been coming across lots of great music recently, new and old. Things start off slow and groovy and the vibe gradually picks up throughout the show, taking in all sorts from beatdown and deep house to tech house, two step and a bit of italo. There’s new music from Tornado Wallace, Nick Turner, Cloudmasterweed, Wolke, Maxi Mill, Claude Young (with superb remix by Kirk Degiorgio), Rick Wade, Lando Kal, and Antoni Maiovvi (on the excellent new Sauroid label!).

Hard to make a pick of the week as there’s so much good stuff. “Love me too” by Nick Turner is a gorgeous, deep track with an irresistable bassline and swooning synths that perfectly encapsulates the loved up vocals. However it’s “Theme” (produced by Delano Smith and Derwin Hall) from the Detroit Beatdown Vol.2 compilation that truly gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it. There’s a feather light touch to the track, but it’s still rich and luscious and totally captivating. Strings fade in and out of focus on top of a deep, intense groove. Whenever I hear it I imagine big, bassy speakers in dark room, and how good it would sound there, and the pleasure of dancing. That’s about as perfect as house music can make you feel.

Thanks to everyone who listened in on Future Music radio or came along to The Shipwrights in Second Life to say hi! Great to see you all. Back with more soon!

Olaf Quintessa – In Deep #034
Recorded live on Future Music radio, 9th Nov 2011

Click here to download

120 mins. 192 kbps MP3 (163 MB)

Tracklist
1. Genius Of Time – Houston We Have A Problem
2. Tornado Wallace – Rainbow Road
3. DJ Spinna – Ladbroke Groove 2009
4. Nick Turner – Love Me Too
5. Contra Communem Opinionem – An Emotional Moment With The Sun
6. Bjak – Your Love feat Janet Cruz (Above Smoke remix)
7. Smith & Hall – Theme from Detroit Beatdown
8. Rick Wade – 21 Miles
9. Cloudmasterweed – Sunny (Mattimoe-Perrine Remix)
10. Dzeta, Basile – Org Org (Caytas & Patz Remix)
11. Lars Behrenroth – Within Reason
12. Sam And Gigi – On The Edge (Blakkat Dub)
13. Wolke! – 003.2
14. Maxi Mill – To The Next
15. Makam – Family Reunion (Delano Smith Reconstructed Remix)
16. Scope – Mission Control
17. Vince Watson – Come With Me
18. Claude Young, Takasi Nakajima – Rapture (Kirk Degiorgio Remix)
19. Transfusion – Chicago Dancefloor Voodoo (D’s 12 Edit)
20. Lone – Blossom Quarter
21. Lando Kal – Maneuver
22. Antoni Maiovvi – 6000SEX
23. DP-6 – Deep Sea (Dirigible 5 Remix)
24. Salt City Orchestra – The Book (Hardback Dub)

Picture credit: The Lolo, Second Life

There is just the small matter of fitness, and being physically capable of running all that way. I’m no gym bunny and my training for this event pretty much started from scratch. Well, not totally from scratch. I’m not exactly Biggest Loser material (although I would LOVE to have Bob cheering/shouting me on). I am reasonably healthy, have plenty of energy, and have stayed slim into my late thirties. No medical issues. But I definitely couldn’t go out there and run 21km right now! I’ve spent far too much time sitting around in the last few years. Training also has to fit around shift work (including night shifts) and looking after two small children, which means I only ever have small windows of opportunity for training sessions. I know I can do it though. And why not?

One question I should probably answer is, why do I want to do this? The answer is simple. I want to get fit and be more active, and the Round The Bays run is a tangible target I have set myself on the way to achieving this aim. A few small things I’ve noticed over the last year have spurred this desire: Trouser waistbands feeling tighter, a leaden flabby feeling around the midriff, getting out of breath when running around with the kids, and a belly button which seems deeper and sweatier than it used to be. Basically a fear of middle age setting in before it should. When I first moved to New Zealand from England in 2004 one of the things I hoped was that the general sporty/outdoorsy culture here would rub off on me a bit. I guess it’s just taken 7 years for that to happen! Besides, as a guy, if you’re not interested in some sort of sport or outdoor activity then you pretty much don’t exist here in New Zealand. So as well as getting fit and trying to stave off middle age, in a small way it’s part of my slow integration into kiwi life.

So, just under 15 weeks to go until the big day! What’s the story so far? Well about 6 weeks ago I hired a treadmill, got it installed in the garage, and started training on it. The reason I started on the treadmill was because I knew I was unfit and felt too embarrassed to go out running in public. I wanted to build up a certain level of fitness before I went out in daylight and I think this was a good approach. I decided to alternate training days and rest days so my body would have a chance to recover. I started off with fast walks, was soon doing a ten minute run, and two weeks ago I was easily running 6km on the treadmill (in about 40 minutes). By “easily” I mean I wasn’t especially out of breath by the end of it. It wasn’t a big challenge, although I’ve noticed that my shins have been sore. The furthest I’ve run on the treadmill is 7km, and my shins were particularly sore after that. It’s struck me that building up fitness and strengthening the body are two different things. I thought they would go hand in hand but obviously it’s not that simple.

(Image courtesy The Simpsons/Fox Network)

Last Friday (11/11/11) was my first run out in the open and I did about 4km without stopping on the Wellington waterfront, had a break, then ran about 1km back to the car. Not surprisingly it was a lot more effort than treadmill running, and again my shins were sore, but I felt like I got my breath back pretty quickly afterwards. So I’ve reached my first milestone already: Get fit enough to run in public without making a fool of myself! Saturday was a rest day, then I went out again on Sunday and did a 5km loop around Johnsonville, Newlands and Paparangi. I think the loop run is going to become one of my standard runs in future, as it’s a very convenient course and is “relatively” flat. Okay so there are no flat runs more than about 500 metres in the northern suburbs, but it’s easier than a lot of possible routes! I didn’t manage to run all the way round the loop and walked about a third of it, and it took about 40 minutes. My shins ached and it was quite a bit of effort to be honest, but I made it and it was my first taste of a 5km run. Despite the aches and tiredness 5km didn’t seem all that far. By Christmas I’ll have nailed that run.

My biggest concern at the moment is conditioning my legs and particularly dealing with the shin pain. From what I understand there’s a slim muscle that runs down the front of the lower leg that connects the knee to the top of the foot. This muscle and the tendons which attach it to the bone are prone to tears and inflammation, especially for beginners and especially when increasing workload too quickly. I didn’t think I’d gone too hard out, but obviously I’ve overdone it somewhat. I wouldn’t call it a serious pain and it goes away after the rest day I take between runs, but it comes back again with the next run. My right leg is the worst. I’ve noticed my right foot rolls from right to left when it hits the ground, so I wonder if some new running shoes or insoles might help. Anyway I’ve decided on the following course of action for the next week (today is Monday): swimming instead of running on Tuesday, swimming again on Thursday, a 4km flat run on the waterfront on Friday morning, and if all is well then another crack at the 5km loop run next Sunday morning. In general I think I need to put more emphasis on swimming (my choice of cross-training) and do shorter runs over the next couple of weeks, so I can improve my fitness but take more time to build up leg strength.

So what’s my next milestone? Sunday 4th December will mark exactly 12 weeks to go, and by then I’d like to be running 5km on the flat without stopping. That’s just under three weeks from now. A slow run is fine. Some slight aches and pains is fine. A bit of breathlessness is fine. I just need 5km under my belt before going any further. I have the Round The Bays half marathon in my sights and I’m going to finish it, no doubt about it!

This is going to be a regular training blog about my preparation for the run in February, and hopefully it’ll stay interesting, fun and not too technical. If you have any thoughts or comments to offer I would love to hear it! Being a total novice I welcome your advice.  For instance, I’m not sure what sort of diet, if any, I should stick to. Can I still eat fishfingers? And I will especially love any encouragement you have to offer…

Finally – Music.. I almost always listen to music while I’m running. I’ve found it makes a big difference, just keeping me going, keeping my mind off feeling tired, lifting my mood. When I started on the treadmill 6 weeks ago it had to be fast and uplifting techno – I couldn’t handle listening to deep house, I needed something that could give me an energy boost! I know I’ve got fitter since then because I can happily listen to slower, deeper music without flagging. This week I thought I’d share the mix I listened to a lot when I started. It’s an energetic techno mix – Good, uplifting Detroit style techno and the like. I actually recorded it over a year ago for my partner, as she wanted a techno mix to work out to. I don’t have a tracklist, but there’s music by Alexander Kowalski, Funk D’Void, Underground Resistance, Takaaki Itoh, Agoria, Umek and Carl Falk. Hope it gets you moving

Liz Techno Mix

Mixed by Olaf Quintessa 19th Jul 2010

59 mins. 320kbps MP3 (136MB)

Click here to download

This week’s In Deep comes to you live from Bebu, an online hangout for deep house heads run by the delectable Lanne Wise. Bebu opened its doors back in July, carrying on from the much loved Terra Lounge, and you’ll find a friendly and appreciative house crowd there most Sundays. Well worth checking out. Say hello when you get there!

Leo Gunn gets things off to an uber deep start this week, then Pittsburgh Track Authority picks up the mood and gets a groove going. “77b” is stripped down Chicago house deepness with a funky bassline and some nice disco strings. An effortless track that keeps growing on me the more I listen to it. There’s new music this week from Legowelt, Fudge Fingas, Eddie Matos and D’Marc Cantu, plus some vintage Rick Wade from 1998 which has just been re-released on PND Music.

Gerd’s “Palm Leaves” continues a wonderful string of releases on Clone’s Royal Oak label, but pick of the week has to be “Running Backwards”. Lovebirds pull off an absolutely stunning rework of Steve Reich’s “Electric Counterpoint”, a modern classical piece first recorded in 1987 by American guitarist Pat Metheney. I remember taping it off the radio when I was a teenager and listening to it over and over again in my headphones, hypnotised and awestruck. Lovebirds make the most of its elated cycles and turn out a wonderful, uplifting house track. A classic rework of the classic original.

Thanks again to everyone who tuned in for the live stream or came along to Bebu – Great to see you all! Also cheers to Lanne for having me over to play. In Deep is a little sporadic at the moment but there are more live broadcasts and podcasts on the cards. Stay tuned!

Olaf Quintessa – In Deep #033
Recorded live at Bebu, 16th Oct 2011

95 mins. 192 kbps MP3 (130 MB).

Click here to download

Tracklist
1. Leo Gunn – Lowdown
2. Pittsburgh Track Authority – 77b
3. Loin Brothers – Garden Of Vargulf (Tornado Wallace Mix)
4. Lovebirds – Running Backwards
5. Anton Zap – Can’t Wait For Snow
6. Legowelt – Saucolito Park
7. Tevo Howard – Northside (Part One)
8. Fudge Fingas – What Works
9. Alain Ho – Into A Deep (Hot Toddy Remix)
10. Office Gossip – Var. II
11. The Godson, DJ Raybone – Nova 2
12. Tom Trago – Lost in the Streets of NYC
13. Steve Summers – Dreaming In Color
14. Shur-I-Kan – String Killer
15. Eddie Matos – Hypnotized (Anton Zap Remix)
16. Daniel Ray – Unveiled Secrets
17. Sebastian Davidson – Where We Are
18. Hiroshi Watanabe – Isolated Soul
19. Rick Wade – 2 A.M Detroit
20. Gerd – Palm Leaves
21. D’Marc Cantu – A Second Earth

Picture credit: Bebu, Second Life

Lots of deep and acid house goodies this week with new music from Kyodai, Andy Hart, Rootstrax, and Basic Soul Unit, plus Legowelt on the remix for Patrizio Cavaliere with a stunning deep acid take on “Devil may care”. However, pick of the week comes from Tom Ackleberg with the beautiful “Orange Mountains”, a tender and wistful techno track released last year on Auditory Cortex Records.

Thanks everyone who tuned in for the live broadcast on Future Music radio! The Wednesday session will be a bit less regular for the next month or so but there’ll be more podcasts to come.

Olaf Quintessa – In Deep #032
Recorded live on Future Music radio, 21st Sep 2011

Click here to download

120 mins. 192 kbps MP3 (163 MB).

Tracklist
1. Kyodai – Mi Rumba (Genius of Time Remix)
2. Andy Hart – Got to Go
3. Innocent Lovers – Neophunk (Ryo Murakami Remix)
4. DMX Krew – December Darkness
5. Vincenzo – Tasmania
6. Steve Bug, Donnacha Costello – Still Music (Motor City Drum Ensemble Mix)
7. Basic Soul Unit – Flying Through the Fog
8. Matthew Dekay – If I Could Fly (Sebastian Davidson Remix)
9. Eddi Shkiper – Rainy
10. Tom Ackleberg – Orange Mountains
11. DJ Said – Mind The Gap (Main Mix)
12. Mondo – Work Me (Rootstrax Version)
13. DJ Wady, Juan Mejia – Guarana (5 Am Remix)
14. Burnski – There’s a Culprit
15. Lauhaus – Baobab (Delano Smith remix)
16. Davor Ostojic – Transitional Objects (Jolka’s Remake)
17. Cavalier – Deep Rider
18. Cosmin TRG – Groove Control
19. Patrizio Cavaliere – Devil may care (Legowelt Remix)
20. Conforce – Pretty Far From Here
21. Fish Go Deep – ESL
22. Ryo Murakami – Lunch Of God (Scott Ferguson Remix)
23. Freestyle Man – Intimate
24. Nature Soul – River Benue (Ibadan Dub)
25. Eloi Brunelle – Hard Drama

Picture credit: Golden Gate Bridge, Second Life

A nice deep house and Chicago house start to the show this week, with some new cuts from Maya Jane Coles, Daniel Ray, Gene Hunt and Gerd, plus the beautiful “Ever Or Not” from the John Roberts album “Glass Eights”. The pace picks up a bit in the second half of the show, with some uplifting and techy vibes from the likes of Future Beat Alliance, Alexander Robotnik and Jay Tripwire. The Mafia Sauce Killers bring the acid.

Just recently I was pleased to come across the amazing Sauroid record label, with a catalogue that consists of some superb electro, italo and acid house presented with gorgeous golden age sci-fi covers. Antoni Maiovvi‘s “Variable Man” came out on Sauroid’s fourth release in April and is a shimmering nu disco track with hyperactive 80′s style synths and invigorating italo pheromones. Will be keeping a close eye on them in the future.

One of my faves this week is the stunning new release by Murphy Jax in the Clone Jack For Daze series. The Orgue Electronique take on “Kevin Spacey” is a breezy, new school acid house track with bold pianos, crisp percs, and a rolling bassline. But pick of the week comes from the new “Beat The Street EP” by Italian producer Simoncino on Mathematics records. “Target” and “Jungle Dream” come straight out of a platonic realm of deep, 80s Chicago house – sounding like timeless archetypes of house music, with distinctive bassline stabs, warm synths and classic drumkits. Both the Murphy Jax and Simoncino releases are like time travel of the best kind, back to a wave of creativity and imagination that was sparked 20 odd years ago and is still fruitful today.

Thanks to everyone who came along to the Deep House Cafe in Second Life or tuned in on Future Music radio for the live broadcast. Great to see you all there, plus it was nice of Totoro, Noh-Face and Giraffe to join us and get down to the music! Back with more this Wednesday!

Olaf Quintessa – In Deep #031
Recorded live on Future Music radio, 7th Sept 2011

121 mins. 192 kbps MP3 (166 MB).

Click here to download

Tracklist
1. John Roberts – Ever Or Not
2. Maya Jane Coles – Focus Now
3. Elbee Bad, Gerd – H.O.U.S.E. (Gerd’s 2011 Ruff Dub)
4. Simoncino – Target
5. Nhar – Innerplace (John Daly Dub Mix)
6. Daniel Ray – Pacify
7. Gene Hunt, Ms. Jocelyn Brown – Get Away (Instrumental Beatdown)
8. Kez Ym – Inner City Funk
9. Dubbyman – Endtropia feat. feat. Hoheluft (Above Smoke Remix)
10. Roman Fluegel – How To Spread Lies
11. Subfossil – Andromeda
12. Space – Carry on turn me on (Time Space Machine mix)
13. Murphy Jax – Kevin Spacy (Orgue Electronique Remix)
14. Antoni Maiovvi – The Variable Man
15. Alexander Robotnik – Running about
16. Future Beat Alliance – Endless Blue
17. The Mafia Sauce Killers – Dimension
18. Dafluke – Date With Dora
19. Kerri Chandler – OPL-3
20. Simoncino – Jungle Dream
21. Adam Marshall – Evil Jungle Prince
22. Antoni Maiovvi – Spinning In Cyberspace (Instrumental version)
23. Timothy Allan, Marcia – Strangers In the Dark (Alternative version)
24. Jay Tripwire – Paprika
25. DJ EFX – Nature’s Art

Picture credit: Deep House Cafe, Second Life