music for the masses: 0002 & supplies

Music for the Masses: 0002

In the celebration of my birthday over the passed week I used money and gift cards to feed the beast and snag a major amount of music over the past week or so.

- The appetizer was when I went out a grabbed:

Mastodon Leviathan
Protest the Hero Kezia

- Then from my awesome girlfriends parents:

Ray Lamontagne Trouble

- The main course was yesterday when I snagged four cd's for under $35:

Ray Lamontagne Till The Sun Turns Black

Grizzly Bear Veckatimest

Side Bar: I downloaded Grizzly Bear's Yellow House at the beginning of the year. These guys are moving closer to the top of my favorites list...if I had one that is.

Walls of Jericho Redemption

The crowning jewel one of my favorite bands:
mewithoutYou It's all crazy! It's all false! It's all a dream! It's alright

- For dessert my order from amazon came in with:

Ghostface Killah Ironman

. . .

This leads me to the rest of my delivery today and the rest of my post: Art Supplies

I started a side column or side bar...what ever it is, that has the art supplies I use and where I get them from. I've been ordering KRINK inks for a bit now and have found the perfect place to order from. The last place wasn't good at all. They took about a month to get the order to me and when it arrived I had one tube that was smashed and one was the wrong color. But, I found a new great place and put links to all the places I buy from and the supplies I use. Enjoy.

on the work desk: 0002

"Slow and steady wins the race." A quote common among my group of friends and taken from our long time friend and former cross country coach. A quote that applies to running and drinking and most recently the completion of my comics and other art adventures.

This is page 5 of The Skateboard Diaries and the page that I've given the most and has taken the most from me.



I finished page 6 in the time it took me to simply draw (in pencil) page 5. And though there are tiny mistakes in each panel this page was a hurtle to overcome as much as it was a learning experience.

I still have the first two pages to complete (scenery) that I hope to complete this coming week so I can scan, color (black, white and shades of gray), add text, and design the finished book with cover and back cover. A simple six page mini comic that has taken some time to complete. But it is a learning process and I'll be better for it and a bit closer to make my hobby and passion a career.

Other News:

I picked up The Chariot Wars and Rumors of Wars and have enjoyed listening to it today with a bit of Deadliest Catch (the show) while finishing page 5 (the above image). I am looking forward to listening to The Chariot's new work for a long time to come.

running report: when I think I am back...my back

I have five weeks or actually six, but I am going to relax week six, before this years North Country Trail Relay (NCTR). This is my sixth year running the NCTR and my first that I can actually train for without being interrupted by college. But, my body has been revolting against me for the past year now.

I hit the point last year when my body started to break down because I wasn't training correctly. I have had a few injuries that have set me back over the past three years, non of them major, but all have sidelined my training. Last year I was up and down with my running and would rest one or two weeks and then kill myself at relays or other races. Around August I started to try and drop my times but with poor training and tendinitis in my shins my body had had enough. Most of the winter I ran just to maintain some running ability but never really trained. But, sense the beginning of this year I really started to get my running and my body put back together and be smart about it.

My tendinitis seems to be getting better and I am feeling better while I run but then a month ago my back went out. Great. So I've been dealing with that for the past few weeks now. A minor set back but it's just a reminder that I am not out of woods yet when it comes to putting myself back together and a reminder that I need more core training.

Training for NCTR:

Running
I am just trying to run maintenance mileage right now and run low but consistent mileage each week. I fallow the 10% rule (don't raise your weekly mileage more than 10% per week) and I keep my mileage in a range. So I am going to run between 14 and 16 miles per week for the next four weeks and then raise my mileage between 15 and 17 the week before the relay and then rest the week of the relay because I'll be running over 10 miles that weekend. My main goal is to run more than double the mileage I ran last year before this relay.

I am also happy that I am now ahead of my weekly mileage from last year. I've been keeping track of my year to year running and I am 1 mile ahead of last years mileage.

Cross Training
Cycling was the only reason last year that I was half way decent at running. I rode just under 400 miles last year and cross training is something that all serious runner should do. I rode 109 miles last year before the NCTR and I hope to ride 164 this year (around 1.5 times as much as last year). I rode 10 last week so I am having a slow start but a start non the less.

Core Training
Weights, abs and yoga. I am still working on this but I have had about two days a week of good core training. Hope to add some more to that.

This seems like rambling but I am trying to keep it straight in my head. My encompassing goal is to do more or double than what I did last year. Double the mileage, more cycling and more core training. Then I should be physically and mentally ready. Because just about five weeks after the North Country Trail Relay I have the Great Lakes Relay which is three days long.