Shots of Tequela

Aug 21, 2007

I thought I would share some shots of me DJing at Tequela Rain last Friday.

Here I am, in action in the wonderfully spacious DJ booth.

We had quite a complicated setup at the club that night. It was a little daunting even for me! TVs and amps everywhere!

Utilizing all new effects created specially for the evening. The latest addition to my live setup, the Trigger Finger, provides me with all the tactical control I've been longing for with Ableton for some time.

Ok fine, I'll smile.

It was a good night, packed!

The Access Virus

Aug 16, 2007

The Access Virus is a synth that I've been eyeing for longer than I care to remember. Priced well beyond anything I've ever wanted to pay I've finally concluded that I need to add this awesome piece of gear to my studio.

The synth is extremely powerful, loaded with presets that are immediately useful. So if you're like me and you want to get started with a sound that's close to what you need, it's an immediate starter. The makers do a far better job of describing the synth than I can so check out their website if you're interested in learning more.

Managing email

Aug 14, 2007

Some useful tips on managing email can be found at the Blackberry Connection. For the sake of the Blog and the possibility the page becomes unavailable I've reproduced the content below so you don't need to follow the link.

Empty That Inbox! - Manage your messages with a system

Your inbox is constantly full, despite your best efforts to keep up. Messages seem to arrive faster than you can read and reply to them. A sinking feeling turns to panic when you realize that you are days late replying to a critical message from an important client or a high priority project. If this sounds familiar, it may be time for a new way to manage your messages and a new way to manage your time.

Consider how much of your productive working time is eroded each day by replying to emails. What could happen if important messages continue to be lost in the sludge of your inbox? If only you had a system that helped you to organize and streamline your inbox management, a system that accelerated replying, deleting, and properly filing every message. Fortunately, there is such a system, and it is based on two simple-but-radical guidelines:

• Avoid reading and managing your email first thing every morning.
• Strive to leave your inbox empty at the end of every working day.

Does this suggest ignoring messages or deleting with maniacal glee everything in your inbox every day? Though these guidelines seem so contrary to common practice, let's back up a moment and investigate the sources.

Getting Things Done: The Four Ds

Productivity expert David Allen's book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity promotes a method of organizing everything in your inbox so that you deal with each item once and only once. Allen recommends quickly reviewing each item, instantly deciding its priority, and immediately filing each into one of four categories called the Four Ds: Delete, Do, Delegate, and Defer. Once sorted by the action required, only the important messages get your immediate attention. A mammoth inbox suddenly becomes manageable.

Known to productivity enthusiasts as GTD (Get Things Done), David Allen's system offers a powerful method to organize and manage information, commitments, and communications. Allen's GTD system of organizing and prioritizing your inbox, to-do lists, and daily tasks can be extended to your entire workflow and whole life, says Kelly Forrister, Senior Facilitator with David Allen Company. Forrister coaches clients on how to harness this integrated system to get their inboxes and their lives under control so they enjoy peace of mind and a stress-free working day.

Break the 'first-thing-in-the-morning' email habit

Do you find yourself reading and replying to emails every day from morning to noon? Julie Morgenstern's Never Check E-Mail In the Morning: And Other Unexpected Strategies for Making Your Work Life Work warns against immersing yourself in email as your first task in the morning. The morning hours are often the most productive time of the working day and it's far too easy to fritter away these peak hours by reading and managing your email.

Morgenstern suggests pursuing some other task or project during your first hour at work and save reading and replying to email when you're more focused on your goals for the day. Forwarding your important emails to your BlackBerry device alerts you to anything urgent, and enables you to reply to lower priority emails as you have spare time between tasks.

Smaller is better

Some people measure their organizational importance or productivity by the size of their inbox. However, equating a bulging inbox with personal busyness may be a notion no more valid than associating a messy desk with being organized. How many of those messages really require your attention or even merit a reply? Do you allow your inbox to swell to a size that strains your BlackBerry device?

Keep it small, advises Kelly Forrister, who says that maintaining thousands of emails in your inbox makes no more sense than keeping thousands of voicemails on your answering service. Consider weeding through those old emails, sort them by the Four Ds (Delete, Do, Delegate, and Defer) and cut your email inbox down to size.

Empty that inbox!

Is actually emptying your inbox before the end of each day a realistic goal? Yes, says Kelly Forrister, who recommends a short checklist of questions to help you quickly sort through your messages and tame an unruly inbox:

• Can you safely delete the item? If the item doesn't need to be read, saved, or require a response, then consider deleting it.
• Can you do the action that the email requires be done in less than two minutes? If you can, try to do the action required immediately.
• If you cannot do it, can you delegate it? Delegate can also mean handing it off sideways consider whether a colleague could better handle it.
• If you cannot take care of it immediately, can you defer it? Be aware, however, that deferring does not mean allowing the item to sink beneath your notice forever!

Forrister recommends streamlining your inbox management by sorting all your remaining messages between just two folders: one labeled ACTION, the other labeled WAITING FOR. Items requiring more time than is immediately available can go into the ACTION folder. Items requiring you to confer with someone else before responding can into the WAITING FOR folder. Forrister suggests applying this system to your entire inbox, or starting fresh today with an empty inbox by moving all your old messages into an old email folder.

Either way, Forrister maintains that being disciplined about filing your messages and limiting your inbox processing to only a few times per day can dramatically improve email management. Your BlackBerry device is ideal for inbox processing when you have some downtime away from your desk, and can be configured to automatically forward urgent messages from designated priority senders such as your boss, client, or assistant. With practice, your newfound GTD organizational skills will deliver deep satisfaction and an empty inbox at quitting time so you go can home feeling worry-free!

Humidity was low but the heat was high but how did my day go?

Aug 13, 2007

Despite the fact that Sunday was an earlier than usual start and the day was extremely hot, I felt very good. During the ride that is! The pace was initially slow as everyone figured out how the day should unfold. I spent much of the first hour wondering why we were going so slow anxious to turn up the heat a little bit.

Thankfully during the middle and last portion of the day the pace was plenty high as we attacked some serious 12% grade climbs. I felt extremely strong on Sunday riding up climbs in the saddle in a really big gear and staying on the front even as the attacks went off the front. Slow and steady was the order of the day and when all was said and done, I was the first to the top on every climb.

The final climb before the finish was perhaps the one that did the most damage. I attacked from the bottom and settled into a seated rhythm that blew everyone away. I powered my way to the top in a huge gear pushing almost 17mph average right to the top. I paid for that final effort with a great deal of pain in my quads later that day.

Thankfully there weren't any cramps on Sunday, which probably means I have figured out appropriate hydration. Unfortunately the bigger gears are taking their toll. One of the few benefits of riding such big gears are that my legs are responding and getting even stronger, so there is some pay off.

Tomorrow night I go out with the intention to give my legs a break and spend some time in lower gears using a higher cadence. Hopefully the pain will have subsided from Sunday and I'll feel strong again.

Sunday afternoon and evening was extremely difficult. I spend much of the rest of the day sleeping and recovering from what seemed to be allergies and exhaustion. My legs were about as sore as they've been all season long. Like I said earlier, I paid dearly for my efforts later that day hoping and praying the pain would go away and no permanent damage had been done.

My weight has increased slightly. I've managed to not only maintain but add a few pounds. I'm not sure if it's just water weight right now or increased muscle mass. I'll see how the remainder of the week pans out before making my final decision. I'm still worried about my conditioning for the century. Sunday's ride ended with some knee aggravation and I'm hoping that's not a sign of something worse to come. Some stretching soon put things right and I'm hoping that's all it was. It seems that anything over 100km and I start to feel sore, not a good sore.

With August half over things are still on track despite the weekly trials and tribulations of the tough training. This weekend I'm going to attempt my first 130km (80 miles) this season and will post the results of that journey later on in the weekend.

Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to support me and send their kind words of encouragement on my training. A few of you have asked me some questions and I figured before I sign off I'd answer one or two. In no particular order, here are the answers:

Do I ever get bored riding such long distances or does it ever get monotonous?

In the past, or more specifically, in the beginning weeks of my training I didn't. Lately it seems like I'm getting a little bored and the rides are becoming a little tedious. It really depends on the day and it really depends on the weather and the people you're riding with. Some days fly by and others drag. Sunday's ride for instance dragged right around the middle. Some where around the 40 mile mark I remember remarking to Beth how boring this all was and how happy I would be to get off the bike at mile 40 and feel like we got a good workout. Only problem was there was 22 tough miles left to home!

Have I ridden over 100 miles before?

Yes, when I was younger I used to ride a great deal. I have ridden over 100 miles in the past and I seem to remember it being a lot easier then.

Do cyclists peak like runners do before a marathon?

Yes. Cyclists take some rest and cut down their miles similarly to runners when preparing for a Century. I'm not an expert because I have not ridden an official Century but those I speak with that have participated have told me they do rest and take time off prior to a long ride.

How many calories do you eat?

No idea. I should know and I have an idea, but I don't know the exact numbers. I counted calories when I was a bodybuilder and I refuse to get to that level of detail (this week) ? as this training is meant to be fun!

Do you ride with talented riders?

It depends on the week! Just kidding. I ride with different individuals each week but one rider that is by far the most consistent and one of the strongest most talented bike riders I've ever seen is my friend Beth. She competes with the men and most of the time wins! She's the most consistent rider I have ever seen and if I'm not careful or having a bad day, she will compete and possibly blow me away on hills.

That's it for now. I'll be in Carlisle training tomorrow night for those that are interested in an easy 28 miler!

The new iMac's are here!

Aug 9, 2007

Check out the new Titanium Macs now with reduced fat.

Have you ever been a pain in the ass? Because if you have been in the past and are willing to be in the future, I want you working for me!

Aug 9, 2007

To all the leaders out there who complain about feedback from their subordinates or direct reports, this is a note for you.

I have tried and tried NOT to Blog about leadership in this forum. Part of the reason I try very hard not to Blog about business is because when I'm done with my stressful extremely long days I prefer to discuss something other than work. I love my job and I love the challenges it brings but I also love my life outside of work and if you're serious about your career you too should have found a balance that works for you and a life outside of work that you love.

Unfortunately, I've reached a boiling point and I need an outlet to discuss my thoughts and beliefs with others in an attempt to be constructive and provide ideas that may perhaps provide the incentive for some to modify the wrong doings that take place in corporate America on an almost daily basis when it comes to receiving 'feedback'. I know I could talk about giving feedback, but I'm going to focus on receiving and perhaps later discuss how to give it.

On an almost daily basis I witness many different kinds of positive and negative behaviors, behaviors that affect an organization to varying degrees. One such behavior I have observed of late is feedback and the improper receipt of this feedback.

Let's try to take a look at why people provide feedback and then examine how we receive it.

Generally speaking, people who are engaged, people who care, provide you with feedback. Why are they providing it? They're providing you with feedback because they respect you and assume you'll be able to help them. They assume that somehow you can remove a roadblock they have or modify the organization in order to enhance or improve the working environment or efficiency of the organization. Makes sense right? And in fact probably makes you feel honored that you've earned their respect and that they feel comfortable coming to you right? If it doesn't, you're doing the wrong job!

But let's assume you do think it's a good thing, then why oh why do I see so many managers and leaders treat these individuals as complainers, or become frustrated and affectionately refer to them as, "A pain in the ass"?

As leaders we solicit feedback but when we get it we're uncomfortable receiving it. Do we ask for feedback because we think we should? Do we think that we need to follow the HR rules (whatever they are) about feedback and we must appear open? Recommendation, don't solicit feedback if you don't know how to receive it or you're unwilling to validate or rebut the feedback you're given with logic and tangible examples. Don't solicit feedback if you're unwilling to encourage change.

When people provide us with feedback, why do we refer to these individuals as, "A pain in the ass"? We refer to them as a pain in the ass because they repeatedly provide us with feedback that we are seemingly ignoring from their point of view. Why does it appear we're ignoring them? Because they provide feedback and NOTHING happens. So the individual providing the feedback becomes frustrated thinking, "I already told her this. Let me tell him again." When we hear this same feedback for the second, third or forth time we cringe in our 1:1s or we fidget in our chairs. Why do we fidget, why do we become uncomfortable? You don't know? I do, because you're not doing your job and hearing the same feedback over and over is simply reminding you we're not doing our jobs as leaders. It doesn't feel good does it? Well be thankful that these individuals are providing you with feedback, because when they stop, something much worse happens.

When individuals stop providing feedback it's because they're starting to or have already given up hope that you're going to help them. They become disengaged and are probably focusing their energies else where, by either searching for a new job or simply fall back to the old, "I'll just collect a pay check and shut my mouth." And so mediocrity sets in and an organization starts to nose dive. As a quick side note, if your highest performers are providing feedback that you're ignoring, they're probably searching for a new job. It's unlikely that they have reverted to the 'collecting a pay check' mentality. They're going to leave and they should, because you don't deserve them.

Later when these individuals quit we're in some small way pleased. "Thank God they're gone, they gave me tough feedback", "boy he didn't pull any punches", "I asked them for feedback and what did I get? Man, boat loads of feedback". It's their problem right? Of course it is. You're right. Actually, YOU'RE WRONG! You need to take a cold hard look at YOURSELF! They're leaving because you failed. You failed them, you failed the company and you failed yourself. YOU should be the one looking for a new job, not them.

But wait, there's one more event that takes place prior to them leaving that really puts the icing on the cake. Can anybody guess what happens next? Ah yes, the exit interview with HR. What's one of the goals of the exit interview? In essence to provide us The Company, with feedback on why you are throwing in the towel and going to another company. Assuming you're not quitting because you're independently wealthy.

So the individual, if we're lucky, provides feedback one last time. Probably delivers it in what we consider a less than constructive way but delivers it once again nonetheless (Hopefully following up with facts and data to backup their argument). Why are they appearing emotional? Well by now they've been communicating the same things and they're tired of saying the same things over and over. After all, what's the definition of insanity? Performing the same action repeatedly and expecting a different outcome. It appeared as though no one has been listening to them because no action has been taken to fix the situation. Or worse, no one has been willing to communicate the progress that's ongoing to influence change, so the individual assumes nothing is happening and throws in the towel. So we call them emotional. The Human Resources person talks to the manger and what's the conclusion? "He was an emotional complainer. She was never happy, now you see what I mean", says the relieved manager. "Yes, I see exactly what you mean", says the HR person and we all go happily on our way thinking there is one less "Pain in the ass" in our organization.

Folks, listen to your directs. When they provide you with feedback understand they're doing it because they're very much engaged, they're invested in the company and more importantly invested in making their organization better. Listen to them, take their feedback, if it doesn't make sense or is wrong, help them by explaining. Help them see the facts correctly. Set them straight. If the feedback is valid, workout a plan for change and communicate with them on a frequent basis so they know you're implementing a plan to improve. How awful would you feel when someone quit because of issue(s) you've been working hard to correct but failed to communicate the change you were trying to encourage? Folks, when your directs stop providing feedback, realize you have now FAILED as a leader.

UGH! Is it really that hard?

Every once in a while

Aug 8, 2007

How many times have you heard me say that you can count the number of times, on one hand, in a single year that you hear a song that truly blows you away? Well, here's one of those times.

Jes has just released a new album titled 'Disconnected' which is pretty fantastic! The standout track for me is, 'Ghost'. Check it out if you have some time or disposable cash to blow on iTunes.

A weekend of eating, hydrating and electrolyte replacement left me second man home in our group at Sunday's CRW ride, "In Search of Llamas".

Aug 6, 2007

While I didn't see any Llamas during the ride we did see an early finish line!

Alex, my teammate, pulled me innocently across the finish line at Sunday's CRW ride as we both pondered leaving our group behind as we attacked what should have been the final 5 miles of a 58 mile ride. While it was nice to cross the finish line safely and with lots of gas left in the tank it was equally disappointing to realize we just got screwed out of an extra 5 miles of racing, oops, training?

Truth be told, I probably could have attacked another 25 miles I felt that good!

The reality is that if last Sunday's ride was the worst of my life, this Sunday's ride was probably one of the best. I felt strong for the entire ride and learned to ration my energy consistently over the few climbs and had plenty of gas left at the finish line. I was able to move between the front and back groups with ease and had plenty of energy to attack.

It would seem that this weekend I managed to adequately replenish glycogen stores and optimally hydrate for the event. While it's fair to say there is still a long way to go before I feel confident about a Century, I'm back on track with greater optimism that a Century is not only possible but perhaps something I can do with relative ease.

Tomorrow night I have another hour long session with Sean Brennan to complete my bike fitting and race training. Wednesday and Thursday we head out for another mid week session of foundation training before attempting a 70 miler next Sunday.

Training is back on track next Sunday as we attempt the, 'Al Bolea Memorial Ride'. I hope we don't see Llamas on that ride!

Interesting Quote

Aug 6, 2007

You can't fail if you don't give up.

Century listings

Aug 6, 2007

Over the past several weeks a number of you have asked me where you can find more information about centuries taking place in the area. While it's difficult to find an exhaustive list there are a number of websites I have worked from to help me narrow down which centuries I may want to take part in. In response to the queries of late I've decided to enclose a few links which should get people started.

A relatively complete list of Centuries for this year can be found at the Crane website. Two Centuries I'm considering taking part in are listed below:

CRW Fall Century, Soughegan River Tour Sunday September 16, 2007

For more detailed information on this Century, visit the CRW website.

34th Annual Seacoast Century Tri-State Seacoast Century, September 22-23, 2007

One registration fee for the whole weekend! Ride Saturday, Sunday, or both days for one price. No need to ride in the rain if the other day is nice. Maybe do the whole Century on Saturday then take a shorter ride on Sunday before heading home! You asked for it, so we are doing it - one fee covers everything! For more information visit, The Granite State Wheelman.

Back to the Marina

Aug 3 2007

After a few weeks haitus it's time to go back to the Marina for another gig. I'll see you all tonight, 9pm sharp! The Water Club in Marina Bay in Quincy.

Hydration and Electrolytes for high performance athletes, Part 1 of 2

Aug 4, 2007

During my pilgrimage to become a long distance endurance cyclist it's become increasingly clear to me that attention to nutrition, hydration, recovery and electrolyte replacement is imperative to any kind of consistent success as an athlete.

I've shared with you in the past my negative hydration experiences and from those negative experiences I decided to research why dehydration occurs and how to prevent it in the future, or at best, decrease the possibility of it occurring in the future. Below is a brief albeit incomplete documentation of my research.

When you begin working out, early on in an event sweat and sodium loss rates are typically high. As your sodium levels drops your body increases the level of production of the hormone aldosterone that influences kidney function to slow sodium loss. As exercise continues and sodium is lost your blood pressure may fall. Your body produces the hormone vasopressin to help maintain blood pressure. If exercise continues, with more water and electrolyte losses, performance begins to suffer and athletes invariably slow down. Since sodium is important for the absorption of food and water from the digestive tract, whatever you eat and drink is not absorbed. Soon, nausea results and this is your body's way of telling you not to bother feeding it because it cannot absorb the food and water you give it. If you drink, the water won't be absorbed and will simply sit in your stomach. What is absorbed cannot be retained and will soon be urinated anyway.

Water loss can occur in the following ways:

• Skin/sweating
• Lungs/breathing
• Urination
• Defecation (possible diarrhea)
• Vomiting

Sodium and Potassium

Sodium and Potassium are the major body electrolytes. The fluid in body cells is high in potassium; 90% of the body's potassium is inside the cells. Other body fluids are high in sodium.

Fluid	Sodium Content	Potassium Content
Blood	3,100 - 3,330mg/L	137 - 200 mg/L
Sweat	575 - 1,725mg/L	155 - 200 mg/L

The major route for sodium loss is sweat. Because potassium is held inside the cells, it is not lost at high rates provided there is adequate sodium in the body.

Normal sweat rates can range from 0.75 to 2 Liters/hour, depending on conditions such as temperature, humidity, pace, clothing, and the degree of heat acclimation the rider has. A rate of one Liter/hour is not uncommon for an acclimated cyclist. At that rate, typical electrolyte loss rates by sweat are 1,300 mg/hr for sodium, and 230 mg/hr for potassium.

The amounts of electrolytes lost in sweat and urine vary depending on fitness, body electrolyte content and acclimation to heat levels. Vomiting and diarrhea can lead to large electrolyte losses and are serious problems during a cycling event. Can I just say, if you're vomiting during a cycling event you should probably stop riding?

The affects of weight loss on performance:

• 0 to 2 % beginning thirst, performance loss at 1.8%
• 2 to 3 % thirst, 7% performance loss
• 3 to 6 % cramps, strong thirst, 20% performance loss
• > 6 % severe cramps, heat exhaustion, coma, death

The fluid in your body is broken down in the following ways:

• 60% of body weight is water.
• 40% of the body weight is inside body cells.
• 15% is in the space around the cells.
• 5% is in the blood.

(Although the weight of the blood is minor, its water and electrolyte content are critical for good performance. Athletic performance suffers greatly with increasing dehydration.)

In part 2 we will discuss what I'm doing to prevent dehydration and what products can be utilized to decrease the risk of dehydration.

Riding, Sunday Aug 5

Aug 4, 2007

In Search of Llamas

Sunday - August 5

Ride Type: Cue Sheet, Arrowed

Times and Routes: 9:30 AM for 58 miles, 10:00 AM for 42 & 30 miles.

Leaders: Andree Lerat, Lisa Wilk

Description: Join us for the 8th Annual Llamas Ride! All rides are primarily along quiet backroads. Short ride passes through Dover, Sherborn, and Holliston. Medium & long rides also add parts of Medfield, Millis, and South Natick to the route. We'll pass by several farms in the area (may see some Llamas, Burros, and Horses in addition to the usual farm animals). Flat to medium rolling hills (short ride avoids larger hills). LUNCH stop for all rides is in Holliston.

Start: Chickering Fields (across from Caryl Park/Noanet Woodlands Reservation) on Dedham Street in Dover

Directions: Chickering Fields is about 0.5 mi northeast of the center of Dover. From Rt 128/95, Take Exit 19B onto Highland Avenue heading towards Needham. TURN RIGHT at intersection onto Great Plain Ave. After ~0.1 miles, TURN LEFT onto Chestnut St. Follow Chestnut St (past Glover Memorial Hospital), and BEAR RIGHT as it becomes Dedham St when you cross the townline into Dover. After ~2 miles on Dedham Street in Dover, will see Mill Farm (White Barn) on left side of road. Take first RIGHT after Mill Farm (about 0.1 miles from Mill Farm) into Chickering Fields parking lot (across the street from Caryl Park/Noanet Woodland Reservation). Please do not park on lot entranceway or along road (if lot is full, additional parking lots, < 0.25 miles further down on Dedham Street on left-hand side of road).

August is here, but condition is where?

Aug 3, 2007

Well this is it, August is finally here. The heat and humidity are full on and are affecting me in ways I truly didn't expect. I've always been a fan of the heat and thought I did well in the high temperatures and high humidity; this year it turns out I'm not quite capable of performing at a high level in these conditions.

At the beginning of the season I identified August as being a make or break month, that's still true. With Centuries beginning in August and happening through September, this would provide the final few weeks of hard training required to condition (batter) my body enough to be ready for my first century.

As you all know, training over the past 2 weeks has been disappointing. I may have completed my races and rides but they certainly weren't without incident or great difficult and mental energy in order to finish. So I'm entering August behind schedule in terms of conditioning and certainly lacking a great deal in the way of confidence.

It's time to get serious and to begin to think positively. I have to hope that my training issues and lack of strong performances are all behind me and that I can take what I've learned and parlay that into this final month before it's time to pony up and make a Century happen.

I'll keep you all posted on my progress through the month of August and of course later in the weekend will update everyone on where you can find team BABs this weekend. Suffice to say, rides only get longer and harder from here until the end of the season. So if you haven't already, wish me luck, I'm going to need it!