Sure, it looks pretty out there but it's just too damn cold to go outside - for anything. Yesterday, after watching the forecast for today, I decided that I would not be leaving the house for the entire day. I'd be happy to accept visitors, but I'm staying home - no small task for a spaz like me. That means but one thing: the day's training ride would have to be completed on the rollers. That's a problem only because the set of rollers I have at home is tired - VERY tired. Like, many thousands of miles tired. One of the cylinders has a bad bearing so that means they are loud, which in turn means that if I want to watch tv while I ride, the tv will have to also be loud. I don't want to be labeled a bad neighbor so I listen to the ipod while I ride.
The real key to surviving a 2+ hour roller ride - aside from the obligatory pre- and post-ride doppio? First, the ride needs to have structure or else your brain turns to mush. I did lots of intervals today. That definitely makes the time pass. Second, drink copious amounts of fierce melon Gatorade to stave off dehydration (don't ask - it's just one of my many quirky proclivities). Third, and most importantly, the soundtrack has to kick ass. If you find yourself fast forwarding through the playlist at any point, it's not good. Because I teach Spinning I have a huge music library (tax deducted, thank you very much) so it's very easy for me to put together long playlists of all my favorite stuff and not really ever have to hear the same stuff terribly often.
A random smattering of today's lineup is below - and I do mean random. This is not the entire playlist, just the good stuff that lets me hurt but still love it. It's not all fast and hard - some of it is deliberate, slow, emotional, intense stuff (I know, so very unlike me, right?). No matter - it works for me, and that's the point.
The Hand that Feeds - Nine Inch Nails
Evermore - Foo Fighters
Whipping - Pearl Jam (from here on to be known simply as PJ)
Spin the Black Circle - PJ
There There - Radiohead
Set Me Free - Velvet Revolver
Rearview Mirror - PJ
Days Like These - R.E.M.
Fake It - Seether
In Control - Puddle of Mudd
Slow Hands - Interpol
Release - PJ
The Pretender - Foo Fighters
The Working Hour - Tears for Fears
Voodoo - Godsmack
Outside - Staind
Passive - A Perfect Circle
Only - Nine Inch Nails
Fire - Jimi Hendrix
Warning Sign - Coldplay
Everybody Wants Some - Van Halen
Emerge - Fischerspooner
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
With or Without You - U2
Breed - Nirvana
Tick Tick Boom - The Hives
Thunderstruck - AC/DC
Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue
Gravitate to Me - The The
Shut Your Eyes - Snow Patrol
Once - PJ
You - CandleboxNo Quarter - Led Zeppelin
In Hiding - PJ
The list could go on and on, but you get the idea - a bunch of unrelated, unique and different stuff that when mixed together can keep your mind occupied while your body completes it's work. While my preference will always be to ride outdoors, music makes indoor sessions tolerable for me while each passing day gets us closer to spring and the start of race season - I'm getting excited! As always, thanks for reading and feel free to forward music recommendations, I need some more stuff to write off.
