'Big Boat'

As I suspected, Phish's new album, Big Boat, with Bob Ezrin at the helm again, is an excellent companion album to 2014's Fuego.  Sonically similar and as expertly crafted, the songs on this new record feel instantly familiar (even the ones that have not yet been performed live) yet demand and reward repeated spins.

But this is not Fuego II by any means.  Sure, there is still the shiny sound, bright horns, and layered vocal harmonies, but the band has offered more intimate lyrics and continues to push their musical boundaries - or rather, prove once again that there are no musical boundaries.

Before I start gushing, however, I should note that, as with the predecessor, there are some disappointments.

For instance, Page McConnell's "Things People Do" had a couple of go-rounds this summer as a bluegrass number akin to the old "Long Journey Home".  But on record, it is just Page bumbling through it with some weird sounding instrument.  Also, two new Mike Gordon tunes debuted this summer - the excellent and playful "Let's Go" and the interesting, but darkly challenging "Waking Up Dead" - but the album includes only the latter.

And speaking of glaring omissions - the excellent new long-form "Mercury" made a big splash from its four performances, so much so that a version was included on the latest Live Bait compilation.  Yet that, too, was edged out in favor of a different epic, "Petrichor", which Trey Anastasio originally performed with symphony orchestras before re-arranging it for Big Boat.

Still, the positives far outweigh the negatives. The blue-eyed soul of "Tide Turns" and the breezy tropical pop of "Breath and Burning", with its ukulele and modulations, make wonderful use of the horn section.  The former reminds me of "Loving You Tonight" by Squeeze and the latter is what I imagine Jimmy Buffett would sound like if he wrote better songs.  "Home" is an great new upbeat Page tune and "Running Out of Time" is a pretty little number that starts out with acoustic guitar and gradually brings in the rest of the band to finish it off with a '70s soft-rock vibe. And "Miss You" is a lovely ballad that pulls off the trick of taking a simple, age-old chord progression and using a sweet melody to make it sound new and fresh before it climaxes with a soaring guitar solo (no one can melt your face with a I-IV guitar solo like Trey can).

While Bob Ezrin puts his magic touch on all these songs, he also knows when to let Phish be Phish, like in "Blaze On" and "No Men in No Man's Land".  After a year of playing these songs live, they did not need any tinkering, so what we get are straight-ahead, amazing-sounding performances of the tunes.  Yet Ezrin still manages to sneak in a few sonic delights (listen closely for the rhythmic triangle in "Blaze On").

The band brings out some bigger surprises, though, in the front and back ends of the album.  The lead-off track, "Friends" is a Jon Fishman-penned and -sung tune that sounds like a cross between the Who's Quadrophenia and Velvet Underground's Loaded - which is totally awesome and not as weird as one would think since Phish covered both those albums for Halloween shows in the '90s.

The final third of the album is as entertaining as it is eyebrow-raising, with Page's "I Always Wanted It This Way" laying some eerie vocal processing on top of a downright disco-esque groove.  Though it sounds more like something that might have been among the curios on 2009's Party Time, it acts as a neat left turn here.  And though the closing "Petrichor" is a fantastic and intricate 13-minute composition with orchestral flourishes, staccato accents, and flurries of notes on guitar not heard since 1988's "Divided Sky" (think of it as that song's more orchestrated cousin) - it is "More" that provides the show-stopper.

Starting as a straight-up ballad, "More" builds gradually as Trey pushes the vocal melody to the upper reaches of his range (it will be quite the effort if he can pull it off in concert) and the song eventually bursts into, out of, and back into double time, while the rest of the band sings the chorus behind him.  It is a goosebump-inducing climax that shows off the best of what the band and producer can do together.  So when "Petrichor" finally weaves and winds its way to the end of the album the listener is left with a feeling of both the present and past, a full circle of Phishtory summed up in the album's final 18 minutes.

My first 15K - Sept. 9, 2006 - Run Around the Block, New Shoreham, RI

Ten years ago, I participated in the Run Around the Block for my first 15K ever and my third time on Block Island.  Here is my report from that 2006 race:

The 31st Annual Block Island 15K, known as the "Run Around the Block", took place on Saturday. I had some doubts about running it -- I suffered yet another injury in my left leg only 8 days before (I think I pulled a muscle) -- but I was determined. This would be my longest race yet, and it would be the first time running more than nine miles since April.

I'd done a 10K, but wasn't ready for a half-marathon, so 9.3 miles was nicely in between. Plus, Block Island is a beautiful place. What runner wouldn't enjoy its scenery? This race was the perfect end-of-summer goal.

After three hours of sleep, three hours of driving to the ferry, and a nap on the hour-long ferry ride, I landed on Block Island and hiked to the starting line.

Yawning as I walked, it was not lost on me that the enormous hill I was climbing was part of the race course. This made me nervous, but I've done hill training; I felt ready.

What I did not expect was the entire course to be a series of hills. For 9.3 miles, the 424 runners were either trudging up inclines or hitting the brakes on sharp declines. We huffed, we puffed, some walked, some soldiered on. I refused to walk or even slow down. But at the 7.5 mile marker, when it was painfully clear that I had to either slow down or throw up, I relented and eased my pace a little, letting a few people pass me by and trying not to be discouraged.

I pushed hard up what I thought was the last hill, and knowing I had less than a mile to go, I let loose. The sadistic organizers of the run, however, made sure that after nine miles of painful, hilly torture, B.I.'s runners would face one last ridiculously steep incline before seeing the finish line. 

I don't how I gathered the strength to climb it, but once over the crest, I sprinted with all my might to the finish, to clock in with a result of just under 70 minutes.

Elated, relieved and nauseated, I rejoiced in having conquered something new. I received no medals or special recognition (and I don't expect I ever will, not even for my age group); those are for the elite athletes. I'm an everyday runner who finished his first 15K, proud of myself for setting a goal and beating it. 

That's the best prize of all. There are still more hills to climb in my journey, but today, I can rest, and bask in the glow of that achievement.

'Fuego' - a retrospective review

On this, the eve of the release of Big Boat, Phish's 13th studio album, I decided to go back and listen to the last one, Fuego, and really dig into it.  I wanted to hear it with the perspective of now having heard these songs dozens of times live and with the sound of the record fresh in my mind to compare to the new one tomorrow.

The sound still is, indeed, excellent; and it damn well better be - Bob Ezrin is a legendary producer with a fantastic ear for sonic space.  He makes the music deep and layered without making it sound cluttered, and has the ability to make things sound big without sounding loud and exhausting to the ear.  He did it with classic albums by the likes of Kiss, Pink Floyd and Alice Cooper and it is wonderful to know he is back at the helm with Phish for a second go-round with Big Boat.

In listening to Fuego now, I have come around on some things that disappointed me in 2014, namely the title track and "Wombat".  Compared to the huge energetic bombast of hearing "Fuego" live, the studio version originally felt flat to me, with its live-to-tape feel in the instrumentation.  If one song deserved some big overdubs, it was "Fuego".  But patience is rewarded with the studio track and the deeper into the jam one gets in the back half of the song, the more enjoyable it becomes - and the ending Phish has all but dropped from its live shows is great to hear again.

Compared to the original hot, dance-party version from Halloween 2013, the album version of "Wombat" seemed more goofy and less funky at first listen.  But to appreciate the song now is to explore all the elements.  The slower, more deliberate pace lets you hear each excellently placed hi-hat note from Jon Fishman; the horns and Trey Anastasio's classic delay loop after the awesomely huge explosion are a delight; and it is hard not to love a bunch of female backup singers belting "Herbivorous! Crepuscular!"

Speaking of horns and backup singers, "555" still sounds is slippery greasiest on the record thanks to them (plus, the solo section is fantastic), and the horns add tasteful nuance to the beautiful "Winterqueen".  

"Devotion to a Dream" and "Sing Monica" - the two closest things to outright pop songs Phish has ever recorded - felt like friends I had not realized I had missed.  They are woefully underplayed in concert, partially evidenced by the fact that I was trying to sing along and realized I did not know all the words (which are written by Tom Marshall, and fantastic) so I had to consult the lyric booklet.  The vocal harmonies sparkle on both of those tunes and for a little while in early 2014, it sounded like the band was putting more effort into that live.  Not so much these days, unfortunately.

The hypnotic groove of "Waiting All Night" does not change much between the studio and live versions (thankfully) but it is nice to hear the vocals up front and crystal clear.  And while "Wingsuit" can definitely soar live, Ezrin puts his Pink Floyd stamp on the coda, making Trey sound like David Gilmour wailing away on "Comfortably Numb".  And call me crazy, but the "Time to put your wingsuit on" part sounds like Yes to me - in all the best ways.  But then, I also think "Fuego" sounds like Red Album-era Weezer, so maybe I am crazy indeed.

So far, Fuego seems to have stood the test of time, but who can say for sure, especially since the release of Big Boat marks the shortest turnaround time for a Phish album since Undermind in 2004?

I get the feeling that the new album will act as a companion piece, rather than push Fuego aside.  A one-two punch like that would be an excellent feat for a bunch of guys that are more than 30 years into their musical careers.

Run Around the Block 15K, New Shoreham, R.I., Sept. 10

Set on an island accessible only by boat or plane, with an uncommon distance and an afternoon start time, a more unique race than Run Around the Block 15K would be tough to find.

Block Island is still New England's best kept secret, though you would not think so when throngs of summer vacationers descend upon its shores. Off-season, though, it is a whole different vibe. I prefer to go in mid-May and mid-September, to take advantage of warm temperatures while avoiding the Memorial-Day-to-Labor-Day crowd.

September 10 brought sunny skies, temperatures in the mid-70s and lots of humidity - not exactly great racing conditions. Gloria and I took the shuttle bus from Water Street to the starting area near Fresh Pond, at the convergence of Center Street, Cooneymus Road and Lakeside Drive.  

Gloria, pre-race

We got there plenty early, not realizing that we would have to sit in the hot sun for an hour and a half before the start (our friends Tim and Mary Jane wisely took a cab and got there much later). Some runners found some shade under trees on the lawn of a resident who, thankfully, did not mind.


Shirtless and sweaty before the race even started, I did a mile warm-up jog before we headed to the start line. Considering the weather and the hilly course, I had my work cut out for me to get in under an hour (6:26 pace, despite my training to run 6:15s), so when the race began, I bolted out quickly.


The 15K and half-marathon are difficult distances. They are too long to spend time hanging back and plotting moves while the seconds tick away, but too long to start in high gear and keep the throttle up. And with an uphill in the first mile, I figured I would give it some gas and then lay off on the down hill. The top three leaders flew ahead and I was with a small group by the end of the Mile 1 which I surprisingly finished in 5:57.

I thought I was hanging back in Mile 2, yet I shocked myself further with a 6:03. But the Block Island course is nothing but hills - you are either going up or down, almost never on flat land - and Mile 3 was mostly uphill (though more gentle) along West Side Road. Still, the 6:21 was another pleasant surprise.

Also surprising was that I had pulled into fifth place, passing a young guy who looked fit for the event, but had gone off to the side, panting and hunched over. By the end of Mile 4 (6:20),  I was in fourth; and once I hit Mile 5 with a 6:04, the idea of not only finishing under an hour, but getting a PR on this ridiculous course seemed truly plausible.

I was on a 6:09 average pace, but I also knew the giant hill up Center Road near the airport in Mile 6 might be the deal breaker. Sure enough, 6:34. But with every uphill comes a downhill, so I quickly recovered and pushed myself into a 6:08 for Mile 7 as I came back to the Cooneymus Road intersection, bringing my average to 6:12 - still in PR territory (6:15).

Hitting those hills from the first three miles again, I was losing steam. I was overheating and my legs were getting fatigued. The same stretch that I had run at a 6:00 pace just a half-hour prior seemed like mountains now as I huffed and puffed my way through my slowest mile (6:36 for Mile 8).

Still in my fourth place position, I hit Mile 9 at 6:22. With an elapsed time of 56:25, I had just over two minutes to do almost a third of a mile. This was going to be close.


I had to get the last 1.3 miles closer to PR pace. If I was not so tired, I would probably have laughed at myself - an hour before, I was merely hoping for 59:59.  By Mile 9, I absolutely needed a 58:27.

The end of the course features an short, steep, crushing uphill toward Champlin's Marina, which gives way to an equal downhill into the finish line.  I mustered every last bit of energy I had to get up that hill - and it hurt - and then sprinted down with all my might, crossing the line at 58:22, five seconds faster than my previous 15K personal record.

My legs were in agony from the hills, but I was a happy camper and there was nothing left to do but cheer in Gloria and Tim to their triumphant finishes, and enjoy a nice, cold can of America...

America

Tim and me at the finish

Gloria and me, hoisting one more before leaving Block Island on Sunday - she prefers the Narragansett Lager, I like the Mohegan Cafe's home brews.

The standings

Back to the Block

Sometimes the racing schedule dictates the vacation. This time was the opposite. 

When I had settled on September for my annual sojourn to Block Island, and with Gloria to come with me for her first time there, it was obvious that a third go at the Run Around the Block 15K (I did it in 2006 and 2009) was in order. And Gloria, too, decided it would be a great way for her to end her summer of running.

Considering I had been crushing my short races all summer long, going back to truly conquer the hills of the very challenging course made sense. There was no way I could expect a PR on such a course, but I was dead set on doing it in under an hour, for it may very well be my last opportunity to do so. At 41, how much longer can this short-race hot streak last?

That meant continuing the intense speed training into a fourth month, and by the time September rolled around, I was spent.  My weekly 40-minute tempo runs and 400-meter and 800-meter intervals were taking their tolls on my body.  Never again, I thought. I can not do all this speed work anymore. It is is time to draw the line, appreciate what I have accomplished, and run for fun after this race is over.

Enduring rough seas that turned Gloria's stomach, we arrived on Block Island Thursday morning, Sept. 8, to overcast and dreary weather. 

After breakfast at the Topside Cafe, the sun was finally out, and the weather improved so greatly that we spent the early afternoon relaxing on the beach. 

Then, we rented bicycles, rode the four miles up to the end of Corn Neck Road and hiked to North Lighthouse, and the very tip of the island.  

It was probably not the best way to rest before a race, but it made for excellent cross-training and was a scenic treat for Gloria. It brought me tremendous joy to see her having such an wonderful experience at my special getaway place.  We had a big lunch at Los Gatitos and passed out for the rest of the afternoon, waking only in time to grab a quick drink at the Mohegan Cafe before it closed at 9:30 p.m. (It was a Thursday on the off-season, after all).

Friday was gorgeous as we ate breakfast on Crescent Beach and I swam in the cool but comfortable water. 

After exchanging the bikes for mopeds, so we could tool around the island without having to expend as much energy, we drove the race course to familiarize ourselves with the terrain. 

The memories of running all those hills came flooding back, and it freaked me out a bit. For the first time, I was nervous about this race. Could I maintain the 6:26 pace it would take to clock in under an hour? Sure, I did a half-marathon last year at 6:16, but that was pancake-flat. This, however, was a hilly beast with which to be reckoned.

Gloria assured me that I should trust my training and so there was nothing left to do but have a huge carb-filled dinner at the Poor People's Pub, where I devoured a skillet-full of delicious macaroni and cheese, and watch the sun set from Old Harbor.

With race time at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, at least we did not have to worry about early bedtimes and alarm-setting. That (and the mac and cheese) made for a much more rested pre-race sleep.

<up next...race day!>

My fourth 5K - Hoboken, N.J., July 31, 2006

Ten years ago this summer - July 31, 2006, to be exact - I ran my fourth 5K.  Here is my report from that race, as posted on my old blog:

The start of the 5K race in Hoboken on July 31 came unexpectedly. I heard no starting gun, no air horn. I didn’t even hear a “Go,” let alone an “On your mark” or a “Get set.”

I had finished my second trip to one of the four port-a-johns provided for the 600-plus runners (do a little math and you’ll find that if each person used the john once, that’s more 150 uses per john...ewww), when I noticed everyone ambling toward the starting line; I had no idea where that line was, but at some point the throng stopped, so I guess that was it.

While the fearless Herald News trio (Tim, Carolina and me) discussed our strategies, we suddenly realized everyone started moving. “Oh! We’re running!” was the last thing I said before I took off.

Figuring I had to make up a few seconds to get to my desired part of the pack, I started faster than usual. My iPod’s refusal to work meant I had only my breathing and the sound of sneakers on blacktop to set my rhythm. I settled into a decent pace, noticing I was still passing people.

There were no mile markers and no pace clocks. The only guide we had was the halfway turnaround, and even then, there was nothing indicating how long it had taken us to get there. I was wearing no watch, and I had no music by which I could even estimate how fast I was going. I felt okay, but what if I came out too quickly and had nothing for the end?

This probably happens to many a novice. In my first few races, I got used to having clocks at each mile; a big help in knowing if I needed to pick up the pace or ease back a bit. Without it, I felt lost, wondering if I was going too fast or too slow.

The articles I read about training for races often refer to running at “your 5K race pace.” Well, I’m new to this, and I have no idea what my 5K race pace is, especially if I’ve got no form of chronometer measuring it for me. So, I kept going, still passing people up, thinking “This is the pace I’m running. It’s a 5K. So, this must be my 5K race pace.”

By the third mile, still making my way past more runners, I wasn’t feeling as good. Breathing the hot July air felt more like breathing sand. Maybe I was running too fast, after all, and I’d peter out soon. But the third mile is not the time to slow down so I pushed on, and by the time the finish line was in sight, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was still a “20” on the clock! As in “minutes”! As in “Wow, I’m going to set a personal record!”

With the last of my energy I mustered up a sprint that took me into the finish line at 21:01, 52 seconds faster than my last PR, which was only three weeks before. Despite the pain from having to stop short after a big sprint (why don’t they allow for a longer space to slow down?), there’s nothing like that kind of thrill. Later, I looked at the results sheets to find that my pace was 6:48. So that's my race pace.

However, I learned a few things from the experience:

1. It’s probably better to know how fast your pace is before running the race, even without clocks. If you train properly (which I don’t), you’ll probably feel your pace (thus, I don’t).

2. Don’t assume you’ll be provided with any markers or clocks. If actual pace times are important, wear a watch. Or, use the music. Despite the malfunctioning of my nine-month-old iPod Shuffle, I still recommend it because it’s lightweight, easy to use and cheap.

3. If it feels good, do it, but be prepared to pay for it later with aches and pains. At least you’ll have that PR of which to feel proud!

Post-race triumph

Tim and Carolina

Juice for Life 5K, Englewood, July 31

Note: I mistakenly published this post on Saturday, before it was finished.  Here is the complete race report...


The pre-race atmosphere in MacKay Park was jubilant.  A DJ played funky, danceable R&B tunes including a few by Prince.  There were protein bars, bananas and bagels.  The staff and runners were friendly.  The post-race celebration even had pizza.  Bless their hearts, the Market Place and juice and food cafe did a commendable job organizing its first 5K for the community.

But there was one extremely glaring oversight at the first Juice for Life 5K in Englewood on July 31, and it is a shame because everything else about this race was well-presented and enjoyable.   

Plus, it is hard to gripe when I ran my second fastest 5K ever (hot on the heels of my PR in June and my excellent showing at the Sunset Classic) and even completely won the darn race.

Still, the one problem was a big one - the course was not marked at all.  Let me repeat that:  

The course...

...was not marked...

...at all.

Luckily, I have learned my lesson from previous races that I have run while still in their nascent stages and I emailed the race director for a course map a week prior.  This is what I received...

After studying it, there were still some questionable turns that were not clear on the map.  So on race day I tried to find a race volunteer who could help answer a few questions.  Nobody knew anything about where to make the first turn and where the turn off from Van Brunt Street was.

A feeling of dread crept over me at the start line as I looked around - Oh god, what if I end up leading the pack and have no idea where I am going?

At the go signal, we ran west on Englewood Avenue and those of us at the front of the pack had to make a quick decision, turning right at Elmore Avenue.  From that map, no one could tell if the turn was there or at the next block, but either way, we ended up on Lafayette Avenue with a left turn onto West Palisade Avenue.  Later, we would determine that it should have been the next block, thereby cutting out two-tenths of a mile.

I broke away from the pack into the lead, hoping for the best, but the next turn was confusing.  I knew it was a right onto Van Brunt, but the sign was much farther up than the street and I had my eyes on the sign, not realizing I had actually passed the street and was already at the railroad tracks when I heard someone behind me yell, "Right turn!"

"Shit!" I exclaimed, remembering how a blown turn cost me what would have been my first win at a 10K in 2010, and watching five other guys make the turn before I got back to the proper intersection.  Later, I would calculate that I lost about 15 seconds.

I would not, however, stand to lose my lead, so I pushed hard on Van Brunt and somehow made it to the front as we turned left onto Linden Avenue (which was confirmed by runner-up John Milone, whom I assume called out the previous turn), for the loop around Jackson Street and Forest Avenue.  After getting back on Van Brunt heading toward the next loop (around Nordhoff Place and the Crowne Plaza), a teenager (possibly Ben Tenenbaum) was clearly trying to pull ahead of me.  He got up next to me, but was clearly losing too much steam in the process - grunting and groaning as he tried to keep up.

On the straightaway along Van Brunt, now heading north with no more turns until the home stretch on Englewood Avenue, I passed the runners heading south toward the loop and saw Gloria who was running in the mid-pack and cheered me on as I passed.  Later, she told me that the kid behind me looked like he was completely fatigued as I pulled farther away.  The humidity was high and it was getting hotter - the poor kid just could not hack it.

And by the time I hit the turn toward the finish, I felt like I could not anymore either, so I dug deep, not knowing how far behind me the second place runner was, and rallied to the finish where I broke the tape under a clock that read 16:44.  I knew I had run fast, but I also knew there was no way I ran that fast.

When I found out the true distance - 2.9 miles - I did some extrapolation, but also subtracted the 15 seconds I lost at the first Van Brunt turn, calculating my time to be 17:37, only one second off from my PR a month earlier.  Plus, you know, I won.  But again, I could not feel like it was a true win (nor a true time) because of all that went wrong.

This could potentially be a wonderful race, especially since the vibe continued to be excellent as the runners came into the finish (Gloria finished beautifully, with what would be a PR, even with the missed distance added back in!).  Runners cheered for other runners and everyone came through the finish smiling.

But, lordy, they have got to improve the course logistics!  Even spray-painted arrows on the street would have been helpful.  Hopefully next year, they will do something about that - so there can be more next years.


Results (based on the shortened course): http://www.bestrace.com/results/16/160731JC5.HTM