on ze trainer playlists

Working full-time in Downtown Miami while living in Suburbia sucks. The traffic is horrible. The previous solution was to ride my bike to and from work, which I LOVE. Unfortunately, the 30-mile round-trip deathride isn't very conducive to the bigger picture of my training right now. Bummer.

This means getting home and hopping on the trainer for a quickie when getting outside doesn't pan out. I know. It's Miami. WTF am I doing on a trainer??? Well, sometimes it is unavoidable. I'm all for being outside. I'm not a fan of gyms. I hate treadmills. What makes all of this worthwhile is largely in part to THE LOST ART OF GETTING YOUR ASS OUTSIDE... but alas, the trainer does have benefits. It is much easier to focus on positioning and pedal stroke when not having to dodge bloodthirsty Range Rovers, swerving roach coaches, impatient soccer moms, and other fine representations of Miami's finest drivers.

Anyway, spinning away without much to look at can get redundant. Seeing as Nalu and Kai (my newly acquired cats) can only provide so much entertainment by sitting across the room staring at me and wonder what the hell this stupid human is doing, I utilize a bit of sonic inspiration to help get me by.

Here are two recent playlists I used for a couple of p.m. quickies (which also further helped to convince my neighbors that I am completely insane):

Playlist numero uno (60-mins with 90% efforts)

Thunder Kiss '65 - White Zombie
Aint Love Grand - Atreyu
Family System - Chevelle
Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul) - DJ Shadow
¡Resistancia! - Fear Factory
Queen Anne's Revenge - Flogging Molly
I Against I - Massive Attack and Mos Def
Promentory - Last of the Mohicans OST
Liarsenic (Creating A Universe Of Discourse) - Norma Jean
Mid Air Love Message - Poison The Well
First It Giveth - Queens Of The Stone Age
Sehnsucht - Rammstein
Serj Tankian - Elect The Dead
Roots Bloody Roots (Live) - Soulfly
The Pot - Tool
Pig Latin - Mike Patton/The Dillinger Escape Plan
Disconnecktie (The Faithful Vampire) - Norma Jean

Playlist numero dos (60 mins recovery with a few 75% efforts)

Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind - Yo La Tengo
Like Eating Glass - Bloc Party
Scots Wha' Ha'e - The Real McKenzie's
Let Yourself Go - Mission Of Burma
Helicopter - Bloc Party
Guns Of Memorial Park - Sparta
Banquet - Bloc Party
Kill The Poor - Dead Kennedys
California Über Alles - Dead Kennedys
Holiday In Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
Worker's Song - Dropkick Murphys
Barroom Hero - Dropkick Murphys
Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment - Ramones
Underdog World Strike - Gogol Bordello
Illumination - Gogol Bordello
Undestructable - Gogol Bordello

In conclusion, I observed that loud, pissed-off screaming music is a nice match for those 90%, minute efforts on the bike. Just don't look for me to be riding around outside with an iPod. I can't stand it when I see people on a bike with headphones.

Getting outside not enough? Need to be distracted? Just stay on the trainer.