Category Archives: Running and Workout Music

A Return to Running (On Rock, House of Cards and Shameless)…

Posted on March 20, 2013 | 53 Comments

I know it has been forever since I posted running songs. I think the last time was when I was marathon training last year, right? After that, I grew pretty lax on sticking to a running schedule. But since I’ve done nothing but stress-eat for the past month, it was either start running again or go buy a bunch of new clothes with elastic waistbands. I had a hard time deciding, believe me! Running has a lot of pros going for it though, including the fact that if I run enough miles, I can have my cookies and eat them too. So I’ve started getting serious about running again. My mood has also been better and I’m feeling more relaxed since I’ve been back at it. Those endorphins are pretty cool little dudes.

The more I run, the more of these I can eat!Well, not THOSE, I already ate those...

The more I run, the more of these I can eat!
Well, not those– I already ate those…

I was very nervous about pushing myself on my recent Sunday long-runs. I didn’t know if I would had lost much stamina from my lack of dedicated training, but I was happy to squeak out a ten-mile run a week ago Sunday, and then almost thirteen this past Sunday. I guess I did just enough “off-season” running to maintain most of my stamina. Now I have to decide if I’m going to run a local half-marathon (13.1 miles) this weekend. I’m not 100% ready for it, but I think it’s fear that’s making me hesitant, because I know I’m ready enough. I ran it last year, so I’m kind of curious if I can beat last year’s finish time. But what if I can’t? It depends also on how Spot does after chemo. Or is that just another excuse? We’ll see.

While I wasn’t running this week, I watched a little bit of television. Have you seen the new Netflix series “House of Cards” with Kevin Spacey? Wow! We flew through the series in a couple of days–it was that good. Spacey plays a U.S. Congressman enmeshed in Washington D.C. politics and power plays. He offers private narrative to the camera quite often–sarcastic, biting, hilarious, and addictive quips. His wife is played flawlessly by Robin Wright (Penn). We weren’t sure about the series after watching the first episode, it seemed a little slow, but by the end of the second, we were hooked. The series even touches on alcoholism, drug addiction and recovery, and it does a pretty good job handling the subject.

Speaking of which… does every show or movie have someone dealing with addiction these days? It seems like addiction or recovery or 12-step programs are super trendy now. Is that a good or a bad thing I wonder?

Which leads me to one of my guiltiest television pleasures… “Shameless” on Showtime. William H. Macy plays an unapologetic alcoholic, and does a damn fine job of it too. I laugh, I cry, I cringe, I think, and I thank-my-lucky-stars that I am not in his shoes. The show is not for kids, but it’s certainly entertaining.

This past Sunday on Shameless, someone asked Frank (Macy’s character) if he is gay. Frank replies, “I am whatever I need to be at the time I need to be it.” Huh. That about sums up the life of an active addict, as well as many non-addicts too, sure, but when an addict is actively drinking or using…? He or she will stop at nothing to get what he or she wants, shamelessly and relentlessly.

And I know what you all want, at least the three of you who made it this far. For me to shut up and just get to the dang running and work-out music. Okay, okay, okay. I hope you like rock music.

So for those about to rock, or run, I salute you! Happy running, walking, toe-tapping or air-guitar playing!

Oh, if you want more running songs, especially some you may have never heard, be sure to check out Eve’s post at “I’d Rather Be in  Iceland”: 10 Icelandic Songs for Running. Eve is a marathon runner and blogs mostly about all things Iceland, including Icelandic pizza–she’s definitely put Iceland on my “To Visit” radar.

Eleven Favorite Running Songs From This Week:

1- Everlong by Foo Fighters (VIDEO) (While I love THIS acoustic version too, I prefer the original when running.)

2- La Grange by ZZ Top (VIDEO)

3- Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey (VIDEO)

4- Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin (VIDEO)

5- Mountain Man by Crash Kings (VIDEO)

6- Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) covered by Marilyn Manson (VIDEO)

7- 10001110101 by Clutch (VIDEO)

8- I Got Mine by The Black Keys (VIDEO)

9- More Human Than Human by White Zombie (VIDEO) (Not suitable for young or sensitive ears)

10- Beat The Devil’s Tattoo by BRMC (VIDEO)

And my favorite running song this week (great lyrics, perfect beat!) is…

11- Keep Pushin’ by REO Speedwagon (VIDEO)

I used to be lonely till I learned about livin alone
I found other things to keep my mind on
And I’m gettin to know myself a little bit better
Whoa , I keep pushin on
Keep pushin on, yeah

Goin through all the changes I made so many mistakes, oh yes I did
Tryin to leave behind the heartaches
And sometimes I think I was a little bit crazy, oh yeah
Whoa, I keep pushin on

Keep pushin, keep pushin, keep pushin, keep pushin on
Keep pushin, keep pushin, you know you have got to be so strong
Keep pushin, keep pushin, well even if you think your strength is gone
Keep pushin on

Well it’s comin together I finally feel like a man, oh yes I do
I never thought that I’d be where I am, oh
Everyday I wake a little bit higher
Whoa I keep pushin on, oh yeah

lyrics source HERE

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My Heaven Has a DJ With a Sense of Humor

Posted on October 15, 2012 | 38 Comments

Thanks everyone for bearing with me last week as I went with a couple of informational posts versus personal posts. My creative side was running on empty there for a little while. (Most of you know from my “About” page that the Jackson Browne song “Running on Empty” inspired my blog name, though I’m not usually empty, just sober.)

I ran my second twenty miler today, and I have a LOT of random thoughts and laid back songs to share once I can transfer them from my head to the computer. It wasn’t a “perfect” run, but as Carrie mentioned in her comment to this weekend’s Words post, “perfect is the enemy of the done.” And “done” my twenty miles are. Also “done” are my thighs and butt muscles, ha, but those are random thoughts for my next post.

I did want to share though that if you think they don’t have a sense of humor in the after-realm, you are probably wrong. Wrapping up my run today, I asked my mom to be DJ and pick a song for me as I switched it to “Play All Songs at Random.” (For my new friends, my mom passed away last year, but she sends me signs and messages often in the form of song.) I thought maybe it would be something deep and prolific that would make me cry as I finished up my longest run until the marathon- like an “I Believe in You” or “I Run For Life” or something inspiring like that, maybe even “Fly Like an Eagle” though I was far from flying. But nope. As soon as the first few words of the song were spoken, I let out a big “YEAH BOYYY” and laughed, “You are so awesome Mom!” as I found a much-needed second wind to wrap up my run, giggling the entire way. (I think Mom knew I was already a hot mental mess and tears wouldn’t be helpful to my finishing.)

Anyone recognize this opening line?

“Oh. My. God. Becky. Look at her butt. It’s sooo big.’”

Source: sodahead.com

Yes. My heaven likes big butts. You heard it here first. My heaven definitely has a sense of humor! How come we never see messages like this on “What god wants you to know today” or in fortune cookies? (Confucius say,  ”Eat more cookies, because Heaven likes big butts.”) So, grab a cookie (or five), enjoy the tune, and shake that healthy butt!

“You can do side bends or sit-ups, but please don’t lose that butt…
So Cosmo says you’re fat, Well I ain’t down with that…”

*Note, please take this all-in-good fun. I don’t know God’s or god’s or gods’ or anyone’s official view from the other side, but wherever my mom is, they’re obviously having a good time and probably eating extra fortune cookies.

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(1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1) x 2 = 20!!! (Twenty Cookies and Miles Devoured!)

Posted on October 3, 2012 | 34 Comments

This is not a real post. Wait. Hell yes it is a real post. It’s just a short post.

I JUST RAN TWENTY MILES ON MY TREADMILL, AND I DIDN’T DIE! WOO-HOO!

I just did it one mile at a time until I got to ten miles. Then, “in my mind,” I turned back around and came home, one mile at a time.

It turns out that cookies and cookie dough and cookie dough ice cream are all a pretty good source of carbohydrate and running fuel. (That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.)

C is for Carbohydrate! That’s good enough for me!

I’ll try to do a “thought and music recap” sometime in the next few days when I recover and after I’ve caught up reading your blogs. Honestly, I’m really tired, but I do feel amazing; my breathing was really good and my legs didn’t really get tired until 17 miles. I am so grateful, and I feel quite small and humble today. I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have bounced back so quickly had it not been for your support and phenomenal comments. Please accept my gratitude, and if you ever need some cookie dough, hit me up.

I think I may have a new “Shake It Out” type running anthem. I’m not sure how I discovered this song, it was probably via jog.fm since I don’t listen to much mainstream radio, but I’m not sure I could have found a more fitting song for coming out of my funk. From Natasha Bedingfield’s, “Strip Me”:

Cause when it all boils down at the end of the day
It’s what you do and say that makes you who you are
Makes you think about, think about it doesn’t it
Sometimes all it takes is one voice

Take what you want, steal my pride
Build me up or cut me down to size
Shut me out but I’ll just scream
I’m only one voice in a million
But you ain’t taking that from me

I wish you all sunny skies and uncloudy days my friends.

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Rambling On… (13 miles, Pizza, Moving On and Porkchop Gratitude. And Bacon.)

Posted on September 24, 2012 | 36 Comments

I am feeling a little scattered today. Led Zepplin’s, “Ramble On” seems to fit…

“Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I’ve got one thing I got to do… 
Ramble On, And now’s the time, the time is now, to sing my song.”

When in doubt, begin anywhere, right?

Had a good 13 miler yesterday. Didn’t start as early as I’d hoped; I stayed up too late Saturday night watching college football. The good news is my pace was decent, and I finished under 2.5 hours. The bad news is it got over 90 degrees F, and I was hot and tired, and I had sweated so much that I was gritty- like caked on salt gritty. And, ugh, I was chafing (don’t ask where, I’m not going there) butt I will say that it’s zero degrees of fun.

I finally figured out a good solution for my blistering toes though. I fiddled around with the laces to give me more room in the toe area, and I use good ole plain athletic waterproof tape to wrap each toe that is blister prone. Nexcare makes a good brand (amazon link here); you can buy it at any grocery store or pharmacy by the single roll. I am going to try out some new shoe models too; ’tis the season for new running shoes, but I don’t plan on buying any until after my marathon. (Don’t run long in brand new shoes, or in anything that is “different” on race day for that matter; that’s a big no no. Blisters, chafing, fit issues, wardrobe malfunctions, stomach issues with new foods or drink, and more can result…)

The prairie dogs were out, but the heat had them feeling rather languid and lazy. Most of them stayed in their little under-ground hidey-holes, but a curious few came out to look at the crazy whistling lady get their pictures taken.

Curious little critters… Do I smell bacon?

I didn’t listen to much music this weekend; I try to skip it every few runs so I don’t “have to have it” to run. That left me alone in my head with my thoughts while I ran. Here’s just a sample of how my mind works:

- Think about a new store under construction named Jack’s that I passed on the way to the park.

- Makes me think about a store named Jack’s from when I was growing up. Jack’s was a drive-through liquor store. I always thought drive-through liquor stores were just the coolest ideas. When I worked in Consumer Product Sales, I used to call on a few of those drive through stores. One of them was an actual old barn, you drove through the middle of it and just rolled your window down. It also doubled as an oil change place in case you needed your oil changed while you stopped for smokes and beer. While it was a tad unorthodox, I thought it was a great idea.

- Drive through thoughts make me hungry. I smell bacon and hamburgers on the wind from one of those chain restaurants. Ooh bacon….. I decide what really sounds good to me is pizza. Haven’t had pizza in forever six weeks. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a pizza place drive through. Always delivery or carry-out. Now I want drive through pizza dammit. I can’t even get delivery pizza because I live too far away from the nearest delivery place. That’s probably a good thing for my waistline, but a sad thing for my tastebuds. Pizza. Bacon. Ooh. Bacon ON pizza. Bacon pizza. Maybe I’ll just make a pizza when I get home.

- Make a pizza… Making the pizza. Thinking of that crazy Kevin James in the movie “Hitch” with Will Smith. The Pizza Making dance, then Smith saying, “never. do. that. again.” Must find that youtube link when I get home. Better yet, must watch Hitch again sometime soon. “Don’t need no pizza! They got food there!”

- Think about Hitch (Smith) getting drunk on Benadryl syrup in the movie. Makes me think about one of my best girlfriends who is on pain pills for a bad back. I feel bad that I cannot be a better friend to her. It seems whenever I talk to her, she is loopy or crazy on muscle relaxers or pain pills. It seems like she is drunk. And (confession) I don’t like talking to drunk people. I used to be one; drunk people aren’t cute to me, they’re actually quite tiring, and I find it impossible to have a conversation with one. I finally accept that nothing I do will change her or control her behavior. But I also accept that her behavior under the influence is a trigger to me. I don’t like her then, so I don’t talk to her. It’s sad, I miss my friend. I had the choice to quit drinking and I made it, and I’m glad. With chronic back pain, her choice is not so simple. It’s not in my hands though; she knows how I feel. I feel guilty for not liking her anymore. People change. I have changed. I have already moved on. I don’t know how to tell her that part.

- The sadness lingers. I wish I had just jammed out to some tunes. I try to focus on the other people running and walking around me instead. I smile and wave and say hi to people with their dogs. Very few smile back. People look miserable. Why? Hey, you’re at a park on a sunny pretty Sunday morning! You should be thrilled! All the dogs look happy though. Tongues lolling, tails wagging. I like dogs more than most people some days. Some of the people don’t even make eye contact.

- Reminds me to say to my blogging friends: Ladies- if you are out and about, stand up straight, look people in the eye, let them know you see them, exude confidence, say hello; you are aware and you are confident and you are not a victim. Men- you too. Smile and make eye contact. If you look at your feet or mumble or don’t respond to a hello, you come across creepy. Or you look like a jerk. Just smile and say hi back. Even if you really are a creep or a jerk, there’s no need to look like one.

- I realize I am running in a counter-clockwise pattern. It seems everyone else at the park is going clockwise. Reminds me of a show as a kid, Sesame Street or maybe The Electric Company, with the “one of these people is doing his own thing….” segment. Am I always that person? That misfit? That non-conformist? Non-conformists unite! Wait, no, that would be conforming or something. Never mind, don’t unite.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.  ~ Mark Twain

- I finally finish my thirteen and go to snap some pictures of the prairie dogs for my blogging friends. They make me smile, (the prairie dogs, but yes, my blogging friends too) especially the young prairie dog that was brave enough to venture out of his little bricked in world to see what was beyond the wall.

Escape from Alcatraz. Hello world! (see him peeking out from under the sidewalk in the center of the photo?)

I walk up closer to him to get a photo and whisper, “non-conformists unite…” He just smiles and says, “You’re an effin monster.”

Smile and say, “Bacon Pizza!”

- I have my first of two twenty milers this Sunday. I really need to get my head in the game and start psyching myself up for it. I’m sure with some food, sleep and hydration, I’ll bounce and be ready for it. Ooh, I know… I’ll make some pizza, that’ll help. BACON PIZZA.

- I’ve rambled enough, but I want to give a special thank-you to Porkchop at “Punks in the Beerlight” for the sweet blog awards (the “One Lovely Blog Award” and the “Inspiring Blog Award.”) I will certainly play along and post some random stuff about me this week. All I can think of right now is the Lost Boys soundtrack and bacon pizza.

~~~

As I said, I skipped the running music, but while I’m on the subject of bacon pizza non-conformity, here are some of my favorite “fight the power” running songs. Enjoy, and as always, happy running!

Public Enemy, “Fight the Power” (NSFW)

John Mellencamp, “Authority Song”

O.A.R., “Crazy Game of Poker” (and I said, how ’bout a revolution?, and he said right)

Tracy Chapman, “Talking About a Revolution” (you better run, run, run, run, run, run…)

Beastie Boys, “Fight For Your Right to Party”

Bob Marley, “Get Up, Stand Up”

 

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Eighteen Miles- Owned! In the Bad-Ass Time of “Oh Who Gives a Crap”

Posted on September 19, 2012 | 44 Comments

For those of you following my running journeys, yes all three of you, you know that my marathon training schedule called for my first 18-miler ever this past Sunday. I was a little nervous, but after kicking 17-mile butt last weekend, I must say I was a little more excited than nervous.

Knowing that the run would take me at least 3.5 hours (Go Turtles!), I set my alarm for before the sun woke up so I could finish before sunset, drank some coffee, psyched myself up and got ready to go.

I drove out to a new park this time. (Yes, driving to go run somewhere sounds nuts, but I am not running up and down 18 miles of hills around my house.) The park has a nice flat 1.5 mile loop of a course around the edges of big park complex. One of the cool things about this park is that it also has a little prairie dog complex, so watching the little furry (ahem, click here if you are particularly brave or feisty or bored) creatures run around and play is a fun distraction to pounding the pavement.

I felt like I had my own cheering squad when they would pop their heads out to watch me run by. (Not my actual cheering prairie dogs, but close.)

The day started out beautifully. It was cool and cloudy and in the low 60′s with a slight breeze. This is like running weather nirvana. I couldn’t have planned it better. That is until my GPS signal dropped.

I was a good 4 miles or so in. I know that’s a long ways to some folks, but on my long runs that’s really just when I’m starting to feel warmed up and good to go. Then I look down at my Garmin watch and see the words that no OCD technologically dependent, number loving runner ever wants to see, “Satellite Signal Lost.” Huh? What? Danger, Will Robinson, danger!

You should have seen me. I literally stopped in my tracks, looked up at the open, though cloudy, sky and said, “seriously?” I was momentarily stuck in a state of indecision. I kept waiting for a prairie dog to ask me if I was lost. I tried to reset the watch and the GPS signals. Nada. I guess cloudy days are a runner’s nirvana, but not a Garmin’s nirvana. The signal wasn’t coming back. I seriously thought about going home and finishing the 14 on my treadmill. Yeah, I’m that hooked on my running stats. Which is funny, because I don’t stress about my blog stats or numbers, maybe because those are out of my control. Running stats are all up to me. Crap. “Should I stay or should go now,” played on my mp3 player (no, not really, but on the soundtrack in my mind, totally.) The evil cake voice was back saying, “go home, go to bed, stop and pick up a coffee cake on your way and eat cake in bed, you know you want to.”

That’s when the sun slid out from behind a cloud, the heavens parted, and I heard an angel’s voice say, “screw the time, just run. Get that ass moving! NOW!!!” (What? Your angels don’t talk to you that way?)

So, off I run. My signal came back later for about five miles, then went out again. So I can account for nine of the miles (faster pace than last week, yay! Must have been my drill sergeant angel.)  I did my best to keep track of the laps for the other nine miles with the old-fashioned stop-watch option, but honestly? I don’t know, and I’m not overly stressed about it. I know I ran 18. I may have even run 19.5. When I was trying to figure it out and merge my maps and tally my times and all that jazz, I texted my friend A. (She is my “running/ accountability buddy”) I told her I was trying to figure out my numbers and I was really frustrated and mad at the satellites and on and on. And this is her actual response:

“I don’t give a fuck about your timing. No offense. You are a fucking monster. Great job. Congratulations. I can’t even.”

And that’s when it hit me. It just didn’t matter. What mattered is I had a goal of eighteen miles, and I accomplished that goal. And I am a fucking monster. Case closed.

Truth be known, the GPS going out was probably a good thing. It gave me something else to think about, it let me feel the breeze and focus on the gorgeous day, it took some of the pressure off, and it made me watch the prairie dogs a little more closely. I’m thinking of just leaving it at home this Sunday when I go out for my 13 (or 14.5 or whatever the heck I end up doing). But I will try to take my camera- I want ya’ll to see those cheering prairie dogs. I swear they’re saying, “Look at that Turtle run! She’s a fucking monster!”

Photo Source: NPS.gov

***

I also downloaded and listened to some new tunes this run that I found on jog.fm in the 150-160 bpm range. Here are five for your listening (and work-out) pleasure. Enjoy, and happy running!

1- Bloc Party, “Flux”

“If your right hand is causing you pain
Cut it off cut it off
If your colors have started to run
Let them all run, run away from you”

2- Butthole Surfers, “Pepper”

(yeah, I know, crazy band name, but the band and the song are awesome.)

“I don’t mind the sun sometimes, the images it shows
I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes
Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies
You never know just how you look through other people’s eyes…”

3- The Game, “Dreams, The Original Version”

“On my iPod I’m listening to “Gin and Juice,” but I drink water cuz it got the most minerals, and I hope I’m not offending Snoop, cuz Beef is stupid…” 

4- Death Cab for Cutie, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”

(I had no idea this would be such a great song to run to; I thought it would be a little slow, but the beat is perfect and the lyrics just take my mind far away- they’re beautiful!)

“If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
And illuminate the no’s on their vacancy signs 
If there’s no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark”

5- Eminem, “Lose Yourself”

(I can’t believe I haven’t listed this one yet! A tried and true, this one sent me sailing stumbling through the final lap of my 18 (or 19.5, whatever). Plus, I love that he is Sober and Proud.)

“You better lose yourself in the music, the moment 
You own it, you better never let it go 
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow 
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime you better…”

6- BONUS!- The Clash, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” 

(I didn’t actually run to this one yet, but couldn’t resist adding it in. Sounds like the beat could work for walking (during the main verses) or for running (during the chorus). I’ll try it out this weekend.)

“Should I stay or should I go now? 
Should I stay or should I go now? 
If I go there will be trouble 
And if I stay it will be double”

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Guess Who Ran 17 Miles Yesterday?

Posted on September 10, 2012 | 41 Comments

Um, yeah, that would be me.

I’m really venturing into unknown territory here. I’ve never run this far, or this often. Some days it’s really just a guessing game. Am I drinking enough water? Am I getting enough protein? Am I eating enough carbs? Should I feel bad about eating a dozen bagels for breakfast? (not really, but almost.) Are these blisters normal? I mean who gets blisters at the tip of their pinkie toe? (um, yeah, that would be me.) Why am I doing this? Am I over training? Should I be pushing more?

In a way, it’s a lot like early sobriety. ALL THESE FEELINGS. ALL THESE QUESTIONS. Some days it’s just pointing yourself in the right direction and putting one foot in front of the other and going through the motions. It kinda sucks when you’re going through a rough patch, but the next day when you wake up refreshed and renewed and you look back at yesterday’s success (not drinking, running 17, not screaming at anyone for looking at you sideways…), you can feel pretty damn proud of yourself.

The first ten miles of my run felt great-I was breathing well, my legs felt strong, I started slowly, no problems.

Something happened at ten, a little light switched, that voice started talking, “hey, did you know you’ve just run ten miles? Aren’t you tired? You should be tired. You’re in double digits now, that’s crazy. I’m going to flip all the tired switches on in your body. And you’re going to go inside and eat cake.” You know what I said to that voice right? “F*ck off, I’m busy running.” So I obviously have a mental block at mile ten. Okay, note to self made,  I know what it is, when to expect it, I can run through that block. I continued running (no walking! yay!) on, then I hit fifteen.

Fifteen miles. Then 15.1, 15.2, 15.3… Holy crap, I’ve never run this far before! Legs feel good, but I know if I walk for any reason, they’ll tighten up and it will take an act of god to get them running again. I must keep going. My breathing starts to get tired, I focus on the rhythm of my breaths. In, in, out, out, in, in, out, out.

I’m at sixteen miles. There’s no way I’m stopping now. Andy Roddick’s voice in my head, “It doesn’t matter how much energy you have. You just keep going.” I switch to Florence and the Machine’s “Shake It Out.” “And it’s hard to dance, with a devil on your back, so shake him off…” I can feel the sweat starting to chill on my arms, the goosebumps and the hairs starting to rise, “it’s always darkest before the dawn…” I wonder for a moment how in the world I’m going to run nine more of these miles in a marathon (flipping to the back of the math book. I hear my mom’s voice, “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Focus on where you are, you’ll be stronger then”…) I come back to the moment, and I’m steps away from finishing.

And I’m done. I take a moment and lean over for breath, feel the legs tighten, feel the emotion well up, where the heck are these tears coming from?, look at my time- 3:33:21. My mom died on 3/21. I feel those goosebumps again. Nice one mom. (And yes, I told you all that I’m a turtle. But turtles are cute and determined and they carry their homes on their backs. Turtles are awesome.)

I feel really strong, and tired, and spent, and proud. I feel accomplished. I feel hungry. I go eat two soft pretzels and a glass of milk. Then I feel nauseous. My legs twitch and ache. Why am I doing this? I don’t like these after-effects, caught up in the pain. I wonder again how I’m going to finish 26.2. I feel hung-over. I go to bed.

I wake refreshed and renewed. I ran 17 miles yesterday! My body is amazing! My mom was with me! I feel like running 17 more! (ok, not really, not today.) Was it worth it? Absolutely. I think of the caterpillar morphing into a butterfly, no doubt that process hurts. Would the butterfly say it was worth it? I think yes. I think of my mom, battling cancer, the fight with chemo that added a few years to her life. Was it tough, was it painful? Yes. Was it worth it? I think she would say yes. Absolutely. Will I continue with my training and my long runs that bring blisters, sweat, tears and nausea? Yes. Will I finish 26.2 with pride and accomplishment and gratitude? Absolutely.

Bring on next Sunday’s 18. I’m ready. I’m absolutely ready.

***

Listened to this a few times on my run. “I said a hip hop the hippie the hippie
to the hip hip hop, and you don’t stop…” They don’t make ‘em like this anymore folks.

***

I finished up with this one. I shared Glee’s version a few weeks back, but the original is my go-to. “And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back, so shake him off…”

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Rap, Rock ‘n Roll, Roddick and Running

Posted on September 3, 2012 | 11 Comments

This was a strange week. I felt a little off all week, as we’ve all been discussing. I’m really really glad that big ole blue moon is on the wane.

I had decent runs though. I stayed on schedule with my training plan, didn’t miss any work-outs, didn’t cut any of them short. Yeah, I did cut one short last week, last Sunday’s long 15 mile run. I think that was around the start of the blue moon off kilter stuff. I got 11 in, but after taking a couple walk breaks (I was really tired) I let my brain talk me out of the rest of the run. You know, that extremist thinking, “Well you’ve ALREADY walked. You’re tired. What’s the use in finishing now? It’s not like you ran them continuously, you failed, you may as well go in and eat a big chocolate cake and go to sleep, Loser.” Yeah, I listened to it. I paint a good picture ya’ll, but never forget I’m as messed up as the best of us, especially when my mind is playing tricks on me.  So my goal this week was to finish all the runs, no quitting. When the mind starts talking, ignore it. Like so many of us have been told, “Just because I think something, doesn’t make it fact.”

And I’m happy to say, I rocked my 15 miles this Sunday. Well, “rocked” may be a generous term, but I did finish it without walking and without quitting. I actually slept in, and then it was too hot to run outside, so I decided to hop on the treadmill and watch U.S. Open tennis while I ran. Did you catch that Andy Roddick vs. Fabio Fognini match? Wow! Both guys fought for every single point. The sets were all so close and really the match could have gone either way. Toward the end, both men were tired, but somehow Roddick found his second wind and rallied to win it in the fourth set.

During his interview after the match, Roddick was asked about his next match and about how much this match affected him; would his energy levels suffer as a result? “How will that affect you Andy?”

“It won’t matter. It doesn’t really matter how much energy you have left, you just keep going,” replied Roddick while I was at mile twelve and feeling every pounding step.

I love you Andy Roddick.

Life, sobriety, running… you just keep going. And that voice that tells you stop, that tells you that you may as well go ahead and drink, you may as well go eat the whole dang cake, that you’re a loser? Tell that voice to shut the f*ck up and prove it wrong; the more you prove it wrong, the more it shuts up. “Those that say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it,” said unknown (unknown sure said a lot of cool stuff!)

*** shifting gears into musical focus ***

I’m a little bit rap, I’m a little bit rock ‘n roll… Don’t worry, I’m not including Donnie and Marie. Well, unless you count this link, but that’s only so that sentence makes more sense makes for my, uh, younger readers. Truthfully, Donnie and Marie were a little bit before my time, but I do admire their pop culture re-invention. How do some musicians manage to keep re-inventing themselves? How do they stay relevant? Madonna, Snoop Dog, Steven Tyler, Mick “Moves Like” Jagger? Sigh, I feel the tugs of age today, a little nostalgic for my younger days.  This Bowling For Soup song “1985″ is probably more up my alley. When exactly DID Motley Crue become classic rock anyway?

(And just fyi, since this song came out in 2004, David Lee Roth rejoined Van Halen as lead singer in 2006 and it was Sharon who replaced Ozzy as the big television star. Life carries on and on and on, even on the radio, you know that thing with the long metal stick on the side and big plastic dials and oh never mind.)

As I wrote above, my feelings of being off-kilter transferred a little in to my runs this week. I found myself listening to a lot of my “tried and trues” (which I really try to save for emergencies only) and impatiently hitting the “next” button during most other songs that shuffled into cue. There’s really only one thing for me to do when I can’t seem to settle down, can’t seem to make-up my mind, can’t seem to choose between rap and rock— MASH THINGS UP and listen to both at the same time.

Here are a few of my favorite mash-ups that helped me log some miles this week. Aren’t familiar with mash-ups? They’re like when two of your favorite songs fall in love and have a brand new baby song. It’s like your two favorite songs- only reinvented. Many of the DJ’s that do these allow downloads from their sites, god bless them, so if you like what you hear go check them out and see how you can show them some love.

Enjoy and Happy Running.

Please note most of these songs are not suitable for work, or for young or sensitive ears due to language.

***

1- “Lust for Da Club Life” Iggy Pop vs. 50 Cent (currently #14 on DJ Tripp’s site here)

2- “Love the Way You Lie vs. Paradise City” Eminmen/Rihanna vs. Guns ‘N Roses (DJ’s from Mars)

3- “Whole Lotta Extra Dougie” Cali Swag District vs. Katy Perry vs. Led Zepplin (DJ Lobsterdust)

4- “The Way Billie Jean Are” MJ vs Flo Rida and more (DJ Shades)

5- “Crazy Logic” Gnarls Barkley vs. Supertramp and more (This is clean.)  (by Arty Fufkin, #9 on the “Best of ’06 Bootie” list) Check out the other songs on the list there too- I’m digging #6 Madonna v Death Cab for Cutie, #8 Timberlake v Siouxsie, and #19 BIG v Red Hot Chili Peppers. The 2005 compilation is pretty awesome too. Lots of good (free) stuff  over there. 

And no number just a bonus because it so awesome: “Stayin’ Hot” Nelly (Hot in Here) vs. Bee Gees (Stayin’ Alive) (DJ Lobsterdust) I know, right! This one is on my tried and true playlist.

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Just Keep Running, Running, Running. (Thoughts and Songs From a Sunday Run)

Posted on August 20, 2012 | 10 Comments

Just keep running. Just keep running, just keep running, running, running. What do we do? We run, run. We love to run!

Is it stuck in your head yet?

How about now? Sorry.

Yesterday was my long run day-14 miles. Afterwards I stood in the shower asking myself, “why in the world am I doing this? Why am I subjecting my body to this? What the hell am I doing?” It was a tough run, at least the last 4 miles were. It played with my mind. It tore up my feet. It killed my thighs. It left me doubting myself. It left me wondering why in the world do I do this? But I finished it, and I’m glad I did. I am stronger for it.

Why do I do this? I do it, because I can. I run to push my boundaries and to see how far I can go. If you don’t push yourself, if you don’t give a little more when you think you have nothing left to give, you never know what you are capable of. Hard runs make you appreciate the easy runs. Hard runs make you stronger. Hard runs build your confidence (after they totally break you down.) Hard runs remind you that, “yes, you can do this. You’ve done it before, you can do it again.”

My marathon is in roughly 10 weeks. I know there will be times leading up to it and quite probably during the marathon itself that I will question myself and want to quit. Runs like yesterday’s strengthen the spirit and give you practice running through the doubt and the pain. They give you success and ammunition to tackle the next mile. They remind you that you can, you are able, you got this.

I kept telling myself during the last few miles, “this is why you run, this is why you run, this is why you run.” And then, “just keep running, just keep running, running, running.” My two mantras I guess.

It’s really like early sobriety. Some days were just hard. Some still are. But each day that I didn’t drink made me stronger. Each day that I pushed through strengthened my resolve and made it easier to get through the next rough day. You just have to stick with it. Don’t quit, don’t give in to the doubt, don’t forget why you decided to stop drinking in the first place, and don’t forget how far you’ve come. You can, you are able, you got this. Just keep running. (running, running…)

~~~

I listened to a couple of running mixes from RockMyRun.com for the first 3/4 of my run. I started with an 80′s mix Miles Fly By, and then to the classic rock mix Miles and Mullets. (Miles and Mullets may be one of my new favorite mixes- Kiss, AC/DC, Queen, ZZ Top, Journey and more.) Check them out if you need some new running tunes.

The last 1/4 I was really tired, so I turned back to a few of my tried and true favorites. (If you run a lot with music, make a playlist of your go-to songs, the songs that really get you going no matter how tired you are. Listen to it sparingly, like a “for emergency use only” playlist, so that it doesn’t lose its spark and effectiveness.)

Here are ten of my tried and true. (I tried to post mobile links if possible for better convenience for all, but that sometimes meant grabbing a live version or a cover version. If you like what you hear, find the original on iTunes or Amazon.) I’m planning to post my next running song list in two weeks. Until then, happy running!

1- “Power” by Kanye West (lyrics NSFW)

Desktop link:

Mobile link: cover version (by Levar Allen):

2- “Sour Cherry” by The Kills

3- “Keep Your Head” by The Ting Tings

4- “What Difference Does It Make” by The Smiths

5- “Everybody Talks” by Neon Trees

6- “The Sharpest Lives” by My Chemical Romance

7- “Infinity Guitars” by Sleigh Bells

8- “Na Na Na Na Naa” by Kaiser Chiefs

9- “Sins of My Youth” by Neon Trees

10- “Why Do You Love Me” by Garbage

Do you have any favorites? Any songs that kick you into high gear? I’d love to check them out! 

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Songs From a Sunday Run (Running Music With Thoughts and a Twist)

Posted on August 13, 2012 | 16 Comments

I run a lot. I’m currently training for a marathon with this plan; I’m running five days a week, currently knocking on 40 miles a week. I’m also one of those persons that loves to run with music, especially music that either matches my stride, pumps me up, or delivers a strong lyrical message. If a song matches all three, I’m in musical running nirvana and I feel like I can run forever.

Bear with me while I try something new. I’ve been wanting to discuss my running for a while, but I must have some mental roadblock that detours me each time I plan to start a post, and I end up writing about Facebook or monkeys or wasps. So this is me using music as therapy, and dipping my foot in the “let’s talk about running and why it is so important to me and how it has saved my life and how I promised my mom I would run a marathon” pool.

Many of you may groan. Either you found this page simply wanting running music, or you are reading simply because you wish to read about recovery and Facebook and monkeys and wasps. So here is my compromise. Each week or two,  I’ll share a few songs that I enjoy running to. I’ll probably share why I enjoy said songs and include links when possible. But I’ll also start an on-going page/tab off of my home page that I will keep just for a listing of running / workout music. That way if you’re just here for the music, you can go to that tab. If you’re here for recovery or life stuff, you’ll get a few anecdotes and maybe find some new music you enjoy. And since this will get my mental running wheels in motion, maybe it will prompt me to finally write posts about my running “journey.”

And so…. here are 5 songs from my Sunday run. Oddly enough, they all seem to share an empowered recovery theme, running music with a twist. You’d think I had planned that or something. ;)

Song Number One:

“Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson

Unless you live in a cave, you have probably heard this song. And unless you live in a cave without internet, you have probably seen this video of the children and staff of Seattle’s Children Hospital “singing along” with Kelly. But no matter how many times I hear this song, no matter how many times I see the video, my foot taps, my heart tugs, and I want to jump up and down spinning around in a circle singing, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…!”

Song Number Two:

“Shake It Out” by Florence and The Machine (below performance by the cast of Glee)

Boy. What can I say about this song? This is one of my favorites ever to run to, to cry to, to feel empowered to, to fight demons to, to say goodbye to, to dance to, to cook to, to drive to… I think you get the idea. I made a distinct decision to let go of a lot of painful crap a few months ago, and I capped it off with a solo half-marathon (13.1 miles). This song played on repeat for the final two miles. I’m sure I looked like a hot mess to anyone who saw me running- tears, sweat and snot flying, heaving from sobs and the sheer exertion of an all out run, shaking off my devils with each stride.

“It’s a fine romance, but it’s left me so undone. It’s always darkest before the dawn… And it’s hard to dance, with a devil on your back, so shake him off.”

I’ve not kept up with Glee for a while (though I love love love Santana), so I was blown away when I listened to this performance. To paraphrase Jennifer Lopez, yes, I got major goosies. The original is a little faster and not acoustic, so that is the version I run to, but I think I may add the Glee acoustic version as a cool-down song. It’s a continuous reminder to me to Just. Let. Go. Let go of whatever is weighing you down, and shake the devil off.

Song Number Three:

“Goodbye to You” by The Veronicas

“I wanted you far too much to ever let you go.” Not that I can relate to that at all, yeah right. A great “Goodbye to ____”  (fill in the blank with your poison.) This song has a perfect beat for running. It’s one of my go-to’s for a fast finish.

Song Number Four:

“Whip It” by Devo

“When a problem comes along, you must whip it…” This is just a kick-ass song to run to. The beat is perfect. The lyrics make me feel I can take on Chuck Norris. And almost win. And it makes me think about dancing around with plastic flower pots on my head. Really, what’s not to love?

Song Number Five:

“Parabol and Parabola” by Tool:

This song was a spiritual musical epiphany for me. Actually, it’s two songs, but like chocolate and peanut butter, it’s hard to have one without the other. A friend introduced me to this duo right in the midst of my excessive drinking. “We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion,” was like a light bulb going on in a dark room and like getting kicked in the stomach at the same time. My friend suggested the first time I listen, to close my eyes, lean back, and just crank the volume, and “be open,” he said. I offer you the same suggestion. This song can transform you. It can change the way you see life. “We are choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside, This holy reality, this holy experience. Choosing to be here…” I listen to this usually at the start of my run, and if I am struggling, I will listen to Parabola by itself to remind me to breathe. I am choosing to be here.

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