As a teenager in high school I was what you may call a "rough" looking individual. I had long hair, wore black jeans, black rock t-shirts, a leather jacket and listened to heavy metal. If that wasn't enough, my high school yearbook listed my nick name as "hair". I liked music and then some. AC DC is and will always be my favorite band.
Unfortunately, my music talent was non-existent. So my hopes of being in a metal band and becoming famous were just dreams. But even then I realized the power that music had over me. Think about it. Even if you're a mediocre music lover there were times through your life that certain music reminds you of. Your rebellious teen years, your carefree college days, your wedding song. There's a song for every occasion of your life.
When I started running I used to listen to music on my Sony Walkman cassette player. Really dating myself here for those of you that remember what I'm talking about. That eventually got upgraded to a Sony Walkman CD player. Then MP3 players appeared on the market. Now I can't live without my Ipod.
Some runners enjoy the music free noises of the run itself and run without a music player. But not me. I've tried it and it's nice. But I definitely like listening to something better. When podcasting arrived on the scene I was immediately hooked. It was like running with a partner that could keep perfect pace with you and you didn't have to say a thing. But that story is for another post.
After running ten marathons and numerous other distance races I'm here to tell you music affects your performance. There were times during training and during races where I had absolutely nothing left in the tank. Thanks to music I was able to get the kick in the ass that I needed to get going again. I will always think of breaking that four hour marathon mark during my most recent marathon when I hear Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue. That song motivates the hell out of me!
To be fair, as I've gotten older my music tastes have changed. Metal will always have a special spot in my heart. But I now find all varieties of music in my ipod. I like everything from classical, I love the Chariots of Fire theme by Vangelis, to rap, Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z will always remind me of NYC and the two marathons that I've run there.
As I started to cross-train today with weights I was originally going to listen to some podcasts. But I was really tired. So I opted for the "workout" playlist. Before I knew it people were starting to look at me funny. I probably shouldn't sing out loud the lyrics to Shake That by Eminem when I exercise next to someone thirty years older than me. Oops!
My workout was great and I was once again reminded the power music has over me. My whole point is this: put music in your workout and you may be surprised by the results that you get!
Little update on the lock situation. My new lock worked horribly at the gym today. I had to wedge it into the hasp of the locker to get it to lock. When I was done with my workout it took me five minutes to get the dang thing off. When I managed to pry it off, it flew through the locker room barely missing somebody. Ugh! Another trip to Lowes home improvement for yet another lock! I decided to try the same one I'd used before that I could set a personal combination. I know that this type fits onto the gym lockers easily. Lo and behold after watching an online tutorial I was able to set the combination without any problems! The little man picked out the color, superhero Flash red. Perfect!
Today was a good day. Feeling tired didn't matter. Bills didn't matter. Had a great workout while the little man played at the gym's kid center. Got my remaining chores done around the house. Made some awesome homemade chili and cornbread. And got to write this blog sitting in front of my fireplace. Back to the grind for me tomorrow. Run for your life my friends and put some music in your life...
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