Late last week, a reader commented on my first blog post (which wasn't too long ago) to tell me that the concept of my blog was a great idea. While this was nice and reassuring, it was also the catalyst for this latest post.
The blogger, Marie, mentioned how important music was to her and her teammates when she ran cross country in high school--and I'd have to agree. Cross country as a sport depends on workouts of various distances and paces, but the competitive aspect of the sport revolves around the 5K. After reading Marie's comment I wondered if I still had it in me: a race-paced 5K.
So Tuesday afternoon, on one of the nicest days we've had in Maryland this year, I threw together a playlist of some newer songs and some old jams. A friend and I had figured out how to run a 5K at Lake Artemesia my sophomore year so I jogged there after class and did EVERYTHING like I would have done it in high school.
I ate a banana an hour before, stretched, and even threw in some warmup strides. I started to realize how much I missed competitive running--or maybe just how much I miss being in the shape I was in when I was a competitive runner.
The nostalgia turned into adrenalin and I did it. For the first time in a year I ran 5 Kilometers as hard as I could, without stopping. I was admittedly dead at the end, as I wasn't expecting 22-year-old beer drinking self to produce a sub 18-minute race, but I was surprised when I came in at 19:40.
These three songs were most helpful in me finishing:
1) "Numb/Encore" by Jay Z and Linkin Park: Possibly one of the best pump-up songs ever (in my opinion). Sang it in my head while waiting for the whistle at the start of every cross-county race and soccer game. Might not like both genres as it is a mashup, but I can't see how this wouldn't work to motivate someone.
2) "Ass Back Home" by Gym Class Heros: Ignore the title's vulgarity. If a song has ever been catchy, it's this one.
3) "Starships" by Nicki Minaj: Don't usually like her, but this one has an amazing drop. Can't beat the beat!
It's been a while since someone has referenced that Jay-Z and Linkin Park mix. I used to love that song! I never thought out work out to it
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