Thursday, February 14, 2013

I Bet You Didn’t Know That Song Was On My iPod

I do not know why I was so psyched out about this.

IMAG1224

I look happy here – at the gym at 5:30 a.m. this morning getting ready to do a tempo run. I am faking it. I was really not that excited.

In fact, I was kind of stressed. Which is totally and completely stupid because it’s just a dumb 6 mile tempo run done at a small gym in Longmont, Colorado at the wee hours of the morning for God’s sake. It’s not like it’s the Olympic Trials.

Why stressed? Let’s break it down.

  • I haven’t done structured speed work/tempo work in a long time
  • I haven’t trained for a marathon in a long time (2 years)
  • I have injury PTSD
  • Sometimes I am afraid to be too tired
  • Sometimes I am afraid to hurt

The good news is I knew my brain was messing with me and that I just needed to get out of my head to make this a really good, quality, kick ass run.

So, after a long warm up, I kicked in the tempo miles at 7.3 mph (8:12 pace). I realize this is a warm up, easy pace for some of you, but it is not easy for me.

I talked to myself the whole time:

  • Do not stop and rest. If you stop and rest, it is not a tempo run it is an interval run and that is not what you’re here for (got this reminder from this girl)
  • You are strong, steady, perfect, capable
  • You are not injured. Nothing hurts. Stop being scared.
  • Don’t be afraid to give it your all. Balls to the wall (oops, I don’t have balls – but nipples to the wall sounds stupid)
  • I thought of a quote in one of my favorite running books (What I Talk About When I Talk About Running): “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”

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These two songs also helped.

AD/DC – Rock Your Heart Out
Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart

Yes, I am old school with my music sometimes. These songs will get even a limp, lazy and drunk person up and running. (Clearly I was going for a HEART theme for Valentine’s Day - not really, pure coincidence actually).

All of this ranting and raving in my brain worked. I got my head in the game and there was this almost immediate physical turn around.  It wasn’t that hard. Not at all. Even when my stomach started cramping at mile 5 and I let some (not so innocent) farts fly, I kept going. The feeling at the end? Exhilaration. Confidence to start my day. And, I wasn’t even faking it.

Moral of the story – your mind can be your own worst enemy. So, make friends with it and make it work for you.

Speed work: love it or hate it? I like to say we have a love/hate relationship

What’s one song people might be surprised to find on your iPod? Greased Lightening from Grease. I always skip it when it comes on, but somehow I still love that song – especially the part that goes, “You know I ain’t bragging, she’s a real pussy wagon!” DANG, that was kind of advanced for 1978. I used to run around as an 11 year old singing that with no clue about what it meant.

Happy VD! Hope you don’t have any STDs this year.

SUAR

52 comments:

  1. I love love love intervals but I never appreciate speed work the same way. After I'm done I always feel accomplished, but in the moment not so much.

    Something weird on my ipod? The entire first album from *NSYNC. Yep, I was in love with JC.

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  2. Definitely a love/hate relationship with intervals. Love it after, dread it before just like you.

    L.E.S. Artistes by Santigold, can't help it, I love that song.

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  3. I love my gym at 5- 5:30 (or earlier!) Separates the weenies from the rest of us..

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  4. Everything from I'm Too Sexy (Right Said Fred), Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne), River Deep Mountain High (Celine Dion version). Crazy eclectic ipod music and every song I love!

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    1. Ecletic-icity (yep just made that up!) is the beauty of music players. Which is why finding Gloria Gaynor alongside Gloria (by Laura Branigan?), and Sister Sledge (yes, We ARE Family!) alonside Sister Christian (give me some Night Ranger!) is not at all suprising when I look through my player. That get's you through the warm-up of your run. Then for the tempo miles you need the headliners of some great 80's hair bands including Dokken (a little Tooth & Nail you '80's kids?) or some Ratt? Or maybe some more "traditional" classic bands like Journey, Foreigner or Loverboy before cooling down with some Hall & Oats and then crashing for the night with some mellow Yo-Yo Ma and Chris Botti. Of course if you're headed into the weekend, that Friday night run might just need a little Kenny Chesney or Jimmy Buffett to get the party started. Yep, it's all on my player, and yes, my kids think I'm weird...

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  5. "I realize this is a warm up, easy pace for many of you bitches, but it is not easy for me."

    Please don't apologize for your pace, or downplay it. It makes us everyday runners feel inadequate. I'm damn proud of myself when I do a 9:30/mile pace. Of course, its your blog, so you can say what you want, but I often feel discouraged when running bloggers tell their pace and then are disappointed by it.

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    1. Yes, I know what you mean - but, I am just saying what is true for me - not judging anyone else or thinking anyone else should run this pace. My goal is to run faster more comfortably - that is a personal goal. I am not apologizing for my pace - actually was just trying to poke fun and not take myself so seriously like I do a lot on this blog.

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    2. This is the exact same point I made the other day. I read this one blo religiously and when she talked about her crappy 9 minute pace being like a walker I wanted to smack.

      I don't think you ever do this SUAR. but another blogger does and it's not right. ANY pace is good as long as your out moving. Anonymous- 9:30 is awesome! the average joe cant even do a 10 minute pace so good for you!!

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  6. The weirdest thing on my iPod currently is the remix version of Sweet Brown's "Ain't Nobody Got Time For That"... Cracks me up every single time it comes on.

    I have a love/hate relationship with speedwork. When it goes well, I love it. On a craptastic day, not so much.

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    Replies
    1. Ha! I live in same town of Sweet Brown... She's now on about four local commercials... We Oklahomans don't get out much!

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  7. I love your humor - it made my day today. That is all! <3

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  8. I hate intervals, but don't mind fartlek training. Maybe it's the psychological aspect of stopping/starting/stopping again that I dislike. Once I start, I hate to stop for any reason.

    Weird song (of many) on my playlist is Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm. Best 'get the heart going' song is Black Betty by Ram Jam.

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  9. Nice work. For some reason, tempo runs always energize me. Intervals are good, but I'm usually too spent when I'm done to be all that excited about them - but tempo? Tempo leaves me psyched for the rest of the day. Glad you had the same experience. Way to power through.

    I only have audiobooks on my iPod. But mostly they're junky thriller novels. Brain candy, reserved only for running...

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    Replies
    1. Yep. Me, too. It can't be too intense or you can't concentrate on it.

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  10. Tom Jones. He makes me snap my fingers!!!

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  11. I got KennyRogers & 2Live Crew on the same playlist. KR would surprise those who know me. 2 Live Crewnot so much lol

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  12. What I REALLY want to know is how you get an empty locker room to take the photo in. Did you fart beforehand and clear everybody out? The only time I ever had a public locker room to myself, a geezer came in and wanted the locker right next to me. It was his "favorite". Creeped me right out.

    I have never done speed work.

    I'm not sure what music would surprise people. The oldest music is nearly 800 years old, and there's bits of much that happened up till now. With some exceptions almost everything from the last 30 years is noise.

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  13. Injury PTSD. THAT'S what I have.

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  14. It's "Tits to the Tar" for you ladies...

    I like it that the training has started... ours starts in just over a week. With the new year just getting under way the Students have just start their year and next week they start running properly and then it's a big 4 week build up...

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  15. I miss running :(. Puff the magic dragon is on my iPod for some reason. And I just tried to watch Grease with my kids. Yeah a little advanced for my 10 and 7 year olds. Oops.

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  16. ANYTHING by AC/DC! Back in Black is #2 on the list of the best-selling albums of all time, behind Michael's Jackson's Thriller but way ahead of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. Rock on!

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  17. I have "Thunderstruck" on my iPhone, gets me fired up and running.
    I have started my Yasso 800s for my marathon shooting for 4:10.
    Good Luck!
    Art
    http://fitatfifty-art.blogspot.com/

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  18. I've never done speedwork. Still just trying to run the whole time, but I walk a lot. Never really been super injured, but still fear it. I have a fair amount of teeny-bopper Nick and Disney star music (Victoria Justice, Lemonade Mouth, etc). It is kind of fun to run to.

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  19. The soundtrack to Conan the Barbarian by Basil Poledouris has long been one of my favorite records and I’ve recently come to find out it’s also a really great running record…especially in the snow (a rare occurrence around here). I saw the movie as a kid, but don’t remember it. And now I refuse to ever watch it again because now as I listen to it, I can make up my own imagery. It’s fun. And now you know that I’m a silly fool.

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  20. I have ALL the same fears when I go to do speedwork. It's intimidating! Getting out of our comfort zones can be seriously scary!

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  21. I say the same EXACT thing! Don't hop off! DO NOT HOP OFF! HAHAHA! Glad to know I'm not the only one! Turn the speed up, turn the music up! No fear :)

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  22. Did you say an 8:12 was an easy, warm up pace?! HA HA HA!!! For some of us that would be never gonna see it because I'd stroke out and keel over pace!! And I wish I'd seen this before I blew off my husband for 5am spin class because I'm afraid of my sometimes irritable knee................

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  23. I love the old rock classics. They really help when you need to hammer.
    I love speedwork (nothing like going Twat to the Wall) though I too suffer from injury PTSD ...

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  24. I only run intervals, I have no desire to try and run anything non-stop. Lazy? possibly, but I am comfortable with it and I like it :-) I have never done speed work or fartleks or any of the other things runners are "supposed" to do. Hmmm, could be why I am so slow...or just a lazy runner.

    I just got my first iPod at Christmas when my mother-in-law upgraded and gave me her old one. There are a lot of games that my kids put on there, but so far no songs...Ok, I have to admit, I don't even know how to put a song on it. I'm sure my 14 year old could show me though. If I had songs, there would probably be My daughter's Selena Gomez CD and any/all Bon Jovi (maybe not ALL, but most) Pretty much anything 80's, which would mortify my 14 year old.

    My half marathon training officially starts on Sunday for the Country Music Half in April. So excited!

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  25. some Ska gets my feet moving-check out John Kachnowski"s CD squeeze!

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  26. "...at mile 5 and I let some (not so innocent) farts fly"

    I can't stop laughing. And I'm never running next to you.
    Also- that "warm up" pace? I will probably never see that pace! Good on ya, you're my hero!

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  27. I love speed work and miss it so bad right now! I have injury ptsd and I am still injured. I am now convinced that my feet are ruined and my joints will all dislocate as soon as I start back. My goal is to tape them up, put on some filthy ass rap music and keep going until I get back to my previous pace! If you have a treadmill in your basement, you can fart freely!

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  28. You are so right about your mind being your own worst memory! Mine certainly is! So I distract it with country and western songs.

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  29. So true on the mind over matter thing. I'm going to have to keep this in mind for tomorrow when I attempt my incredibly frightening 22-miler w/ 17 miles of progression. Just writing it makes me shake.

    I hope that once you get going w/ speed on a regular basis it helps calm your injury worries. I think it has done that for me and I am finding my body can handle way more than I ever gave it credit for--it's a good feeling to eradicate those injury fears.

    Ok--my ipod song of surprise: Nessun Dorna from Pavarotti.

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  30. Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart, total cheesy song, but *awesome* to run to! Love it every time it shuffles on when running.

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  31. I wore my 'Shut Up & Run' shirt today on my 14 mile run and repeated that in my head a million times. Such a challenge to get the mind to work WITH me instead of against me.

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  32. Great job on the tempo run! Love the self-talk! I do the same thing (often out loud) to keep myself going.
    I think I have the whole Grease sound track on my iPod + Led Zepplin, country music - I like variety!

    Thanks for sharing your tempo pace - nice to see!

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  33. Thanks for the book recommendation!!

    http://realliferunnergirl.blogspot.com/

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  34. I've just started a new training to better my time on the half. For the first time I'm trying speed and tempo and running those longs at slower than race pace. I ADORE the training but I teach fourth grade so I'm already a glutton for punishment!

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  35. Talk Dirty to Me by Poison and Just Like Heaven by the Cure are good runnin' songs my friends might be surprised by...well, not my friends from high school!
    I've never tried speed work. I figure I'm doing well to just get out there and run.
    And yes, my pace is far below the pace you mentioned, but again I gotta be proud of getting out and going! Today I happily came in under my usual 12 min mile.

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  36. Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd. Yep, I'm weird like that :-)

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    1. You are not weird at all! Great song selection!

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  37. Love some big hair rock! I think tempo runs are the hardest for me mentally--I know it's going to be uncomfortable if I'm doing it right. And, your pace is stellar--I haven't seen 8's in a while--running is tough with a bun-in-the-oven!! :) Keep rocking Beth!!

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  38. When I do tempo runs on the treadmill I can barely stay at 6mph for 5 miles with no breaks. Then when I do a long run outside, my easy pace is below that... I blame my brain :) For intervals I can go to 6.5-7 for 400 or 800, and then jog between at 5.5-5.7... I know I'm slow, but I've only started running 10 month ago and I'm a complete anti-talent when it comes to athletic capabilities. But I go out there or at the gym 5-6 times a week, I'm proud of that.
    In a few months I will be able to do a tempo at 7, and then at 7.3, and I will think about your blog then :)

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  39. When I need extra motivation running, it's Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder. But I haven't been running lately; though I have been doing some Insanity and swimming. A comfortable running pace for me is 12-13 min/mi; I can push it to 11 for a little while if I have to. Moving from near sea level to mile high Albuquerque has definitely slowed me down...not that I was ever fast. I tried running to Muse, but it's actually too slow. I like 80s electronica.

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