Running Rocks.

This Blog Has Moved!

2011-10-20T17:04:00.004-04:00

I have decided to roll up my website and blog into one.

Check out the introductory post:

http://www.ladysouthpaw.com/running-rocks-blog/new-lady-southpaw-site-and-blog

The themes will still be running and music content but with some new ideas.

Look out for upcoming posts on:

The Lady Southpaw Band playing the ING New York Marathon

An archive of running approved 180 bpm songs

Running & workout playlists

New Songs!

More upcoming events

Blogspot & bloggers, I still love you.

Lady Southpaw the Band

2011-04-28T16:32:00.004-04:00

The Running Rocks blog has been silent lately. I'm hoping for a re-birth soon! The show last month with the full band was great.

First we played the New York Road Runners' NYC Half Marathon. It was colder than 2010, but despite barely being able to feel my fingertips (which believe me, complicates guitar playing) we had a great time rocking out for the runners!!

Then those who weren't too exhausted came out to celebrate with us at the Delancey. The venue was really great and gave us 2 for 1 well drinks all night (I had quite a few gin and tonics once it was all done, and was a very loud though supportive audience member for The Fades.)

NYCRUNS presents Running Rocks! Lady Southpaw and The Fades

2011-03-01T00:54:00.020-05:00

Are you a runner in New York?

Do you need to squeeze running into an already tight schedule in order to stay sane?

Do you find yourself stumbling to the train at dawn on Saturdays & Sundays when others are stumbling home because you need to get to a race in Central Park and have to compensate for the weekend's inevitable MTA service changes?

Would get more turned on by a special discount at Jack Rabbit than a sale at Victoria's Secret?

Are you overflowing with questions and opinions about gear, sport nutrition, and the best ways to improve your times?

Then it's time we got together! Let's celebrate the sport we love in the city we love to do it in. What more appropriate day than on Sunday March 20, after the NYC Half Marathon. What's that, you're not running the half this year? That doesn't mean you can't party like you did!

Two bands of New York area runners will be on hand to play your favorite tunes!

Lady Southpaw, formerly a solo act, is making its debut as a full on rock band! We will be playing original running music from the "Songs for Running," EP (available on iTunes and Amazon) as well as some running appropriate covers, punked up to high speeds. The setlist is wide ranging: from Blondie, and the Boss, to Keane and Florence & the Machine. John of Hella Sound Premium Running Music will even be on hand to play bass.

The Fades have wowed crowds throughout New York City and beyond with our high-energy sets and fun-loving stage act. Dedicated to recreating those ‘80s tunes that defined the decade, we get people moving, singing along and always screaming for more. Why the ‘80s? Because boys don’t cry and girls just want to have fun. In other words, we love rock-n-roll and didn’t stop believing. We love performing and we think it shows. So if you‘re working for the weekend and want to rock this town, The Fades may be the band for you. Rad!

NYCRUNS.COM is a network for all things related to New York Area Running. Check it out and register if you haven't already.

Running Rocks! NYCRUNS.COM Presents

Lady Southpaw and The Fades

http://nycruns.com/runningrocks

The Delancey

168 Delancey (btw Clinton & Attorney)

New York, NY 10002

Sunday March 20, 2011

Doors open @ 4:00 for some pre show drinking and meet-ups

Lady Southpaw @ 5:00

The Fades @ 6:00

Buy tickets online on NYCRUNS.com for $10

If they don't sell out tickets will be available at the door for $15

Enjoy the 2 for 1 well drinks special for the event.

Don't be afraid to bring your friends and significant others who don't run; they can start a little support group for those living with runners. Maybe they'll even be inspired when they see that most runners are actually crazy in a good way.

Lady Southpaw Wants You!

2011-01-08T14:14:00.011-05:00

I’m psyched to announce I’m already on the roster to play the NYC Half again in 2011! I had a really great time playing for the runners last year and I would love to continue to play big events like this because they’re just plain fun.

This goes hand in hand with my other announcement which is that I’m sick of Lady Southpaw being a one woman show. I’m sick of messing with backing tracks and drum loops. I want to let go and sweat and really have a good time! I’ve been talking about a band for awhile and it’s pointless waiting for it to happen organically; I am officially on the search! I’m primarily looking for a bassist and a drummer so if you know anyone in the NYC area please send them my way.

To contact me regarding the band write to ladysouthpawmusic (at) gmail (dot) com. Send me something about yourself, your influences and why you’d be interested in being part of a “running rock” band. I will then contact you with the follow up info.

Posting info:

Looking for musicians to form a “running rock” band

Who: Required - Bass & Drums (be very comfortable with the tempo 180 bpm or 90 bpm)

Other instrumentalists, percussionists, beat-makers and key board players are also welcome to audition

Musicians who are runners and ladies are especially encouraged to audition, but it is not a requirement (good musicianship is of course the most important thing.)

What: A female fronted alt/punk/garage-y up tempo rock band to perform a mix of covers and originals at running related events. In order to be “running” music it must have a bpm of 180 or up so covers may be sped up. Think “Me First and the Gimme Gimmes” for the covers. Will also perform some existing Lady Southpaw originals with the potential of collaborating on new songs moving forward. Some influences include: Patti Smith, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blondie, The Pretenders, Dead Weather, Metric, Florence and the Machine, PJ Harvey, Liz Phair, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, The Who, The Ramones, Weezer, Green Day, Arctic Monkeys, Spoon, The Hold Steady...

Where: at running races, expos, post race parties or anywhere else runners want to hang out and party.

When: ASAP! Will be playing at the NYC Half Marathon, March 2011

How: Auditions... a studio in NYC please contact for details

ING New York City MARATHON: The Race Report

2010-11-13T18:23:00.019-05:00

My first ING New York City Marathon, in a word it was, bittersweet. The more I look back on it the more it feels sweet, but at the time I had a little bitterness that took some of the excitement out of the day.

There was one issue that seriously got in my way mentally. I mentioned it to a few people but tried not to make a big deal about it before the race. The last time I went to a doctor she noted that I had a heart murmur (see diagram B below for a basic explanation.) I asked her if that would affect my plans to run the marathon and she said she didn't think it would be a good idea for me to do it. I decided I wanted another opinion so I went to a cardiologist with a copy of my echo cardiogram to get a better idea of exactly what risks were involved. His opinion was similar to the first doctor's. He said I had an increased risk of developing a fatal arrhythmia during extreme exercise. However, it was not a huge risk because I'm in great health with normal blood pressure and no other symptoms. As a doctor, he didn't want to give me 100% clearance. Although he did say if I really felt I had to run it, to use caution and drop out if it was too humid, polluted or if I felt dizzy. He also mentioned dehydration could increase the risks.

This was very upsetting because I had trained so well all season and I felt great. I had gotten the 9 minute mile down to a science and during my last couple half marathons I spent more and more miles in the 8:30-8:40/mile range. I got my 5K time down to a 7:30 pace and my 1 mile record was 6:31 which I hit once in practice and once during the 5th Ave mile race. I was really set on getting as close to a 4 hour marathon as possible (which would be a 9:22 min per mile pace.)

The other thing was not as big of a deal but was probably more of a consequence of my own stubbornness. I wanted this race to be a solo mission. All season I had been training with Team in Training. I ran the Hamptons Half with them as my main event so I did my duty with all the fundraising and mentoring already. I didn't do some of the fanfare with them that goes with race day. The main thing was that I didn't take the bus over with the team. Mainly because it didn't make sense since I live really close to the start line on the Brooklyn side of the Verrazano. So I got my own transportation thinking I would end up running into some people I knew in the corrals beforehand. I didn't see anyone! It was a maze of unfamiliar faces.

That aside, all my pre-race rituals went like clock work. I felt fueled, hydrated and I had a chance to empty my bladder. I decided to run with my fuel belt which I didn't want to do, but I was so paranoid about the hydration factor I really wanted the extra security. I felt really dehydrated after my last 20 mile long run and I didn't want to risk that happening again.

The route is very appropriate for my "solo mission." It is starts with a tour of all the neighborhoods I've lived in since moving to New York. Basically, the Brooklyn section starts where I currently live, goes through the neighborhood I moved from and ends in the neighborhood I lived in when I first got here. In between are an array of my favorite hang outs and stomping grounds. It's all the different evolutions that I've gone through since I moved here as a bright eyed girl from Michigan coming straight out of college. There have been different apartments, room mates, jobs, boyfriends, friends, the only common denominator has been me. It's my personal experience of the borough.

Waiting for the start they blasted Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York," through the speakers and I could already feel myself getting choked up. I was running with a heart rate monitor for the first time which was another factor in my overall race performance. They say nothing new on race day but a doctor friend of mine suggested it as a measure to keep an eye on what my heart was doing. It was the worst before the race because I would see the rate rise with every surge of anxiety that I felt. I felt extremely emotional listening to Sinatra and looking up at Verrazano, a bridge I can see from my apartment building and something I was really excited to run over. Still, I was extremely nervous and I didn't want to get too excited early on and create higher risks later in the race. At this point I decided I should try to develop more of an even kiel and stay cool in the face of this race.

I had talked to friends and co-workers beforehand asking them where they would be along the route. I figured I would see at least some of them. Not one. Somehow, I managed to miss everyone! The worst of which was my boyfriend who I missed in THREE places. I blame myself. I didn't specify the side of the road. I may have been to vague in my understanding of exactly where they'd be. Also, I was a little sad my parents weren't there, but there were some obstacles that came up for them and I told them not to worry about it. I could've tried to help them plan out a trip further in advance but I didn't. Early in the race this also weighed on me a little and again it caused me to decide to bury my emotions and keep a sense of calm detachment throughout.

My first marathon was very emotional. I ran with Team in Training in San Francisco. I ran with my friend Jess. We talked about our friends and family members touched by cancer we were running for. I saw my parents and our coaches along the route. It was more about the people than the place. New York was the opposite.

When I first signed up for New York I put my estimated time as 4:30 because I wasn't confident in my goal at that point. As a result I was in a slower corral than I've been used to the last year or two. The crowd was so thick and I was running slower than I had run in a race in well over a year. I was running slower than I had run in any of my training runs by a minute and sometimes over. That was both hard and frustrating. There were so many people it was tough to do anything different from the pack. Plus worrying about my heart made me paranoid about taking off too fast too early. Interestingly a few of the times I tried speeding up my heart rate actually went down. I really do feel like there is such a thing as running too slow and that it is almost as hard as running too fast. Unfortunately the nature of the course and all the people made it difficult to ever find a truly comfortable rhythm.

That's all the bitter, now for the sweet. The race fans were awesome!! Even though I couldn't find my friends there was no shortage of complete strangers cheering me on at every turn. I loved seeing all my familiar neighborhoods and how they fit together. It was like putting together a puzzle I always missed when riding the subway.

Then of course there was the music!! I really got excited by all the bands. Of course you would only get a small taste of each of them while running, but the ones with a lot of guitars and a good beat always got me really excited.

That's what gives me hope and makes me not too sad about the heart murmur thing. I still want to be a part of the marathon experience even if I don't end up running another one. The thought of putting together a new band and playing more races in the future definitely got me going.

Running so conservatively through Brooklyn and Queens meant that when I got to the 59th street bridge I still felt pretty good. First Ave was great of course with the cheering crowds and the road opened up so it didn't feel so packed. Getting to the Bronx was pretty sweet because it meant we were turning back toward the finish.

Fifth avenue was tough because it was so long. Also, a lot of people were reduced to walking at this point. There were so many walkers that at one point they actually blocked the entire width of the road and I had to slow down and squeeze in between people to get through. It was awful.

I also faced the mental block that I had been hitting in the last few half marathons. That last 3 miles is my worst. I know I'm close and that makes me want to stop and I'm not close enough that I feel comfortable picking up the pace because 3 miles is still pretty far. This is what I was feeling as I entered Central Park. I was starting to feel how sore my muscles were particularly on my right side. The rolling hills and the fact that the finish was not in sight made it feel impossible to speed up. It wasn't until the finish was actually in sight that I felt I could pick it up a little.

As I crossed the finish line the time was the same as my first marathon 2 years ago 5:37:30 (or there about) but I started an hour after the clock started (plus the time it took me to cross the start line) my official time ended up being 4:35:51 (10:31 pace per mile.)

For the first time in long time I decided to get an official post race shot with my medal (I usually skip these in the regular NYRR races.) The look on my face is utter relief and elation. I did not die and I did not feel the least bit dehydrated or injured! However, all the muscles in my legs were screaming as I waddled into the flock of slow moving runners being very gradually herded to our bags and out of the park.

At this point I saw my friend Jess, which seemed appropriate since she was the person I ran my first and only other marathon with. It was good to re-connect with her after not seeing her in so long.

In the end it was overwhelmingly a positive experience. I think even on a day when I was not worrying about my heart I probably wouldn't have run a 4 hour marathon. My guess is it would have been closer to 4:20 or maybe 4:15 given all the thick pack, hills, and my lack of experience at this distance. The weather was perfect! You couldn't ask for better!

Now I'm looking forward to perfecting my half marathon and 10K times. I don't want to go through that worry again over the marathon distance. The doctors said it was fine for me to keep running, it was just the distance that was dangerous.

I want to make my contribution to the marathon experience be the music. I can live with that.

Speaking of which, I have teamed up with Hella Sound Premium Running Music and PRS Fitness in contributing to a series of running music workouts. The first one is a collaboration between Jonathan Jones of Linwood Studios and I called, "Strides: Choose to Run." It is a 25 minute, 180 bpm tempo running rock music set that contains a warm up, 6 x 30 sec "stride" intervals with 1 minute recoveries and a cool down. I used it through out my marathon training as a sort of maintenance run between my more intense speed/hill work and the long runs. I found it really helpful.

The thing that differentiates "Choose to Run" from other types of running music is that there is a narrative story line through out the work out. I really want to create more pieces like this. It's a different way to relate to a piece of art, by actively moving with it. Plus, you're getting your speed work in. There are more of these in the works. Please try it out and give me feedback on how it goes! You can tweet me @lady_southpaw or join the Lady Southpaw Running Music Facebook fan page and comment on the wall.

Here's an excerpt we put on Youtube:

Team in Training--Hamptons Half Marathon 2010 Race Report

2010-10-09T18:21:00.020-04:00

This past weekend marked my third event with Team in Training (TNT.) This organization, an extension of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, helps train everyday people to become endurance athletes. In addition to getting a complete training program with group practices and nutrition coaching for half marathons, marathons and triathlons, participants raise money toward cancer research and patient support services to help families in their struggles with blood related cancers.

For me, this organization has been a real gateway into the running community. It took me from being some one who ran on the treadmill for 20 min at the gym or in the park for 3 miles on the weekend, some one who never timed herself, had little idea about pacing and had never run a race, into a marathoner and completely obsessed runner. I first came in contact with the organization in 2008 and trained with them to complete the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. You can read more about that and my connection to the cause here. That was also the first time I wrote a "running song" as part of my fundraising. Here is the youtube video.

Then last year I did a "Fast Track 10K," which was recounted in this blog post.

So far the marathon has not been my favorite racing distance. It's hard to get ready for and the training is very time consuming. However, I knew after completing one that I had to do New York. I've been watching friends do that one too many years in a row. I also wanted to be sure to train right, so I signed up for TNT again as a mentor. This way I didn't have to do as much fundraising and could help others in completing the task.

As a mentor I was assigned to the Hamptons Half & Full Marathon as my official event. I am guessing it was because I already had guaranteed entry into the New York Marathon so they gave those spots to the people who needed TNT to secure their registration. Doing the Hamptons Half as a preparation race for NY works out well because it's just over a month before the big race and it's not too far to travel.

I got lucky because my sweetie A.H. used to work out in the Hamptons so he knew some one we could stay with for free. It was a fun weekend.

When we first got out there the weather was miserable! It was cold and rainy. I got A. to do a quick 20 min jog with me, our first run together ever (I'm trying to convert him) and I started wondering about whether that purple singlet was going to be adequate given the weather.

Glory, glory Hallelujah! The weather the next morning felt like nothing short of a miracle! It was gloriously sunny and crisp, the perfect conditions for a race. We rolled in with just enough time to make it through the porta-potty line. I didn't have time to get cold because no sooner had I found my mentee Ken, author and pacing buddy, in the corral than the gun went off. My adrenaline was pumping and soon I talking Ken's ear off about complete drivel. At that point I decided it would be better for both of us if I broke off and let him have his own race. I figured it would be a matter of time before he passed me as our history showed; I liked to take off faster only to have him catch me about two thirds into the race.

My plan was to run the first 5 miles in an 8:40-9:00 mile/min pace window, run the second 5 miles in 8:30-8:50 min pace window and do the last 3.1 miles all out. My PR race was a 1:57:09 at a 8:56 pace so I figured as long as I was doing sub 9 minute miles I would probably PR. Still, it took me a year of running half marathons and chipping a couple minutes off at a time to get down to that so I was a little nervous about sustaining the new pace for that long. I blew it in 5 miles by coming in a minute plus faster than the bottom of the pace window, but I felt great so I didn't worry too much about it.

The course was beautiful. We went by fields and through woods. There was even a stretch on a dirt road. A couple weeks before I had the opportunity to do the "Reach the Beach" relay with some TNT team mates in New Hampshire. That terrain was the perfect preparation for the Hamptons race. That experience also changed my mindset a lot about how hard and fast I could push myself in race conditions. I did all my relay legs in around at or near and 8 min mile pace and felt pretty good about it. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to put together a good blog post about that experience but our captain Joel wrote a great one that can be found here.

As I came into the 10 mile mark I noted that I was no longer below my pace window but still safely inside of it. I was starting to think about speeding up when Ken came trotting up behind me. I was surprised I hadn't seen him before this point and tried for awhile to keep up with him as part of my speed increase. Unfortunately he lost me before we had run a mile together. Miles 11 and 12 were very scenic as they took us along the harbor with a nice view of water and troupe of girls scouts all very eager to give us water and gatorade.

When I hit mile 13 I could have sworn the clock read 1:43 something. This got me excited because I thought there maybe a chance of coming in near 1:50 for my total time. The previous weekend I had done the NYRR 5th Ave mile race with a time of 6:31. I thought if I could pick it up maybe I could at least whip out one sub 8 min mile. I made my best effort to pick up the pace but weirdly I felt like I was running slower. It was unfortunately up hill toward the end. Also, there was that extra .1 of a mile. Anyway, maybe I was wrong because I'm sure it was still sub 10 min....

Final Time:

1:53:34 - 8:43 pace - PR by 3:35 minutes!

Overall, I felt strong for the majority of the race, only the last couple of miles sucked because I tried to push the speed. I'm going to take this as a sign of more PRs to come. I wasn't sure once I got sub 2 hours that I would chip away at it much farther, but now that seems more plausible. It's also got me thinking about a sub 4 hour marathon, but we'll see about that in month.

The thing about being a mentor is that your job isn't done once you cross the finish line. I chatted with some of my faster mentees to see how their races went. Then I went back out onto the course to cheer on some of the slower mentees and the marathoners who were still racing. This is the moment that makes doing all the extra paperwork and weekly emails required for being a mentor pay off. It's really rewarding watching some one who probably never thought they could be a runner cross the finish line of a half marathon or marathon. Being a part of a team makes the whole experience extra fulfilling because there are coaches, mentors and team mates cheering you all along the course. There were lots of good feelings to go around that day, it was definitely a success.

If you are interested in learning more about or supporting this organization I encourage you to check out the website by clicking here. Even though the fall season is coming to a close it's never too late to donate. Also there are plenty of slots open for future events! Thank you to anyone reading this who already took the time to donate. Your generosity plays an important role in making so many good things happen! You are the reason that this organization can continue to make people healthier.

On a completely unrelated note, Lady Southpaw Music got a mention on the Psychology Today blog this past week. Give it a click here.

Keep on Running and Rocking everybody!

NY Mini Race Performance and Meeting Meb

2010-07-23T17:44:00.022-04:00

The NYRR New York Mini 10K race was well over a month ago now and it just hit me that I didn't wrap it up with a performance report!

I had a phenomenal time. The New York Road Runners Club is known for there large and well organized events and the entertainment portion was no exception. The sound crew was awesome and everything went off without a hitch. I played a few songs before the race and a set after the race and right before the awards ceremony. Some one even came up to request one of my pre-show songs again which was super cool.

Thanks to the wonders of twitter I had been able to recognize a nyrr photographer who had been tweeting that he was covering the show. As a result I was able to get the pics he took of me onstage immediately after the show. All he asked was that I give him photo credit. So here are a few master shots taken by Michael Chadwick. If you happen to be looking for a photographer check out his website or follow him on twitter @ChadwickPhotog

I was happy to see several other of my tweeps there. Before the show I saw @Ashmoe of HashNYC.com and nycruns.com fame. I also managed to play the BoldPaceMusic blog's pick for running song of the week last week, "Engineering Masterpiece," while @BklynRunner was in earshot (which was a song she had personally requested.) After the show I saw @herroyaltallnes jamming out and snapping pics. I officially met @Running_Fox for the first time and @SpeedySasquatch even stopped by. I recognized a few other people from facebook as well. Special thanks to my sweetie @Hickey462 for playing roadie and toting my gear around (the parking was quite a feat as well.)

As I was leaving I found myself a few feet from one of my running heros, and let's face it the hero of many female runners of our generation, Kara Goucher! I was too shy and in too much of a hurry to stand in the line of adoring fans but I did snap a quick camera phone shot as I walked by.

Speaking of running celebrities in my "I intended to blog about this a long time ago," vault.... Check out this great autograph I got from last year's ING New York City Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi! I got it while attending a nycruns.com sponsored event at the Run Footlocker store on Union Square back in April. I decided it would mean more to me to have him sign my Runner's World to Lady Southpaw and tried desperately to explain my concept as quickly as possible (as there was a long line fans waiting.) He actually humored me with his very sweet message of "To: Lady Southpaw, Best wishes & Thank you for writing songs to Runners. Run to Win, Meb." This one is definitely going into a frame to be hung in my "music studio" (AKA bedroom.)

Running Music Performances at Races

2010-06-10T12:15:00.015-04:00

If you are going to be anywhere near Central Park this Saturday June 12 please stop by the NYRR Women's Mini 10K! There will be a Lady Southpaw performance before and after this event around 8 and 9:40 am respectively. It should be pretty exciting as two of my heroes Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe will be running but not racing because they are both pregnant. How BadAss is that?

2010 has been a pretty good year for Lady Southpaw running rock performances at races. It was more than a year ago now that I was musing about that as one of my goals.

To kickoff the year, in January I played after a hash.

In February I performed after the Valentines Day 5K with the Brooklyn Road Runners Club thanks to support from NYCRuns.com (which included helping me duct tape my mic to a hand truck when I forgot my mic stand, very smooth.)

In March I rocked mile 11 of the NYC Half Marathon with New York Road Runners Club (scroll down to the bottom of the entertainment page to see a Lady Southpaw link on youtube.)

April took me to the Asbury Park for the Jersey Shore RunAPalooza Half Marathon & Marathon Relay.

A group of us representing NYCRuns.com went down and had a great time. This was a big first for me because they had me sing the National Anthem before the race. The only picture I have from that event is of my back, and the backs of all the racers as we gaze lovingly at the flag on top of the Asbury Park Convention Hall. I got to play inside the hall during the expo which was pretty cool considering big acts like Bruce Springstein and the Rolling Stones have all played there. It was a bit funny with just me and my one little amp; can anyone say reverb? That place is like a huge echo chamber but a kick-ass experience nonetheless.

Have I mentioned that NYCRuns.com is a great resource for all things running in the New York area? This includes a race calendar, local running clubs, partner finder, and the best running bloggers in NYC.

Again, if you are in the Central Park area this Saturday, please please please come support!!

If I had to make a goal for next year, it would be to get a full band together.... Sooooo.... if you happen to know any musicians who are running-inclined pleeeaaase send them my way lovelies.

Thank you. That is all.

Brooklyn Half Marathon 2010 - Race Report

2010-05-26T10:26:00.012-04:00

Before sitting down to this race report I had to re-read my Brooklyn Half Marathon Report from 2009. My, how far I have come in the past year of racing. I ran for a long time without even entering a race and now I am starting to recognize them and run the same ones annually.

Last year's Brooklyn Half was my first official Half Marathon race on record (although I had run the distance in marathon training.) As a result it was a huge eye opener. It was unseasonably hot and humid that day in 2009. I struggled to maintain a 10:30 min/mile pace and by the time I reached the Coney Island boardwalk it felt like one of those dreams where you are trying to run fast but your body doesn't respond, like your wheels are spinning and you are going nowhere.

After that day I decided I didn't want to make my goal to just run faster, because that pushing really sucked and I hated every minute of it. Instead, I wanted to make running faster feel easier.

When watching fast runners it's always astonishing when they look like they are actually expending less energy than their slower counterparts. This is usually the result of physical conditioning, experience, and technique. Of course natural talent also plays a part, but if your goal is not to win but just to enjoy running, lack of natural talent is a very surmountable issue (I should know as some one who is naturally very snail-like.)

After Brooklyn last year, I read up a lot on form, incorporated more hill and speed training, and ran with new groups of runners. I completed 3 other half marathons since that one: NYC, Staten Island, and Manhattan. Each time I got progressively faster.

By the time I reached the start line for the Brooklyn Half 2010, I had one goal in mind: to run this half marathon in less than 2 hours! Brooklyn is my favorite borough, my adopted home town of the last 6 and a half years, I had some unfinished business with it after last year's performance in misery. In addition to weekly speed training I had been using my home turf advantage to do practice runs on different stages of the course. This included sprinting that final boardwalk stretch to mentally prep for the finish line and avoid last year's bad dream. I also did hill repeats in Prospect Park and countless loops to be ready for that stage of the race.

The day before the race I did a short tempo run on the treadmill practicing my 9 min/mile race pace. I forgot my iPod and was forced to entertain myself with the sound of my feet against the rubber. Interestingly, it made this chant come into my head. I ended up remembering it during the race. It was an interesting trick that I may use for some Lady Southpaw compositions in running music down the road...

Enough of this running tangent. Here is the breakdown:

I woke up early enough but was a bit too leisurely getting my butt out the door. Somehow I managed to get there when they were doing the last call on baggage check. This surprised me because I had deluded myself into thinking I was early. Once I had taken care of that I found myself at the end of a very long porta-potty line. Unfortunately, this stop was not optional, I needed it way too desperately to wait until I was on the course. I also didn't want a porta potty stop to detract any time (as it had when I ran Manhattan.) So, I got to the start line after the gun. Being at the back of the pack was very frustrating for the first mile because this race was so full it was hard to get around people. In my head I kept fearing this stupid fact was going to keep me from my goal as my last race was 2:00:23. A few seconds doesn't seem like much until it keeps you from hitting your goal.

By the time I got to mile 2 I was more or less up with my pace group, and the time on the clock was right about on target. This was a huge relief. My trip around Prospect Park was pretty uneventful.

I decided to wear the fuel belt. It's annoying and I hate the sight of it in my race pics but not having to wait for fueling stations and not having to drink gatorade is priceless. Last year I didn't wear it and I regretted it, so I've been sporting it for all the other halfs. This was no exception and hydration wise I felt pretty great throughout the race.

Ocean Parkway felt endless! That was the one stage of the half I didn't practice I started mentally planning my practice runs to include it next year. It was the only time I felt my pace lag. When I hit 9 miles I saw I had 43 min to make my goal and was projecting that it should only take 36 to run, unfortunately this meant I lost a couple mins on miles 9-12 because I got a little too comfortable. However, once I started nearing the last stretch I picked up some speed.

At that point I was so happy because I realized I was living the experience I wanted to have last year. I was challenging my pace and not feeling defeated by it. I was running fast (for me) and still feeling strong.

I was beaming as I ran through the finish line because I knew I hit my goal! What a great feeling, knowing that I had worked so hard and it actually affected my performance the way I wanted it to. That may sound funny, but at a time when so much of my life seems out of my control or the outcomes are counter to what I had planned, being able to set a goal and achieve feels really phenomenal.

Official Time:
1:57:09 - 8:56 min/mile pace
(up from 2:17:28 in 2009!)

NYC Half Marathon 2010 Performance Report

2010-03-21T21:42:00.015-04:00

First, while I'm blogging I just want to mention I had the opportunity to check out the new Run by Footlocker store on Union Square devoted to all things running. They decided to have their official grand opening festivities coincide with the NYC Half weekend. It was a convenient hop to the expo from there. The people working this location (14th Street & University) were all very knowledgeable and intent on pulling out all the stops to serve the NY running community.

I even got this cool T-shirt:

Now onto the race report. It seems like only 7 months ago since the last NYC Half Marathon, oh wait, that's because it was. Having the race in March was a breath of fresh air after last August's sweat fest. It was a crystal clear beautiful day.

I ran this race for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. This year it was my goal to play running rock for it. When I arrived at my little station I was downright giddy when I saw the big blue Lady Southpaw sign. I felt I had conquered the Everest of running organizations, I was playing a New York Road Runners event. It took me awhile to find the right contacts, but once I did I found the organization was very efficient and I really hope to get the opportunity to do more of their events soon.

I got there with plenty of time and leisurely setup all my gear. Last month I had the fiasco of forgetting my mic stand at an event in Brooklyn and I was forced to improvise with some creative use of duct tape (thanks Steve!) This time I had everything all packed up before I went to bed last night and a checklist to look over before I left in the morning. I still managed to forget my sunglasses, but they were optional.

My spot was on 15th Street and the West Side Highway. I was in the oasis for entertainment after Time Square and 42nd Street where there is nothing but stimulation and before the "wall of sound" into the finish. Right behind me was a water station, porta-potties and a "high five station." So in general it was a small point of relief for runners in one of the more difficult parts of the race. They had 11 miles behind them but they were still not done.

It is so interesting to watch a race in its entirety. You really see the bell curve of race paces. It was utterly mind-blowing when the first guy went sprinting by in under an hour from the start! I was star-struck when I saw Deena Kastor. Then the crowd gradually forms until the street is packed and tapers away again leaving you with those not as genetically gifted or facing a race that didn't go as planned and visibly fighting the pain of it. There is really the full gamut of human emotion from elation, to strong focus, to ease, to battle. It was exciting.

For about 45 minutes I was completely eating it up. I was having the time of my life, playing my songs and rocking out. I know people could only hear me for a few seconds as they whizzed past, but I really felt connections to many of them. I especially got a kick from the ones who waved or shouted, "I saw your page on Facebook!" I felt like everything I had been working on so hard was really coming together!

I got through all the "Songs For Running," playing "Engineering Masterpiece," more than once and a couple of covers. Then halfway through my cover of the Cranberries song "Zombie," the sound just cut out! I couldn't believe it. I had my power source charging the entire night. When I checked it, it still showed that it had power. I think maybe it was just shorting out or over heating or something? I turned everything off and turned it on again. It worked for a little bit but then the same thing happened again. That pretty much sums up the rest of my experience. I would turn it off, leave it for a couple minutes then turn it on again, with the sound on lower or playing a less intense song or something. Then, inevitably, it would cut out again after a couple minutes. Sometimes I could make it through a whole song, but most the time only half of one.

So far I have only used this power source for much shorter events. I don't think it had ever been on that long without a break. In the future I think I will break it up into shorter sets and see if that helps. I really don't want to have to buy another one at this point because those things are expensive and this one is so portable! I will probably do some research into and see if there is anything more I can do about it.

It was unfortunate that a large portion of the mid pack missed out on my playing anything. I joined the High Five Station briefly while I let the generator rest. That was super fun too. At some point I just figured f* it and played some of the more straight rhythmic songs without any amplification. Considering that the runners don't get to hear that much of the song anyway, not having sound didn't seem to make that much of a difference. It was a much better vibe when I was trying to sing then just standing there disappointed, looking like I was leaving them dry with the music. Of course I probably looked a little air-headed, as if I didn't realize there was no sound coming out of my amp. Oh well, you live you learn. I still really want to do this again and keep improving on the process!

Wave to Lady Southpaw on Mile 11 of the NYC Half Marathon

2010-03-18T07:39:00.018-04:00

After much relentless spamming of the New York Road Runners Club I was invited to play at one of their races! I consider this a major achievement. All the details have been coming together in the past week, so I am blogging this with only 3 days until the big event.

This Sunday March 21st, 2010 will be the NYC Half Marathon. I ran this race last year when it was in August. In my race report I revelled in all the course musicians and fantasized (or should I say prophesied?) playing the event this year. Click here if you care to reminisce. I even mentioned my disappointment that there was a big gap in music on West Side Highway where you need it this most. So now I am very excited to report I will be playing mile 11 on the West Side Highway and 15th Street.

Here is my little section on the course map:

I'm excited to be playing across from the fluid station being operated by the Hudson Dusters, a team I have r*n with as part of HashNYC.com.

Anyone who has run the NYC Half knows that this stretch of the course is one of the most difficult. As I recall, the loop around Central Park is challenging for it's hills and generally establishing your pace. Then there is a thrilling downhill romp through Times Square where you are so excited to be out of the park and there is so much going on it fills you with energy and excitement. This is all well and good until you hit the West Side Highway. The last leg. You feel like you are almost done, but don't be fooled there are still miles to go before you can sleep. I remember assuming I had less than a mile left when I hit the 11 mile mark only to realize I still had 2.1 miles to go. Perhaps I was delirious from the heat, which will not be an issue in March, but that long straight shot to the finish seemed endless.

That's where I come in (well for the fraction of a minute you'll be able to hear me as you pass...) playing my electric guitar and singing to get you pumped up! I will play through all of my "Songs For Running," the E.P. that can be streamed or purchased through Reverbnation and also available on iTunes. I will also be playing some of my favorite covers sped up to 180 bpm. Selections include songs by artists such as: Blondie, P.J. Harvey, Green Day, Ben Kweller, and maybe others I can't think of right now. There will be nothing under 160 bpm.

So if you see me make sure to wave! Or at least smile and nod a little. That won't drain to much energy, in fact it might help.

Check out the full entertainment line-up on the NYRR official page:

http://nyrr.org/races/2010/nychalf/entertainment.asp

Express 3 Race Report

2010-02-28T22:49:00.010-05:00

So far 2010 has been a horrible year for the "Running Rocks" blog! There are so many times I've meant to write something and it hasn't happened. Anyway I wanted to get something out for February 2010. Also, I want to record my races of the past month, therefore, I bring you the "Express 3 Race Report."

January 24, 2010 - Manhattan Half Marathon (Central Park)

Overall time - 2:00:23 pace/mile - 9:11

The gist: My main goal for this race was to go sub 2 hours. Therefore, I wanted to run as close to a 9 min. mile pace as possible throughout. Unfortunately, my GI tract did not cooperate. I may have overdone it on the pre-race nutrition and hydration a bit. I was desperate to go the bathroom as soon as I got off the train, then again right before the race start, so it shouldn't have surprised me when I was ready to burst on the course itself. Miles 1-7 went according to plan. Then, mile 8 I got that desperate bursting feeling again. I slowed down drastically and with the Harlem hill on the horizon I was afraid I wouldn't make it if I didn't find a latrine. In the situation I think it was the right decision because I would have continued to slow down and been extremely uncomfortable had I not stopped. However, it's tough to look at that time without thinking if I could just deduct the time it took me to make the extra pit stop I would have my goal. Onto the 2010 Brooklyn Half, I have some unfinished business with that race. That will be a great place to hit my goal!

February 21, 2010 - Cherry Tree 10 miler (Prospect Park)

Overall time - 1:27:37 pace/mile - 8:46

The gist: I was really happy with this time! I ran around lot before the race between the number pickup, the NYSC where I dropped off my stuff and the start (which I overshot by nearly a half mile and had to run back, the PPTC start line was not as obvious as the NYRR corrals...) I feel confident had it been a Half Marathon I could have hit the sub 2 hour goal. This time I really didn't make a lot of effort to do everything right: I didn't get the right amount of sleep and I didn't think much about race nutrition (no gu's or electrolyte beverages on route) yet during and afterword I felt awesome. The only problem was I ended up feeling pretty beat up the next day. My ankle that has been acting up on and off this year felt pretty stiff for the rest of week.

February 28, 2010 - Al Gordon Snowflake 4 miler (Prospect Park)

Overall time - 32:29 pace/mile - 8:07

The gist: Great race! This is a PB for my fastest race pace ever!! I think it really helped that I ran the same loop three times last week in the Cherry Tree 10 miler. It made this one seem like a breeze. My ankle was a bit stiff in the beginning. The thing I found in the first mile was that it actually hurt more if I went slow and less the faster I went (good incentive to speed up!) Also this race started with the big "North Hill," which meant a lot of the people directly around me slowed way down and I couldn't stand it. So, knowing the course as well as I do, I knew that I could take the hill relatively fast without sabotaging myself later (especially knowing we'd only do it once!) As a result I sped around the outside and passed a ton of people going up the hill (thanks to Coach Sasquatch and his killer hill repeats!) Then when I got to a faster paced group I settled back into the pack. I also knew mile 3 would be mostly downhill and used that to my advantage. Mile 4 I felt like throwing up a little, but managed to pull myself together going up the last hill on Center drive into the finish line. I was singing the words to my song "Engineering Masterpiece" in my head and it really helped a lot for the final push.

Al Gordon is actually the first race that I've run two years in a row. It's a bit disappointing that it went from being a 5K to a 4 miler this year because I really wanted to set a new 5K PR and also it makes it harder to compare the times but the improvement is clear:

2009 Al Gordon 5K Overall time - 28:54 pace/mile - 9:19

Overall I have made a lot of progress this year. I wish I could say it was all because of the new music I've been working on. In a way it is because it has inspired me to do a lot of extra research into running and testing of what works and doesn't. As a result I have added a lot more "quality running" work outs (tempo, intervals and hills) and have tweaked my biomechanics. Going from a heal to a mid/fore-foot strike has helped me get faster. Unfortunately, it has also assisted me in getting my first running related injury- the ankle thing. I have a theory on where I went wrong there that maybe the subject of a future post.

2009 Brooklyn Half Stats - Overall time - 2:17:28 pace/mile - 10:29

Brooklyn Half Marathon 2010 - You will be toast!!

Music and Motivation

2010-01-27T09:49:00.006-05:00

I was running the Manhattan Half Marathon on Sunday and as usual, at some point my mind started turning to what I would put it in the race report. Then, a sad fact occurred to me: I had not put up a single post in the month of January! This is a first in "Running Rocks" history! Well, it's not too late, so here we are in the last week of January with a post. My work life and personal life is undergoing some transition at the moment, which has thrown me off on my Lady Southpaw stuff. It's upsetting to me because I wish Lady Southpaw Music was my work life, but unfortunately things are not so simple at this stage.

ANYWAY, I'll probably put together my race report this weekend. However, I wanted to get a quick post up this morning before January has completely slipped through my fingers.

The people at AudioFuel, a running music project in London, have alerted me to a very cool program they are sponsoring. AudioFuel has teamed up with the Virgin London Marathon to bring us the website musicandmotivation.com. On the website you can get athlete's running playlists, free AudioFuel tracks, an interesting pdf on running psychology (which includes the benefits of using music) and the Monthly Motivation newsletter. It's free, I signed up and downloaded it all and they haven't been spamming me, so it's all good.

The main thing I want to alert you to is their call for running music. Go to this link to nominate good running songs:
http://www.musicandmotivation.com/motivating_run/top/10.html

Every month until the London marathon they are going to publish an official training iMix with people's picks for their favorite running music. I just looked and the Lady Southpaw track "Engineering Masterpiece" is already in the running for January! I encourage you to go in there and add your vote. Of course you can also add whatever else you want after that. As far as I can tell you can write in whatever you want. Although, in order to be published in an iMix, it probably has to be on iTunes already (which, luckily, "Engineering Masterpiece" is published on iTunes!)

Thanks! Keep running and rocking in 2010 everybody!

Running as Art

2009-12-24T18:08:00.004-05:00

The other day I got thinking about how running is like art. I recently read the Pose Method of Running and it really appealed to me because it structured running technique like mastering an art (dance especially.) I’m still experimenting with “Pose Method” running, but the technical side is another topic for another day. Instead, I am thinking about how running and the creative process share a lot in common. I’ve mentioned it before, but I love to focus on form. Like dance, Pilates and yoga often have you trying to construct an ideal pose with your body. So, in the same way running can be a performance in perfect form. My theory is that if biomechanically I can run as smoothly and efficiently as possible while emulating those who are really talented, it will make it easier to run faster and longer. Ideally, rather than killing myself to run faster I would like to make running faster feel more comfortable and as seemingly effortless as possible.

Of course in a sport like running this is only part of the beast. I don’t mean to downplay the importance of real quality running exercises like speed intervals and hill repeats—those are essential in improving cardio endurance. They also produce very tangible results when it comes to feeling more comfortable while running. The idea of running as a performance is more about the mental attack strategy.

I like to have the image of a champion in mind. Imagination is a very useful tool in running. It helps when you can delude yourself a little into thinking that you are performing spectacularly no matter what those horrible race photos show.

My mother is not a runner. Recently she was telling me about her attempts at running and it was easy to spot why she hated it without seeing her run. First of all she referenced how “all the pounding,” took its toll. Maybe this is something you get used to, but for the most part it sounds like evidence of a heavy untrained stride. Just having the image in mind of a light gentle stride could be a good way to start mentally training.

Also, the other interesting thing she said was that as she was running she imagined sports announcers commenting on her performances and saying things like “Oh man, she is really struggling! She is not doing well at this at all!”

This is very similar to the “inner critic” that is sometimes talked about when trying to craft a work of art. Often the thing that holds you back from creating something that is really great is that voice in your head that tells you it’s no good. The truth is that most ideas are pretty weak when you first have them, there’s a process of things that happen before something becomes really good. Therefore you have to be forgiving of those early incarnations of an idea and just roll with them until you unearth their true potential. In essence you have to create this image or fiction first of what it is you are trying to do that is really great. Then you have to work your ass off to live up to it.

So basically, when you are just starting your run you have to imagine those sports announcers saying positive things. For example, “She’s really putting her heart out there under these difficult conditions.” Or “for some one who hasn’t run in several years she is performing at the top of her division.”

You may call it self delusion but a little of that is necessary to grease the wheels.

Then the next step is to have some clear goals that you are trying to achieve. Qualifying for the Olympics or writing the Grammy award winning song of the year may be a bit lofty. However, you can say today I want to run and not feel too much tension in my shoulders or get through the whole thing without walking. Those things are attainable. As you improve your goals will be higher, but it is important to know where you are and what you can do.

The last thing is to take that small goal and knock it out of the park. You can become a master of running for long periods of time without stopping or releasing tension in your upper body. You push yourself to make those periods even longer.

Virtuosity is the ideal of art. To become so good at something that people marvel in the beauty of it. The wonderfully open-ended thing about it is that sometimes you can be brilliant at something that is simple: like having a pure singing tone or writing a lyric that really resonates. It doesn’t have to be a grand unattainable thing.

That can also be the goal of a good run. That it is a performance to be marveled at. In a professional sense this would mean a world record time. For a normal person it could mean getting in 5 miles when you were so tired you thought you’d only be able to pull off 3. Or maintaining perfect form and not having pain after the run. You can define the goal and then when you nail it you get the euphoria of accomplishment.

That is the essence of a beautiful piece of art and a beautiful run.

P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Joe Kleinerman 10K Race Report

2009-12-10T16:23:00.009-05:00

I had a great race this past Sunday! It was the second event that I participated in as part of Team in Training (TNT). They call it the "Fast Track 10K." If you don't already know about TNT, it is definitely an organization worth supporting in some way. They help people train for endurance events (usually triathlons, marathons and half marathons) while raising money for cancer research and patient services. It is specifically for blood cancers like Leukemia and Hodgkins Lymphoma but because of the nature of blood cancer the research is helpful for learning about all forms of cancer. I first got involved with TNT in 2008 when my aunt was fighting breast cancer and my grandmother (also a breast cancer surviver) was just diagnosed with Chronic Leukemia. Thank God, they are both doing well now.

The people are so nice and I really enjoyed the camaraderie of a common cause. In 2008 I ran the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon. Here is a video of a song I wrote for my fundraising. It was a great experience so I was really happy when one of the coaches, Jasmine Graham of Pace For Success, contacted me about mentoring for the Fast Track Program this year. This was my first time being a mentor and I was really thrilled to watch my mentees cross the finish line. It was a new kind of satisfaction. Now, I want to do it all again and be a mentor for New York 2010! I am psyched!

So, onto the race itself. I had some definite time goals. After doing a few half marathons this spring, summer and fall I had increased my fitness level and felt it was time to take my 10K time up a notch. So far I had been unable to get my New York Road Runner's bib pace below the 9 minute mile despite sub 9 minute performances in local 5 mile races. I ran the the Nike Human Race with the idea that it would be my "before" time and Joe Kleinerman was my "after" time demonstrating the effectiveness of having the training schedule and a support system of TNT. I was really hoping for a 8:50 min/mile at Nike, but alas, my "before time" ended up being: 57:25 with 9:14 min/mile pace.

The first couple miles were rough because the crowd was a lot thicker that I thought it would be and I started too far back in it. I know you are supposed to start conservative but I felt like I was running so slow I was practically going backwards! I managed to do a lot of weaving and zig-zagging in that first couple miles so it didn't hurt me too much. As usual I was completely stupid about time. I didn't bother wearing a watch after the last couple races where I managed to botch up hitting the button every time (I always forget about it at either the start or finish.) This time I was so worried about the crowd I forgot to look at the start time so I never knew how much to deduct. Annoying.

The weather was pretty cold but beautiful! Central Park was lit up in all its glory by the sun's rays. The day before had been so rainy everyone at the race was grateful for the sun. Despite making my nose run like a faucet (which was really attractive) the cold didn't effect me much and that was a good thing. I sped up pretty significantly through the middle miles of the race and managed to hold on through the end. Harlem hill was early so I was still weaving through the slow crowd at that point and it didn't impact me too greatly. However, Cat hill was toward the end, so when I got over that I really felt like I was done. Still, I knew I only had 1 to 2 miles to go at that point and I really wanted that PR. I stayed strong through the end with the purple TNT crowd cheering me on at the finish line (another definite perk of running with TNT.) I also love it when there's a song I like blasting at the finish, it always makes me ridiculously teary. This time it was "Run" by Ben Kweller, a definite favorite that I like to cover sometimes.

So, the time. I knew I had PR'ed but I didn't know by how much. The time on the clock was 56 something. So it was possible I PR'ed with a low 9 minute mile which would have been a bittersweet victory. Again, I was so annoyed that I neglected to look at the start clock. I am going to write it on my hands next time! Look at the start clock dammit! It wasn't until I got home and looked it up on the nyrr results page that I got my time:

Finish Time - 53:12 Pace/Mile - 8:34

HURRAY!! I was walking on clouds the rest of the day.

One Month to a New Decade

2009-12-04T12:47:00.013-05:00

I can't believe it's already December. Actually, it is now December 4th, exactly a month from my dreaded birthday, sigh. Hopefully, I will have an announcement regarding some sort of birthday run/performance very soon (because how else would I want to spend my birthday but by running and playing music?)

Anyway, so far December has started off pretty well. On the first I was fortunate to participate in the first ever NYC "runners' tweet-up" (that I know of anyway.) I know a few twitter haters who don't see the point of it, but I have found so many like-minded, awesome people through twitter it's pretty unbelievable. To those who don't like or don't get it, the secret is that it's all about who you follow. Yes, it would be great to get thousands of followers but to have a good experience first you have to find smart people to follow so you have good quality news feed. You can also follow some good lists, that's a new way to do it.

The tweet-up was so much fun! There was such a talented group of runners at first I was intimidated by the talk of Boston qualifications, ultra-marathons, and people actually winning races (I didn't know that was possible among mortals.) However, that was easy to get past because everyone was just so gosh-darn nice and cool.

We met at Bethesda fountain. There was a brief handshake and stating of names and twitter aliases. This included pigtailsflying and nycbklyngirl who organized it, BrklnRunner, runanskyrun, SpeedySasquatch, NYCe, sclevine, MikeJOConnor, and agaliza.

As the group started off my immediate instinct was to stay with the back of the pack. I wanted to chat with BrklnRunner a bit because I enjoy her blog and she's been such a nice supporter of this blog so I was really excited to meet her in person. Then as the group started taking off I thought, what the heck, why not try to challenge myself a bit and see if I can keep up with some faster runners for awhile? I don't get this opportunity often. If/when I get tired I'll talk to the people behind me then.

To my surprise I was able to keep up the entire time. Although, what truly floored me was how easy it was! These guys were all running their fun run pace and we were chatting almost the whole time. As a result there was a real sense of ease about it. At one point, when I was in the middle, I had the feeling like I was in a moving car because I wasn't putting in the effort to run at all. I think it helped that I started off running and chatting with agaliza who was interested in playing guitar. First of all because he had the most smooth efficient running gait ever so he set a good example and second because when I was encouraging him about the guitar it got me so excited and energized I wasn't worrying about running fatigue.

As the group continued to spread out I found myself alongside pigtailsflying and NYCe and I just wanted to pinch myself. Earlier that day when I was thinking about whether to do the tweet-up for sure I was looking at their blogs, marveling how smoking fast they are and now here I was running with them.

When we reached the end of 5 miles it came out that we had run it faster than I had run my recent 5 mile race PR. Admittedly the last mile or two did not feel as easy as the first couple, but I held on and I made it to the end with the middle pack. At this point some people went back to the back pack people but I felt pretty tired so I was happy to stop running. I had been standing there for hardly a minute when runanskyrun asked me to join him on the bottom loop. The next thing I knew I was running again! He told me about how he had once run from his home in New Jersey to Yankee stadium which I thought was pretty cool. According to his Go Wagon the total distance for the run was 10.15K with time of 54:15 which is a 8:36 min/mile pace. He finished the 5 mile part a bit ahead of me so my result technically was a few seconds higher. Still, I was amazed that I had run that while talking most of the time. I was a bit disappointed with my 10K result at the Nike Human Race in comparison but I'm really looking forward to see how the Joe Kleinerman 10K goes this Sunday!

Ironically as I was traveling from the boonies of Brooklyn to Central Park I was reading Chapter 36 of Pose Method of Running: "Overcoming the Fear of Running." In it is this little gem of a paragraph:

At its core, fear is a reflection of personal uncertainty. What we do not know, or know very little about, creates an emotional void in our performance. When we try to run while dealing with uncertainty, that void quickly fills with fear...fear if running too hard, fear of not running hard enough, fear of injury, fear of success and fear of failure.

Runners habitually underperform because they fear performing better.

The chapter deals with some of the mental challenges associated with running. This is not to say running is all mental, but it definitely plays a role. The thing is I feel this sense of doubt clouding many aspects of my life. I know what I love. I have no problem doing training exercises, and spending quality time running just like I have no problem practicing singing, playing guitar and writing songs. In my heart these are the things I want to do. So, if the criteria for success is just doing what you love than I am successful. Still, I get so grouchy trying to push myself beyond my comfort zone. To get to a higher level I want other people to be able to appreciate what I am doing too. That, I struggle with that a lot. Perhaps it's my mid-western, middle class, Catholic background but it's really tough for me to be pushy. I know I need to be more assertive about setting up gigs and getting people to listen to my music but I really hate asking. I worry that people won't get it or won't like it and that I'm just not that good. I feel like the next songs I'm working on will be better so I'll wait until they are done (this goes for every song I write I always think the next one is going to be better. ) I have never found a stable career path or line of work that I can tolerate for long. It's always been about running (very recreationally) and music. I hate risking having this vision fall apart at my feet because it is what keeps me going. In short, it is fear as a reflection of complete uncertainty.

In music as with running I take it to a level I am comfortable with and luckily that level continues to rise little by little. It is a bit of a conservative approach and it works for me to some extent. Still, I would like to blast through some of my self-imposed obstacles and become the artist and runner that in my heart I know I could be. I definitely feel that stupid biological tick. I don't have forever.

A New Hub for New York Runners

2009-11-13T11:42:00.015-05:00

Here's a new site worth paying attention to: NYCRuns.com. My friend Steve is starting up this site for runners in the New York area. It includes spaces for running groups, a local race calendar, running blogs and a running partner finder. I think it's a really cool idea. The New York running community is huge and goes way beyond just the NY Road Runners Club. There is definitely a need for a site to pull it all together.

It went live in the last few months so it's still in its infancy. If you are a runner in the New York area I really encourage you to check it out. You can connect through your Facebook profile which makes it easy to set up. Or you can look at the content without logging in. If you post ideas to a forum, they will be noted and you could have a real impact on getting the site going.

They've already posted a nice article on Lady Southpaw. If you have any running article ideas I'm sure Steve would love to know about it. Also, bloggers your contributions could have significant pull!

Listen to Shock Pilot and the JogTunes Indie Podcast

2009-11-01T07:02:00.014-05:00

This morning I am going to go cheer on the runners of the New York Marathon. Hopefully the weather will clear up a bit and it will be a great race for everyone involved. I am looking forward to running it myself next year. Before I go I have a couple things I need to post about:

The past month I've working with some artists through twitter and ReverbNation. It was spearheaded by Jonathan Jones of Linwood Studios. My main contribution was the vocals. Steve Morton was also a key contributer of some eclectic sounds. The intention was to create something entirely collaborative online with feedback from listeners every step of the way, which was immensely valuable. We went through several drafts and I am very excited about the result. What began as an instrumental sketch about flight became a story about a Lara Croft-like flight attendant (undercover spy?) foiling a terrorist plot mid-air.

The project is called Shock Pilot and the first song is called "Smokin' Tasers." Find more information about it here:

http://www.ReverbNation.com/ShockPilot

http://twitter.com/ShockPilot

http://linwoodstudios.blogspot.com/2009/10/shock-pilot-official-release-of-smokin.html

Please feel free to stream, download, or share the song from here:

There is talk about offering a contest for people interested in making a youtube video for it. Contact me for more details.

The other big news I am very excited to announce that my song "Why I Run" was included in this month's JogTunes Indie Podcast! Dr. Bob Marcus guides runners through a 60 minute work out featuring a vast array of unsigned and unknown artists, explaining the different tempos for each song along the way. This podcast was indispensable to me when I started researching the idea running music. I used it to feel out the different tempos. I remember being most comfortable in the 150s and 160s. As soon as the pace climbed into 170 or 180 bpm I wasn't able to keep up. Now here I am nearly two years later touting the benefits of 180 bpm, which proves that cadence is definitely something you can control when you know how. The thing I eventually learned was that the speed of your leg turnover doesn't determine your running speed. If you make your stride smaller you don't have to run faster at the higher tempos. The podcast is a good exercise for trying different stride lengths and cadences as well as discovering unknown artists.

Here is the link to the show podcast:

http://jogtunes.com/jti/jtcbrowsepodcasts.php?x=60&v=ID%20between%20453%20and%20465

A big thanks to Dr. Bob! He is so nice. I am really happy to have a song in the podcast and to be on the website. It's the fulfillment of something I was dreaming about a year ago. If you have not checked it out already, definitely subscribe to this podcast. The website is also a useful resource for finding good running music.

http://jogtunes.com/

Race Report Part 2: The Regularly Scheduled Nike Human Race Report

2009-10-24T21:09:00.017-04:00

Had I waited in the line in part one for 5-10 minutes the Nike Human Race Report would have gone something more like this:

Today I took part in the Nike Human Race NYC! This is probably the quickest I have churned a race report but the event is centered around the idea that people are running this race all over the world today. There is something pretty cool about that.

My goal for this race was to set a new P.R. for the 10K. I ran my last 10K with a total time of 59:06 and a pace per mile of 9:31. I figured after running a 5 mile race at an 8:51 min pace and a half marathon at a 9:25 min pace, I was due for a better 10K time. I seem to think more in pace per mile than total time. So for this race I was thinking I wanted to run as close as possible to a 9 minute per mile average pace.

The other test was that I had my iPod for the first time ever in a race situation! I figured this would be one race where they wouldn't mind if I was tracking it with my Nike+. Therefore, I shall breakdown this race in the form of my playlist:

Track 1: "You'll Find a Way," by Santigold

I used this in an iMix last summer and I swear I remember it clocking in at least the high 170's beats per minute (bpm) wise. I put it first because it usually gets me jazzed up and I figured the slightly lower bpm (from my usual 180) would be O.K. as a sort of warm up track. This may be true in a training run, but at the start of the race I was bursting with adrenaline. The slower tempo was really aggravating. In fact, I just re-measured it and it is actually closer to 165. So it turns out I tapped out the remix before and then downloaded the original version, genius. I can't believe I didn't notice that before today.

Track 2: "Why I Run," by Lady Southpaw

Of course as long as I was testing running music in race situations I was going to try out my own songs. The 180 bpm came as a relief after the Santigold incident. I started getting my footing and feeling more comfortable. It felt so good I hit the back button to repeat it but my iPod actually rebelled! A couple seconds into the song and it skipped to the end of the song. The weird thing was when I tried it again it did the exact same thing. I still have no idea how that happened but I gave up and let it go the second time.

Track 3: "Run On Sentences Volume 1.1," by Jonathan Jones

I have gotten to know Jonathan Jones through twitter in the last couple months. He writes scenic, inventive instrumental rock and is a great social networker and campaigner for independent music. He's been trying his hand at running music with a series of songs called "Run On Sentences." Volume 1.1 is my favorite but they're all good. Check them out at http://www.ReverbNation.com/JonathanJones. Also we've been collaborating on a project called Shock Pilot. Check that out here.

Track 4: "Flying On Glass," by AudioFuel

Again, thanks to the world of social networking I found myself writing back and forth with Sean from AudioFuel. He sent me this track he was working on. It is a remix of a Philip Glass piece at 175 bpm. Despite the slightly low bpm, it has become my absolute favorite track written for running. Of course I am going to be glowing about all of these songs there's a reason I put them on the playlist but I mean it, this one is amazing. Some of the credit goes to Mr. Glass's composition. It is just so smooth in the way it transitions from one variation to another. There is a lot of really blatant repetition in it, which is really soothing, something Glass is known for but most musicians tend to shy away from (myself included) for fear of boring the audience. Unfortunately, I'm not sure where you can get this particular track but definitely have a look at AudioFuel. They are a running music project in London. Apparently some of their composers worked on the Matrix soundtrack. This song really helped me get up Prospect Park's tough "North Hill."

Track 5: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker," by The Ramones

This song came on once I got over the big hill and was a great reward. Running to it is like eating candy. It's quick, light and fun. I especially liked the line "New York City really has it all," during this race because we were representing the NYC version of the race.

Tracks 6 & 7: New song + "How To Turn Around a Bad Day," by Hella Sound

O.K., this is the last twitter reference. Although, I have to say it makes something as seemingly obscure as "running music" seem like a growing community. John Frenette from Hella Sound sent me their new track to give a test run. I thought this would be a good time for it before I decided I would be detailing these choices in this blog. So, I'm not sure how much I should say about the new song because it hasn't been released yet. I will say this, it is the light fun side of Hella Sound. I could imagine running to this song on a beach somewhere and chilling out with a pina colada afterwards. Then at some point it turns a bit CSI Miami-ish, like there was a murder on the island that needs to solved by some Tom Selleck type character. Ha, how's that for a review John? When it finished I listened to "How Turn Around a Bad Day," for a bit until I got closer to the end of the race. Hella Sound songs are always a go to for training runs. They're long and consistent and crafted with some solid song-writing skills.

Track 8: "Half-Cocked Concepts," by P.O.S.

To use Nike+ jargon, this is my "Powersong." It's a song that always gets me jacked up and makes me want to start running fast no matter how tired I am. Whenever anyone asks me what I listen to when running I usually have to mention P.O.S. I'm not sure how well known he is, but I totally enraptured by his music. He's a punk influenced rapper from Minnesota. His beats and samples are just sickly cool and his lyrics are so entertaining. This song perfectly sums up the anger around the time Bush was elected for his second term. I love listening to it now with the perspective of how things have changed in the oval office. It's empowering and humorous at the same time. Here are just a couple lines:

"Busy bees making our honey but ski ball tickets still don't count as real money. It's something so ridiculous, funny so f*ckin sick of this consistent lack of vision from children claiming they're listening." "Holler if you hit the bottom running..."

"Lean back and relax and tell 'em: Get up, get up, get up and get something, put the mother f*cking Fresca down!"

Track 9: "Engineering Masterpiece," by Lady Southpaw

I had to end with this song because it is all about coming up to the finish line and summoning that last ounce of strength. I have to say I was pretty exhausted at this point and it was pretty cool to listen to something I wrote.

So my final time was 57:25 with a pace per mile of 9:14 per mile. I succeeded in getting a new personal record. However, I still think I could run a faster average pace if I did it again.

My conclusion on the racing with iPods is that it can be enjoyable. I did not feel out of touch with what was going on around me. Similar to most races I had moments of speeding up and slowing down. However, I don't feel like it improved my performance at all. It was similar to running with a companion sometimes it boosts you other times it holds you back but the difference is not as significant as you would think. Overall, I still think running solo without music is best in race situations because I like having it as a special time to test your metal as an individual and perform to the best of your ability in that moment. I might feel differently about a marathon length race, but anything shorter is better unencumbered.

At the same time nothing beats a good running buddy or a great song when you are training. They can make the world go round on endlessly long runs.

Race Report Part 1: Nike Human RAGE

2009-10-24T20:38:00.006-04:00

Oh Nike, you left a bad taste in my mouth after what would have been a pleasantly sweet race. I am dividing my race report into two sections today. The general race report will soon follow, but first I would like to have a Nike Human Race rant.

Yes, I followed the legions of runners in participating in the Nike Human Race NYC today, 10.24.2009. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about the event last year, something about it's aesthetic seemed a bit off to me. I mean I like the idea of world unity in running and all that, but coming from Nike it seems a bit contrived. However, becoming active on twitter this year changed my mind because seeing updates from runners all over the world gearing up for it was cool. So, I jumped on the bandwagon. Also I am signed up to do a 10K event with Team in Training in December so it seemed especially appropriate; both because it will be a good before and after to show the effect of the training I will be doing and also because some of the proceeds for the Nike Human Race are going toward Team in Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Unfortunately, the perfect storm of variables left me with an unpleasant ending. Not all of them were Nike's fault, like the weather or the fact that the F train was not running (the train that goes through part of the park where the start line was.) Still, there were organizational problems where they were to blame.

My first fatal flaw was that I didn't want to go into Manhattan to pick up my chip and t-shirt a day or two before the race. I live and work in Brooklyn so I figured it would be better for me to do it the morning of the race since it was taking place in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. My second mistake was that I brought a backpack. Since the F train was not running and I knew I would be standing around waiting for buses; I figured I would like to have the extra layer of cloths and a book. Had I picked up my shirt already I would have dropped my stuff off at the gym but because I still had to pick that stuff up, I figured I would take advantage of baggage check... these were to be my famous last words.

My first thought when I entered the park was, gee, it really is a sea of red t-shirts like all the promotional art. Why is everyone complying with this so universally? Well I soon found out. The chip line was a breeze, it was separated by last name. I was surprised how many people were in line to register the day of the race and glad I didn't have to wait in that line. Then I saw the t-shirt line extending off into the horizon. I thought to myself, eh, I don't need a t-shirt, I prefer the one I'm wearing anyway. So I ask the chip lady if I could forgo getting the shirt. She raised an eyebrow at me, "Do you want to check your bag? Then you have to get a t-shirt." It turns out the race numbers are on the shirts! Nice Nike, way to indirectly enforce conformity. Of course I was not running 10K with a backpack on and there was no way I could make the gym before the race start. I entered the line questioning if I could even make the start time after waiting for the t-shirt.

Turns out it was not so bad, I even made it through the porta-potty line before the start (a victory in itself after the Staten Island Half.) What I did not realize was that I was given a doomed "0" T-shirt. The number on your T-shirt determined which bus you put your bag in. Bus zero, was the last bus on the end. Everyone registering and picking up a t-shirt that day must have gotten a zero t-shirt. Then, the added kicker was that everyone arriving late (the bag check was scheduled to close at 7:45) apparently was told they had to put their bag on bus 0 regardless of their number.

So, when the race was over and people went to pick up their bags the line for bus 0 eclipsed the length of all 10 buses. As far as I could tell if you had a bag on any other bus you didn't even have to wait in line. It was thoroughly maddening!

The other problem was that the line was not moving. No one was directing the line whatsoever. The poor guys on the bus were doing their job the same as all the other drivers; they let on one or two people at time to retrieve their bags and they matched their shirt numbers to make sure it was the right person. Unfortunately, when there was such a large percentage of the bags on one bus this was a completely inefficient system.

Now, at this point, I was calm. I figured I'm just killing time before Matt and Kim perform anyway. I can wait in line and mentally formulate my race report etc. The people directly around me were starting to get very angry. One of them said she could see people just cutting the line altogether. One by one, they left the line and took their chances with cutting in. This is one of those times where some one like me is left feeling like a real sucker. I hate it when people push their way to the front at the expense of everyone else, but then at the same time who is left at the back of the line suffering? That's right, the nice people.

Anyway, after waiting in this virtually unmoving line over half an hour I begin to suspect I hear Matt and Kim songs playing in the distance. At this point I am in denial. "Nah," I think, "I would have heard the announcer or the roaring crowd," or "Maybe they are just playing the CD to get people psyched up to hear Matt and Kim." I was seriously considering going to check it out and coming back later, but I looked back and saw the line was stretching twice as far behind me. The fear of having to start it over (in the case the set had not started) seemed like too big a gamble.

It was not long after this that thoughts of Matt and Kim dissolved from my mind as disgruntled runners started scaling the sides of the bus, pulling out random bags and passing them into the crowd below where they disappeared. The mob of waiting runners gathered up in paralyzed anticipation. There was some relief that maybe this wait would be over but at the same time it was impossible to see any of the bags. Where were they going? Who was monitoring this? Everyone was packed so tightly. There was no way to move through and get a good look at what was happening. Most people were dumbstruck but occasionally you would hear a "this is insane," or "is this some kind of strange social experiment?"

Luckily there was nothing too valuable in my bag. Although I did want to be able to wear pants home. It was easily an hour from the time I got in that line until I wrestled my bag out of that tangled mess. No one was checking numbers at that point, by the way. Without opening my bag I slung it over my back and marched toward the concert stage. I could hear the song "Daylight" and I had hope that I could make at least part of this show. I was so excited after my ordeal to see Kim standing up on her stool stomping and Matt shouting out a hearty "Brooklyn!" No sooner had I come to a stop then they wrapped up their final chorus and immediately disappeared off stage. Seriously, I saw them for a total of about 30 seconds and they were done!! It was such a cruel tease! (Not that it was their fault of course.)

I have to say I remained pretty cool through all the lines, but as I stood there in the mud realizing I had just missed the entire Matt and Kim show there is really no other word to describe what I was feeling but RAGE. I had heard there were some organizational problems last year and it looks like they still have a lot to learn.

Some Thoughts on Foot Landing While Running a Half Marathon

2009-10-12T11:36:00.013-04:00

While I was running the Staten Island Half Marathon yesterday I found myself continually thinking back to a blog I read the night before posted by NCRunnerDude. It was about barefoot running which seems to be all the rage at the moment. You can't get on the running blogosphere or twittersphere without hearing about who just tried out a new pair of Vibram Five Fingers. I am definitely not ready to jump on the barefoot running bandwagon just yet but as usual I am obsessed with thinking about running biomechanics. The subject of footfall in particular is something that I've been thinking about a lot.

I have been told I am a heel striker. When I was given this diagnosis it was before I knew that was a "bad thing" because I had become a heel striker on purpose. A few years ago I went to a podiatrist who took x-rays of my feet and told me I was putting too much pressure on my forefoot which could eventually cause a bunion as well as my obnoxiously thick calluses. He wanted to fit me with some expensive orthotics which would put more padding on my heels. I said thanks but no thanks. Before I had even heard anyone talk about barefoot running I was already thinking I wanted to be able to run with less padding and not more. So I asked him if I should just try striking more on my heels when I ran. He actually laughed at me and told me you can't consciously change your natural running stride. A year later I am told I am a heel striker by shoe salesman and that I should read ChiRunning to fix my form.

Basically, the problem with heel striking is that it is unnatural to the way we were built to run. It can cause problems because it sets your alignment off. You tend impact the ground ahead of your center of gravity. Also it is essentially putting the breaks on with every step slowing you down and causing that annoying up and down bounce. So I get it, heel striking is only possible because of the padding in our running shoes. The consequences tend to be more long term and chronic. On the other hand too much toe running is painful in a much more immediate way. It causes me way more calluses, blisters and pain in my big toe joint, as well as achilles/calf soreness. Some one recently told me that you "get used to it." I'm sorry but I can tell the difference between exercise soreness and pain and I'm not going to get used to the pain. If that's not the path to injury I don't know what is. Chances are I'm doing something wrong when I'm trying to get "off my heels." So it's something I continue to work with and tweak.

The best tip on this subject that I got from ChiRunning was to practice by running on the sand and analyzing the footprints. It is possible to make a flat footprint while running. This past summer I practiced it barefoot on the beach and tried to memorize the feeling for when wearing shoes on the road. I don't want to take my heels completely out of the equation, I just don't want to impact with them.

I found this description of barefoot running biomechanics by Josh Sutcliffe on NCRunnerDude's blog to be really helpful. Understanding natural running biomechanics can be useful even if you are trying to apply it in shoes. There are a ton of great images and tips in here so I'm sharing it:

Staten Island Half Marathon Race Report

2009-10-12T09:31:00.016-04:00

Yesterday we had the perfect weather for a half marathon. It was sunny, clear and a little crisp but not too cold. Since the NYC Half I had not done a ton of extra training; I did a few speed and hill intervals and ran a 10 and 12 miler in addition to my regular running to maintain my fitness. My general goal was the same as usual: to run in a way that felt strong from beginning to end. As far as time I wanted to break an average 10 minute mile after my last average of a 10:01 mile.

I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend Chris drive me to the start line. In Brooklyn we live so close to the Verrazano bridge into Staten Island that it seemed ridiculous to get up early enough to take the train into Manhattan for the SI Ferry. Also, the tolls on the bridge are high enough that it would double the cost of a car service and if I took the bus I would have had to change 3 times. How can something so close be so far? Anyway Chris was a trooper about getting up and drive in. He even wore his Lady Southpaw t-shirt which earned him an extra gold star.

My first stop once I found start was the the port-a-potty line. I naively thought that being 20-30 minutes early would give me enough time to get through the line and to the start. The lines were long but there were so many of them and these people were all racers trying to get to the same race, so no problem right? Well, I was still about a dozen people away when the start gun fired. From that point to john I was hopping from foot to foot in pure agony for what felt like an eternity. After peeing a liter bottle worth of pure spring water I applied my hand sanitizer and took off for the start. In all of my little adjustments (taking my GU, putting on my Fuel Belt) I completely blocked out the start line clock. This was a very annoying omission for the next couple of hours because I wasn't wearing a watch and had no idea how long I was standing in that line.

I crossed the start line after the pack in the corrals had cleared. At first I thought this would be a bad thing because I would be stuck behind all the slowest people. Actually it was great because by then pack had already spread out so it was easy to weave through people and I felt like I was more with the port-a-potty crowd so there were a lot of varying speeds to work off of as I made my way to a comfortable race pace.

The route was basically an out and back from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal to a bit past the Verrazano Bridge and back. It was along the northern edge of the island so we didn't get a many of the vicious hills in the middle. One of the nice things about being an out and back was that you could assess the terrain on the way out to strategize for the way back. Also, I have to admit, most of what I'd seen of Staten Island was the view from the highway passing through so it was nice to see some actual residential and commercial areas. There was also a lot of running through industrial areas too which would not have been so nice except that it's on the opposite side of the Upper New York Bay where I usually do my running in Brooklyn. It was cool to get a new perspective on it.

When I was about five miles from the end I felt great. I thought to my recent five mile race in Brooklyn and thought I could run that right now. I had a surge of speed for the next couple miles. I was prepared for the fact that there would be a big long hill about 3 miles from the end and then it was more or less downhill to the finish. I stayed conservative up the hill and prepared to speed to the finish. When I got to the top I found I wasn't ready to speed up. Then as I ran downhill a horrible thing started happening. At first it just felt like a little spasm in my calf. Then I realized I was dangerously close to having a full on cramp. I get these cramps sometimes after I've been working out really hard. I pretty sure it's a sign my electrolyte levels are off but I'm never sure if It's dehydration or low sodium, or both. I was drinking all along the route. I had my Fuel Belt and I was stopping at water stops. I had my GU, but I had it really late (I almost forgot about it) I had a packet of salt on the long hill, but again, maybe it was too late? Maybe it was the transition from uphill to downhill? Whatever it was, it was really annoying because I was running a really good race up until that point. I was pacing a sub 10 minute mile, I had no joint pain and my energy was still up. I just tried to stay calm and kept running. I knew if I stopped I would feel the cramps and whenever I sped up I felt the cramps. I was so glad I had my fuel belt because drinking made me feel like I was at least doing something to help. The cramps spread into my feet as well as my calves but the finish was so close. When I saw the time on the clock was 2:11 something I almost cried with joy because that was my net time for my last half. Whatever the time I still managed a Personal Record! Of course at that point I had no idea how much because I didn't see my start time.

Turns out the port-a-potty line only set me back about 8 minutes, which surprised me because in took me over ten minutes to get to the start in Brooklyn and Manhattan without the delay. Still, I seem to be improving and I'm doing it gradually, consistently and without injury so there you go. This will probably be my last half marathon for 2009. Ideally, I'd like to run a sub 2 hour half next. Until then I'll try to improve my speed with 5Ks, 5 milers, and 10Ks.

Here's the final half marathon stats for 2009:

Brooklyn Half Marathon - 2:17:28 - pace: 10:29/mile

NYC Half Marathon - 2:11:26 - pace: 10:01/mile

Staten Island Half Marathon - 2:03:31 - pace: 9:25/mile

Superb Stuff #2: Kashi

2009-09-24T09:39:00.008-04:00

This is the second installment of the Superb Stuff series. Read the introduction here.

Right now I am sitting over my laptop, the way I do every morning, with a delicious bowl of cereal. Full disclosure: my name is Erin and I am a cereal-aholic. My dad works for Kellogg's and I grew up in the "Cereal City" Battle Creek, Michigan (I just found a link with a comedian making fun of it, pretty funny). Anyway, it is in the complete spirit of uncensored bias that I present Kashi as one of my favorite companies.

As a kid I was pretty much raised on Kellogg's cereals like Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, and my personal favorite Froot Loops. I still enjoy Special K and other Kellogg's cereals (although not the Froot Loops so much) but as I have gotten older and more health conscious, my tastes have changed. It seemed appropriate that as I was learning more about nutrition and getting into yoga that my dad introduced me to a small Californian health food company called Kashi.

Kashi cereals are high in protein, fiber and their signature blend of whole grains. Their signature phrase is, "7 whole grains on a mission." Here is a section of their mission, or "Mantra" as they call it, that stands out to me:

Health isn’t a destination; it’s a journey. Every little step we take creates a healthier path forward. We believe that when we eat well, we feel well, and do well for ourselves, our families, our coworkers, our communities, and the world. This philosophy builds on our deep roots in natural foods since 1984 and remains our daily guiding light.

They go on to highlight all the ways that they are active in community building and environmental sustainability.

Sure, a lot of companies take on this image because it is fashionable to be health conscious and environmentally friendly these days. Still, more companies don't even bother. As consumers if we are serious about good health and corporate environmental practices we should support companies who make it a serious priority. It is built into the DNA of Kashi and I hope they stay that way. Plus Kashi Go Lean is really yummy.

Chris Hoban Memorial 5-Mile Run: Race Report

2009-09-21T09:51:00.013-04:00

Yesterday was the first time I ran a race through the Prospect Park Track Club. It was called the Chris Hoban Memorial 5-Mile Run and took place in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Most of the events I've done this year have been through the New York Road Runner's Club (NYRR) which at about 40,000 members has to be one of the largest running clubs in existence. There were notable differences in the experience of doing a smaller race.

First of all, I didn't have to get up at 4 am to make it up to Central Park using weekend subway trains (notorious for their service changes and unreliability.) The race itself didn't start until 10:30. The start line was about 3 miles from my house so I left at a leisurely 9 am and walked/jogged as a warm up. I also gave myself ample time to get my race number and use the restroom before the 10 am opening ceremony. At a half an hour the ceremony was a bit long and tough to stand still through. Chris Hoban was a New York police officer who was killed in an undercover drug buy 21 years ago. I had a young uncle who was killed that same year and I remember what a painful shock that was to my family; it still stings a little to think about. So, I had a lot of respect for what they were doing and the fact that they used the event to do good for their community. At the end of the ceremony an NYPD helicopter did a low dive over the crowd which frankly, completely freaked me out.

Then we lined up behind the starting line. This was so much different than NYRR. There were no corrals. It did not take me ten minutes just to get to the start line. My race number was so small at a mere 3 digits. The run itself was beautiful route. It took us down the Shore Road Promenade which is a great running and bike path with a view of the New York Bay complete with Lower Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty, Staten Island, and Verrazano Bridge. Then it looped up 3rd Ave (parallel to 4th Ave, the first leg of the New York marathon) and back to the start at Xaverian High School.

My goal for races 10K and under is usually to try to burst the average pace of 9 minutes per mile. I have yet to do it in a scored New York Road Runners race. This annoys me to no end because the quicker your pace per mile the closer your corral is to the start line (and the less time spent standing around after the gun goes off.) I did run a 5 mile in New Jersey last year where I was a few seconds under the 45 min total time so I know it is possible.

The first leg of the race was pretty crowded so there was a lot of jockeying for position. I tried to stay pretty conservative but not easy. I focused on short quick strides like I had been practicing. I did not have my music because I wanted to be completely present in what people were doing around me but I did try to channel some of my songs mentally to keep the rhythm in my arms and legs.

At the halfway point I was right on pace but the idea of maintaining the pace for another 2 and a half miles seemed like a tall order. The mile markers weren't that clear with volunteers shouting split times as you ran by. As a result I got a bit disoriented about how far I was and how much was left in the fourth mile. At one point I remember thinking I would have had to run a 5 and a half minute mile in the last mile to make it under 45 minutes so I had to let go of my goal. Still, I managed to maintain my intensity and was psyched to look around and see that I was mostly running with guys. I could see a few ladies ahead of me but I was definitely ahead of the big crowd and up with the above average runners. There was a big hill right before the finish line which sucked but the downhill into the finish made for a nice final kick. To my surprise the clock read 44:17.48! So I made my goal with a 8:52 per mile pace afterall.

I just downloaded the pdf with the race results and I've been pouring over it. Unlike NYRR race results it doesn't calculate my age and gender place so I actually went through and counted all the 20-29 year old females who placed ahead of me. The first 5 in each age/gender group got trophies. I was very pleased to find that my score placed me as #12 among the women in their 20s. My overall place was 227 out of 612 finishers. That definitely beats my usual NYRR placement which is something in the thousands.

It was definitely a nice change to do a more local race and I will definitely try to do more. Maybe next time I'll memorize some mile mark landmarks in advance so I don't have to worry about the high school aged volunteers shouting confusing numbers at me in my runner's fog. Although the focus of this race report has been on the numbers I still think of it as a by-product of my training. I am most proud of the fact that I could run in a way that I felt strong. I was challenging myself with the pace all the way through but I never lost form or felt that I was risking injury in order to achieve my result. My goal is to continue to improve gradually with an emphasis on good practice.

Random side note: as I was walking past the ambulance parked at the finish line, the runner sitting on the stretcher getting his knee iced and taped was none other that the guy I blogged about drafting off me in my blog last week. I swear I'm not making that up. The path we were running was part of the race route but it was still weird to him in there.

Meditation in Motion: Zone Mind, Zone Body

2009-09-16T13:21:00.011-04:00

On my run yesterday I got to thinking about results versus process. Posting the picture from the Brooklyn Half the other day had me thinking back to my rant about how much I hated worrying about my times. Yet, at the same time I really like obsessing about form. It comes down my suspicion that if your main goal is winning or at least setting your personal best time you will cut any corner you have to and miss out on the pleasure of getting there. This means pushing through tension, pain, and feeling generally miserable. It also means losing a sense of flow, gracefulness and efficient breathing that comes with proper running technique.

Now, I am not saying running is supposed to be easy and that you should always run at a pace that is comfortable. I just think that the most important skill to acquire is the ability to be aware; to constantly check in with what your body is doing and where everything is in the moment. It is important to keep challenging yourself and pushing your limits is going to be uncomfortable at first. So, in those moments of discomfort rather than thinking, "I've just got to push through this toward the finish," you are thinking: "How can I adjust my breathing? Are my feet hitting the road too hard? Is my head still up? Can I relax my shoulders more?" As you work on these tiny adjustments you learn a lot more about what you can do. Then, when you find yourself on top of the challenges you get a real sense of freedom. Speed becomes the by-product.

Actually, when I was thinking about this yesterday it seemed like a semi original thought. Now that I have written it down I realize that it's essentially the main point of a book I read earlier this summer called, "Zone Mind, Zone Body: How to break through to new levels of fitness and performance - by doing less!" by Roy Palmer. Palmer is a runner, martial artist and teacher of the Alexander Technique. As some one interested in running and the zone, it definitely piqued my interest. It was a pretty easy read and I found it enjoyable. He gives a few Alexander-type exercises to help you recognize some of your bad movement habits. For example, putting tension in your neck in order to stand up, think about it, the neck muscles are not going to do much for you in this situation. The main thing that the book drives at is that if you can really focus, be in the moment and not put in unnecessary effort you can reach your optimum ability level and be in the zone. He breaks it down to make it easier for people to reach the zone more often.

This is why I love running and how it crosses over into a way to live and understand life. The same goes for music. So much of it is about listening. When things get muddy and difficult it means you must listen more deeply and start working on the things you can fix. It means practicing, tweaking the techniques and waiting until it come out right. There is a lot of patience involved. This all applies to running, music and life. Experiencing the improvements in running and music make the struggles of life feel more bearable. That is why I choose to love the process and the journey of trying to do things the right way rather than focusing only on the quantifiable results. I will work as long as it takes to get something right because the pursuit is the reward.

The Superb Stuff Series

2009-09-14T11:37:00.020-04:00

Introducing the "Superb Stuff Series." Basically, it's an excuse for me to highlight a bunch of brands and companies that I think are cool. First, a disclaimer: none of the companies I mention in this series are sponsoring me or giving me anything to spotlight them. I may have some inside knowledge of the company but that is probably what makes me think they are awesome.

Generally, I am not someone who gets caught up in designer labels or fashion for the sake of being trendy. However, in an age where it seems we are ruled by corporate America it is tough not to be affected by the constant din of marketing. Our main source of power in this relationship is the ability distinguish between what's quality and what's crap and throw our money and support in the direction of the quality stuff. If I see someone or an organization succeeding in a worthy mission (or trying to) I have to give them a shout out.

Don't be surprised if several of the companies presented are geared towards young-ish, female, fitness-minded, creative types. If you are reading this you probably share at least some of those traits or have someone in your life who does. I tend to like stuff that serves a function and is also a little funky.

The first example is SkirtSports. It was founded by pro triathlete, Nicole DeBoom. The idea was the result of her dissatisfaction with typical athletic attire that "had no sass or femininity." So, she set out to create "a line of fun edgy, sexy, women's fitness apparel."

The reason I'm starting with SkirtSports is that this month is the five year anniversary of DeBoom winning Ironman Wisconsin wearing a hand-sewn prototype that she designed. As a result they are doing Five Weeks of Giveaways to celebrate the landmark. Check out the SkirtSports site and the giveaways including: gift certificates, great training accessories and deluxe entries into a SkirtChaser event.

Why I like them:

I have heard people question the idea of a running skirt and say it makes you look like a less serious athlete. I couldn't disagree more. The skirt is one of the most comfortable and most graceful articles of clothing. Seriously, I feel sorry for guys missing out on them! The fact that SkirtSports is headed by a hardcore female athlete makes them feel downright empowering.

I love my electric blue "Sweetest Thing Tatoo" capri-skirt combo. It's light, flatters my figure and there are some well placed pockets. The picture left is of me running on the Coney Island boardwalk in the last leg of the Brooklyn Half Marathon.

SkirtSports products are not cheap. As some one who is not rolling in cash I wouldn't be able to fill my running wardrobe with them, but a piece or two is well worth the price because they are quality. Sure you can find cheaper running skirts but back to my original point that sometimes it's worth paying a little more for some innovative vision.

How to School Someone with Good Running Form

2009-09-13T21:18:00.011-04:00

During my 10 mile run today I was surprised to have a guy pacing off of me for nearly two miles. I was simultaneously flattered and a little annoyed. He was clearly a pretty experienced competitor and I do not presume to say that I am faster; he definitely would have beaten me in a race. It could be that he was trying to be conservative with his pace on the way out.

Although, it was annoying because he tended to stay on the edge of my peripheral vision. I would have preferred it if he stayed behind so I wouldn't have been conscious of him. Every once in awhile he would pull forward. That was worse because watching his form just tired me out. It was like he was muscling himself forward with his upper body strength. Maybe he was a triathlete? His stride was long, slow and loping. As soon as he pushed ahead it was a matter of moments before I would easily pass him again. Eventually he left me behind when I took my GU break.

I felt comfortably quick while he looked like he was really working hard. His gait was so laborious, I couldn't help but think how much of a happier time he would have if he tweaked his form. Judging by his knee brace his body likely felt the same way.

Somewhere along the road I became completely obsessed with form. Perhaps it was the dance training when I was a youngster or time I spent as a personal trainer, but the importance of form is always paramount in my mind for good performance. I can't help but constantly check in with it.

This is what I tend to think about when I'm running; it's taken from so many sources I can't site them all but if you've read ChiRunning you'll recognize some things:

First, the upper body should be relatively relaxed like it's sitting on a conveyor belt enjoying the ride. The head is lightly balanced on top, no tension in the neck. Eyes straight ahead, focusing on the horizon. The swing of the arms can be largely propelled by natural momentum. They can define your tempo because what your arms do your legs will follow. So I think of light quick taps with my elbows behind me like there is a boxing instructor back there with pads. Arms at 90 degrees with the hands lightly clasped.

I imagine my core is hard like a classic marble statue with a six pack. It has to be strong because that's where the fire is that is propelling me forward. Everything is alignment from my ears to my shoulders to my hips to my knees to my ankles.

The legs are like shock absorbers on cars. They take in the movement of the road, but with control so it's a smooth ride. In fact the impact of the feet against the road should be soft, quick and light. I try to imagine leaving flat foot prints in the sand so that there isn't more pressure on either the heels or the toes. Also, the feet should land directly below the center of gravity.

Of course, I don't succeed in the perfect form all of the time. I have many race photos clearly showing me landing on my heals. I can feel definite improvement the more I practice.

Still, with all of that in mind, my real secret weapon is 180 beats per minute. When I am training I make sure all of my running music mixes are at that tempo. It forces you to keep a short quick stride. The short stride makes it easier to stay in alignment and not bouncing up and down too much. Then as you get stronger you can open up that stride with a bigger kick back that doesn't disrupt your upper body. I really wanted to lean over and tell that to the guy pacing with me today. With the beat to hold onto, I knew I could stay consistent what seemed like way too easily.

NYC Half Marathon Report

2009-08-17T22:06:00.010-04:00

Yesterday I ran the New York Road Runners NYC Half-Marathon. Despite the high temperatures and humidity it was a pretty good race for me. I had a personal record, but more importantly I made strides toward my personal goals.

I was feeling a bit frustrated with my running after the Brooklyn Half Marathon because I finished slower than I wanted and did it feeling generally miserable. Ideally you want to finish a race with a little burst of speed and not feeling like your turtle paced hobble is the fastest you can go. So my main goal for Manhattan was to finish feeling strong and like I could speed up for the last mile. I didn't have a very specific time goal, although I couldn't help but want to go as fast as possible in the given situation. I decided at the very least I would be satisfied with something faster than my previous time of 2:17:28.

My strategy was to run Central Park as conservatively as possible, so not too slow but also careful not to blow everything on those hills. Then if I felt comfortable I would try to speed up going through Times Square and again in the last couple miles to the finish. Basically, when I got to Time Square I wanted to visualize I was starting a 10K race and the last three miles I visualized it was a 5K race.

In practice, it did not work out that way exactly. Although, I think the visualizing did help me maintain my momentum because I never felt like my engine dropped out completely the way it did in Brooklyn. I ran exactly the way I wanted in Central Park. I took those hills without dropping my inner tempo like they were just part of the course. I was fortunate to get in some killer altitude/hill training last month while vacationing in the dolomites. Also, I think the Bikram yoga helped for acclimating to the New York humidity.

My only big surge of speed came through Time Square. Holy crap was that AWESOME! There were musicians playing on almost every block. The musicians each had their own banners with their names on them flying high. I was in Heaven. Just the sounds coming from the guitars and drums and voices as I passed filled me with ecstasy. Performing is such a high, musicians are always pushing energy out to their audience and as a runner it's like you can take that energy and do something with it. It was fantastic. Of course I had the added motivation that maybe next year or in another similar situation I could get "Lady Southpaw" up on one of those banners and I could be performing and giving boosts of energy to runners. I started hauling it down Seventh Ave with a huge burst of adrenaline. Of course I had to try to participate in the "Mama Mia" sing-a-long as I rounded the corner onto 42nd Street. I couldn't help but get a little choked up thinking about my younger self back in high school in the Midwest who was so in love with Broadway theatre and the young woman fresh out of college first moving to the city and this journey I've been on since. Yes, this is what I want a big running event to bring out of me. I want that sense of awe that I can accomplish things that I work for and that I am part of this big celebration with others achieving their goals. Not everyone around me was having a great time, at this point I had to weave around a girl who looked like she was about to spew gatorade and GU without breaking her stride. It can't be wonderful every time but at that moment I was having the time of my life.

The last leg of the race went down West Side Highway to Battery Park. This was probably the most disappointing part of the race for me. The website made it sound like the party was going to continue with Capoeira (which I adore and was really looking forward to) and Samba dancers and DJ's all the way to the end. Unfortunately I think the dancers had packed up or were on a break and though there were some hard working DJ's and a couple of bands they were a bit too few and far between. There were long lulls of nothingness and because it was the last leg I kept thinking I was closer to the end then I actually was. As a result my energy started to wain for the first time. Also, my achilles started to hurt which was a completely new phenomenon for me and made me worry. Ironically, the achilles thing also made me realize other things that were going well. My IT bands and knees were not hurting which made me very pleased. Also, typically by the end of these races my stomach usually starts clamming up and afterwards I feel like I can't eat for hours. This time my stomach was not tied in a knot! This was the first race I used my fuel belt. In the past I use it for training but thought it looked too dorky to wear in a race with all the fluid stations. So, I think it was the Gatorade that was causing the aches. This race seemed to prove it because I brought my own electrolyte drink, which by the way was Propel so it's not like I have anything against the Gatorade brand it was just all the sugar and stuff in the regular formula.

I did manage to power through the last 800 meters and crossed the finish line with a net time of 2:11:26 a full 6 minutes faster than Brooklyn! Mission accomplished. Now, I wonder if I could cut that down even further next time? The journey continues...

Running Rock Resource

2009-08-06T18:53:00.019-04:00

I recently came across the article, "The Nike Experiment: How the Shoe Giant Unleashed the Power of Personal Metrics" in Wired Magazine. The article describes the phenomenon of "Living by the Numbers--the ability to gather and analyze data about yourself setting up a feedback loop that we can use to upgrade our lives, from better health to better habits to better performance." The concept that feedback can elevate your performance is one of the core principles of the "Flow," a theory by happiness psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Basically, the theory is that people who are happy tend to get that way because they do things they enjoy and feel in control of. A key way to get there is by earning positive feedback. This is similar to "being in the zone" in sports because that happens when you are performing at the peak of your ability. In this case it is the the numbers (pace, distance, running frequency) that are telling you when you are improving.

The article explains that as people upload data into the Nike+ network they become hooked. There are many effective elements, watching the data, the online community, the challenges and the goals. The Nike+ Apple union is a great gateway drug for running. They are tapping into something that goes deep. There is a whole other element to its success that the article barely even touches on. In order to use Nike+ you have to also be using an iPod. Those 1.2 million runners had to spend 130 million miles listening to something. There is also a hunger for a good soundtrack. So, I take over where Wired left off and present some useful resources I have found for running music, including a tried and tested playlist.

The Nike+ store has started including a section for the "SportMusic" blog. Conversely on iTunes you can now make "Sport iMixes." Runner's World uses Sport iMixes for a series called Music is Motivation with playlists of elite athletes such as Deena Kastor, Andrew Wheating, and Kara Goucher.

When you are in sync with a song while running it is a very similar feeling to the ecstasy of nailing a song as a musician because you are synchronizing movement to something bigger and you can feel it. It's the same reason why Guitar Hero can be gratifying. If you become one with the beat the fact that you can stay on top of it is the positive internal feedback.

The problem with so many of the songs being pushed forward in "running mixes" is that they are all over the map in terms of pace. Even when you are not trying to run directly to the beat, a powerful rhythm can still have an effect so it is important to be conscious of it. Popular songs are frequently around 120 or 130 b.p.m., which is terrible for running.

If you are running strictly to the rhythm of a song it is your steps and relative arm swing that are syncing. Since your legs tend to match what your arms are doing I suggest that you use your arms to find the beat. This will keep them engaged and hopefully avoid your feet stomping it out. Light quick steps are best. If you count the steps of one foot for one minute you will get a number that could range from 70 to 100. If you double that you can get a good idea of what b.p.m. (beat per minute) will naturally match your stride.

There are podcasts that are especially geared to running with music. Jog Tunes Indie usually goes through a set of songs that range of tempos with Dr. Bob Marcus explaining them as you go. Podrunner DJ Steve Boyett takes one tempo and goes with it electronica style. Then the Indie Soup Runner's Edition with Cecil Smith tackles all things Indie. There are also sites with extended mixes that do a good job of helping you choose a tempo like Hellasound and run2rhythm.

It turns out that most elite and experienced runners have the same average stride rate: 180 steps per minute. If you do any reading on this subject you will see this number come up a lot. One renowned coach and exercise physiologist who did a comprehensive study is Jack T. Daniels, PhD, who said, "I try to save runners a lot of grief by encouraging them to convert to a stride rate associated with less landing shock and more efficient use of energy."

I have been doing a lot of experimenting with this idea and have found that you can still run really slowly at 180 b.p.m. It becomes more about nailing down your form with a short quick stride, then when you want to speed up you put on the gas. It is the force you are pushing off with that will speed you up (and lengthen your stride.) However, your cadence and basic form should stay smooth and consistent. I have found the quick stride makes it easier to go faster when you want to. I explain this more here.

Music has the potential to be effective tool in your training. If you can tap into the tempo and maintain it you can develop a more efficient stride. That efficient use of energy will help you feel on top of your running for longer periods. It a form of internal positive feedback to help you achieve your running high. Let music can be your guide in that. It certainly beats running with a metronome as suggested by ChiRunner, Danny Dreyer.

I put together a Sport iMix incorporating some Lady Southpaw songs. I was so disappointed not to be able to include some of my favorite artists because they didn't have the right tempo, but it furthers my point that there is a need for more music with the running experience in mind! There are several programs out there for analyzing tempos but I used the very unscientific method of tapping it out on my amp. Therefore this is not a perfect 180 bpm mix, but all of these songs are in the neighborhood and when I tested it they all worked pretty well. Enjoy!

Song #6 - So Cold

2009-07-21T15:03:00.016-04:00

Back in the US-s... A

I had a fantastic time trekking the Italian Dolomites. While we were there they were declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

It was great to go with a member of a huge Italian family. Everyone spoiled us rotten with their kindness. I think I ate my weight in gelato, pasta, polenta, wine and cheese, oh so much cheese. So yea, the carb loading part of my training is covered, just roll me to start line of the Manhattan Half Marathon.

While I was gone ReverbNation invited me to participate in a Microsoft sponsored promotion that offers free downloads from unsigned artists. The artists get paid when their track gets downloaded. Since I was away from the internet I didn't push it too hard; so I was shocked to come back and find I already hit my cap! That means enough people downloaded it that I'm getting paid the maximum amount possible for this campaign. How cool is that? I won't be paid for further downloads but if people keep downloading it next time I could earn a higher cap. I encourage you to check it out at this url:

http://www.myspace.com/windows?homepage=ladysouthpaw

The song I chose for the promotion is called "So Cold." It is the last of the 6 Songs For Running to be written up on this blog. Actually, it was the first song I wrote for this project way back in February when trying to run in the frigid cold was high on my mind. I put it third in track order but it was my first official attempt at writing to the tempo of 180 beats per minute, the "optimal cadence for peak performance."

Which reminds me, my running pal Jess pointed me toward this running music article that was in the NY Times while I was away. It sites some of the players in the growing trend of making music for running. Jack Tupper Daniels the elite running coach and exercise physiologist responsible for the concept of the optimal cadence for peak performance has teamed up with musician Patrick Crowden to create a running music training program. Hellasound was also reviewed. I've been passively stalking them on twitter since their first running release a few months ago so it was cool to see them get some good press. Overall the article was further encouragement that there is a place for music that is conscious of the running experience and still plenty of room for growth. I already have tons of ideas churning for the next set of running songs that I am writing so it's exciting to get back to work on this.

Good news! If you want to add any of the Songs for Running to your running playlist they are now available for download on iTunes, Amazon, Napster, emusic, and Rhapsody. If you take them for a run, please let me know how it goes. Your feedback will help me in writing the new songs.

Thanks!
ladysouthpawmusic(at)gmail(dot)com

Running Song #5: Why I Run

2009-06-16T01:44:00.015-04:00

All this packing is making my brain soft (I'm going away for a month see blog from 6/12.) Instead of leaving my blog on a marketing note, I'd rather leave it with a song. The song "Why I Run" has a special place in my heart. It is the most basic, stripped down song in the set. It's just guitar, a beat and my vocals. I was inspired to write it after reading a blog by my friend Lela titled, Why I Run. I am always touched by stories from runners who run for something bigger than just looking fit or being fast (not that there's anything wrong with either of those things.) It has become a great way shed light on causes and lost loved ones by participating in a running event and raising money for charity while doing it. There is a whole higher level of strength that is drawn from making something emotional into a social and physical event. It is so healing.

When I started to get into the song I wanted to focus on some one in my life that I draw strength from when I feel weak (on runs and in life) and it got me thinking about my Dad. Thank god, he's still with us and in good health (knocking vigorously on wood right now) but in my early days of running when I wanted to quit I would think of my Dad, his discipline and how he would approach difficult moments. Then I'd know that I had to hang in through those parts.

It's on those runs where you overcome your mental barriers and face the tough stuff that you have the most rewarding breakthroughs.

Songs For Running on Amazon

2009-06-16T00:40:00.012-04:00

I'm pleased to announce that the Songs For Running E.P. is live for sale on Amazon!

Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C3OT82/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

And if you really want to support independent music there are t-shirts too ;)

Song #4 - Get Out of My Head - and other musings

2009-06-12T17:09:00.009-04:00

I have been a bit out of it lately. Last week I had to go home to Michigan for the double whammy of High School reunion and my cousin's wedding. It was fun but exhausting because it meant seeing people I had not seen in a long time and also introducing my boyfriend Chris to some of my extended family for the first time.

Next week I am leaving for a month long trip to Italy to see the town where Chris' family is from originally. It is a very remote town in the northern Italian mountains (more Sound of Music than Roman Holiday, I'm told.) It will be exciting but isolated so we may not have any connection to the internet. I have decided to consider it a social networking detox. Don't worry, "I'll be back." ;)

Today I am posting the song "Get Out of My Head." I wrote most of the lyrics after I came home from a night drinking and Chris was on business trip, so take it how you will, haha. The tempo is 180 beats per minute.

Here are a couple pics I snapped when I was at home. One is of my parents dog, Leo (he's a labrador retriever.) I LOVE this dog. We really bonded after I graduated from and was home for the summer. I was so burned out and totally clueless about what direction to go with my life. He was barely full grown and the first time we went for a walk he drew my blood because he pulled so hard on the leash going after another dog. I made it my mission to whip him into shape. The long walks became a very meditative process for me as I mentally sorted things out. It was so hard for me to leave him when I moved to New York. I took him for walks this last week like I do every time I visit and we fell into all of our old patterns as if no time had passed. It really made me look forward to a living situation where I can get a dog.

To leave you with "a moment of zen," here is a random shot I took right after some rainfall. I thought the robin on the branch was appropriate because it is Michigan's state bird.

Brooklyn Half Marathon Report

2009-06-01T13:00:00.010-04:00

OK, I am coming clean today. I am not a fast or competitive runner. I have been running pretty consistently for the past decade (2 times on a bad week 4 or 5 times on a good one) it's very rare for me to get through a week without running unless I am really sick. I love to run on my vacations and I haven't had an injury to hold me back (aside from post marathon stiffness that had me out for awhile.) Still I have never been serious about time goals and I was very reluctant to get involved with racing. Last year when I started training for a marathon was the first time I entered a race of any kind. Through Team in Training I did a 5k, a 5 mile, and the 18 mile marathon tune-up race with the New York Road Runners Club as part of the marathon training program. It was very strange to see my running performance broken down to a series of numbers next to my name. Numbers completely freak me out, in general objective data measuring me tends to make my inner 8 year old cower. That's why I've always been a fan of the arts. I like that it usually isn't measured in any empirical way. There are no points or rankings. It makes it much easier to delude yourself about how talented you are.

Anyway, my running buddy Jess got a new watch. So she timed our splits. I think it really pushed us to keep our pace and as a result we finished in around the time I was hoping we would. The pace was about 10 and a half minutes per mile and the total time was just over 2 and a quarter hours. Whatever time I finished with was going to be a personal record because this was my first half marathon on record. As a result I was fine with it.

At one point Jess recommended I get the watch because I would like it too and I joked, "Me and time really aren't such tight friends if anything we are just casual acquaintances."

Ughh, thus the sad truth making me squirm as I write this. Overall the race was not what I hoped it would be because of the way I felt at the end of it. Had it not been for the watch I certainly would have slowed down in order to feel more comfortable. I am glad that I didn't because I also felt that ideally I could have run it faster (given my times on shorter distances.) So I am left wanting to run another one with more conscious time goals.

I can make excuses about how I felt like I was over-heating (I swear every time I looked at the weather report it said low 60's and cloudy which would have been fine for the black running t-shirt, it was an awesome shirt by the way except that it was turned out to be so freaking hot.) Or that I was distracted by the fact that I couldn't find my boyfriend in the crowd in Prospect Park. Also, the water stops were seriously under-staffed which made that process more stressful because I really needed the water. The truth is in that last mile I felt like I wanted to die and had to let my running buddy Jess charge ahead without me. My engine dropped out from under me as I struggled to the finish line. When I saw Chris in the final stretch beaming at me and trying to run beside me with his video camera it made me want to break down and cry right there for ever doubting him.

When I finished my marathon last fall I was extremely emotional at the end out of euphoria for finishing. This weekend I felt the same wave of intense emotion but it was because I felt so awful and wrong about things. It was the ugly side of my human competitive nature that tends to make me want to shy away from the whole thing. I don't have the drive or natural talent to be a super fast runner but that doesn't stop me from feeling so weak in the face of inadequacies. My goal has always been to not worry about that stuff and just try to run strong. So therefore I didn't make my goal. Although the end number itself didn't upset me the feeling of defeat at the end did and the knowledge that had I not been conscious of the time I would have run it much slower made me see the possibility of using numbers as more of a help while training and not such a hindrance while racing.

Reading other people's blogs it comforts me to find that these ambivalent feelings are pretty universal among runners regardless of pace. The fact is it's not always a good high, you are going to occasionally have a "bad trip." As far as my music goes I am not discouraged. I want to be able to articulate all those hills and valleys, that's what art is all about. It also works to my advantage that there is a consistent inherent tempo for running regardless of your speed.

One last thought on the music front. I am not an advocate for racing with headphones but I was really surprised by how many ipods I saw out there! I sang a few songs in my head which I think helped a bit during the hard parts because I never actually stopped running except at the water stations. Also, a Ting Tings song was blasting over the finish line when I crossed which was awesome because I have a definite soft spot for The Ting Tings.

Now that it's done I don't regret anything (except not communicating a better place for Chris to stand in Prospect Park.) I still love running and want to keep training for races. Although I also want to re-evaluate some of my mental hang ups about time and get more friendly with it.

Thanks NCRunnerDude AND Brooklyn Half Tomorrow!

2009-05-29T16:12:00.008-04:00

I am excited (read as completely freaking out) about the Brooklyn Half Marathon tomorrow morning! I will be sporting one of my brand spanking new Running Rocks/LadySouthpaw.com t-shirts. Look for a full update next week!

Also, thanks to the NCRunnerDude for featuring me in his blog today:) Check it out:

http://ncrunnerdude.blogspot.com/2009/05/lady-southpaw-taking-it-all-in-stride.html

Lady Southpaw Goes Mobile

2009-05-26T13:10:00.011-04:00

We really got lucky with our Memorial Day weekend. The weather report predicted rain but we had tons of glorious sun and I have the burns to prove it!

Here's a pic of me playing the ECPAT Run for Children's Rights on Roosevelt Island. The event went really well and raised thousands of dollars for a really great cause. I played a set along with the talented a cappella group, Vocal Heights.

Also I started uploading my songs to myxer as I have been uploading them to this blog. This is a way you get my songs for free on your phone before they are released on iTunes.

To number 69937

Text:

LadySouthpaw Kill

(to get the song "If You Had a Life to Kill")

LadySouthpaw Alone

(to get "To Be Alone")

LadySouthpaw Finish

(to get "Engineering Masterpiece")

Myxer will then text you the song and you can save it or make it your ring tone through your phone's options.

Or you can do it online using this widget:

Speed Interval Work Out + Running Song #3 - "Engineering Masterpiece"

2009-05-26T11:35:00.012-04:00

I am bucking the order that I wrote the songs in order to bring you "Engineering Masterpiece" as song #3. Last week I posted a Youtube video that featured it so now I am eager to get this song out.

Basically, the first two songs were working up to the benchmark pace of 180 beats per minute (b.p.m.) This is the typical steps per minute of most experienced runners regardless of size, gender or pace. I write about stride rate at more length in this blog.

"Engineering Masterpiece" is about speed. It is about summoning up that last ounce of strength in order to get across the finish line. It is about how the body is designed to run and if you can tap into that efficiently you can find your second (or third or forth... ) wind.

My Exercise Recommendation:

When testing these songs out I always had "Engineering Masterpiece" as song #6 because it is the last one in the sequence. Usually by the time I got to the song I had already run a few hills and had several more miles to go so I wasn't really inspired to start sprinting. This made the song lose some of the impact it had when I first wrote it. I found that if I reserved it only for speed interval training it not only helped mark out my effort but it also trained me mentally to think fast when I thought of the song. Once you've run fast with a song enough times it can help you get into that mindset when you hear it any time or even when you are just thinking about it. For example at the end of a race when the finish line is in sight you just need to think of the song and your body will re-enact the feeling of the speed interval. In order for it to work you need to make sure you had multiple successful work outs with your speed interval song.

Speed Interval Work Out* using "Engineering Masterpiece":

10 min Warm-up. Easy Pace listening to whatever gets you into the mood to run.

3 min 18 sec - the length of Engineering Masterpiece - Speed Interval. Try to maintain the 180 steps per minute pace through out the entire interval. Start the song running at a moderately hard to hard intensity (6 or 7 out of 10 of your rate of perceived exertion.) Then every time the chorus starts "Blood and Muscle, Flesh and Sweat..." crank up your intensity a little bit while maintaining your stride rate until the next chorus. When you get to "Wheels spin, Wheels spin" you should be running your hardest until the end.

3 min - Recovery Interval - I usually listen to the song "Why I Run" which hasn't been debuted on this blog yet. You want something that will keep the beat consistent so you don't lose the energy you just generated but will lower the intensity dramatically so you can regain your breath and rest while running much slower (or walking if necessary.)

Repeat this sequence of speed and recovery intervals at least 3 or 4 times. Ideally you want to be able to be as strong in the last interval as the first so you may need to conserve a little the first couple of times.

10 min Cool Down

Using the song lengths to measure intervals is useful when you don't have access to a track to measure distances. If you prefer to run distance intervals the song can still help measure your time by noting which point you cut the song off at. You can race to finish at an earlier point in the song every time. When I tested this song using distances I ran the entire length of the song on the last interval only to have an extra challenge at the end.

* I recommend this work out only for tread mills or paths (like tracks) that are intended for runners. It is not recommended to do speed intervals with head phones when there is other traffic competing for your attention. Go somewhere you can focus. Safety first!

One last thing to listen for:

This is the song that I incorporate the Baglama. It is a small Greek folk instrument that troubadours would play and then hide in their cloaks when they saw police coming. Hurray for renegade art, I love it. Chris brought it back as a present after a recent trip to Greece. He knew I would appreciate it way more than jewelry or a plastic parthenon.

The song "Engineering Masterpiece" is not live on iTunes or other online sites yet. If you would like the mp3 please write to:

ladysouthpawmusic(at)gmail(dot)com

Lady Southpaw, All Business

2009-05-21T10:10:00.010-04:00

This past weekend I managed to run a race on Saturday and play a race on Sunday. It was exhausting but it was the fun kind of exhausting so it's all good. My man Chris was a real trooper for driving me and all my equipment to Hoboken to do a set alongside the Hoboken Harriers (HOHA) 5 mile Classic. The people were very kind and it was a great chance to test out some of my new songs. Chris managed to get some video so I spliced it together and made a little Youtube vignette.

This Saturday, May 23rd I will be playing on Roosevelt Island as part of the Run for Children's Rights.

The Run for Children's Rights is an event sponsored by ECPAT- End Child Prostitution and Trafficking. It is an event to help fundraise for the organization and help raise awareness of the disturbing trend of child exploitation in the forms of prostitution, pornography, sex tourism and trafficking by Americans in Asian countries. It is a worthy cause that would be hard to disagree with. Even if you can't make the event please consider making a donation:
http://www.active.com/donate/ecpatusa

It should be a fun event with a 5K race, music and raffles. I will be taking the stage before the race to get the runners charged up.

For more info about ECPAT and the event go here:
http://www.ecpatusa.org/upcomingevents.html

Also this week I opened a store front on Spread Shirt so you can now get a "Running Rocks - Lady Southpaw" t-shirt.
http://ladysouthpaw.spreadshirt.com

I made some of them to be good for running so they are a bit pricier but high quality. I took very little commission because I want people to wear them ;) There are a range of shirts including some cotton ones with an original logo I made to cut the cost. I think they're cool (but then I'm like their mother.)

Running Song #2- To Be Alone

2009-05-15T12:32:00.005-04:00

Today I am posting the second in my series of running songs. It is called "To Be Alone." The tempo is 170 b.p.m. (beats per minutes) which is 10 b.p.m. faster than the first song "If You Had a Life to Kill." Yet, on first impression it may feel slower. This is because the melody is in half time but the beats themselves are still quite fast.

Every moment of every run is not about pushing the speed. Anyone who has done long distance running like marathon training knows that there are long periods where you are just sustaining and you are almost relaxed while running. This is when running is like meditation in motion. It is a time to focus on breathing, being in the moment and letting all the usual everyday garbage that clutters the mind drain away for awhile. Running can also be a solitary experience. It is a good time to face your demons and make peace with yourself. "To Be Alone" is about this type of running experience.

Fun thing to listen for:

In my rough version I had some choral sounding backup vocals. I felt they were too much for the whole song but I ended up keeping them faintly in the background toward the end of the song. They have some effects on them which makes them harder to recognize.

Some plugs for today:

Thanks to Kelly F. from "Races in Places" for featuring me in yesterday's blog!

http://racesinplaces.com/2009/05/14/faces-in-places-lady-southpaw/

I booked another race gig! It is the Run for Children's Rights 5K on May 23rd. More details on that to come...

Racing Rock Street Performance!

2009-05-13T10:56:00.008-04:00

One of my goals as Lady Southpaw is to play at racing events. Anyone who has ever been to the big Marathon here in New York knows that there are musicians all along the race route. One day soon I would like to be one of those musicians! Another growing phenomenon in marathon racing is the "Rock 'n' Roll" marathon (or country music, insert your genre here.) They can be found in San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, and Arizona to name a few.

So in this spirit I'm excited to announce this weekend I will be playing at the 11th Annual HOHA Classic 5 Mile Race. The people of the Hoboken Harriers were kind enough to let me take some of my songs for spin and debut my race rock act.

Proceeds from the race, which winds along the Hoboken waterfront and through the campus of Stevens Institute of Technology, will benefit the Jubilee Family Life Center, a non-denominational community center in Hoboken that provides job training and after school youth programs.

Please stop by if your in the Hoboken area this weekend. If all goes well there will be more races to come!

Details:

Sunday May 17th

Pier A Park

Hoboken, NJ 07030

10:00 AM

Race info on:

http://www.hoha.net/

Running Song #1- "If You Had a Life to Kill"

2009-05-08T14:56:00.007-04:00

Today I am streaming the first of my 6 Songs for Running on my website. You can play it with the widget in the left column. It is called:

"If You Had a Life to Kill"

The tempo for most of the songs for running is 180 beats per minute (b.p.m.) to reflect the ideal of 180 steps per minute in your running stride. However, the first three songs of the 6 are intended as a warm-up for this cadence in case you are not used to that fast of a tempo. "If You Had a Life to Kill" is 160 b.p.m. So if you were to count the strides of your left foot in one minute of running it would be 80 strides. This is actually the tempo I was running at when I first started counting my steps.

One fun thing to listen for:

A couple months ago I was lucky enough borrow an accordion from my boyfriend's Italian grandmother. They are from the northern mountains of Italy very near Austria. It's so cool. It makes an appearance in the background of "If You had a Life to Kill" about halfway through (at the second chorus.)

If you are interested in trying this song out for a run it is not yet available for sale but in the meantime you can write me at:

ladysouthpawmusic(at)gmail(dot)com

Also I got some new pictures taken by: http://www.cerysphoto.com/

Misha, the photographer, was great I would highly recommend her.

Running with Music: My Philosophy

2009-05-07T16:24:00.016-04:00

I have been doing very unscientific counts of runners with head phones at the gym and in my neighborhood parks and I would say just over half to two thirds are sporting headphones. Some may be listening to podcasts and books on tape but the majority are pumping their favorite running tunes. Recently I've become a fan of the Nike + sensor for the ipod. It's a great way to track pace and distance with your ipod (I'm including the image of my "Mini"). There is a revolution of the personal soundtrack going on with so much independent music flooding the culture and so many accessible ways to listen to it. Running is part of this phenomenon.

Listening to music is a great way to add a little extra pleasure to your run. Running is meditative and invigorating. It is a time to be out and actively communing with your body, mental fortitude and imagination. Your blood is pumping, your breath is deep and the sweat is exhilarating. You are alive. The music is your soundscape. You are the hero of your own story. So it is inspiring when the music intertwines artfully with the experience. There is the beat of your feet of course, but there is also your breathing, your heart beat, your arms and a million other tiny muscles and bones keeping you balanced and moving you forward with their own rhythms.

I believe that music that coordinates all of these things could help lead a runner to a smoother, more efficient performance and enlightening experience. Of course the speed and the endurance of the athlete is up to that runner's experience, conditioning, genetics and a million other factors. Still, focus, patience, and discipline will aid any runner in attaining a higher level of his or her individual potential. That is what the music I write is intended for.

Each song follows the last without dropping the beat.
There is a basic beat to give the runner something easy to hold onto but there are other complementing rhythms to keep things loose and interesting.
Along with the rhythmic element there are flowing melodies and harmonies to remind the runner to keep things light and smooth.
There are easy choruses that can be repeated like a chant in your mind when you're running without the headphones.

By the way, I do not recommend wearing noise-canceling head phones while running unless you are on the treadmill. If you are running outside with cars, cyclists and other runners competing for space please keep these in mind:

Keep the music low enough that you can still hear what is going on around you!
Check in with the sound of your feet against the ground to make sure you are not stomping to the beat.
Instead of sounding the beat with your feet imagine you are tapping it with your elbows behind you that will create the same effect of running to the rhythm.

If you can not stay with the exact rhythm don't worry, just run to the spirit of the music. Some songs are about pushing the speed but others are more about finding ease in the exertion and enjoying the ride. Still others are about wrestling with the difficulty and getting over a difficult hill. All are a metaphor for life. I hope to keep writing more.

Please write to ladysouthpawmusic@gmail.com to receive a free song and give me some feedback.

Join the mailing list here:

http://www.reverbnation.com/ladysouthpaw?add_email=true

Calling All Runners: Try Out A Song!

2009-04-28T12:16:00.007-04:00

Songs for Running is the new Lady Southpaw 6 song E.P. I put it together with the tempo and attitude of an ideal running experience. Using computer beats, guitars, my vocals and various other instruments each song plays a different role for various stages of a run. Some are more meditative to get you through the long haul while others motivate for a burst of speed. All are written with a consistent beat to keep you going. It is my intention to keep writing because you can't train for a marathon on only 6 songs. Help me make sure I'm on the right track so the songs will get runners on their feet.

I will give you a song for no charge if you take it for a run and let me know how it goes. Once the songs go live on iTunes they will be the usual .99 each.

You can get an idea of my sound by listening to older songs I have already posted (see my website or the in the left column.) Right now the only way to get one of the Songs for Running is to write to ladysouthpawmusic@gmail.com. Please include a brief note about what kind of music you usually listen to while running and your average steps per minute if you know it to help me choose the song for you.

If this takes off you can brag that you were there giving your input at the beginning ;)

Follow me on twitter:

http://twitter.com/lady_southpaw

Become a fan on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lady-Southpaw/77147959788

Stride Right: How Cadence Affects Running Performance

2009-04-27T15:11:00.023-04:00

Recently I was at Jack Rabbit Sports in Brooklyn buying new running shoes. They analyze your running gait by using a treadmill and video equipment. I was told that I was bouncing too much. All the movement up and down was taking away from my forward momentum, slowing me down and also forcing more impact on my joints upon landing. The Jack Rabbit staffer recommended I read ChiRunning to help me adjust my form.

I went to work breaking down my running form and trying to figure out how to be more efficient. I bought Danny Dreyer's ChiRunning as well as other books on running technique. One key problem I found was that my stride was too long for the speed and the distances I was running. This was not as huge of an issue when I was running 2 to 3 miles on the treadmill but when I started training for a marathon and running for 10 miles or more I could feel my ITB (or iliotibial band) tighten with some accompanying knee pain. Icing and stretching helped but I wanted to reduce as much of the impact as possible in the first place.

According to Danny:

One of the most common and significant problems I see in runners is too long a stride length when running slowly. This is very inefficient and exhausting to the body. If your cadence is slower than 85 strides per minute, your feet stay in contact with the ground longer, which means that your legs are supporting your body weight for a longer period of time. Conversely, if your stride is over 85 strides per minute, you'll spend significantly less time on your feet, saving valuable energy. (ChiRunning, p81)

Dreyer recommends a cadence of between 85 and 90 strides per minute. That means if you are counting how many times you step with your left foot for one minute of running it should be 85-90 times. For both feet that would be a cadence of 170 to 180 steps per minute. The more I researched the more this magic number kept appearing. Up until this point I always thought the faster you ran the more steps you would take per minute. It turns out this is incorrect, it is actually the length of your stride that changes while the number of steps remains relatively consistent.

Exercise physiologist Jack Daniels, Ph.D., described by Runner's World as the "World's Best Running Coach" is known for his comprehensive research in sport performance and coaching of elite runners.

He writes in Daniel's Running Formula:

One of the first things I teach new runners is some basics about running cadence, or stride rate. Almost all elite distance runners (both men and women) tend to stride at about the same rate: 180 or more steps per minute. This means that they're taking 90 or more steps with each foot per minute, a rate that doesn't vary much even when they're not running fast. The main change that occurs as runners go faster is in stride length; the faster they go, the longer the stride rate becomes, with little change in rate of leg turnover. ... I try to save runners a lot of grief by encouraging them to convert to a stride rate associated with less landing shock and more efficient use of energy. ... We often talk about getting into a good running rhythm, and the one you want to get into involves 180 steps or more steps per minute. (p93-4)

There are a number of things I try to be conscious of while running to reduce my bounce: core strength, flexibility, alignment, arm swing etc. However, increasing my cadence and shortening my stride was the easiest fix that made the most difference right away.

So, how do you know if you are training at the correct cadence? Danny Dreyer encourages taking a metronome on runs. As a former young music student this sends me into memories of painful piano lessons and makes me want to tear my hair out. You may be guessing where I am going with this by now. My newfound knowledge and experience led me to choose a specific tempo for the new music. The beats per minute (b.p.m.) in music is what people tend to sync their steps per minute to if they are running to the rhythm of a song. Initially I had planned to write at different tempos and let people choose songs that matched their unique cadences or the speed they wanted to go. I was amazed to discover that I could run at the same cadence whether I was going fast or slow. Music became a useful tool to remaining consistent over an extended period of time.

The problem with most popular music in terms of running is that it is not written at an ideal tempo. It usually clocks in between 110 and 140 b.p.m. Of course there are exceptions which is why it is possible to find songs that work. The other problem with making a running playlist is that chances are the songs are all at different tempos. This again leads to problems of consistency and may inhibit your training.

Music can be very useful in training specifically in the case of developing a consistent stride rate when it is set to the correct tempo. I can hear voices of running coaches in my head arguing with the idea of running to music so I will again emphasize: it is important to be able to run without music so that you are prepared for race conditions and can listen in the moment to your body and what is going on around you. However, if you have multiple training runs per week there is no harm in having a couple of them to focus on rhythm and letting music add some extra vibrance.

In Songs for Running (the title of my new 6 song E.P.) I wrote the first 3 songs with the same beats and structure but at increasing tempos of 160, 170 and 180 b.p.m. to help people get used to the cadence if they are not already. After that all songs are written at the 180 b.p.m. gold standard.

Feel the Flow

2009-04-20T19:33:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had a moment when music just clicked? You are out with friends at a club or maybe alone in your bedroom and dancing to a great song when everything comes together and suddenly you own the beat. The song consumes you so that you can hit it just right with a thrash of your arm and a swing of your hips.

Or maybe dance is not your thing, maybe you felt it as an athlete. At a pivotal point a team mate passes you the ball and your focus sharpens with pinpoint precision. You weave through your opponents and target that sweet spot the goalie can't reach. There is nothing like the euphoria of the perfect goal right?

These scenarios can be explained by a theory in psychology called flow. Athletes refer to it as being in the zone. The term flow was coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to describe a state of optimal experience and creativity. It is a state that can be cultivated routinely to create contentment in life. The game winning goal is a rare experience but it is possible to find pieces of this feeling in activities that are accessible everyday. Essentially, you are engaged in something that is challenging enough that your skills are balanced and you are neither overwhelmed nor bored. Then time seems to melt away, you feel empowered and work becomes pleasure. Click here for a video of Csikszentmihalyi explaining flow with a post from the people at Lateral Action that breaks it down.

This is a feeling I have been chasing since the first time I was ever in a play. It was Shakespeare's The Tempest.

The drama teacher at my school generously cast some of us younger kids to come out in the beginning and be the tempest. On opening night I experienced something that was bigger than me. I was the storm! I owned every step of the choreography and it was as if the music was coming out of me. My mother said she could see how much I was enjoying it and knew I had been bitten by the theatre bug.

I have gone through many phases looking for that click and hoping to find it in something I would not have to give up at the end of a play production or soccer season. Since college, there are two main avenues that I go down if I want to drown out the stresses of being an adult and making ends meet in the city. I pick up my guitar and sing or I go to the gym. It was relatively recently that I discovered how compatible those two things could be.

I used to hate running with headphones because I would get tangled in the wires or deciding on what to listen to seemed like too much of a hassle. Also, I liked to have the opportunity to focus on my body and listen to my steps to make sure they were not too loud. For that reason I still think it is important to run without the extra devices particularly in a race situation. However, running with the right music is a revelation.

Running to music combines the inner aesthetic of dance with the outer technique of an athlete. You do not have to be coordinated or graceful to feel what a dancer feels, there are only two steps you need to know left and right, that is it. Then on the running side you are building endurance and consistent turnover in your stride. If your mind is inspired it will translate to your body. The right music is good at any level of training whether to maintain energy over a long distance or for a quick burst speed.

"The right music" on the other hand is tough to find. You make playlists of songs that seem like they would be good for running and of those one or two might synch perfectly to your running stride. Most pop and rock is written to a tempo that is not quite right for running. Hip hop and rap are often closer, but not every time. For this reason many coaches will discourage running to music, particularly if you are inclined to letting the beat affect your stride.

That is why as a musician I have made it my personal challenge to write music with the idea of an optimal running experience in mind. I have spent the last year or two intently listening and running to songs to see what works best. I have written 6 new songs (so far) that I will be releasing over the coming weeks. I have also been researching running approaches and the surprising power of music on the brain. In upcoming posts I will share some of my findings.

In this blog:

- Announcements for each of my new songs

- Announcements of upcoming Lady Southpaw performances

- Reasons for running with music

- Resources I have found helpful for running

- Interesting research about the flow/zone, music and the brain, and the mind-body connection

Stay tuned!