ING New York City MARATHON: The Race Report

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:

Running Rock Resource

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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!

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"

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

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.

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Calling All Runners: Try Out A Song!

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 ;)

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