1. Emperor's New Clothes by Panic! At the Disco
2. The Hills (Feat. Nicki Minaj) by the Weekend
3. SIRI by Yogi
4. Lost and Found by Ellie Goulding
5. Working for It by ZHU x Skrillex x THEY
6. Yellow Flicker Beat by Lorde (more for a cool-down or hill-climb portion of workout)
7. Yes Please by Muse
8. Fiesta by Bomba Estereo & Will Smith
9. Classic Man by Jidenna
10. Sand Storm by Apashe
11. Bonus Song..Just because I couldn't narrow it down: Get No Better (2.0) by Empire Cast
Second: Changes I Made Over Time to Become a Better Runner
Keep this in mind, everyone is different. Therefore, every runner is different. These were things that I either just picked up during my running journey or made a goal to edit my habits in order to improve. I attribute to many of these things as the reason I am able to do my second marathon coming up in a few weeks.
Sidenote: Marathon Training Update: I can officially (knock on wood) run this marathon. I completed the minimally recommended 20 mile long run, and I am now in taper time (and enjoying it to its fullest extent). If all goes well during taper, I will be able to run this race sans injury!
Again, keep in mind these are things that worked for me, and things that I am reporting that worked out of my own experiences. I am not a professional trainer for runners, but I do want to share with my fellow runners and exercisers what I have done to improve myself as an athlete. That being said, here is my list!
- Weight Training
- I have made weight training a huge part of my weekly workouts. I do a full-body set of weights after cardio sessions about 2-3 times per week. If I am short on time, my biggest focus are on these general body areas: core/abdominals, lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. I love having a stronger upper body now.
- Because of running so much and the added weight training, I have also...
- Gained Weight (a healthy amount)
- For my height and weight, I had room to lose and I had room to gain. In my gaining, I can tell just by looking at myself it is within the areas that were lacking in strength, mainly the upper body. I was injured because of lack of strength in certain areas that I listed previously, and that led to an over-reliance on the places that I had muscle (my quads, hips, and calves). That led to injury through overuse. Now, I can more equally distribute the work that I put on my body while running.
- I have gained back most of the weight I lost while not running, which is odd. My body looks completely different. It makes you consider how much muscle attribute can truly change your body.
- Running without Music
- I have completed a few runs without any sort of music, audiobooks, podcasts, et cetera. I was a bit nervous it would be boring, and at times it was. I noticed that when I did this, my pace was faster each time. I was more focused on my posture, stride, and pace. I also found myself using this time to clear my head and meditate. All good stuff, if you ask me! Again, I don't do this with every run, but at least I am not relying on a playlist to get myself out there.
- More Rest
- I used to be pretty regimented about my exercise. For most of my athletic career, I have been an exerciser, no matter the circumstances, that worked out 6 days a week with the 7th day being rest. Now, I am incorporating more rest in order to train for this marathon. I have been exercising 5 days a week. I have been timing these rest days as the day before (rather than after) long runs or mid week runs (6-10 milers). It allows my body to get full rest before being put under the stress of running. I think this recovery time has really helped me avoid injury as well.
- Ice, Foam Rolling, Heat
- I hate relying on all of these things. I realize how important these small things are, though. I am very diligent on icing as preventative and as treatment now. Foam rolling is the ABSOLUTE WORST; it really hurts. I would foam roll before, but it was not something I did regularly. Now, I do it every time, post-run (given I have the time), and sometimes, I foam roll beforehand. I also foam roll if I feel really tight muscles in general. It sucks, but it hurts for a reason. Those muscles need it! Finally, heat, which isn't really my biggest vice, has helped soothe my muscles, specifically my neck, shoulders, and lower back. My only problem is when it makes me overheat as I sleep (my heating pad has a timer-don't worry about me catching on fire or anything). Overall, treating my body right when I am not exercising is very important, and I refuse to neglect it this time around.
Do you have any songs that motivate you? What about running/exercising tips or suggestions that really have worked for you? Comment below!
