I'll admit that I'm totally not feeling inspired lately. My entire wardrobe has got me bored to tears, I've been limited in what I can eat the past week due to the stupid wisdom teeth coming out, and as much as I want to buy new clothes, nothing has been fitting right. I'm in a general January funk.
Part of the reason why I'm in this funk is that I'm not really being active -- I'm not working out, I'm not roller-skating, I'm just kind of tired all of the time.I need to take it easy and let myself heal, but it's boring and I'm getting antsy. But I'm getting ready to start up again at the end of January, and I think I want to start running. I've never liked running (true story: Karen and I became friends over a mutual hatred of running in middle school gym class), but I absolutely need to work on my endurance. And with my boyfriend being a runner (he ran the Kauai half-marathon last year), it seems like a good idea -- he can give me tips and help me out.
And so I've been looking into music -- particularly podcasts -- to help get me going. I've never really been a podcast subscriber -- I don't know why, but I never really got into it! Way to be two thousand and late, J. Still, I can appreciate a good mix of music, especially if it's already fully set and timed for you so you don't have to stop and flip through to the next song (which is always my problem).
Since I'm really just starting running, I knew that there was the training program Couch to 5K, where you ease into running and gradually add time and speed. To go with the program, there's a Couch to 5K podcast with high BPM techno-y workout-y music and Robert (the podcast creator) letting you know when it's time to walk, run, rest, or cool down.
While standard workout music is fine, I had a feeling I would want something a little more indie rock, and so I found the Jogtunes Indie podcast. And when I found it in iTunes, I followed the "You might like..." links and discovered Indie Soup Runner, which is really cool and has all of its playlists available for you to pick and see which ones you want to download. (I recommend "Angry Rock Chick", because YEAH.) If you find that their websites are a little hard to navigate, because, well, we do, I highly recommend subscribing to them in iTunes and pulling them directly from there.
And don't forget: Kati did a workout mix as her first Lab Accident (I MISS YOUR MIXES, KATI) -- You Know You Really Were The Bomb.
So now I've got some awesome new music on my iPod, but I have a complication in that I'm very picky about headphones. I have tiny ears and earbuds just do not stay in. I hate them so much that when I was asked "hey, can I borrow your iPhone earbuds", I said, "I honestly have no idea where they are." I have a pair of ladybug earbuds that I use reluctantly and with the child-size buds (!), and a pair of behind the neck headphones that hurt my ears after too long. It's not ideal.
However, I could make an exception for the rad and vibrant Urbanears at Moxsie.com. I don't plan on running outside much, so running in the gym with a big colorful pair of headphones would be fine with me. I'm also craving the Heartbeats designed by Lady GaGa and featured in the Bad Romance video. They're enough to make me reconsider the whole "gah I hate earbuds" thing. (And they come with three sizes of buds, for the tiny-eared like me.) Either way, I will have to think about it.
How are you feeling this January? Are you feeling listless like me, or are you revved up for the new year? What's your favorite way to work out, if you're into working out?
image from moxsie.com
Friday, January 08, 2010
Music to Run To
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3 comments:
As much as I love a pumping beat to run/work out to, I'm spoiled by my gym having TVs on every treadmill--so sometimes, a good episode of House is the only thing that can get me running without absolutely dying. Earbuds bother me as well, the minute I have them in and start jogging, one pops right out or the cord snags on something and my iPod falls onto the floor. I've nearly crushed my iPod in the treads of an elliptical machine that way!! Awful.
I saw amazing, if bulky, headphones in Japan for runners where you just pop the iPod directly onto a little carrying bit/dock on the headphones and no cord is necessary. I used these Sony MDRs for a good year+ before they crapped out on me, the cord is retractable but short. The big, padded headphones are great for rocking out and noise-cancelling, but they will smash your ears right into your head if you wear them for too long. Sweating in them will also create a seal around your ear, which is unpleasant at best. The plus side is that you look like a BADASS DJ ROCKSTAR, which is fabulous.
At least I have the arm band for my (OLD SCHOOL) iPod Nano so it doesn't go flailing out into the treadmill. And the gym that's in my building doesn't have TVs, while the other gym that does have TVs is mostly on, like, sports when I've been there.
Yeah, the headphone issue is still an issue -- I just don't listen to music enough.
I know you've said you don't like the in ear headphones but perhaps you are just trying the wrong ones. Apple's in ear phones have NEVER worked for my ears as mine are little too. However, Bose makes this AMAZING pair of in-ear phones that come with three different size sets of silicon pieces that go on them to fit your ear better. They are an investment, but the fit is GREAT, and the sound EVEN BETTER!
Good luck!
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