runrabit

If you feel like running in a place that looks like the moon, amongst earths biggest glaciers, hot springs, deserts but still beautiful landscape, where the US astraunauts came to train in the 60's - Iceland is the place and the race is the Laugavegur Utlramarathon 55 km

I've decided to promo this run for no apparent reason...other than the fact that I come from Iceland. I just came across this video  and I think it gives an accurate picture of what people experience in that ultra - even though it is a short one every step is magical and the changes in the landscape is fantastic - you will never experience anything like this ever again in your life. I know because I've walked this path but I still have to run it.

OK I have a strange relationship with music while I run. When I started out on barefoot running last year I was super conscious about rhythm and about my stride, how long steps I'm taking and the need to shorten them in order to run in better form. The trick for me was using music for this. I went to the site jog.fm and found the music I liked in the correct 180 bpm. So I devised a songlist I liked - I don't like hip-hop or any stuff like that. Anyway - if there are people out there that are trying similar things here is my rock running list of tunes:

1. Rock'n'roll - Led Zeppelin

2. Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters

3. She - Green Day

4. Runaway Boys - Stray Cats

5. Running up that hill - Palcebo

6. Christians Inferno - Green Day

7. Rambling man - Almann Brothers

8. One last run - Nickelback

9. The Fantasy - 30 seconds to Mars

10. Only want you - Eagles of Death Metal

This list helped me to get into the habit of taking shorter steps and thus landing more on the forefoot or midfoot than on the heel. I also tried just a simple metronome beat but it is so boring that wanted to eat my left hand and started hating life.  So when listening to this music I am trying to stay in the rhythm of the song and focus on running in the same beat.

This is all fine and dandy except I got really bored with the list after a few months and wanted to try something else. The problem is that there are a lot of songs I like but not all in the right 180 bpm I am aiming for. It turns out I can listen to stuff and run at the same time without running to the beat. So I put together another list that I use now. Here it is:

1. Beautiful day - U2

2. I'm still standing - Elton John

3. American woman - Lenny Kravitz

4. Jump - Van halen

5. The Boys of Summer - Don Henley (this song makes me forget everything)

6. Here comes the sun - The Beatles

7. Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival

8. We Belong - Pat Benatar

9. Back In Black - ACDC

10. Go your own way - Fleetwood Mac

11. Heat of the moment - Asia

12. While my guitar gently weeps - The Beatles

13. Owner of a lonley heart - Yes

14. Urgent - Foreigner

15. Mr. Blue Sky - ELO

16. Smack my bitch up - The Prodigy

17. Bitter sweet symphony - The Verve

18. Don't stop me now - The Queen

19. True Faith - New Order

20. Booooom, Blast & Ruin - Biffy Clyro

21. Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden

22. All right now - 

23. Keep on running - The Spencer Davis Group

24. Electricity - OMD

25. Caught by the Fuzz - Supergrass

26. Parklife - Blur

27. She sells sanctuary - The Cult

28. Two Fingers - Jake Bugg

29. Rebel yell - Billy Idol

30. Inhaler - The Foal

31. I want it all - The Queen

32. Sweet Dream are made of this - Eurythmics

33. Sick of drugs - The Wildhearts

34. Cna't stand me now - The Libertines

35. Follow me - Muse

36. Mad world - Tears for fears

37. I feel you - Depeche Mode

38. Forever Young - Alphaville

39. Summer of 69 - Bryan Adams

40. If only - Queens of the Stone Age (I just love everything they do)

41. Euphoria - Loreen (this is a great song late in the run)

I am suffering from something horrible - Internet tells me it Achilles Tendonitis and that it is caused by me suddenly deciding to run on trails instead of pavement - I don't know but it stupid hurts.  It is the first pain I've encountered since I decided to run barefoot last August. I think that is just fine since I was always in pain before - but I am not in pain now - apart from this Achilles thing. Internet told me to do this to fix it.