#illinoisprairiepath

Last night after my 49th premium television movie, and a month of living at home I decided that I needed a goal.  Something to prove to myself that I could set out a plan, follow it, and achieve something.  

I'm going to run a 10k.    On October 30 I will be running the Sycamore Pumpkin Run in none other than Sycamore, IL.  I'm following a training plan from Marathonrookie.com. Being unemployed I couldn't afford the training plan from Runner's World, but this guy Brad, who runs the site, seems pretty knowledgeable.  More importantly, Brad was a running rookie and so am I.   The site has a plethora of training regimens, tips, and advice, as well as inspirational quotes.  However, one topic he doesn't really cover is the running soundtrack.   For me, it's the music that really keeps me going.  Well, that and imagining my old Muay Thai coach chasing me down the Illinois Prairie Path.  But, that's for another post.  

From a Runner's World issue, February 2009, Susan Rinkunas wrote an article called Crank it up where she detailed the perfect playlist. 

"Music is a legal drug," 

Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., who studies the connection between music and exercise says. "It reduces the perception of effort by blocking fatigue messages to the brain, and it can elevate positive mood." Karageorghis has found that runners who listen to songs with a tempo that matches their stride rate increase their endurance 15 percent.

Here are some of my picks that keep me going when I'm about to give up:

Teeth - Lady Gaga

The Fame - Lady Gaga

Sofi needs a ladder - Deadmau5

Run the world - Beyonce

So, I'm a long way from the perfect playlist, but I'll get there.  I'm also on a search for how to analyze BPM for songs. IF you know of a program that can do this for me, please let me know!