As I've said before, I find running very boring. That could be because I've been running on the treadmill instead of outside. I'll overcome my fear of running outside soon enough. But until then, I've relied on television and music to keep me from boredom while running on the treadmill. Unfortunately, I've found myself bored by television recently, so I've mostly been listening to music. Ever since my adolescence, I was a huge music fan. I mostly listened to anything loud...perhaps part of my rebellious adolescence, but I like to think that I appreciated all types of music. I couldn't wait for new CD's to come out...even waiting at the record store till Midnight when they would do Midnight Madness CD release specials. I had hundreds of CD's. It was great to go to the record store and buy a CD in those ridiculously long and pointless cardboard boxes (which makes me wonder why DVD cases are so big). The best part of all was taking the music from multiple CD's and putting them on a cassette for a mix tape! I loved making mixed tapes!
It leaves me in awe of the technology of Ipods and MP3 players. I can carry around my entire music collection on a tiny little machine! Despite the convenience, I still miss making mixed tapes! Making a playlist for my Ipod is just not as fun. I have realized that I do need to make playlists though. The first time I tried to look for a song on my Ipod while running on the treadmill, I almost fell off.
I do need some help from my readers. I need suggestions for good songs/playlists/albums. I need good music to listen to while I run. I'm open to any style of music. I'm hoping to eventually put together the perfect motivating playlist, just like the good old days of making mix tapes! So, help me out by giving me some suggestions of songs that will help me get through my runs. You can send them to me any way you want. Comment down below, email, Facebook, text, etc. But help me out with some good songs! I already plan to download the song from Rocky...so no need to suggest that one. Here's a list of the songs I listened to during a recent run.
1. Praise You - Fatboy Slim - a fun song that I hadn't listened to for a while...funny music video too
2. Rebels of the Sacred Heart - Flogging Molly - I love Celtic music, I love punk rock...thus making Flogging Molly perfect!
3. Sing the Changes - The Fireman - a good song from some side project of Paul McCartney
4. Shambala - Three Dog Night - a very cool song...made me feel like a hippie while I was running
5. Peg o' My Heart - Dropkick Murphy's - another Celtic punk rock song....but this one also had Bruce Springsteen!
6. Streets of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen - after listening to him the song before, I wanted more of the Boss
7. Skinny Love - Bon Iver - a very cool mellow song
8. Dog Days Are Over - Florence & The Machine - this lady has an amazing voice!
9. Beer - Mustard Plug - a nice high energy song that kept me running
10. Young Forever - Jay-Z - I thought this song was appropriate while running and trying to get in shape
11. Forever Young - Bob Dylan - the Jay-Z song made me want to hear this Bob Dylan song...I prefer the higher tempo version over the slower one...but you can't go wrong with Bob
12. Runaround Sue - Dion and the Belmonts - one of my all time favorite songs!!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Who will be running with me?
My brother-in-law, Will, is the real reason behind my attempt at a half-marathon. When looking for a way to stop smoking, he suggested running. He has been a great support and will be running along with me. I can't thank him enough for his help. I asked him to write a "guest blog" the other day and he kindly agreed. Enjoy!
Guest Blog: Special Delawarathon Edition
I am not a runner, I am a marathoner. I know this sounds obnoxious but bear with me. I am inspired by runners, and jealous of them. For them the run is the end, for me it is the means. I wish that I loved running, that I woke up looking forward to my next run, that I lived for those solitary hours of pounding the pavement, but I don't. I run because I need to do something active for my health and running is cheap and easy. I do it because if I didn't then I would sit at home eating ice cream every night instead. (Now I can at least rationalize the ice cream on nights when I'm not running.) So for me the marathon is the goal that keeps me focused, keeps me doing the thing I know I should be doing anyway but cannot find the internal motivation to do. This is something Michael and I have in common. We also have in common that our wives are both expecting. In my case my wife is pregnant with our third. I will be running the Via Half Marathon with my
brother in law, the regular host of this blog, three months after our third is born. I started training for my first marathon shortly after our second child was born, so I know that finding the time to train is possible with kids, even newborn kids. It is not easy, but it is possible. Yesterday I ran the Delaware Marathon, my third marathon since my second boy was born. I had high aspirations, but largely they fell by the wayside as the
months sped past. Two kids, a houseful of projects, a newborn on the way, winter weather, and a serious tax bill disassembled my training plan. Still I managed a not too awful 4:00:31 time, two minutes better than my first marathon (unfortunately a full thirty minutes worse than my second). The whole race is in Wilmington, and is really two loops of a half marathon that starts and finishes in the revitalized waterfront district. It was a great run for the first half, but I really had to force myself to run the second half as I ran past my truck at the midway point. That would be my only complaint. It was hillier than Philly (host city for my first two marathons) and 20 degrees hotter and it was raining at the start, but it was well organized, well staffed, and
there were some crowds and people blasting stereos. Being the only road marathon in Delaware, it attracted a lot of "50 Staters," people trying to run a marathon in every state. There were also a lot of relay teams (4 and 8 person teams) the members of which would have crushed my spirit as they blew past me in the later stages of the race had they not been wearing special "Relay" bibs on their backs. I am assuming that is the sole reason for those back bibs, since full marathoners were not wearing them. I don't know that I'll run the full Delawarathon again until they make a full 26.2 mile loop, but I might just run the half next Spring.
Guest Blog: Special Delawarathon Edition
I am not a runner, I am a marathoner. I know this sounds obnoxious but bear with me. I am inspired by runners, and jealous of them. For them the run is the end, for me it is the means. I wish that I loved running, that I woke up looking forward to my next run, that I lived for those solitary hours of pounding the pavement, but I don't. I run because I need to do something active for my health and running is cheap and easy. I do it because if I didn't then I would sit at home eating ice cream every night instead. (Now I can at least rationalize the ice cream on nights when I'm not running.) So for me the marathon is the goal that keeps me focused, keeps me doing the thing I know I should be doing anyway but cannot find the internal motivation to do. This is something Michael and I have in common. We also have in common that our wives are both expecting. In my case my wife is pregnant with our third. I will be running the Via Half Marathon with my
brother in law, the regular host of this blog, three months after our third is born. I started training for my first marathon shortly after our second child was born, so I know that finding the time to train is possible with kids, even newborn kids. It is not easy, but it is possible. Yesterday I ran the Delaware Marathon, my third marathon since my second boy was born. I had high aspirations, but largely they fell by the wayside as the
months sped past. Two kids, a houseful of projects, a newborn on the way, winter weather, and a serious tax bill disassembled my training plan. Still I managed a not too awful 4:00:31 time, two minutes better than my first marathon (unfortunately a full thirty minutes worse than my second). The whole race is in Wilmington, and is really two loops of a half marathon that starts and finishes in the revitalized waterfront district. It was a great run for the first half, but I really had to force myself to run the second half as I ran past my truck at the midway point. That would be my only complaint. It was hillier than Philly (host city for my first two marathons) and 20 degrees hotter and it was raining at the start, but it was well organized, well staffed, and
there were some crowds and people blasting stereos. Being the only road marathon in Delaware, it attracted a lot of "50 Staters," people trying to run a marathon in every state. There were also a lot of relay teams (4 and 8 person teams) the members of which would have crushed my spirit as they blew past me in the later stages of the race had they not been wearing special "Relay" bibs on their backs. I am assuming that is the sole reason for those back bibs, since full marathoners were not wearing them. I don't know that I'll run the full Delawarathon again until they make a full 26.2 mile loop, but I might just run the half next Spring.
Friday, May 13, 2011
What have I learned after close to six months of running?
It's time for another recap of all the things I've learned and general observations since the madness of training for a half marathon/quitting smoking began.
- Running is still boring and it is still amazing to me what my mind will think about while on the treadmill (although if you've read my blog, you probably have a good idea of the stupid stuff i sometimes ponder) I've started listening to more music on the treadmill rather than watch tv. I could definitely use some good music suggestions so feel free to comment, email, call, text, etc. with any good stuff for me to download
-The confident part of my brain wants me to consider what my pose will be when I cross the finish line. Will I put my arms up in victory? Should I try and play it cool like it's not my first half-marathon?
-The not so confident part of my brain (also known as the normal part) wonders how much knee replacements cost and why the hell I thought this would be a good idea
-It is really hard to get motivated to run after a really long day. Although, I didn't really learn this...because I already knew it was going to be hard to get motivated even on a great day!
-Getting ready for this half-marathon is one of the few things that has worked to keep me from starting smoking again. The sad truth is that if it weren't for this training, I would have started smoking again months ago!
-I really need to make sure to warm up before I start my runs. When I warm up runs go better, when I don't I feel like crap. Simple as that!
-I am definitely too self-conscious about running outside and people seeing me look like a dumbass...but I'll have to get over that soon.
-I've learned that blogging is alot of fun for me (and hopefully entertaining for anyone reading it) and that I enjoy trying to figure out how to get new readers. Also, I obsess over who could be reading my blog from other countries.
-I've known, but have been reminded, that I have an amazing group of family and friends that I extremely supportive
-I am now running about 4 miles without dying...I still need to get to 13.1 and I'm still nervous that I won't make it
- Running is still boring and it is still amazing to me what my mind will think about while on the treadmill (although if you've read my blog, you probably have a good idea of the stupid stuff i sometimes ponder) I've started listening to more music on the treadmill rather than watch tv. I could definitely use some good music suggestions so feel free to comment, email, call, text, etc. with any good stuff for me to download
-The confident part of my brain wants me to consider what my pose will be when I cross the finish line. Will I put my arms up in victory? Should I try and play it cool like it's not my first half-marathon?
-The not so confident part of my brain (also known as the normal part) wonders how much knee replacements cost and why the hell I thought this would be a good idea
-It is really hard to get motivated to run after a really long day. Although, I didn't really learn this...because I already knew it was going to be hard to get motivated even on a great day!
-Getting ready for this half-marathon is one of the few things that has worked to keep me from starting smoking again. The sad truth is that if it weren't for this training, I would have started smoking again months ago!
-I really need to make sure to warm up before I start my runs. When I warm up runs go better, when I don't I feel like crap. Simple as that!
-I am definitely too self-conscious about running outside and people seeing me look like a dumbass...but I'll have to get over that soon.
-I've learned that blogging is alot of fun for me (and hopefully entertaining for anyone reading it) and that I enjoy trying to figure out how to get new readers. Also, I obsess over who could be reading my blog from other countries.
-I've known, but have been reminded, that I have an amazing group of family and friends that I extremely supportive
-I am now running about 4 miles without dying...I still need to get to 13.1 and I'm still nervous that I won't make it
Monday, May 9, 2011
Has anyone ever run a half marathon hung over?
Before Mel Gibson went crazy, he was in the awesome Lethal Weapon movies. Mel's partner in the movie, Danny Glover, is close to retirement and has to take on Mel as a partner because no one else wants to be partnered with him (we should take a moment to analyze Mel Gibson's craziness. Was he always a racist, Anti-Semitic, lunatic and he just stopped being good at hiding it? Or, did he become crazy over the course of years? It is also interesting that in the first Lethal Weapon movie, the climactic scene involves Mel Gibson fighting....Gary Busey!! For those of you who don't know...Gary Busey has also turned crazy over the years. So, to recap, two actors that played crazy people in Lethal Weapon are now actually crazy!) Why bring up Lethal Weapon? Because I frequently find myself feeling like Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapon movies. His catch phrase in the movie is "I'm too old for this shit". Most recently, my Danny Glover moments have involved any attempt at consuming alcohol. I've never been a big drinker, but it used to be that I could have a few drinks and not have to worry about it the next day. These days, if I have a few drinks, my head is hurting the whole next day. Recently, I went to a local brewpub and tried the beer they served with the highest alcohol content. It's not hard to predict that this lead to a Danny Glover moment the next morning.
Unfortunately, my ability to recover from drinking may have an impact on my half-marathon attempt. A few days after registering for the half-marathon, I received a save the date magnet for a wedding in the mail. You probably already guessed that the wedding is the day before the race. I'm a fan of going to weddings. There aren't too many events like that were everyone is celebrating and happy. I'm definitely excited for this one, because I've known the person for a long time. I'm just bummed that I won't be able to really "celebrate"! I don't think it is a good idea for me to have any alcohol the day before the race (I haven't done any official research on the matter...just guessing). Especially, when you consider the fact that I have become old and far too susceptible to day after drinking grogginess. Let's just hope I don't get too caught up in the joy of the wedding and decide to try to run the half-marathon with a hangover!
Unfortunately, my ability to recover from drinking may have an impact on my half-marathon attempt. A few days after registering for the half-marathon, I received a save the date magnet for a wedding in the mail. You probably already guessed that the wedding is the day before the race. I'm a fan of going to weddings. There aren't too many events like that were everyone is celebrating and happy. I'm definitely excited for this one, because I've known the person for a long time. I'm just bummed that I won't be able to really "celebrate"! I don't think it is a good idea for me to have any alcohol the day before the race (I haven't done any official research on the matter...just guessing). Especially, when you consider the fact that I have become old and far too susceptible to day after drinking grogginess. Let's just hope I don't get too caught up in the joy of the wedding and decide to try to run the half-marathon with a hangover!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Why are there so many conspiracies?
I don't remember our country having the level of paranoia that we seem to have. It seems that everyday I'm hearing about something new. Is Osama Bin Laden dead (yes, praise God!)? People refuse to believe it without seeing pictures. Was Obama born in the USA? Donald Trump and all sorts of dumbasses must see a birth certificate because they got a mass email that told them that Obama was lying! Did George Bush plan 9/11? People saw video of the planes and terrorists took credit for the attack yet people still don't believe it. Is that Comcast Xfinity commercial some sort of brainwashing/mind control?? OK, I made that conspiracy up but I think that answer is yes...i can't get the song out of my head...It's fun for you! It's fun for me! Come on everyone blindly spend their money on higher cable bills!
It used to be that there were two good conspiracies. Did aliens crash at Roswell and who really killed JFK? Now, it's like people got bored and have to turn everything into a conspiracy. Our country has some serious trust issues! I guess I can understand some level of questioning authority and government...but I think we have waded into the territory of ridiculousness.
Our new conspiracy culture has forced me to change my plans regarding running this half marathon. Originally, I wanted no photo evidence of my attempt to go from heavy smoker to completing a half marathon. I didn't find it necessary to document my tired, sweaty, pathetic face for all to see. Unfortunately, I also don't want to be accused of not completing my intended goal! What if Donald Trump decides to target me?? "Michael Ramsey needs to prove that he completed that half-marathon!" So, I now need to consider how to document my half-marathon training/attempt.
It used to be that there were two good conspiracies. Did aliens crash at Roswell and who really killed JFK? Now, it's like people got bored and have to turn everything into a conspiracy. Our country has some serious trust issues! I guess I can understand some level of questioning authority and government...but I think we have waded into the territory of ridiculousness.
Our new conspiracy culture has forced me to change my plans regarding running this half marathon. Originally, I wanted no photo evidence of my attempt to go from heavy smoker to completing a half marathon. I didn't find it necessary to document my tired, sweaty, pathetic face for all to see. Unfortunately, I also don't want to be accused of not completing my intended goal! What if Donald Trump decides to target me?? "Michael Ramsey needs to prove that he completed that half-marathon!" So, I now need to consider how to document my half-marathon training/attempt.
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