Getting high leads to bad choices and overdoing it.

I have slowly been coming down off my runner's high from Saturday's race, but I have not been able to stop talking about or thinking about running for the most part. I felt so good on Sunday, which was nice because I would normally be recovering from a half marathon's  aches and pains. The 10k was a great choice. I have been talking with my brother Joe quite a bit, who you might remember ran my first half marathon with me, and finished under a minute after me on our chip timing, but I won't let him live it down because I will never beat him again. If you haven't read my background story, I encourage you to do so now. Joe has perpetuating my addiction to running by telling me to keep training and racing as much as I can now when I have fewer commitments to compete.

I decided my brother was right, and I threw myself on a treadmill for a short interval run on Sunday afternoon. When I stopped the belt at the end, I thought I was going to have to have Matt carry me out of the gym. My left shin was in some serious pain. I went home, iced it with a large bag of tater tots, and took some ibuprofen. Monday morning, I did some yoga, and I took a rest day.

This morning was rough for me because I didn't sleep well last night despite feel exhausted when I got home from work. Joe had also encouraged me to mix up my playlist, so I slowly woke myself up with a cup of coffee and some serious playlist revamping. I started getting excited for my run, and I got all decked out. I had on my tights, an old 5k shirt, my Nike Bowerman's, hydration belt, sunglasses, running watch, and a brand new playlist at the ready. I could feel the tightness setting in with my first steps. By the end of mile one, I was emitting small shrieks of pain. I stretched out again, and walked a bit, hobbling in pain. I stretched again. I hobbled some more, and then I resigned myself to giving up for the day. I turned back in the direction of home.

Now I know I said you need to check your shame at the door recently, but it is hard to do when you are hobbling back all decked out, complete with hydration belt. There are times when I like to go for a leisurely walk, but I do not wear my running gear because I feel dumb wearing it when I am just walking. I know that passersby probably aren't really paying that much attention, but it's hard not to think that they are. They don't know that I can and do run. They don't necessarily know that I am in pain, but it was disheartening to say the least.

I am going to attempt to take it easy for a few days, but I can't wait to hit the pavement again because I have signed up for another race in a couple weeks. It is really easy to get down on yourself, but in the end, a little bit of exercise is better than nothing and trying is better than giving up before you start. Nobody ever said that running, getting fit, or staying fit would be easy. Giving up is easy. Don't take the easy way out.

Top 5 Most Embarrassing Favorite Workout Songs

Growing up, music was a pretty big part of my life because I come from a very musical family. My grandfather taught the 19 time Grammy winning artist Pat Metheny to tune a guitar. Not only do various members play instruments, but I have a brother who once went two weeks without speaking a single word because he wanted to see how long he could go around singing everything that came out of his mouth, and I have a sister who is an opera singer who has sung in England and Scotland. You are probably wondering what this has to do with fitness, and I am getting there, trust me. I myself played a couple instruments, and was in show choir and musicals. I was also a cheerleader, and as a young kid I took dance lessons. You would think I would be able to pick up the beat in a song pretty easily, but that is apparently not the case when you throw me on a spin bike. My sister-in-law and good friend, Rachel, would be so sad considering they are music teachers who have probably had more success teaching rhythm to kindergartners than my spin instructor did with me today. We did an interval class based of the beat of the songs as the changed, and for some reason I just could not pick up the beats today.

Now sometimes, music is the most important part of a workout like the instructor tried to make it today. Music can really pump you up and get you to keep pushing when you just really want to give up. I am somewhat ashamed to say that there are times when I listen to songs when I am working out that I would not normally listen to. I am an indie/piano band kind of kid for the most part, so you would not normally catch me listening to any kind of country, rap, or pop music. I did admit in my last post that I occasionally get pumped up to Garth Brooks of all things, but today I will share the top five most embarrassing songs (in my opinion) that I listen to when working out. The songs and an explanation are listed below from least to most embarrassing.

5. Good Feeling by Flo Rida: I had really hoped that I could have gone my whole life saying that under no circumstances did I ever like a song by Flo Rida. Darn you Flo and your Good Feeling! Although I can't stand rap music, I am putting this song at number 5 because if you are ever really struggling in a workout, this song turns that struggle into a good feeling for about 4 minutes.

4. Just Dance by Lady GaGa: I really don't want to like her music in general because she is freaking crazy, and I don't think it's good to indulge people who are nuts. Now, I can justify this by saying that although this song is all synthesized, she really is very talented and a great piano player. Check out her acoustic stuff, and you might be surprised and sad that she doesn't just stick with that...I was. BUT Just Dance has a pretty peppy beat, and it gets me moving at the beginning of a run.

3. Toxic by Britney Spears: Oh Britney, you may have gone absolutely crazy, but this song is one of those that just makes me want to dance along to the beat...when I can find it. Now, this song really sucks because of it's dance factor. I may or may not have been pulled into accidentally doing a little bit of really crappy white girl dance as I was on my recovery lap at the HS track the other day... and no, I was not alone. I haven't really been back to the track since then...

2. Bringing Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake: And along with the nostalgia of Britney pre-freakout, there is Justin Timberlake. Now, I don't really like his music at all, but the one thing that draws me to this song during a workout is that I like songs that have a small single message that I can turn into a mantra for my workout to remind me what I am working for. That's all, and I REALLY wish I didn't like this song. And I do not listen to this if I am not working out...just to be clear. 

1. Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry: I seriously hate Katy Perry with a passion, and I am so happy to say that I still hate this song even as it plays during a workout, and I am even more delighted to say that this one is most definitely NOT on my ipod. This is a song that my instructor plays during spin class sometimes, and I am always so sad to hear it because I know that for some strange reason it will push me harder on a tough hill, but I just don't want it to because I would like to continue hating it on every level. It is perfectly fine for you to disagree with me, and you can love her, her music, and her videos, but I just can't get behind someone with crappy lyrics and crap shooting out of her boobs in every single music video she does. Why does this have to be a good hill climbing song, and why does the instructor have to play it..ever?

I am so sad after writing this post that I have decided that I will be writing a post in the near future listing my top 5 favorite workout songs from the music I would actually listen to without being embarrassed. There will be redemption, but for now, you can have a nice laugh.