Life is music – everything has a rhythm, everyone has a
dance. Music is not only within us, it is an amazing motivator helping us
tackle even the most daunting of tasks. It is also a must-have during my
workouts, so you know I was in a pickle when my iPhone plummeted to a watery
death a few days ago. Without giving it
a second thought, I picked up Eric’s old iPod and headed to the gym. Oh how our
musical tastes differ and my cycling workout went something like this:
Thunderstruck by ACDC
Blew by Nirvana
The Dope Show by Marilyn Manson
Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta by Geto Boys
Starseed by Our Lady Peace
Supersonic by Pearl Jam
Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine
Invincible by Ok Go
Several times throughout my workout, I caught myself feeling
really out of breath and a bit more drained than normal. I got pissed. All the work that I put into the
gym on a regular basis and I was struggling to make it through a simple 35
minute cycling set. Then I realized…it had to be the music. My iPod is filled
with classic rock, jam bands and acoustic artists with a few today’s hits
peppered in there. Eric’s taste in music is a bit more “hard core” than mine.
Without realizing it, I set my workout pace to the pace of the music and let
loose. Rage Against the Machine is a bit faster than anything Janis Joplin ever sang
and the standing sprints were brutal. But, to quote a much love, much played
artist on my iPod (Bob Marley), “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no
pain.” And at the time, I didn’t feel pain, but Bob said nothing about the lingering
effects of muscle exhaustion even two days later. Needless to say, Eric’s taste in music and iPod selection allowed me to experience an entirely different type of workout and I will most definitely be adding some
new tunes to my workout play list.
