Let there be ROCK!

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.