Hi Everyone,
I was in London and Newcastle last week (down from my altitude training base in Boulder, Colorado, USA) and really enjoyed some fantastic weather! I hope you’re making the most of it and getting stuck into some fun events to participate in with your friends! I know the Bupa Great Yorkshire Run is coming up soon (5 September) then the 30th anniversary of the Great North Run (19 September). I’ve been fortunate enough to win both those races – such wonderful events for everyone involved!
I am going to focus on social networking in my blog this month. There is so much enjoyment we can get out of mixing activity with music media (i.e. use of iPods when exercising), updating our experiences through Twitter or Facebook, following others’ experiences in events through their social networking sites (most elite athletes and famous people have Twitter sites these days and you can follow who ever you want using this medium) and Facebook pages. I have my own Twitter site as well as a Facebook page and website. I keep all these updated as to what I’m up to, where I’m training around the world and how I’m going. I never really used to be interested in all this social networking but feel now, as we get busier and busier in our own daily lives, that it is an easy way for us to stay in contact with family and friends regularly and follow what they’re up to! I know my family back in Australia look at my Facebook and Twitter pages daily to see where I am in the world and what I’m doing!
As elite athletes, we train very hard day-in, day-out. We don’t run flat out every run though and there are days when in the afternoon, we just run very easy alone at our own pace. It is on these runs that I really like to relax, enjoy the run and tune out while listening to some sounds on my iPod – you can see my list of my favorites below. I really like listening to my music. Even when I’m in the gym or cross training (if injured), I just find that my spirits are really lifted if I can listen to some songs to pep me up! I love a combination of artists and have a lot of songs on my iPod. I especially like Australian bands as they remind me of home. So I always try to get some good Aussie music in there! Music is so individual though, so you can really put on an iPod exactly what YOU like and what you respond to. It is fantastic to be able to do this ... and keep fit at the same time!
I was a spectator at the Boulder Boulder 10km race this year over in Colorado. There were over 54,000 entrants in this event. The ‘Citizens’ race was run in waves starting every two minutes. It is a fantastic event and this year was the first time people could run with their iPod and update their Twitter sites ‘on-the-run’, thus brining the ‘race experience’ from the participant to the people who are at home or on the sidelines cheering them on. It was very successful and the people who tried this really enjoyed this new ‘race’ experience. Obviously it isn’t for everyone – certainly the elite athletes didn’t do this but we are all different and respond to different things to enjoy our lives and experiences. Maybe this is for you!
MUSIC MAN: I took this picture (above left) of a guy listening to music on his mp3 while taking part in the Boulder Boulder10k while the other shot is of the event expo when I was helping out in the Saucony store.
Here is a list of my favorite songs to play ‘on the run’! I hope you like them. All the best for some good improvements in fitness and health this month after much consistent exercise with our friends and music tunes!
I like a mix of everything!
Kings of Leon – Use Somebody
MC Hammer – Can’t Touch This
Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream
Billy Ocean – Love Really Hurts without You
The Presets – Talk like That
Snow Patrol – Take back the City
Coldplay – Viva la Vida
50 Cent – P.I.M.P
Kasabian – Shoot the Runner
Urthboy – We Get Around
Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancing
Pink – So What
Ben Kweller – Sundress
Silverchair – Straight Lines