Using A Workout Playlist To Run Faster

I have read several articles on running and whether or not having a playlist with more upbeat music helps you increase your running pace or not.  There are good arguments on both sides, but I wanted to add my two cents on this topic.

I have noticed that when I used previous workout lists, I tended to run slower, only running 11:50 to 12:00 miles.  An example of one of my previous workout playlists is below:

One of my previous workout playlists

I love praise and worship music, but my problem is that the beats were too slow and I believe were affecting my running times.  So I decided to make some new playlists, this time with much faster music.

New Christian Workout Mix. Notice the different styles including rap, rock and pop.

My Pop Workout Mix.  Notice I have different eras and genres.

My Rap Workout List.  Yes, I actually do like rap.

My Rock Workout List.  This is really the best one when it comes to beats per minute.

 If you look at my run from last night, you'll see that I had a much faster pace and I will attribute that to the fact that I changed up my workout list as last night I listened to my rock list.  Tonight I will try my pop list and see how that goes.

My advice to you, for what it is worth, is to build a list of music you enjoy and like, somewhere in the range of 150 to 190 beats (or more) per minute and run to it.  Compare your times running to the faster music you like to the runs listening to the music you used to listen to, or in some cases for those who normally do not listen to music, to the runs you ran without music.  I would be very interested in hearing if your minutes per mile increased or decreased and by how much.

I would also like to know what you listen to.  Leave me a comment telling me what's on your playlist. 

I hope you have a great rest of the Day!  Thanks for reading.

My Run Last Night: A Great Compliment From My Wife

I decided not to run this past Tuesday.  Instead, I took it easy, if you can call changing a blown out tire on the street easy, and go see my youngest daughter's softball game.  After that we all went home and simply relaxed for the evening.

So I went running last night after compiling some playlist to run to.

The night was a little cool, and we actually had a light northerly breeze, unless you were running directly into it, so I put on one of my long sleeved compression shirts under my running shirt and out the door I went.

Forty-Four minutes later I arrived home and my wife looked at me as I walked into the living room and said "That was a quick workout." 

Without hesitation, I looked back, breathing a little heavy and said, " That was four miles." 

It was the best compliment I have had in a long while!

Here are the stats for my latest run:

 

Here are the splits.  I actually had some good splits and I believe I am getting a little faster in my runs:

Thanks for reading.  Have a great rest of the day!

My Upcoming 5K Race Schedule

I have had a couple people ask me about what upcoming races I am planning on running in the next few weeks, so I thought I would post my upcoming schedule here on my blog.  Here are the races I am planning on running in.

The first is the Gary Burns Frisco Fun Run, Saturday, October 27, 2012.

Proceeds from the Frisco Fun Run go to the Frisco Education Foundation to build scholarship opportunities for our Frisco ISD students, including the Gary Burns Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The next race is The Spirit Run 5K, Saturday, November 10, 2012 in Richardson, TX.

Four High Schools will compete for bragging rights and a coveted traveling Spirit Trophy based on your end of race votes for the most spirited High School. Each High School will be assigned one of four spirit stops and have their Drum Lines, Jazz bands, and others entertain you and cheer you to the finish!

After that comes the first of the Thanksgiving themed races, The Gobble Hobble, also in Richardson.  This race is Saturday, November 17, 2012.

This is the seventh year for The Gobble Hobble!

On Thanksgiving Day, it will be not just me but me and the family running in the Dallas Turkey Trot!  I am really looking forward to running with the family in this one.  This race is, of course, on Thursday, November 22, 2012.

This is the largest Race on Thanksgiving in the nation!

The last race I have on my schedule so far happens on Saturday, December 8, 2012 and is in again in Frisco.  I will be racing in the Frosty 5K that day.

Christmas in the air with a great run in Frisco!

If you like to run and get a chance to run in any of these races, please look me up and say hi!

Have a great rest of the day!

My Last Two Runs: Running Indoors

My last two runs have been what are considered indoor runs, which means I have been running on a treadmill in the gym instead of running my normal routes.  Now considering that I actually enjoy running outdoors, you might wonder why I have run my last two runs on a treadmill.  The main reason has been for convenience.  I ran indoors this past Saturday simply because I had no choice.  I was in San Antonio for family business and I needed two things: I needed to de-stress and I needed to run.  The hotel we were staying at was a very nice one and the machines in the fitness room were first rate.  Here are the details from that run:

Indoor Run on 10/13/2012

Not a bad run, but I was hoping for a longer run.  Usually on Saturdays, I try to run further than the last week, or at least equal what I ran the previous Saturday and on the previous Saturday I ran 5.07 miles.  However, I had both of my daughters with me in the fitness room and with a swimming pool calling to them and the hot tub calling to me, I decided to make sure I got my 5K distance in at least.

Last night's run was again an indoor run by necessity.  Not because of rain or inclement weather, but because of the lateness of the run.  I started my run around 9:50 PM or so and to be honest, I simply didn't feel like running outdoors at that time of night.

Here are the details for last night's run:

Indoor Run on 10/15/2012

So that's it for now on my latest runs.  I'll be posting a little more a little later on today.

Have a great rest of the day!

Thursday's Run (10/11/12)

So Thursday's run was brought to you by the numbers 11, 12, and 13, as in October 11, 2012 (10/11/12, get it?). 

I decided to keep my run in the neighborhood last night, in order to stay close to my home.  It wasn't a bad run, a tad bit slow, but the distance was nice.  I think I have decided that my best course of action for maintaining a good pace, say 10:30 to 10:45 minute miles, is to try and run with a partner or with a group.  When I have others with me I tend to run a faster pace.  When I run by myself, the opposite occurs.  So I am attempting to start a running club at my work.  So far only two others have expressed interest, but it is a start.

Onto this particular run.

Here is the overall of the run:

Overall information for Thursday, October 11, 2012's run

Map and Splits for the run.

Overall it was better than the last run I had and was the first time I have actually run in my own neighborhood on the streets and sidewalks.  I think I like this one a little better, especially at night.  Just in case something happens, I know lots of neighbors and can get to help a lot sooner than if I am by myself on the trails in the park.

Anyway, thanks for reading!  Have a great rest of the day!

My Run Tonight

Well, I ran tonight, but it was a difficult run for me.  I am not sure if I was simply tired, or my food had not digested enough or what, but I was way off my normal pace, which is around 10:40 to 11:20 per mile, and there were at least five times that I wanted to simply stop the run, and walk the rest of the way home from where I stopped.

But I didn't stop.  I kept on running until I came to my normal stopping point and then I finished the run.  Then I walked home, using my walk home as my cool down.

For those of you who might be interested, here are the details of the run.

Overview of tonight's run.

Time Splits and map

Thanks for reading.  Have a great rest of the day!

Current Progress In Losing Weight

My wife and I were looking over old photographs of us from the last few years, and we both were amazed at the changes in our appearances from then until now.  I promised my wife that I would not upload any images of her, even though I personally think that she is smoking hot, but I will upload a progression image of me, from right before surgery, until today, spanning four months progress so far.  I also am uploading an image of me at my all time heaviest, which was about 380 pounds, to give you an idea of what I looked like and the amount of weight I carried.

First the image of me, taken at about my heaviest weight, Christmas 2009:

Christmas 2009.  I am about 380 in this picture.

The next picture is a montage of me in three stages of weight loss: the far left was taken in April 2012, before I started losing weight and before my surgery.  The middle picture was taken two weeks after my surgery, on July 6 and the final picture on the right was taken in August (not sure of the date).  I apologize for the quality, but these were taken by my iPhone.

The next picture is the picture my wife took of me yesterday after my running of the Lost Dog 5K (October 7, 2012). 

October 7, 2012.  256.8 pounds.

And that is my progression so far in my weight loss.  The next two pictures show it all.

I still have a long way to go until I reach my goal of 180 or so and even that can be changed down some, but I look forward to that day.  I will say that I would never be where I am today in any fashion without the assistance and help, and pushing from my wife.  She is one of the guiding forces that has helped me come to this point in my life.  The other?  My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Without Him I would not be able to accomplish anything.

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the day!