Music

The one thing I can always count on to get me through a workout is a great playlist. I like anything that makes me feel strong or competitive, and of course anything with motivating lyrics. High energy is a must. Here are some of my favorites on my current running mix and why they work for me:

1) We Just Won't Be Defeated - The Go Team: I first heard this song as the background music for a YouTube video of the 2008 girl's Foot Locker cross country final. When I listen to it, I think of Allie McLaughlin pushing the pace for most of the race and how easy she made it look.

2) My Time - Fabolous ft. Jeremiah: This was my contribution to last year's Tri Team Nats Mix. Last February, I had a really bad day during a time trial that was a Nats team qualifier. I wanted to make up for it at Havasu, to prove that the TT was just an off day and that I had Nats team potential. "Go hard today, can't worry about the past 'cause that was yesterday..." I was the 6th CU girl to finish at Havasu, and I scored for the team in my first real triathlon. :)

3) Hello, Good Morning - Dirty Money ft. T.I.: This song is especially good for 6:30 am Thursday practices. It wakes me up for the dark ride to the Rec and gets me energized for drylands and a hard swim.

4) Pursuit of Happiness - Kid Cudi: I listened to this song on weekend mornings last spring while I got ready for our loooong brick or track workouts. I had it stuck in my head during our hardest brick workout last year. We climbed Lee Hill and Old Stage multiple times, then headed to the track for 5x1 mile at race pace. After that horrible/wonderful day, it became my favorite hill-climbing song.

5) Till I Collapse - Eminem ft. Nate Dogg: My favorite for spinning or long tempo runs. The beat keeps me from slowing down and the lyrics make me feel strong. I don't care what anyone says, Eminem still has some of the best pump-up music out there.

6) Kick, Push - Lupe Fiasco: This song helped me through Flagstaff Fridays several times last semester. It's all about a kid who discovers a talent and works at it until he's a pro.

7) Black and Gold - Sam Sparro: I still don't know what this song actually refers to, but when I hear it, I think of CU and how proud I am to be a part of the Colorado Tri Team. I picture myself at Havasu in my CU jersey, passing someone on the run while they think about how good our team is. ;)

8) Black and Yellow - Wiz Khalifa: See #7.

9) Show Me the Money - Petey Pablo: I think violin sounds SO cool in hip hop songs, and this song pretty much does it perfectly. It's from the movie Step Up (feel free to laugh at me), and I love it for intervals.

10) Better Than Her - Matisse: My song when I'm feeling competitive. Even though I just did the sprint race last year at Nats, it felt pretty cool to pass so many Texas A&M girls in their ridiculous zebra-striped uniforms!

11) Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap: The morning of Nats, I was in a car with Jesse Prather, Sharanya,  Courtney, and Rihanna from the hotel to the race parking area. As we pulled up, we played this song with the windows down. It was just starting to get light out, and athletes from all teams were nervously unloading, warming up, and preparing their transition areas. Ever since then, this song has captured that quiet excitement for me, a combination of nerves and energy ready to let loose.

I could go on with about 30 more songs, but I'll save those for a later post or else I'll be here all day. I will end with a word to my iPod: Thanks, you wonderful little purple rectangle. You make training alone this break so much easier. :)

Give and take.
Caryn