MUSIC & MEMORIES

Why do you think music is so important to runners to listen while they run?
Science has proven that music is a cognitive and physical stimulant.  (read more).  It can enhance one’s mood and, thus, can enhance one’s performance.  It can also provide a much needed distraction from the pain and fatigue that goes along with running.  Personally, my motivation to run or race increases tenfold when I put my headphones in.  But, that said, it doesn’t work for everyone.  Clearly, it’s a personal choice.

Recently, fellow runner & blogger Ron Greig over at 50 Plus Runner, asked me the above question and I provided the above response.  There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that listening to music boosts my overall performance.  It's not that I don't put the time in and do the work in regards to my training.  That's a given.  But with music, the whole running experience is typically heightened and I'm often able to push myself to that next level.  That alone is reason enough for me to listen while I run.  But, there's more to it than that.  A couple days ago,  I was banging out a 14 miler.  It was hot, humid, and I was dragging.  And then the song 'Colorful' by Rocco DeLuca & the Burden, came on.  Suddenly, I could feel a huge smile spreading across my face.  I remembered discovering this song when I was pregnant with my second daughter back in 2006.  I was still running, albeit gingerly, up until about 30 weeks of my pregnancy and I would start almost every run with this song.  So now, not only do I think back on that time in my life each time this song comes on, but I also think of my daughter, Grace, who is, indeed, very colorful.  Not every song jogs a memory like this one, but a lot of them do.  And if I'm running along, regardless of whether I'm doing track repeats or a 20 miler, and a song starts playing that makes me smile, than that particular moment is all the more sweeter and perhaps just a hair less painful.   In all my years of running, I've found that just one small spring in my step can push my entire workout in the right direction.  Music is insanely powerful.  Good memories even more so.  Together, they can blow your mind.  Yet another reason to run with music.

6 SONGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE & WHY

Rather Be by Clean Bandit: My daughter, Rosie, age 10, loves this song.  She screams when it comes on and then belts it out at the top her lungs as it plays.  She knows every single word.  And it always makes her smile.  It's also the song that my NH State Parks Reach the Beach team used in our recap video. (link here)  This event is such an epic adventure and just thinking about it puts me a in a good mood.  So, this song is kind of a double whammy in terms of awesomeness.

Dynamite by Taio Cruz - My nephew, Will, was totally obsessed with this song when it came out.  He's 9 now, but was probably 5 or 6 at the time.  I won't deny that my kids and I loved it, too.  But Will would literally drop everything and start break dancing if it came on.  And his moves were epic.

Here Comes the Night Time by Arcade Fire - I was in the car with my daughter Grace, age 8, when this song came on and I saw her pause and listen.  As it sunk it, she started to groove out, closing her eyes, moving her head and arms to the beat and, yes, smiling.  The best part?  She had no idea I was watching.  I remember thinking how cool it was to see a wee one so moved by a song.

15 Steps - Radiohead - My husband and I saw these guys at Great Woods (now the Xfinity Center) in Mansfield, MA.  I was pregnant with Rosie, and we ponied up the big bucks for seats so I didn't have to deal with the crowds on the lawn.  Radiohead is easily one of my favorite bands, but this song in particular, completely blew me away.  I'm not sure if it was because my hormones were raging at the time but something pretty magical happened for those few minutes.

Time to Run - Lord Huron - When I first heard this song, I was in my car and I pulled over so I could write down the artist.  I'd never heard of Lord Huron, but I was instantly stricken by both the song and the band.  My dear friend, Cara Z., who I have run hundreds of miles with, loves this band as much if not more than I do.  We went and saw them together in Boston and it was such an amazing night.  She recently moved to VT with her family and I don't get to see her as often, but every time this song comes on, she comes to mind.  I love that.

Blessed by Tom Hangs & Shermonology (Avicii Mix) - I was riding on the bus with my high school XC team when this song came on the radio.  I wanted to add it to my running playlist so I discreetly pulled out my phone and Shazamed it.  All the sudden, I heard someone quietly whisper something like, "you guys, I just saw Coach Trax Shazam this song."  I was totally busted.  So, I came out and admitted to over 60 high school girls, that, yes, I did like listening to their music despite the fact that I was almost 40 years old.  Now whenever I hear it I think of my XC crew and how lucky I am to have my job.

Confession...I am now smiling like a total idiot as I finish up this post.  Totally worth it.

Listen to this:
Seventeen - Sjowgren  Listen w/ 

RACE REVIEW: RUN, RIDE, HYDRATE 5K

Back in May, I signed up for my first ever 'virtual' race.  The event was being organized by NUUN, a company that makes electrolyte enhanced drink tablets for athletes or anyone who is seeking a natural and healthy hydration solution.  I am fortunate to be an ambassador for them and I trust the company and the product wholeheartedly, so despite not really knowing what I was getting myself into with this virtual thing, I jumped in head first.  The folks at NUUN created this event for two reasons; first, to unite members of the NUUN family (employees, ambassadors, elites) through sport and second, to raise awareness and funds for the well-known nonprofit program, Girls on the Run.  Along with about 300 other athletes from the NUUN community, I would be doing a 5K, a 10K or a 15 mile bike ride.  I'm not a very good biker, and I'm not a huge fan of the 10K, so, by default, I threw my hat into the 5K ring.  And then, I kind of forgot about it, as I had the end of my high school track season and a June marathon to contend with at the time.  About a month later, to my surprise, I received a race packet in the mail with my official RUN, RIDE, HYDRATE number, a t-shirt, a medal, some tattoos and even the safety pins for my bib.  Along with the packet, we got an email from Brian, our fearless leader, reminding us to make sure to get our race/ride in some time between July 2nd and 5th and to then to submit our results online to make them official.  Holy crap....this was the real deal.  I happened to be on vacation with my family during this stretch of days, so I needed to figure out how to squeeze it in.  First, I tried to find a local race that I could jump into, thus merging the two events together.  Unfortunately, the only thing I could dig up was taking place on the day that we were leaving, so I was out of luck.  Thus, I was going to have to run this virtual 5K Han Solo.  Hmmm.  Because I was a little daunted by this notion, I reached out to my coach who suggested I use it as a time trial.  Since I hadn't raced since early June, he explained, it would be good to check my fitness level and an added bonus to get the hard effort in.  Well, all righty then.  Fast forward to Thursday, July 2nd.  I decided I was going to treat this baby like a legitimate race.  If I was going to sport the number, I was going to go all out.  So, as I always do, I laid out my race attire the night before and went to bed early as I planned to get up at the crack and bang out my 5K before it got too hot.

I'm not gonna lie...it's a little strange to have the race medal in hand before the event takes place.  But, at the same time, having it up front gave me the extra motivation to earn it, so I was ready to push hard and work for it on 'race' day.  As I had been all week, I was woken up by our 1 yr old lab the next morning at 5:30.  Thank you, Clover.  I laced up, pinned on my bib and then headed out for an easy 2 mile warm up.  As I got myself mentally ready, I thought about how nice it was to feel a bit of the regular race day excitement without the added pressure of a crowd to contend with or a goal time to reach for.  I was fired up, but not the least bit nervous.  It was awesome.  Two miles later, I cleared my watch, toed my imaginary line and then I was off.  I flew through my first mile, probably a bit too fast, as I tend to do in most of my races, but I was amped up and taking full advantage of a long stretch of shade.  As I cruised into my second mile, the reality of my situation began to sink in.  I was working crazy hard, getting ridiculously hot, breathing like a maniac and I was totally and completely by myself.  I was struggling big time to stay motivated.  I did see a few people on the bike path as I was running.  I smiled as I realized how strange it must have looked to see a lone runner wearing a race number coming toward them.  I waved and nodded at each person I passed as if to say, "yes, I know this looks weird.  There's a good reason behind this.  I swear."  I powered on.  Mile 2 was rough.  I had turned into the sun and I was still very, very alone.  My motivation was seriously waning and I was doing whatever I could to dig in and finish strong which included some solid singing, belting really, along with a few good dance moves.  And finally...3.1.  Done and done.  According to my Garmin, I finished in 19 minutes and 50 seconds.  Woo-hoo.  I'll take it.  I cooled down for another couple miles, enjoying the fruits of my labor and happy with the fact that I had officially earned my medal.  As I turned into our driveway, I asked my husband to take a photo for proof of completion.  "Wait, you wore an actual number??" he asked.

"Hells, yeah!"  I replied.  I shared my pic and race time with rest of the NUUN community on Facebook.  Within seconds, the comments flowed in - 'Congrats', 'Way to rock it, Rebecca', 'I was right out there with you today', and so on.  And I quickly realized, they'd done it.  With this single, perfectly executed event, they had successfully brought us all together to support each other while doing something that we love for a good cause.  Way to go, NUUN.  HIGH FIVE! (virtually)

Listen to this:
Outta My Mind - The Arcs  Listen w/ 

EAT, SWIM, SLEEP, REPEAT

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” 

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

For the past five summers, our family has rented a house up in New Hampshire on a lake.  Both the houses and the lakes have varied, as we like to change things up each time we go back.   And, if I'm being totally honest, some of our house selections have been...well...interesting (see 'Max for the Minimum').  But, regardless of the location or the state of the rental, we've always had a total blast.  This year, we've changed things up a bit.  Instead of going with just the four of us, we've ventured out with the entire crew from Jeff's side of the family.  There are 11 of us - 2 grandparents, 4 parents, 5 cousins (ages 8-13) and 3 dogs.  It's madness, in the best of ways.  A typical day for the kids goes something like this:

7ish - wake-up
8ish - eat breakfast
9ish - swim
10ish - eat second breakfast
11ish - swim, kayak, fish or tube
12ish - eat lunch
1ish - 4ish - head out for a boat ride....to swim, fish or tube
5ish - swim, play, chill
6ish - eat dinner
7ish-9ish - sit by the campfire, eat s'mores and run around with sparklers
10ish - pass out

Sure, there's been time for a few other things.  We've made some trips to town, eaten a few meals out, hit the local farmer's market; stuff like that.  I've even managed to get a couple runs in; enjoying some slow, hilly miles on the long, dirt roads in the surrounding area.  But, the focus has been on the kids, the water and not much else.  Next week, all five cousins are headed off to camp, the dads will be back at work and the moms will be back in deal mode.  And as we move into this next phase of summer, the magic of this week will begin to fade into memories.  But, for now, the water is calling and so are my kids.  1, 2, 3......

Listen to this:
Back of the Car - RAC (feat. Nate Henricks)  Listen w/ 

RWR:MEET LIZ (aka PINK FEATHERS) of RAC

"....what initially drew me to running and keeps me coming 

back is how good it makes me feel, plain and simple."

So, there's this gal.  Her name is Liz.  And she's a crazy fast runner.  Like me, she runs for Oiselle.  Unlike me, she is a rock star.  No, seriously.  Can you imagine my surprise when I found out that one of my running teammates plays and sings in the band RAC; a band that I happen to listen to every single day when I run??  MIND.  BLOWN.  Liz performs both solo, as Pink Feathers, and with her husband, André Allen Anjos, in RAC.  Her Pink Feathers EP, Invisible Lines, is currently available on Spotify & iTunes.  To everyone's good fortune, both she and RAC have recently added a bunch of new dates for their upcoming fall tours.  (pinkfeathers.co/tour, rac.fm/tour).

In her own words:
I keep up with training when I'm on tour so it makes for a great way to sightsee and meet other Oiselle runners all over the country. 

I am completely in awe of this girl.  How the hell does one play in not one, but two bands; while also training hard enough to run a sub-3 hour marathon?  That's right, folks.  2:59.  Just....wow.  Liz's music favorites are all over the map; ranging from Bjork, to MNDR to Nirvana.  She also has a go-to "cheesy pump up" playlist that she listens to before she races.  Lucky for us, she's shared of few of her favorites from this list below.  They might not make you as smokin' fast as she is, but they will undoubtedly get you fired up and ready to race.  I'm beyond thrilled that I'll get to see her play with RAC when they come to Boston this November.  Who's in?  In the meantime, let's learn more about Liz, a RUNNERWHOROCKS.

RWR: LIZ ANJOS

Name: Liz Anjos
Where you're from: Schwenksville, Pennsylvania (just outside Philadelphia)
Where you reside now: Portland, OR
Age: 29
Occupation: Artist & Musician.  I write music under the moniker Pink Feathers and tour live with the band RAC on keyboards and vocals.
Blog/website: www.pinkfeathers.co for my music and www.runningliz.com for all things running

RUNNING & MUSIC
What do you love most about running?
There are so many things I love about running.  The competition, the community, the ritual, the escape.  In relation to music, I think I've come up with some of my best song ideas while out on a run.  But what initially drew me to running and keeps me coming back is how good it makes me feel, plain and simple.

What do you love most about music?
Loaded question!  I love that music can essentially match the entire spectrum of human emotion.  I have a huge emotional attachment to music.  I think everyone does, whether or not they realize it.  When I think back to any part of my life, music defines it somehow.  My childhood was dancing in the living room to Swan Lake and acting out scenes from the Little Mermaid and the Lion King with my friends in the backyard.  After my first break up I listened to Smashing Pumpkins' "Adore" on repeat.  On long summer night drives in college my friends and I would sing/scream Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger" at the top of our lungs.  I walked down the aisle to The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun."  It's an incredible feeling to find music that matches exactly what I'm feeling and it's even better when I can create it.

LIZ'S FAVORITES:
Band (current, all time or both): Gwen Stefani is probably my all time favorite artist. She has an incredible voice and she's a fearless performer.  Currently I can't get enough of emerging band HOLYCHILD.  I met them at a show last fall and became an instant fan. Their take on pop music is really creative and different. No one else is doing anything like it.
Album (current, all time or both):  Body Talk by Robyn.  Every song is a gem.

Race venue:  Hayward Field in Eugene, OR.  I experienced a bit of the famed 'Hayward Magic' when I ran a personal best in the 5K there a few years ago.  I also believe Eugene has the best, most knowledgeable track fans in the world.
Music venue:  I looove the 9:30 Club in Washington DC.  It's a great space, the staff is amazing, and they always have a plate of their famous 9:30 Club cupcakes (from Buzz Bakery for the curious) waiting for the band/crew backstage.
Race distance:  The marathon.  I wouldn't have said that even one or two years ago.  I have five marathons under my belt now, and it took exactly that many to feel like I really know what I'm doing. I'm currently training for the Berlin Marathon coming up on September 27th.
Show you've seen live:  Röyksopp & Robyn at Marymoor Park (just outside of Seattle), it was so fun and visually creative. Robyn is a great performer.
Ice cream flavor:  Honey Lavender in a waffle cone at Portland's Salt & Straw.

THIS OR THAT:
Sweet or salty?  I have a crazy sweet tooth.  Baked goods will be the end of me.  (photo: cupcakes from her show @ The 9:30 Club)
Live or recorded?  Live!  I'll take imperfect and in-the-moment over polished and pristine.
Coffee or tea? Coffee!
Summer or winter? Summer, especially in Portland.



MORE MUSIC INFO:
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could? Björk.  I've always wanted to see her live.  Just imagine the costume changes.

THE ONE & ONLY BJORK

Which band or artist (wait...but no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight if you could?  I would have loved to see Nirvana.

Which band or artist would you like to have dinner with tonight if you could?  Ellie Goulding, we could gab on all things touring and running.

Which band or artist would you like to be playing alongside you during your next race (or long run)? Like on the back of a pickup or something?  Because that would be amazing.  I would choose MNDR.  Her music and stage presence is so wild and energetic, that would definitely keep me pumped.

LAST ONE: (complete the sentence)
Today, I feel like….hopping in the car and going on an adventure.


Top 5 Songs for running, dancing or both:
I have this cheesy pump up playlist that I always listen to before racing.  Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Madonna - Living for Love
2. Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again
3. Garbage - When I Grow Up
4. Tegan & Sara - Closer
5. Blondie - Rip Her To Shreds

Last 5 Songs you listened to today:
1. Alex Winston - Careless
2. HOLYCHILD - Happy With Me
3. Penguin Prison - Calling Out
4. St. Lucia - Wait For Love
5. Karl Kling - Life On The Run