Marathon Training: Gale force winds and running playlists

I cannot run without music.  At first I would listen to music to drown out the sound of my breathing, and I also get ear pain from the cold without ear protection.  But most of all, music spurs me on.  It's what keeps me going throughout those long runs.  Over the weeks I have put together a running playlist that helps me through each mile.

Here are my top ten running tracks:

Metallica - Enter Sandman

Madness - Baggy Trousers

Bowling For Soup - Stacy's Mom

Armin van Buuren feat. Mr. Probz - Another You

Hadouken! - M.A.D

Martin Garrix & Tiësto - The Only Way Is Up

Hardwell & Armin van Buuren - Off The Hook

Calvin Harris - Outside ft. Ellie Goulding

Panic! At The Disco - Time To Dance

Sub Focus - Tidal Wave ft. Alpines

This week has been pretty good for running.  I am feeling motivated, I feel like my body is changing for the better and the cold weather doesn't phase me so much.

Monday 25th January
Monday was a rest day.  I booked my first half marathon for 2 weeks time.  Eeeeekkkkk!!!!

Tuesday 26th January
I was so pleased with my achievements on Tuesday.  I went for an early afternoon run.  I had to battle through gale force winds, rain, hills and my painful knee but I got through it and managed 8 miles.  The furthest I had ever ran.  I completed this a little slower than I would have liked, I ran the 8 miles in 1 hour 23 minutes.  But the main thing is, I did it.  I even had a one hour pole dancing session in the evening.  My knee was ok until it started playing up between the 6th to 8th mile, it is so annoying but it is so much better!!

Wednesday 27th January
Today was rest day, I was in between night shifts and I needed that rest!

Image Source

Thursday 28th January
On Thursday morning I finished my night shift at 8.30am, had some breakfast, went home.  By 9am I was dressed and ready to go for a run. Six months ago if you had asked me to go for a run after a twelve hour night shift I would have laughed in your face.  But I actually did it! I just did 3.35 miles in 31 minutes and 53 seconds.  I'll admit, it was difficult.  I was knackered and in the first mile I totally regretted going for that run.  After the third mile I felt great and was glad I did it!

Friday 29th - Sunday 31st January
I was supposed to go for a 10 mile run on Saturday, but I didn't get time in between my pay day shopping and having friends over in the evening.  On Sunday I was working all day and told myself I would go for a run in the evening.  But Saturday night ended up being a very late one, I got three hours sleep before work, and work was super busy.  I was exhausted when I got home so went straight to bed.  Oops.  It is difficult to balance all this training in between working and life.

I use the Nike Running app.

My feelings on running this week
I hate running.
Running in the rain isn't as bad as it looks.
Running in the ice isn't as bad as you think it will be.
Running in the wind is far worse than you can imagine.
I hate running.
I feel smug when I run past people huddled up in their warm coats waiting for the bus.
Running can be exhilarating.
I quite like running, sometimes.
Does running make your waist smaller?  I haven't lost any weight since I started this marathon training, however my waist has definitely shrunk.  It's flatter.  I am not complaining though... LIFE GOALS!

Yes, It's Been A While

Do I feel guilty that I haven't blogged for ages?  No, not really... As I have been out enjoying life!  OK so first I stopped because my good camera broke and a blog without pictures is quite boring. Then I got really busy with university work. Then I became busy with other stuff and started having an awesome time and making most of my last year at university.  Now I am here to blog about it again but with a slight change of direction for this blog.  My good camera is still broken, and I am still trying to fix it so you will have to put up with crappy pictures from my other camera for now.

So now onto my music favourites which I used to do every Friday!

1. Foals - Inhaler

Link to Youtube

Foals.  New song.  Need I say more?! I keep hearing this song on the radio.  I loved it the first time I heard it, but each time I hear it, I love it even more. Awesome band!

2. The Virginmarys - Everyone's a Criminal

Link to last.fm

3. Bombay Bicycle Club - How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep

Link to Youtube

4. Adrian Lux - Teenage Crime (Axwell & Henrik B Remode)

Link to Youtube

5. Swedish House Mafia vs. Knife Party - Antidote

Link to Youtube

Ultimate getting ready for a night out song.

Yesterday I went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, London and did a bit of ice skating.  So awesome and Christmassy!

Then of course we had to walk past Claridges as well:

As usual, if you have any favourite songs at the moment, then let me know!

Music Favourites

I have abandoned this blog lately.  I have been so busy working hard on placement, trying to do my university work, and trying to maintain my life around work I feel like I have barely had time to eat and sleep let alone blog!  Next week is my last week on placement for a while and I can't wait to have some time away from the hospital (where I work on placement) .  I have a big practical assessment coming up next week so I need to study hard for that and hopefully I will pass and all this stress and hard work will pay off.

Anyway, on to my music favorites of the week (which I normally do on a Friday but was too exhausted last night):

1. Sub Focus - Tidal Wave
Link to Youtube
LOVE Sub Focus, LOVE this track.  I would love to go and see Sub Focus again and hearing this song live would be immense.  

2. Two Door Cinema Club - Sun

Link to Youtube

3. Rihanna - Diamonds
Link to Youtube
Everyone must have heard this song and I think it is too over played but when I first heard this song on the radio I loved it straight away!  I still sing along every time I hear this song.

4. The Vaccines - Misbehaviour
Link to Youtube

5. AN21 & Max Vangeli Feat. Example - Whisper
Link to Youtube


Let's hope I will have time for more blogging soon!  If you have any music suggestions you think I may like or want me to listen to, then leave your suggestions in the comments!

Music Favourites

It's been a stressful week! I have been working on placement from 4PM - 12AM. It was a very different and interesting week but extremely tiring along with essays and work to complete. I now feel like I have become nocturnal and somehow need to sort my sleep out over the weekend so I can return to normal hours next week, ready to wake up at 6.30AM on Monday. Eurgh. I hate that time.

 My music favourites of the week:

1. Foster The People - Waste

Link to Youtube

2. Dirty Disco Youth - Drive

Link to Youtube

3. Santigold - The Keepers

Link to Youtube

 4. Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child (feat. John Martin)
Link to Youtube
Swedish House Mafia <3 This song <3 LOVE IT!!

5. Yashin - Friends In High Places

Link to Youtube

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Music Favourites

Morning!!  Oh... Wait... Is it afternoon already?  I know, I know, I have abandoned this blog in the last week.  But our internet wasn't working.  Then bad things happened to me and of course I don't want to turn this into a depressed, listen to my problems type blog.  I have been quite busy anyway surrounding myself with friends to make me feel better which worked well.  Apart from that I have been on placement and working hard on the mounds of university work that I have.

I have decided this post is going to be a music-type post.  On this blog I haven't written much about music which is very surprising since a lot of my time is spent listening to music.  So today, and each week, I am going to tell you about my 5 favourite songs of the week.  I have a varied taste in music so each song may be very different, or quite similar, it depends on what mood I am feeling in that week.

1. David Guetta - She Wolf (Falling To Pieces)
Link to Youtube
I first heard this song on Radio 1 and fell in love straight away.  Whenever I am driving and this song comes on the radio I have to turn it up LOUD.  I'm not sure what it is I like about this song but it is upbeat and makes me feel happy.

2. Portugal.  The Man - So American
Link to Youtube

3. Santigold - Disparate Youth
Link to Youtube

4. Matrix & Futurebound Feat. Luke Bingham - All I Know (M & F's Rolling Radio Mix) 
Link to Youtube

5. Rudimental - Feel The Love feat. John Newman

Link to Youtube

I have listened to this song again and again and again, and it never gets old.  To me, this song can never be too over played.  It has been one of my favourites for months and never fails to cheer me up, I love it that much so just had to add it to the list.