When something is galvanized, it is reinforced and powerful. The following songs made it easy for me to get in the zone. Easy to crouch down low and thrust my legs out to each side of me while my arms pumped back and forth in the opposite direction.
I wound down from my skating workout listening to Get a Shot of the Refrigerator by Stereolab off of Fab Four Suture. My cool down consisted of the "drunken sailor" drill all the way down First Street and up Orizaba to Broadway. Drunken sailor is when you cross one leg over the other and try to keep moving forward without falling down.
Prior to cool down I skated and danced my little heart out on the Long Beach Boardwalk listening to the following tunes: (all links go to iTunes)
Banquet by Bloc Party off of Promo Only Canada Modern Rock Radio
Tuning In by Groove Armada off of Love Box [UK]
Home of the Brave by Naked Raygun off of All Rise
Halfway Home (feat. Blackalicious) by DJ Shadow off In Tune and On Time
Potential Rapist by Naked Raygun off Basement Screams
Looking Down the Barrell of a Gun by The Beastie Boys of of Paul's Boutique
Yeah by the Heavy Off the Richter compilation
The Girls Say by Groove Armada off Soundboy Rock
This past week has had some drama but yesterday, Independence Day in USA, was a day for celebrating freedom. Freedom from bad choices, mistaken judgments and lack of compassion. Freedom to choose love and peace over chaos and selfishness.
The best way I've found to liberate my mind and my body, is to move to music. A good, exhiliarting workout makes me feel energetic and renews my creativity. Many times I put my iPod on shuffle just to see what songs come up. I skip over the songs that don't inspire me and only play the tunes that make me want to peddle hard and soar through the air like a super-heroine on wheels.
Here are the songs that survived the cut today and made me feel like a 7-year-old out for a bike ride while the parents were at home working, drinking or fighting.
Links go to iTunes
The Hunter by Blue Cheer off of OutsideInside
Anti-Pop by Kommunity FK off of The Vision and the Voice
I Used to Love H.E.R. (Look of Love Remix) by Common feat. J Dilla off Statik Selektah and Q-Tip the Look of Love is a rockin' tune.
The Fall of Because by Killing Joke off What's This For
When Spybreak! (Propeller Heads off Decksanddrumsandrockandroll) came on, I was so Gal VanIZed that I stood up and peddled as fast as I could. Then, I pushed my quads hard as I whizzed past all walkers and slow bike riders.
Other songs include:
The Next Big Chill (Edit) by Beat Pharmacy off Astralwerks 1999 v.2
Song For Shelter by Fatboy Slim off Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
As I bring my bike inside the house, I hear Save Our Soul by Groove Armada off of Soundboy Rock. The music is so motivating that I decide I'm not done exercising. I get out my rebounder/trampoline and jump up and down and side to side to the beat of the music. I love the way my heart starts pumping and my muscles feel stronger and more alive.
The beginning bars of Procol Harum, About to Die tell me it's time for a break. That's when I open a cold one and sit down to blog.
I'm telling you, Jaiya Figueras is a nice guy but he doesn't hold back on unleashing a little brutality here and there during our Bluff Park workouts. Although I'm not in the video on this page, you can go to the Your Next Victory Website to see me working out in all my pinkness.
Jaiya is the kind of guy who will smile wide and give you a high five while encouraging you to do one more push up, run a little faster or squat a little lower. He will not take no for an answer and he laughs off most excuses for lack of performance then says, "keep going."
I love Jaiya and what his workouts do for my body and mind but sometimes I need a little music to help me endure and to take my mind off the fact that I'm just about ready to belch, throw up or give up.
Here are the songs I listened to today while we did things like moutain climbers, Spiderman crawls, tree hand stands and tug-of-war.
Links go to iTunes
Assasinator by Meat Beat Manifesto off of Subliminal Sandwich
Bang for the Buck by Ugly Duckling off of Bang for the Buck
Gear by Naked Raygun off of Throb Throb
Express Yourself by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
Renegades of Funk (The Crystal Method Remix) by Rage Against the Machine off of 2002 - Community Service
Gone Featuring Consequence & Cam'Ron by Kanye West off of Late Registration
Think by James Brown off CD of JB II
Rhythm Sticks by Blackalicious off of The Craft
Dutchmen by Rudimentary Peni off Death Church
19-2000 by Gorillaz off Gorillaz UK
The Suit by Public Image Ltd. off of Second Edition
That's What You Always Say by the Dream Syndicate off of The Days of Wine and Roses
Red Alert by Squad off of Punk Rock Rarities
Line Up by Elastica off of the Mallrats soundtrack
Planet Rock (Swordfish Mix) by Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force off of the Swordfish soundtrack
All Lifestyles by The Beastie Boys off of To the 5 Boroughs
My Boy Lollipop by Millie Small off of AM Gold - Mid 60's
Climax (Girl Shit) by Slum Village off of Fantastic Volume 2
It's Bigger Than Hip Hop by the Dead Prez of off Let's Get Free
Stick 'Em Up by the Beastie Boys off Dr. Numbers Presents Still Ill
Root Down by the Beastie Boys off of Root Down
Transition by The Beastie Boys off of The IN Sound from Way Out
No Remorse (I Wanna Die) by Slayer and Atari Teen off of the Spawn soundtrack
Some of these songs I listened to while I sat in a camp chair under an awning for 20 minutes or so, just trying to get my bearings. Even though the workouts are brutal, the music transports me back to the days when I rode my bike everywhere (because I didn't have a car) and then went to shows at night and slammed/danced to music until the wee hours of the morning. When I'm in that mode, working out is a privledge and a joy, not a chore.
I look forward to becoming stronger and more agile as time progresses. This is definitely a shift from the "I'm too old for this" thoughts I had when I first started these intense workouts. In fact, one of the best benefits of working out with Jaiya is the realization that my limiting, fearful thoughts are nothing more than mental chatter because the truth is, I can do it and I'm getting better all the time.
Today, when I was on my way out for a bike ride, my husband (rinkrat) seized the opportunity to test his new camera equipment. I didn't mind modeling at all because I've been wanting to document how cool bike riding can be and I love to share my iPod playlists with you. I listened to some good tunes on my ride and I'll list them all below.
There were a lot of people on the bike path today. I cruised through a group of 30-40 year old hipsters with tattoos. I tried to capture it on my cell phone camera but there really is nothing like being there, rocking out to some seriously cool music, feeling the wind on your face and the vibration of the bike wheels, the bike seat and the rhythm of the wheels spinning in circles. If you use your imagination, it's kinda like slamming in the pit or doing roller derby. I mean, it can be, if you want it to be.
Give it a try, get on your bike, listen to your favorite tunes and put a smile on your face. That's the difference between working out on machines like a rat in a cage and being a free spirit with a free body. Exercise is invigorating and empowering and it takes little or no equipment to get the benefits of increasing your heart rate and building your muscles.
Playlist for this Sunday Afternoon bike ride:
Its pretty hard to sit still when you listen to stuff like this (links go to iTunes):
Price of Gas by Bloc Party off Silent Alarm (Isn't the price of gas on everyone's mind?)
Helicopter (Sheriff Whitey Mix) by Bloc Party off So Here We Are
Dis Mx Collapsed Lung off Volume II
Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone remix) by New Order
You Send Me by Sam Cooke off The Man Who Invented Soul - Disc 1
Everything's Gone Green by New Order
The Great Prentender by Brian Eno off Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy. This is musical genius. Art with sound. Suitable and recommended for all ages.
Soul Sauce (Fila Brazilla Remix) by Cal Tjader off Verve Remixed 2
Track 13 by A Tribe Called Quest - Sometimes, my husband gets me this music and it doesn't have names on it but I LOVE A Tribe Called Quest and I will listen to any version of any song anytime
Ended the ride with Slag by Fx off Killed by Death #100 (couldn't find it on iTunes).
This photo captures the feeling I enjoy when I listen to good music and stay in the zone. When I feel like this, life is fun, easy and inspired and I am Gal VanIZed.
When something is galvanized, it is reinforced and powerful. The following songs made it easy for me to get in the zone. Easy to crouch down low and thrust my legs out to each side of me while my arms pumped back and forth in the opposite direction.
I wound down from my skating workout listening to Get a Shot of the Refrigerator by Stereolab off of Fab Four Suture. My cool down consisted of the "drunken sailor" drill all the way down First Street and up Orizaba to Broadway. Drunken sailor is when you cross one leg over the other and try to keep moving forward without falling down.
Prior to cool down I skated and danced my little heart out on the Long Beach Boardwalk listening to the following tunes: (all links go to iTunes)
Banquet by Bloc Party off of Promo Only Canada Modern Rock Radio
Tuning In by Groove Armada off of Love Box [UK]
Home of the Brave by Naked Raygun off of All Rise
Halfway Home (feat. Blackalicious) by DJ Shadow off In Tune and On Time
Potential Rapist by Naked Raygun off Basement Screams
Looking Down the Barrell of a Gun by The Beastie Boys of of Paul's Boutique
Yeah by the Heavy Off the Richter compilation
The Girls Say by Groove Armada off Soundboy Rock
