RockMyRun.Com

Now that spring is right around the corner (surely it is, right?)...some of us have actually made it back outside to run.  I know some of you die-hards run outside all winter, but I get pretty friendly with my treadmill once it dips below 25 degrees!  In the winter, I binge on Netflix movies and tv shows during my running time.  When I finally head outside, I forget how wonderful it is to lose yourself in a great playlist of high-energy songs.  

But how do you make a great playlist?  Who has the time to download and put together songs in the right order?  Not me.  I'm horrible at it and usually end up pressing shuffle or fast forward quite a bit when I'm running.  But not any more!  During one of the #RunChat twitter talks (can't remember the month...), I found out about a great app for my phone called Rock My Run.  

Wait, do you know about #Runchat?  Here's a little bit of info for you:

"RunChat is the leading Twitter chat about running. It is held at 10 p.m. ET on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month and at 8 p.m. ET the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. David (@RunningBecause) and Scott (@iRunnerBlog) are co-founders and co-moderators of #RunChat." -- from http://therunchat.com/faq/)

Rock My Run is an app for smartphones "that provides The Best Running Music in the World for active people."  It's a free app and Standard Membership is also free.  Yes, there's the ability to upgrade to a paid Premium Membership, but I haven't tried that yet.  I think an advantage of upgrading to a paid membership (for me) would be to have access to downloading running mixes longer than 45 minutes.  I'm already thinking about this option for my next half-marathon.  

What do I like about Rock My Run?  I love that I can download a complete run mix to my phone without having to hook up to my computer or some other nonsense.  I also like that the mixes are already calibrated to specific BPMs.  For me, that helps me stay on track!  I respond to music innately so songs with faster bpms automatically make me pick up my pace.  I like the diversity in the music too.  Yes, sometimes it has a bit of a techno/dance club feel to it as the songs transition, but that usually depends on the DJ. 

Currently I have 7 different mixes from RockMyRun:  3 are 45 minutes long and the other 4 are 30-36 minutes long.  

 

My current favorite mix is the RunChat Fan Mix.  With tracks from Lorde, Train, Adele, Jay Z, Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Robin Thicke, Mumford & Sons, Run DMC (It's Tricky!), and more... it is a great smash up of current and past pop songs.  

I suggest you give RockMyRun a try!  No, I don't receive anything if you do and no, I didn't receive anything to promote the app here on our RunTeacherRun site.  RockMyRun is just my newest favorite running tool and I think you'll love it too!

Happy Running!

My Running Story by Danielle

Three years ago when I was visiting my parents (who live out of state) as I do every summer. My father, who is diabetic, is never without a diet Pepsi in his hand (going through about 20 a day) now has to give himself shots for a disease that just a few years ago his doctors told him could be controlled with diet and exercise. Was this my future? I knew then something had to change. I scheduled a physical the week I returned. My doctor told me I could stand to lose a few pounds (she was being gracious) and was concerned that some of my other issues, like insomnia, lack of energy, and depression were exacerbated by my lack of activity.Things had to change.

This isn’t the story of a girl who grew up active and fell off the bandwagon after college. I wasn’t ever an athletic kid. I didn’t grow up in an athletic family. I really had no idea where too start. Team sports were daunting and I joined a gym with good intentions, but never got up the guts to go. What I did have in my favor is location. I live within walking distance of two state parks and the Appalachian trail is just a quick drive from my house. So I started hiking. My dogs were especially happy with this new routine. I loved it.

Something inside me just sort of clicked after several weeks of hiking. If I can walk and hike, I thought, I can run. So, like Forrest Gump, I started running. Well, it wasn’t quite that epic. The first time out I ran about a tenth of a mile and walked another four. But I kept going. We had a treadmill in the basement that I dusted off. I started making deals with myself while watching shows on the DVR. Walk during the show, run through the commercials. Soon, I was running through the show and walking during commercials. Finally, without really realizing it, I broke a personal record and ran six miles in 1 hour. SIX MILES! The girl who never thought of herself as athletic was running.

Now I was confident enough to try out some 5Ks. There was a zombie run and a few mud runs. Then I got the crazy idea to run a half marathon -- not an actual organized event, I wasn’t ready for that. Instead, I mapped out a route locally and after about two months of training, got out there to tackle those 13.1 miles. There was some walking, there was lots of sweat, and it wasn’t pretty, but I did it. Such an amazing feeling to know that my body, the one I had spent most of my life feeling uncomfortable in, was now strong -- strong enough to tackle some pretty incredible challenges.

But pride (and a smaller waistline) weren’t the only benefits I’d noticed. I was sleeping better, I had more energy, and I’d found an alternative to eating my feelings. There is nothing like coming home from an especially stressful day and running until I can’t run anymore. My last physical turned up great numbers - all the numbers that used to be of concern are now well in the normal range. I am not the fastest or the most graceful runner. Any sort of physical activity seems to turn my face a lovely shade of tomato red and I sweat like it’s my job. Somedays I walk more than I run, but I still get out there. Judging myself against the progress of others is something I let go of long ago, instead I focus on how far I’ve come. I am strong and I am a runner. Something I couldn’t have imagined three years ago is now something I can’t imagine ever being without.

Bio:

Danielle has been a high school English teacher 14 years and a geek her whole life.  When she’s not out  running or hiking, she can usually be found lost in a book. You can follow her literary and school related adventures and misadventures on twitter (@MyMercurialMuse) or on her blog (www.MyMercurialMusings.com).