Here I come...

Motivation can come from many places, it can come from an image in a mirror or maybe it can come from wanting to impress a pretty girl, wanting to beat an old record time running a 5k race or perhaps its that way you feel when you add one more rep to a weight lifting routine, and then sometimes its as easy as having the right music playing.

The image in the mirror is working for me right now because I am starting to see Me looking back again instead of that other guy, you know the 500 pound fella! Impressing a pretty girl? yes I try to do that too BUT I am married to her so I have home field advantage there and I know that she loves me so I don't have to work so hard at it though I hope (and I think) that I still impress her, beating an old record for a 5k? yes indeed, BUT I just want to be able to run that 5k and that is driving me currently. Adding one more rep was HUGE for me when I was lifting weights so I look forward to getting that one back soon. Now lets talk about music for a minute, with me music can make me work harder and I would bet a lot of you are the same way and it is the easiest way to get/stay motivated sometimes, what kind of music gets a person motivated I would think has a little to do with what they like but more so I think that the beat or cadence means a lot as well, here are some examples of songs that get me moving and keeps me moving, no laughing at the Cristina Aguilera entry!

Prince "When doves cry"
Christina Aguilera "Ain't no other man"
The Roots "Here I come"
Ludacris "Move Bitch"
NWA "Express yourself"
Elvis Crespo "Sauvemente"
House of Pain "Jump around"
Sepultura "Bloody Roots"
Black Train Jack "Guy like me"
Run DMC "Tricky"
Control Machete "Instancias"
Drop Kick Murphys "I'm shipping off to Boston"
Limp Bizkit "Nookie"

That list is just off of the top of my head, actually its a CD that I burned yesterday when I was looking for some music to listen to while I ride my bike but all of those songs though totally different genres ALL make me want to move or keep moving so they make the cut. It is easy to trick ones self into movement with music, for me Salsa makes me move whether I want to or not, nothing like a 350 pound guy shakin his ass to get every eye in the room looking in that direction but hey! Music has this control over some of us that we just cannot control so as a motivator its great! I think back to my early 20's and going to Hardcore shows in New Haven and NYC and the wave of people ungulating almost as a single organism as bodys slammed into one another in the pit simply because the music drove everyone to do so.

If the music doesn't or cannot keep me motivated, all I have to do is play with my little girl, being able to snatch her up and run around playing without feeling as if I am going to die in the middle of it all is priceless. Now mix the two? I can quite literally just go nuts playing and dancing with her for hours while we let the playlist scroll through and not only did she get to play with dad but I got to move and that folks is what they call a win win.

This post went a little longer than I thought it would and I haven't even mentioned my intake or movement for yesterday! I ended up at 1695 total calories and rode my bike for 22 minutes, almost 2 gallons of fluid went in consisting of 1 gallon of green tea and 3/4 of a gallon plain water and I am finding that if I ride the bike in the early evening like between 7:00 and 8:00 pm that the ride is faster and my heart rate is higher when I am done, I just plain work harder at night and I don't know why, more testing shall be had because I enjoy the ride earlier but if I am doing more at night it may make sense to shoot for later rides.

With that said I am off to get a ride in because I have some plans for later that may not afford me the time this evening to fit it in. don't forget that H2O and I am predicting a good week this week for my weigh in and maybe a challenge for Friday as well. Keep on keepin on and all that and remember kids, YOU are the only one holding yourself back..

As Ever
Me