Stressed About Everything And My Top FIVE Favorite Pump-Up Songs!

Happy Friday-eve! How’s the week going for you? I’ve honestly had better, but know that on Sunday it will all (mostly) subside. I’ve honestly just been on the struggle stress bus for a while now. I’ve tried to keep my stress at bay (meditating, sleeping, good nutrition, yoga, reading a good book - which these all definitely HELP for sure), but it is still so present and weighing on me. By now I would normally pull-back from something to ease it, but I’m almost done teaching skiing and my skating calendar is lighter for the month of March so I’m staying optimistic that these things will decrease my stress. Work is extremely stressful right now and honestly I just wish there was something I could do about it. You know that something needs to change when you physically dread going somewhere every morning and unfortunately that is where I’m at at the moment. Looking at this face helps.

Journaling has also really been helping me lately just write down all my thoughts and purge everything on my mind at the moment. My right eye has been twitching for what only seems like a million years and when I get too stressed out, I tend to isolate myself (which I KNOW isn’t good for me, but I do it anyways). I get real crabby and hate to be even around myself. I’m a work in progress and I think it’s a big step for me to just acknowledge how I’m feeling (even if I’m not at the point of acting on it yet).

It’s so funny to me to hear so many reports these days on how ‘millennials are the most stressed generation’, ‘most anxious generation’, ‘we spend 20 percent of our year stressed’ and yet, these reports are making me even MORE stressed out! I would be lying if I said that all of my stress stems from my work, but that’s really the only one that I’m able to talk openly about at the moment (life stress & financial stress are two others). Until I figure things out, I guess I’ll continue to find those moments of peace while journaling, meditating, and doing yoga (oh, and running helps too!). I’m really loving my goal marathon paced runs and long runs because they give me either 1. more time to work through my stressors or 2. run faster and leave it all in the dust (or well…I feel like I am!).

PLUS running to music is my ‘guilty pleasure’ and these are my favorite songs right now to just really run it all out.

SOURCE

1. Glorious By Macklemore ft. Skylar Grey

2. Wild Horses By Bishop Briggs

3. Wings By Mac Miller

4. Litost by X Ambassadors (it’s a slow song, but I just love it for my cool down!)

5. 7 Rings By Ariana Grande

————————————————————————

Favorite way to de-stress?

We need a new movie to watch this weekend- any recommendations?! We LOVED Bohemian Rhapsody!

How many cups of coffee is considered ‘too much’? Asking for a friend….

Top Songs That Got Me PUMPED UP For My Relay

Happiest Friday friends! We made it through the week (yay)! What are you most looking forward to doing this weekend? The weather looks a bit unsteady, so probably no camping or backpacking for us, but hopefully we'll get out to enjoy the lake or trails a bit. I'm still enjoying mainly unscheduled runs for the month and just going out for however long and whenever I feel like it!

I wanted to share with you 10 of the top songs that I listened to during my relay that really got me going. These were the songs that up'd my mental game and got me ready to tackle however many more miles I had left to go. They helped me when the sun was beating down on me and when the wind was unbearable. Some of the songs were really motivational and others had some sort of sentimental connection to it (Wide Open Spaces made me think of when I first moved to Colorado & Night Moves reminded me of my friend from High School whom I lost at the same time that my grandfather passed away). Heigh-Ho and Under The Sea both immediately lifted my mood and I sang them out loud along the run SEVERAL times ; )

1. Don't Stop Me Now- Queen

2. Ghost (Oliver Nelson Remix)- Ella Henderson

3. Love Runs Out- OneRepublic

4. 'Till I Collapse - Eminem

5. Heigh-Ho from "Snow White"

6. Under The Sea- "The Little Mermaid"

7. Night Moves - Bob Seger

8. Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

9. Wide Open Spaces - Dixie Chicks

10. Sugar- Maroon 5

Have a great weekend! Anyone racing this weekend?!? What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Top song that never gets old while you're running or working out? --> probably something by Eminem ;) 

Feature Friday- 5 Songs On My PLAYLIST & 5 Things I'm NOT Doing This Weekend!

Happy Friday Friends! I hope you look forward to what Friday Funny Meme I'm going to post as much as I do (I clearly have very little to look forward to each week)! I've been taking a break from listening to podcasts as much on my runs and alternating between no music & music, so playlists have been a HUGE help on those harder work-outs I've had lately, SO I wanted to share with you 5 songs that are a must on my playlist right now. 

1. End Game Taylor Swift Ft Ed Sheeran & Future. I think I've been obsessed with this song since I saw Emma Coburn post this video on her instagram (anyone have a major #girlcrush on her like me?!?). 

2. Lose Yourself - Eminem. I know this one is an oldy, but I forgot how amazing it is to really power through a tough spot in a run. I think I listened to this song twice on my speed work-out on Wednesday....

3. Hypnotize- Biggie Smalls. This is also an oldy (sensing a theme here?), but this song kicks my butt and gets it going every. time. 

4. Start Me Up - Rolling Stones. This is one that I play at the beginning of EVERY race I do. Gosh it gets me excited just listening to it on a training day. 

5. Here's The Thing- Girl Talk. I love a great Girl Talk song and this one has a fantastic beat to do some hard 800 or 1200 repeats to (not that I exactly love 1200s, I'd prefer mile repeats over .75 mile repeats, but all speed work is still pretty fun...)

OK and here are 5 things I'm NOT doing this weekend because I'm getting all my chores done with before tomorrow (Saturday)! 

1. NO Laundry

2. No Cleaning

3. Not getting out of bed before 7am

4. Not thinking of work or things I have to do

5. Not limiting myself to one cup of coffee (because ample coffee & Saturday mornings are my favorite).

me tonight. 

What are you NOT doing this weekend? What are you filling your weekend with since you'll have so much extra time on your hands?

Songs on your playlist right now- any good recommendations?!

Friday Feature- Top 5 Favorite Songs Right Now

Another weekend is upon us! Finally! I always feel like the first part of each week creeps by and then all-of-a-sudden it's the weekend. Does anyone else feel this way?

I wanted to share with you my top 5 favorite songs right now that really PUMP ME UP. These are the no-fail songs that I put on during the last part of my runs when I want to push it and concur that final stretch. You better believe that I will make sure these songs come on during those last 2-3 miles of my marathon. 

• Shark In The Water- VV Brown For whatever reason this song really gets me going. I love the beat and oftentimes find myself getting lost in the tunes. 

• Return of the Mack- Mark Morrison . I really love to listen to those early 90's rap/ hip-hop songs while running and this song gets me every time. The beat is fantastic and I love to utilize those strong moments to focus on pumping my arms and picking up my feet. 

• Get Back - The Beatles. This song brings back the best memories of Las Vegas Half Marathon last year. The Cirque Du Soleil Love Tour was AMAZING and I honestly can't help but smile whenever I hear this song. Running is supposed to be an enjoyable activity so why not put on a song that really makes you happy?!

• Just Like Fire- P!nk . I'm not sure if I will EVER get tired of this song. Every time it comes on it gives me all.the.feels and I feel so strong and powerful. We all need a song like this in our lives. This is definitely my 'sprint to the finish' song. 

• Look What You Made Me Do- Taylor Swift. Yes, I know this is a new song, but the beat is absolutely amazing and her lyrics are perfect for really gutting it out at the end of hard workout or race. 

Top 10 of my Favorite Songs that Pump Up my Marathon

Hi Friends! Well, it's a good thing that I have scheduled this post because it wouldn't be wise to be racing and posting at the same time! Hopefully by this point, I'm almost halfway through the race and going strong! I'll post about my race as soon as I can today, but for NOW I thought I'd share with you my top 10 must-have songs on my marathon playlist. So get ready to look these up and download them (and maybe start a dance party too?).

1. Rise- Katy Perry

2. Just Like Fire (From "Alice Through the Looking Glass") - P!nk

3. Too Close- Next

4. Stop- Spice Girls

5. Return of the Mack- Mark Morisson

6. Ready to Run- Dixie Chicks

7. Come Together- The Beatles

8. 24k Magic- Bruno Mars

9. You Be Killin Em- Fabolous

10. Sweet Child O' Mine- Guns & Roses

There ya go! Top 10 of my favorite songs that no matter what state of mind I'm in, I'm able to push through it with the help of these pump-up songs! 

Do you have any good songs that are your favorite to run to?

Keep the same playlist for each race or make a new one?

Do you time your playlist out for the race course or have it on shuffle? --> I just did my first 'timed-out' playlist (with the super pump-up jams to come either on the harder sections/ later on in the race) & will let you know how it goes!