something really strange happened today. absolutely, positively, downright weird.
i ran a 10k on the treadmill.
you guys know me. i hate running. i think it sucks.
loud and proud, folks.
you may ask what exactly compelled me to hop on the treadmill and run the longest distance of my life today. yes—it was technically the longest distance of my life since i went 10.02k and my previous longest distance was 10k.
my motivation sprung from a combination of not working out since last thursday and the harsh realization that my 10k mud run obstacle course race thingamajig is now less than a month away. yikes.
i started out with a typical HIIT routine and the first 5k went like this:
- 5 minutes @ 6 mph
- 1 min @ 6.5 mph
- 1 min @ 7 mph
- 1 min @ 7.5 mph
- 1 min @ 8 mph
- 1 min @ 8.5 mph
- repeat above sequence until hitting 5k
i paused the treadmill and filled up my contigo water bottle. i ramped it up to just a 0.5% incline for the second half of my run.
the second half was a little slower. it went something like this:
- 1 min @ 4 mph
- 1 min @ 6 mph
- 1 min @ 6.2 mph
- 1 min @ 6.4 mph
- 1 min @ 6.6 mph
- 1 min @ 6.8 mph
- 1 min @ 7 mph
- 1 min @ 7.5 mph
- 1 min @ 8 mph
- 1 min @ 8.5 mph
- repeat similar sequence until hitting 10k (total)
so, as you can see, i did have a few slower minutes at 4 mph pace, but for the most part i was jogging or running. the total 10k took 57 minutes. oh, and i was wearing my vibrams.. so i went from running 5k in them the last time i wore them to running10k today. hope i can walk tomorrow…
not gonna lie, i am pretty dang proud of myself. sure, running sucks, but after the run is over? the feeling is awesome!
i had my girl power playlist blaring in my ears the whole time i was plugging along on the treadmill. okay, okay, i didn’t really make a “girl power playlist”—but i realized that EVERY band on my iPod shuffle at the moment has a girl lead singer!
since the tunes i was listening today played a big part in helping me hit that 10k mark, i thought i would share my favorite bands that have leading ladies.
oh.. and be prepared to read about musicians some of you may not have heard of or listened to. i run to a different tune than the typical treadmiller.
[source]
this swedish band is by FAR my favorite band to see live. i have a giant girl crush on maja, the lead singer of the sounds. not only does her voice rock, her quads do, too. i have even met her in person, which was basically the best ever. maja’s performance on stage rivals the quality of the music itself.
favorite songs to run to:
this canadian band is fronted by the incredible emily haines. metric rivals minus the bear as my favorite band! i have never had the pleasure to see the band perform live, but they happen to be at the very top of my list of “bands i want to see live.” yes, there is a list. and unless metric decides to tour the states, i won’t be seeing them soon. (i am not allowed into canada.)
favorite songs to run to:
ah! i have missed their live show any and every time they have toured in utah. mark my words, i WILL see them the next time they are here. tegan & sara are identical twins.. their parents must have been doing something right since they made not one, but TWO amazing artists. they write all their own music, play their own instruments and sing their own songs. they have been churning albums out since the nineties and are still going strong. yep, quite the duo.
favorite songs to run to:
this band is no longer a band, but the songs that they recorded in the short six years they were together are all fantastic. i usually listen to PGMG while snowboarding, but have recently added some of their tunes to my running rotation and love it!
favorite songs to run to:
another great band that is no longer a band. these guys were around from ‘98-‘05 and they made a lot of great music. it’s funny that the majority of the bands i am listing are mostly men with a strong leading lady for vocals. this band wouldn’t have won my heart if it weren’t for emily whitehurst’s incredible voice.
favorite songs to run to:
*************************************
and that, friends, is the music that got me through my workout today.
you may notice that there is no britney spears, beyonce or lady gaga. yeah–i guess i don’t listen to the typical mainstream music. in fact, whenever i read a playlist post from another blogger, i rarely know the songs they list (aside from the two susans!) but the ladies listed above are all incredibly talented and deserve some recognition.
hope you have had the chance to enjoy one or all of these bands before—and if not, give them a listen. you might find something new that you love!
Q~
who are some of your favorite leading ladies in music land?
xo. janetha g.
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i’m a grandma these days about music (i have to stand? past 10pm?!?) but i saw metric a few years ago and had the best time. until a girl in front of me spilled beer on me.
I absolutely LOVE tegan and sara. walking with a ghost & back in your head are two of my favorites to run to, as well as where does the good go and floorplan.
Apparently you are kinda bada$$ at running no biggie!
I love the sounds. I saw them live a few years ago at club sound (ironic?). Maja ended up spitting into the crowd and it hit me right on the arm. It was both disgusting and amazing all at the same time.
well done! i hate running too but it does sure feel good after! :)
Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, Sonic Youth, The Breeders, Nina Simone, Mirah, Lykke Li, Bjork, Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, Thao Nguyen, anything Joan Jett, Patti Smith, Chan Marshall (Cat Power), Crass’s album Penis Envy, I could go on but I’ll stop here….
Iprimarily listen to David Guetta radio on pandora. Haha it’s kinda like being at a club at 5 in the morning but it wakes me up and gets me goin! You are awesome running a 10 k on the treadmill!
LADYTRON!!
First of all – you are a rock star! HIIT for 5 K? You’re my hero and I’m inspired to start pushing myself!
Secondly – LOVE your taste in music. Metric is one of my FAVOURITE, FAVOURITE bands. I live in Canada so Metric is always coming through and I’ve seen them twice. So much fun – Emily Haines is amazing. Have you heard her solo album? Tegan and Sara are also so, so great and their concerts are so funny! I actually went to high school with them, they were a year older than me and I just remember seeing them around the halls with their skater style, loooooooong hair and big multi coloured chains attached to their pants. I had no idea they sang until I saw posters around the local university a couple years later for their shows… now they’re HUGE!
That’s freaking awesome.
I’m not a running fan either, but congrats! I’ve had friends do those mud runs and they’ve loved them. But you’re right, it’s probably best to be prepared.
I LOVE music recs. Surprisingly, it’s really hard for me to get into female leads so I thank you for this post. I adore The Sounds and Tegan & Sara, but this gives me some new fuel to investigate.
Anything Jenny Lewis owns my heart, but I also love Nico and Florence + the Machine.
YEA for your 10K!!! i swear listening to music you loves makes you run further. bet there’s a study out there.
I SAW METRIC IN CONCERT!!! almost two years ago now – they put on a good show. love them!
the other day i realized my playlist was dominated by female artists, although i admit to having lady gaga, pink, britney etc on my list!
cool that you wore your vibrams, too!
I always seem to be Susan’s music twin, so I’m not surprised to know all of yours too. I reallllly hope you get to see Metric sometime! I think I’ve seen them live 7 times now, and met them all. Emily is so nice in person, too.
Also love Florence + the machine like Susan. Dog Days are Over has got to be the #1 played running song for anyone who knows them!
That’s really cool you have seen them so much!
I used to be SUCH a fan of eclectic girl chick music about 10 yrs ago when I actually had time and didnt have a kid and a google reader and a blog and all these other things that take me away from music
tori amos, melissa ethridge, alanis morisette, sarah mclaughlin..those are my 10 yrs ago music chicks i loved.
lately i love adele. into the deep. i dig that track!
i hope no one laughs at my 10 years ago picks…i wish i had more time for music these days!
i love tori and alanis!
Woohoo!! You go girl! I think the fact that you pushed yourself to do something you don’t love proves that you are able to embrace different aspects of fitness. That doesn’t mean you have to sign up for a marathon tomorrow, but just the idea that you know you can do something that isn’t comfortable. That’s awesome! Now I just need to face my fear in the pool and get in a good swim workout. Ugh, I hate swimming! LoL
I am with you! Hate swimming.. haha. LOve you, though!
i love Tegan and Sara! I was obsessed with them in college (08 ish) and still love to listen to them. I’m going to have to check out those other bands!
Awesome run! And in Vibrams too – that’s crazy! I like the Sounds and Tegan and Sara. I also used to love PGMG. I saw them live years ago… I think they were opening for Murder City Devils. I’d kind of like to relive that now. I used to pretty much only listen to girl fronted bands in junior high/high school – like Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, Ladytron, etc. I’m not as into the “angry” stuff anymore… think I got over that teenage angst, but here are some of the girl fronted bands/artists I still like a lot: Au Revoir Simone, Lily Allen, Lykke Li, She and Him, Santogold, MIA, and surprisingly good (even if you don’t like Beyonce), is Solange (her sister)… it sounds a lot more like Lauryn Hill.
all good bands! also–a member of PGMG started MCD! i wonder how that worked when they were together in concert?
Love Metric and seriously why aren’t you allowed in Canada? Its pretty awesome here, lol :)
I like the sounds too! Maybe I’ll do a music post soon as well :D
Congrats on the run! I’m not a runner either (by annny means) so I feel your glory haha
Well I definitely love Help I’m Alive by Metric and I love Tegan and Sarah, so I’ll have to check the rest of these girl power songs out! Thanks for sharing and good work on the Vibram 10K!!!
WHAT?! way to go on the 10K…that’s a fun distance to just crank out when you haven’t been training :)
I love all your band picks too! They are all on my workout ipod!
My fave girl on my workout mix is Robyn. Perfect beats for running!
My new favorite is Jordin Sparks – I am woman. We do it in Jazzercise and it’s SOO empowering!
Also – ran my first 10k in Vibram’s on Saturday.. in the rain.. I was the only one not complaining about soggy feet!
A HIIT to try (it’s killer) is to warm up, then run for 30 secs an then completely off for 30 seconds. While you are off up the speed by .3 and the incline by .5. Do this until you can’t do it anymore. Recover for 2 or 3 minutes and then go back to the top and work your way down. It’s my favorite. You feel wierd at the beginning but by the top 30 secs doesn’t feel long enough.
nice–that sounds KILLER. i need to try it. i printed it!
Great job Janetha! A good playlist makes all the difference in the world, I think.
Some of my favorite girl singers off the top of my head:
Regina Spektor
Ani DiFranco
Okay, that’s all I can think of right now. I know there are many more!
I’ll be curious to know how your legs feel today! I ran 6 miles (trail running) in mine last week after only have them for one day (dumb move!) and my legs were sore in a brand new way for almost 4 days! They do say “ease into running with vibrams slowly…” :)
And good for you for running 10k!
Congrats on the run, Janetha! That is awesome!! :)
To be honest, I am not too huge on women singers, but I do love Regina, and I have mad respect for Anais Mitchell. Eisley, Fiest, Imogen, and Fiona are some other women that appear on my iPod. I don’t know if they technically “rock,” though. ;)
Regina Spektor! Amanda Palmer! Neko Case!
I don’t really work out to typical runner-playlist music either. I tend to throw together pretty eclectic mixes of bands like Radiohead, MGMT, Citizen Cope… and then some good old fashioned punk, classic rock and the always-wonderful 90’s grunge.
Sweet work on the run! I havent heard of a lot of these bands- i will have to check them out! I love pink, gwen, and adelle
Awesome job on running that far! You are fabulous :). I’ll have to check out some of those ladies! I’m always looking for good music to workout to!
I run all the time and STILL think it sucks. :) Good going, girl!
That’s great, what a wonderful unexpected accomplishment!I’m going to listen to some of my favorite girl lead singers next time I hit the treadmill.
You are so amazing. You hate running, rarely do it, and then just bust out a 10K? Great job!
I love me some Pretty Girls Make Graves!
Le Tigre is pretty rad for workout music too, as is Sleater-Kinney
<3 le tigre
dude, this post perfectly epitomizes how beneficial “rest time” can be. I wasn’t able to work out at all for a few weeks, then I got the okay from my Doc to do yoga.. and the first time I hit the mat I had the most stellar, empowering flow EVER! Seriously. I think everyone should take a week off from exercise every month. Then maybe we all can whip out random spontaneous 10k’s on the tready ;) Just kidding, I’ll never be able to do that.. but I’m SO PROUD OF YOU!!!
Aw, can I lovingly say that you have such a “Utah” taste in music? ;) I tend to listen to a lot of mainstream, but I do love music recommends off the beaten path so I’m glad you shared these!
However, I really do love metric! I actually got hooked while living in Canada. Fitting, eh?
That’s so funny, I have never heard of a “Utah taste” of music!
Way to go on the distance! And in your Vibrams!!
I have never heard of any of those bands, but I love you for introducing them to me! Going to check them out now :D
I love Adele, Mindy Smith, Patty Griffin, Ani DiFranco, and Missy Gibson of Breech/Nellie Bly/Paddy’s Pig.
love the sounds & metric! i’ve seen metric live with the stills and oh man. i’m envious of her dance skills haha she looks like ian curtis from joy division seizing around. it’s awesome! i cannot remember the last time i ran 10k but i did run 2 miles yesterday since it was beautiful outside :)
i have some great fem-pop for you! ::rubs hands together::
1. alphabeat-‘fascination’
2. annie-‘i don’t like your band’
3. Yelle-A Cause Des Garcons (Tepr Remix) *I always run to this. serious note i actually can dance a little ‘tecktonik’ too it’s really fun!
4. howling bells-‘low happening’
5. the knife-‘we share our mother’s health’
6 le tigre-‘TKO’
7. morningwood-‘Nth degree’
not for running but for general ambiance
1. beach house-‘master of none’ her voice is HAUNTING!
2. Björk-wanderlust (ratatat remix)
3. glasser-‘apply’
4. neko case-‘people got a lotta nerve’
5. sharon van etten-‘for you’
6. soko-‘i’ll kill her’
i could go on and on…i love music so much!
YOU are my music go to guru! i love you! i love le tigre, the knife, neko case… i know i will love these others. THANK YOU
WAY.TO.GO you non-runner you! ;) Seriously – a 10 km (esp. in your Vibrams!) is awesome – and on the treadmill?! YOU are a girl that rocks. So cool. And I think you hit something – although I do love the process of running, maybe it’s the feeling afterward that drives me the most…
Great songs – I want to check some of them out! I love running to Mumford & Sons & Switchfoot. Something about the depth of the lyrics combined with the beats makes me actually whoop and holler out loud, sometimes clapping and smacking my knees while I’m running (it’s true!). :D Random note: did you know T&S are from Calgary? Represent!
ps – how do your calves & legs feel today after that workout?! That’s a big jump on those muscles and was wondering about the DOMS (I def had it when I transitioned to longer runs in mine). Enjoy it if you have it!
my hips are aching REALLY bad (strange?) but everything else feels great! i look forward to seeing how tomorrow is, since DOMS usually hits me on day 2.
i did know that about T&S! i got another comment on here from someone who went to school with them. maybe you two should hang out since you both live there!
<3 you
Go you! Thanks for always being honest about disliking running. I’ve never liked it so that’s why I tend to only do 5k’s. I’ve seen Tegan and Sara in concert and they are AMAZING! When I work out I make pretty wacky playlists since I listen to a variety of music. Everything from more indie music to pop to showtunes. I always say whatever gets you motivated is what you should listen to. My aunt listens to classical music when she works out!
I love that! Whatever floats your boat, right!?
Tegan and Sara are great! (And they’re from Calgary! Very popular around here.) Loving Metric too.
You’ve got to look at Bonnie’s blog! She lives in Calgary! (a few comments above)
I approve of your music list. I hope you get the chance to see Tegan and Sara soon. I’ve seen them multiple times (since I am an hour away from their hometown) and they blow me away every time. So adorable too.
The songs you picked are also my favorites from each of those bands. :) It’s refreshing to see a blogger have GOOD taste in music, instead of listening to Pitbull and Britney Spears all the time.
Such a cool post! I love Jenny Lewis with Rilo Kiley. Plus, I love how she used to be a child actress and starred in one of my favorite childhood movies (Troop Beverly Hills).
yeah! i love rilo kiley. oh my gosh–and i never made that TBH connection? that movie is great. i need to watch it soon.
Get on with your bad self!!! I know you will do just fine at that 10K!
Dang girl, you run fast for a non-runner..heck even for a runner. I clop along at a 6.5mph pace max..haha
I like Shirley Manson — she’s bad@ss
Tegan and Sara are awesome artists! However, my love for their music may be slightly bias since we both come from Canada.
Thanks for the artist list! I’m always looking for different music, and rarely listen to mainstream stuff. “they write all their own music, play their own instruments and sing their own songs” – that right there made me want to check out the twins! (that sounded dirty reading it back).
I like some good ole Heart! Those ladies can play so well!
well, they are lesbians, so you have a chance.
Woot! Go you!! Girl Power!!!
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