If you’re like me, you’ve been getting really excited over the past few weeks with the rising temperatures, only to be quickly discouraged as the snow returns. I keep thinking that I’ll be able to start riding outside consistently, but the weather has other plans. One day it will be over 10 degrees and the next it’ll be below zero with flurries. I know that it was a short winter and that we were lucky to have spent as much time above freezing temperatures as we did, but I am done with the cold and training indoors. I’ve run too many miles on the treadmill and ridden enough hours on my trainer for one winter. I just want to get outside.
It can be tough to keep motivated during the long, dark, winter months — especially this time of year, when we feel entitled to warmer, sunnier days. I have a go-to playlist for when I’m feeling particularly unmotivated and when I have to use the treadmill or hop on the trainer. Now, I don’t know if these songs will have the same effect on you that they do on me — music can be pretty subjective — but I recommend giving them a listen. We’ve probably still got another couple of weeks (at least) of colder weather, so you might need some extra motivation to get started on your long, mind-meltingly boring trainer workouts, so give these songs a listen — they just might help you get through those tougher sets.
Ocean Drive — Duke Dumont
I first heard this song in late 2015, when I was in Australia. Everyone loved it down there, and I’ve been hearing it more and more up here in Canada lately. I hadn’t really thought of it as a “pump-up” song when I first heard it, but since adding it to my playlist I’ve found myself picking up the pace on the treadmill or trainer when this song comes on. Even if it doesn’t have the same effect of pumping you up that it does on me, it’s still a really good song, so you’re welcome either way.
Survival — Muse
This was the official song of the 2012 London Summer Olympics, so you can be sure that it’s meant to get people excited and motivated. The first lyrics are Race, life’s a race/And I’m gonna win shortly followed by You won’t pull ahead/I’ll keep up the pace/And I’ll reveal my strength/To the whole human race. These lines just really help get me into my workouts because that’s exactly what I (and I think many other triathletes) dream of — being in a tight race with someone who keeps trying to pull away from you only to have you match their pace and then push past them. This song never fails to get me amped and ready to go in a workout.
Hall of Fame — The Script
This song is an obvious one, because it’s all about how anyone can be great, just as long as you give it your all and you’re always working towards your goal. What’s great about this song is that it’s for everyone — there are a few lines that go Do it for your people/Do it for your pride/How are you ever gonna know if you never even try?/Do it for your country/Do it for your name… These lines are great because they’re motivating to anyone. They’re saying that whatever you’re doing, whether it’s on a global scale or just for you alone, can be achieved and will make you great, as long as you work hard. We all need a reminder every now and then to keep pushing during those long workouts — this is a good song for those moments.
Sail — Awolnation
I first heard this song way back in grade 12 weight training and I loved it. It’s got a great beat that helps get you pumped up and ready to push yourself to and past your limits. I wasn't ever very good with the bench press, but I’m sure that when this song was on I could muster up a couple more reps and a few extra pounds.
And We Danced — Macklemore
This is just a good song with a good, fast beat. I find that it helps get my mind back into the rhythm of my workouts and back to the speeds and times that I need to be hitting in my training. Also, Macklemore is a good rapper, so give the song a listen.
Down the Road — C2C
I’m not really a big fan of electric music, but this song is really good. I first heard it in a Dr. Pepper commercial and I’ve since had it on my iPod, ready to help get me focused on my running or biking and hitting my time goals. Definitely helps pick up my cadence on the bike.
Those are just a few songs which I find can help get me motivated to train, even when I have to do that training inside. I hope that they help you guys out as well. At the very least, I hope that you find a song that you’d like to have on your iPod, even if you don’t use it for your workouts. Hopefully we won’t have to bike indoors for too much longer. I might have to download some more songs to get me through the rest of my workouts if this winter continues to refuse to leave us. I’m sure spring will take over soon enough. It has to, because there are only 2 more months until the MultiSport Canada Triathlon race season begins, in Woodstock on June 11th. So get your iPods out, hop on your bikes, and keep pushing until then. Not much longer until we get there.
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