Marathon By 40

I tried a new music source for this morning’s run. Normally I listen to Robert Ullrey’s podcast series for the Couch to 5k program. Robert did a great job mixing music along with his own voice-overs reminding runners when to switch between the walking and running intervals. He would even chime in with encouragement when you only have a minute left on the day’s workout. Robert, thanks for the help as I worked my way from the couch to the ability to run a full 5k!

This week I was looking for something fresh to keep me alert as I prepare for my first event. I had heard of Podrunner before, and this was a perfect chance to give it try. DJ Steve Boyett has prepared several programs both for general workouts (the Podrunner series) and for interval training (Podrunner Intervals). For intervals he’s mixed “First Day to 5k” (follows same schedule as Couch to 5k), “Gateway to 8k” and “Freeway to 10k.” He provides a little chatter at the start of each track, but the cues for switching pace while running sound like the Tokyo Subway chimes. The cues are subtle without reminders of the duration for each, so make sure you know what your intervals are before you start if you’re interested in tracking only actual workout time (no warm-up or cool-down) on Nike+.

Overall, the quality of the music was great. It seemed like the music was sampled at high quality. And it was nice to hear something new while I ran. If you’re interested in new tunes for running, check it out.

Only two more workouts before the race. I hope to progress this week and peak on Monday.

Until then, let’s go run!