Tuesday Night Spin - exercise to purge the brain

I have a tendency to shift my focus to something and begin to mildly obsess. I'll get it in my head to find a bargain for a road bike or finally buy another pair of running shoes (rather than always just wearing one pair to death) and I'll spend hours on Craigslist or Zappos. I'll spend an equal amount of time looking at race calendars and comparing the cost of travel for events I'm unlikely to ever make it to. Perhaps it's better to have a proactive brain than to not attempt to plan for anything at all, but it can also send you into analysis paralysis.

It's that time that I need to close the laptop and take everyone out for a walk, or lace up my shoes and head out for a run. Because I can spend all day internet-window shopping or fake-planning for a race, but nothing will prepare me for anything if I don't actually shut my brain up for a second and physically get up and DO something.

One benefit to my recent obsessing, though, is it makes for a fun theme for class tonight. So once I finally commit to the shoes I want..

Merrell Women's Pace Glove

... and the race I think I want to die trying run...

trail marathon at Pine Mountain, GA

... I'll put together this fun little playlist:

5/1/2012 Spin: Where's Your Head At?

1. "All Mixed Up" - 311 - Warm up, flat road, alternate lead legs for 30s-1min each
2. "Where's Your Head At" - Basement Jaxx - Quick pace, light resistance (add 2 gears from flat road) in the seat for 1:30, position 2 jog for 1 min, back up to pace and run in position 3 for last 1:30.
3. "Perfect Situation" - Weezer - Add another gear, position 2 quad isolation (no bounce) on the chorus ~or~ position 3 climb for new spinner.
4. "Hysteria" - Muse - Climbing through increasing resistance; starting at about 30s. you'll charge in position 3 and add a gear for 30s, leaving it on when you sit. Continue to alternate 30s in the seat and 30s charge until you reach your highest gear (keep at or above 60rpm)
5. "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz - Dial it back 3 gears and sit and ride it out - envision being on a flat road in a high gear or on a low-grade incline - keep on the beat!
6. "Castaway" - Green Day - Flat road (+ a gear or two for control or challenge), quick pace to "flush out" the legs.
7. "Just Like a Pill" - Pink - Medium resistance, moderate pace on the verse in position 1, transition up to 2 before the chorus, then pick it up and go double-time in position 3.
8.  "Climbatize" - Prodigy - Another long stretch of high gear/resistance; starting at light to med. resistance, adding just a hair at a time every minute and trying to hold the same cadence.
9. "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" - Cage the Elephant -  Last heavy climb, make it steep and take it up to position 3 to crest this mountain.
10. "Maximal Crazy" - Tiësto - Light resistance, flush it out alternating 30s runs with 30s rest - take your runs up to 90% effort!
11. "Lancaster Gate" - Enter the Haggis - Last set of standing runs (light to med. resistance) with one last, very short steep climb at the end before flattening out and running it home.
12. "Pinch Me" - Barenaked Ladies - cool down
13. "Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol  -  cool down

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Does your choice of music have to suit your mood or contrast it (ie, something calming if you're feeling a bit nuts) when you choose what to work out to? If I'm feeling a little nuts, I definitely can't just put on some Jack Johnson. I obviously use my music to expunge all residual energy!