Trail Blazer VI

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I’ve been trying to beat New Year’s Day to the punch and pick up my workout schedule before the gym gets insane and the treadmill becomes impossible to use. The hardest part of winter workouts is mobilizing to go outside in freezing temperatures (either to the gym or to the trail), but once I get going, I find that these songs can put these harsh Midwestern winters behind me and transport my mind to a sunnier place. 

1. Low: Just Like Christmas
2. Bob Marley: Coming in From the Cold
3. Costa Neto: Boas Festas Mocambique
4. Peter Tosh & Mick Jagger: You Gotta Walk & Don’t Look Back
5. Wailing Souls: Things & Time
6. Ramon Veloz: Paz En La Tierra
7. Collie Buddz: Playback
8. Culture: Two Sevens Clash
9. Matishyahu: King Without a Crown
10. Mishka: Above the Bones

Trail Blazer V: Guest Edition!

Jessica's dog Patterson means business during workouts

Though new music is crucial to keeping my stamina up during workouts, I'm usually behind on fresh songs because I spend most of my radio time tuned into Howard Stern. Luckily, my best friend Jess keeps me up to date. She and I got to know each other as freshman roommates at Ohio University, and though she now lives across the country, I continue to rely on her for the latest hits (even if she was a die-hard Tori Amos fan when we first met).  That said, take it away Jess…

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Living in Seattle, you need to take advantage of the warm sunny days when they come! I crave any time I can enjoy walking/running outside and I've been dragging along my dog, a six year old Dachshund/Terrior mix named Patterson.  Watching a weiner dog run distance is a sight to see... but maybe I need to give him a chance to build up to running like I've been doing myself.  I'm no runner, but slowly I'm learning how to fake it with a little motivation, my Fitbit and a great beat.  Here's a list of my current favorite songs to keep my dog and my short legs a chugging:

1. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Can't Hold Us

2. Missy Elliot - Work It

3. Beyonce - End of Time

4. Skrillex - Bangarang

5. STRFKR - Girls Just Want to Have Fun

6. Icona Pop - I Love it

7. Cher Lloyd - Want You Back

8. MIA - Bamboo Banga

9. Kid Cudi - Day N Night

10. Mary J. Blige - Just Fine

Trail Blazer IV

It's been far too long since I loaded new songs onto my iPod, and even longer since I went for a good jog. Though I tend to get overwhelmed by the onslaught of fitness-related New Year's resolutions around this time of year, I do see the value in setting goals. By mid-January, I'm usually reluctant to venture outside in the cold long enough to work up a sweat, but when I recently put on a FitBit and learned that my average day consists of less than 5,000 steps, I realized that a concerted effort to step up my activity is much needed. Hopefully, these will be the songs to help me make it happen:

1. Frank Ocean: Lost

2. Ellie Goulding: Lights

3. Fun: Some Nights

4. Mumford & Sons: Babel

5. Gin Wigmore: Man Like That

6. Jonsi: Go Do

7. Willy Moon: Yeah Yeah

8. Rihanna: Diamonds

9. Bruno Mars: Locked Out of Heaven

10. Rudimental: Feel the Love

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Trail Blazer III

All of this talk about the outdoors these last few days has reminded me that it’s time to update my ipod and hit the trail. Here are a few songs that will be accompanying me along the way:

1. Gotye (featuring Kimbra): Somebody that I Used to Know (Tiesto Remix)
2. Lykke Li: Get Some
3. Chiddy Bang (featuring Icona Pop): Mind Your Manners
4. Justin Bieber (featuring Nicki Minaj): Beauty and a Beat
5. Black Keys: Gold on the Ceiling
6. Jack White: Sixteen Saltines
7. Deadmau5 (featuring Chris James): The Veldt (Tommy Trash Remix)
8. Avicii: Levels
9. David Guetta and Sia: Titanium
10. Afrojack and Steve Aoki (featuring Miss Palmer): No Beef

Stress-less Summer

A variety of relaxing bath salts that I'll be putting to good use this weekend

Last summer, I committed nearly the entire month of July to this cleanse. Although I successfully completed it, I can’t exactly say that it made me eager to take on such an extreme detox challenge ever again (I’ve since come to realize that more moderate plans like this are a bit more my speed). Yet, when I find my life getting a little carried away, I do like to get back to basics and refocus on some commonsense principles. After a few solid weeks of late nights at the office and one too many takeout dinners, I’ll be spending this weekend trying out smoothie recipes, practicing yoga, and enjoying a fragrant bath.

Trail Blazer II

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A few weeks ago, I shared some of the songs that have been dominating my iPod lately. I also acknowledged that new music is what powers me through rough routines. With that in mind, I've recharged my 5K playlist and now I'm ready to face whatever comes my way on the trail. Might I suggest that you do the same?

• Awolnation: Sail
• Black Keys: Howlin’ For You
• White Stripes: Blue Orchid
• Passion Pit: Little Secrets
• Florence & the Machine: Heartlines
• Rihanna & Calvin Harris: We Found Love
• Robyn: Dancing on My Own
• Eminem & Nate Dogg: ‘Till I Collapse
• Flo Rida: Good Feeling
• Beyonce: Diva (Karmatronic Club Remix)

Trail Blazer

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It wasn’t until I moved near the invigorating beachfront trails along Lake Michigan that I started to appreciate jogging. Although I still don’t consider myself a runner per se, I have found that the right clothes and a fresh playlist do wonders for flagging motivation.  Here’s a sampling of the music that’s keeping me going right now. 

• Alex Clare: Too Close
• SBTRKT Featuring Sampha: Trials of the Past
• Calvin Harris: Feel So Close
• M83: Midnight City
• The Heavy: How You Like Me Now?
• Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.: Bang Bang Bang
• Bibio: Take Off Your Shirt
• Martin Solveig & Kele: Ready 2 Go
• Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks
• Nicki Minaj: Super Bass