Music or No Music

Music is awesome. Almost inexplicably so.  The right music can get you jacked up or can calm you right down.  We can put ourselves to sleep with music or we can get up on the beat.  I love music, all kinds for all different reasons.  Yet I would be hard pressed to name my all time favorite band, album, or song.  My taste in music is eclectic to say the least.  Thanks to the digital age that we live in I have a pretty vast collection of tracks (3925 songs to be precise).  The genre`s are as varied as that number is large.  I have songs to get me up, bring me down, to unleash the imagination, for getting pumped or calming down, for work, play and party time.  Music helps me to set the mood, enhance the mood or to change it all together.

Another musical revolution of the digital age is The i-pod.  Can anyone even name another portable digital player?  I didn`t think so.  The i-pod allows anyone to carry their entire music collection in their pocket.  So convenient that you can keep your eats going from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed.  In fact I know a few individuals who in their waking hours keep no fewer than one ear-bud on at all times.  As much as I love music I`m not like that.  Something about 24/7 music just doesn`t work for me.  Too much all the time and music just looses its magic.  Maybe it becomes white noise, or redundant.  It might have to do with the ear buds, I always prefer music from proper speakers.  perhaps what it comes down to is that music has all these amazing qualities, but it wont substitute for good company.

As a cyclist I spend 2-7 hours a day training.  It is often assumed that I must have the ear buds in the entire time.  In fact, at least for myself, this seems to be some kind of mainstream misconception.  I think it must stem from "Oprah athletics."  You know those people you see at the gym or jogging in the morning and their only purpose for working out is just to be trim/fit/healthy etc.  Every single one of them it seems is incapable of breaking a sweat without their ear buds.  Many athletes prefer to train without music; either to focus or because their intensity is such that they will not hear music anyways.

I will take good company over good music any day.  When I am alone I may train with music from time to time but mostly I prefer to go without.    In fact there are times in the winter when I ride the trainer in silence.  Just me and the plain white wall.  When I do listen to music I make sure it pumps me up and keeps me going.  I often turn to music after several solo days, once I am bored with my own thoughts or need to amp my but out the door.  Today I considered the i-pod, but given that I had some specific intensities I elected to leave it behind and just to focus.

Now I`m sure your all curios as to what is on my top ten.  Well with more digital wonders I have consulted my iTunes music player for my top ten most played songs.  They are,

10. Meaning of Life -Disturbed
9. the ex - Billy Talent
8. River Below - Billy Talent
7. Hush Hush - Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
6. piano Sonata #5 in G minor - Mozart
5. Robot Boy - Linkoln park
4. 100 Degrees - Fort Minor
3. Out the Back - Fort Minor
2. promise - Eve 6
1. Satin in a Coffin - Modest Mouse





Hmm... not sure how accurate that is, but those are all good songs.


 Training shall be based solely on feel,
while racing shall be guided by sensations and instinct.


Cuylar Conly