Motivational music

Tonights topic on my mind is how much things like music can have an impact on our mindset and subsequently on our training.  I am a firm believer in the power of music and what it can do to our state of mind.

Imagine for instance you are sitting there in a peaceful and yogic state and then suddenly heavy metal comes on the radio.  Do you stay in your peaceful and yogic state - I doubt that very much.  Either you will go and turn it off and maintain your state or you will leave it on and your peaceful state will disappear and at best you will be in a neutral state and at worst in an agressive state.

Choose the right selection of songs on your ipod and I am sure that can egg you on at crucial points in the race when your lactate levels are rising and the fatique is setting in.  In Switzerland they often play music along the closing miles of a race, and this really spurs me on.  It is almost as if I go into a trance like state and the pain is gone and only the music remains.

When I am getting very fat and lazy I always watch a Rocky movie - either the original where he comes from the streets and fights every step of the way or when he is fighting the russian beast in Rocky IV and uses old versus new techniques to conquer the Russian.  Running through the snow and staying in a chalet in the middle of nowehere with a burning log fire and dragging things behind me to increase my power would appeal to me anyday over a posh hotel and spending hours in the gym and injecting myself with steroids.  The movies make me want to go straight out afterwards and beginning shedding the pounds and getting back in shape.  Even if I am watching it late at night I often get my gear on and head out in the dark to pound the pavements.  The accompanying soundtracks are great and I love getting myself all pumped up to the sounds of Eye of the Tiger.

Old fashioned graft versus modern machines and steroids

I would love to know what movies and soundtracks get you all pumped up.