I’ve signed up to be a volunteer pace group leader at a Frontrunners marathon running clinic, starting January 12 and leading up to the 40th BMO Vancouver Marathon May 1, 2011.

I already know from leading indoor spin-type classes at the YMCA that it’s not about me so much as the participants. Certainly it’s a good way to keep on track with my own fitness and to get in the training to complete the race, but at a certain point a fitness leader has to put aside her own goals and tune in to the needs of the group members.

• You have to show up even when you don’t feel like going that day.
• You have to know where the heck your run route is, because you’re out in front.
• You’re out there for 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 hours, you better make that route interesting, preferably a loop that is do-able in the time frame allowed.
• You have to adjust on the fly, make sure everyone gets back to the start line, sweep the stragglers if someone’s having a bad day, and be prepared for anything.

As our clinic leader put it this morning, if you’re hell bent on getting a Personal Best this time, don’t be a run leader, be a participant. Runners will sense a pressure to perform, and that leads to overdoing it, overtraining, overuse — injury — and failure to cross the finish line. Maybe not for you, but for them. And the whole idea of these clinics is to get people to the finish line injury-free.

The good news is – helping people achieve their fitness goals is a passion of mine, it keeps me going. It’s why I volunteer at the Y. It’s why I join clinics – because a shared victory is sweeter than a personal one.

Besides, I live to run and I don’t like to run alone all the time.

So if you’re making a resolution to run a marathon in 2011 — sign up for the race, sign up for the clinic. We’ll get you there!

• One (1) Hallowe’en playlist (found in my Workout Music section).
• Two (2) Greater Victoria YMCA Freewheel (spin-type bike class) volunteer instructors; one carrying candy and wearing huge bear suit  (John Kelley), the other working the music (me).
• Seventeen (or so) participants to fill up all the bikes.

Mix together. Whoop it up for 40 minutes. Sweat like crazy. Repeat every Hallowe’en.

Tips:

• Make sure you work out how to do the Time Warp on the bike BEFORE trying to lead it in a full class.
• To get the bear-suit wearing guy to keep the costume on the entire class, bribe him. Several of us agreed to donate $10 each to the YMCA if he did it. Mission accomplished.
• When in doubt, throw more candy at the class participants.

I’m teaching the one-hour version Sunday morning Oct 31. It’s your last chance until next year to get in on the fun! (Alas, John and his bear suit won’t be there, and I’m not putting that thing on now. Ew.)

Playlist here.

Exercising in middies & bloomers circa 1915 (thanks to Cornell University Library)

In March I had a request for workout music playlists, so I posted this. Recently I had another request, so I decided to publish this post as a page too. After the jump, you’ll see a couple of my playlists. Apologies to those who (when I polled readers a while ago) told me they are not interested in my music playlists!

During my classes I do largely play music that I myself like. I have very eclectic tastes so my choices seem to appeal to participants. However sometimes I do search the internet for inspiration. I just Google: “spin music” or “spin playlists” and see what comes up – then acquire what songs I need based on recommendations. I don’t like all the songs I include, but I feel it’s important to have a good mix for the people who come to my class.

A note: sometimes I play blues or rap music with a lower beats-per-minute (bpm) count. These are for hill routines that don’t call for a higher spinning cadence while on the bike. You may find many of these choices unsuitable for running. I also sometimes include local bands whose music may be hard to find.

Unless I am forced indoors to the treadmill due to freaky weather (not often in Victoria), I never listen to music while running. I am either a) alone and enjoying the outdoors in a meditative zone or b) with my running group, talking and laughing.

Without further ado, here are three playlists: two popular ones, plus my newest which I will try out this week. Good luck and happy workouts!

Sprints and Hills:

• Go – Moby
• The Weight – Jeff Healy
• Put on the Red Light (Police/Coldplay mashup)
• Vertigo – U2
• Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones
• Hot ‘N Cold – Katy Perry
• Mama Ararira – Afro Celt Sound System
• Move Your Ass – Scooter
• Love Lockdown – Kanye West
• Sandstorm – Darude
• 1901 – Phoenix
• Shipbuilding – Elvis Costello & The Attractions (cool down)
• Iemanja – Angélique Kidjo (cool down)

April 2009 mix:

• You! Me! Dancing! – Los Campesinos
• The Storm – Dharmakassa (A Vancouver world-beat group I saw in concert a couple years ago)
• Motivation – Sum 41
• BlitzKrieg Bop – The Ramones
• Don’t Mess With The Dragon – Ozomatli (rocked out with them at Victoria’s last Folk Music Festival a few years ago)
• Pump It Up – Elvis Costello
• Sunshine of Your Life – Junko Onishi (A Japanese jazz musician covering the classic rock standard)
• Come a Long Way – Michelle Shocked (this was sent to me by a participant, I take requests.)
• Get Out of London – Pretenders
• Sweet Lullaby (2003 version) – Deep Forest
• Acci-dent – Baha Men
• Teardrop – Massive Attack (cool down)

March 2010 mix:

• Big Sun – Phoenix
• Buckin’ at the Buckin Bar – The Rusty Augers (from Regina Sask.)
• Empire State of Mind – Jay Z and Alicia Keyes
• The Magnificent Seven – The Clash
• TKO – Le Tigre
• Black Widow Blues – The Rusty Augers
• The Stars – Moby
• Publish My Love – Rogue Wave
• Sound the Alarm – Thievery Corporation (feat. Sleepy Wonder)
• Miss You Now – Elliott Brood
• What I Like About You – Romantics
• Take Me Into Your Skin – Trentmoeller
• Paper Planes – MIA
• Gangsta Blues – AR Rahman, Blaaze & Tanvi Shah
• Lament – Deep Forest (cool down)