Activity trackers -- You're never fully dressed without a dial

“Hey, running pals. Wait for me! I’ve gotta charge my tracker again.”

Are you with me? How many times have you mustered the wherewithal to step out for a run (especially a longer run), only to glimpse at your Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, or other activity tracker (or even smart phone app) and groan? Then, of course, you have to stop and plug the thing in, so it won’t quit along the way.

After all, do miles really count, if they aren’t counted?

Sure, they do. But somehow the trip seems different to us, if it’s not recorded electronically.

Runners find it rewarding to reach our daily distance goals. We love the startling buzz (or pulse or beep), when an activity tracker alerts us that today’s step count has been met.

We’ve all known the disappointment of having a device run out of juice during a record run or a big race. So we sit in parking lots with our car engines running, willing our gadgets to charge faster. We duck back indoors and plug our wristbands in to top off their batteries. We close out inactive apps to keep our phones from running down too fast while we run.

And there’s that dreaded day when a runner discovers mid-run that he or she has slipped out without strapping on that wristband. It’s a scary naked feeling, to be sure.

Remember the scene from Annie, when the kids sang “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile”? Take a look and a listen:

Runners have a slightly different version. We feel less-than-completely-clothed when we skip our trackers.

We're never fully dressed without a dial.

Last week, I joined my chorus onstage for a performance. The costuming required me to leave my Garmin behind until we returned to the backstage area. It was almost creepy. All I had on my left wrist was a slight tan-line.

I’m not falling for that trap today. I just have to rev the thing up before I slip it on again.

“I’ll be along in a few minutes. I’m up to 60% already. C’mon, tracker. Charge up!”

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Adapted by this user from public domain artwork

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Gym dandy: 30 get-the-point songs we'd like to hear at the gym

Sure, every athlete has a playlist (or 20 playlists) of favorite workout tunes. Most are upbeat numbers, often featuring inspiring lyrics and peppy percussion. But maybe it’s not always about tempo.

Here are 30 get-the-point songs we’d like to hear at the gym.

You can keep “Let’s Get Physical,” “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” “We Will Rock You,” and “Pump It Up.” 

Because honestly: How do you really feel, when you're hitting it hard at the gym?

Each of these songs packs a punch with messages that might be helpful for sharing with certain people at the gym. (Of course, that would probably mean pulling off the earbuds and cranking the tunes on the facility speakers.)

As a bonus, this list crosses the lines into multiple musical genres and decades. (Title links lead to YouTube music videos for these songs.)

1. “Another One Bites the Dust,” by Queen
2. “Back on My Feet Again,” by Randy Newman
3. “Blood in My Eyes,” by Bob Dylan
4. “Dare You to Move,” by Switchfoot
5. “Dirty Laundry,” by Don Henley
6. “Don’t Stand So Close to Me, by The Police
7. “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” by Rick Springfield
8. “Get Off of My Cloud,” by The Rolling Stones
9. “Give Me Novocaine,” by Green Day
10. “Help Me Up,” by Eric Clapton
11. “High Blood Pressure,” by Jerry Lee Lewis
12. “Hit the Road, Jack” by Ray Charles
13. “How Long,” by The Eagles
14. “Hungry Like the Wolf,” by Duran Duran
15. “Hungry,” by Paul Revere & The Raiders
16. “Hurt So Bad,” by Little Anthony & The Imperials
17. “I’m Not Looking,” by Mary J. Blige and K-Ci Hailey
18. “I’m Not Running Anymore,” by John Mellencamp
19. “I’m So Tired,” by The Beatles
20. “Just Walk Away Renee,” by The Left Banke
21. “Keep Your Hands to Yourself,” by The Georgia Satellites
22. “Last Night,” by The Traveling Wilburys
23. “Running on Empty,” by Jackson Browne
24. “Stitches,” by Shawn Mendes
25. “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” by Shania Twain
26. “That Smell,” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
27. “Walk on By,” by Dionne Warwick
28. “Welcome to the Machine,” by Pink Floyd
29. “Who Are You,” by The Who
30. “Will It Go ‘Round in Circles,” by Billy Preston

Personally, I have felt like citing the title (or a few lyrics) of almost every song on this list -- in the past week alone. Which song/s best fit/s your current gym workout situation?

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Adapted from public domain image

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Oops. Caught myself singing to my headphones at the gym again

Runners love peppy jams. We crank our favorite upbeat tunes into our ears to rev up our own energy levels and get our feet moving. And it helps.

I cannot count the number of times I’ve been ready to sink and stop, right in the middle of a run, only to find a high-tempo song starting and juicing me right back up again.

Heck, it happens nearly every run.

Like many runners, I’ve personally curated dozens of custom playlists of favorite songs (with various beats-per-minute levels) to serve as soundtracks for my runs. I have faster songs for 5Ks and somewhat slower ones for long-distance outings. (I’m working on my full marathon playlist now. Got any song suggestions?)

Running without music is a lot harder for me. 

I need the rhythm to urge me to keep going. And when I run, I’m usually listening to songs I wouldn’t otherwise pick. Often, I can be found singing my way along a trail or the shoulder of a county highway.

My running playlist is fully loaded with cheesy uptunes. They work! I can “Crocodile Rock” on the run – all the way “Up Around the Bend” to the “Marrakesh Express” and “Break on Through to the Other Side” to reach the “End of the Line” with the best of ‘em. I even have some guilty pleasure pop numbers in the mix.

That brings us to today and my “Oops” moment.

I was cranking along at the gym, right around mile 4, and getting in the zone. Then I realized my lips were moving. And I looked up to see a couple of folks staring.

Ugh. I was singing again. I was pretty much belting it out, if you want to know the truth. And the weird part was that no one else could hear the rest of the music. It was just me – panting out the melody with sweaty gusto.

OK, it gets worse.

On this particular day, the playlist pumping in my ears was filled with show tunes. Yup, that’s right. It wasn’t exactly “Hakuna Matata,” but that’s not a far cry from what it actually was.

Ever done this? C’mon, admit it. Hey, it happens. Chalk it up to workin’ it while working out.

Or you could just say I was hearing voices.

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Created by Runderdog with online generator

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