iPod pack rat

Some people hoard all their belongings, refusing to get rid of them for years and years. You know, packrats. Well, just yesterday, based on the fact that I've hoarded the same songs on my iPod for far too long, I officially diagnosed myself as being an iPod pack rat.

No word of a lie, I've had almost the same songs on my iPod for almost two years!! Though I've dropped a song here and there and added a few new tunes, by and large my song list has been the same. As for how this affected my workout, I no longer felt any motivation from hearing the same guitar riffs and techno beats over and over again. Ad nauseum, really. But then ... it happened. I accidentally erased my whole play list.

I don't know how it happened, nor do I really feel like revisiting the trauma I felt once I discovered that I had 100% available storage. Thankfully, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Rather than reloading all of the same songs, I decided to add completely different tracks. And tonight, while at the gym for the first time in almost two years with new songs to listen to, I had a killer workout. This comes as no surprise, really, for there have been numerous studies that linked listening to music and improved athletic performance.

The lesson I know I learned from all of this is that when it comes to working out, it's vital that you change your WHOLE workout every now and again. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to start wearing a leopard print leotard to the gym and drinking water from an old prospector-style canteen (things don't have to change THAT much!!), but I will certainly mix things up from time to time. To that end, I'd appreciate any music track selections any of you may have; songs that really help you pump you up for your workout. I will never again be an iPod pack rat!!