Let's face it. Some songs pump you up more than others. For those of you who like to run to music, I have some great recommendations. We've done a previous blog post with a marathon playlist, but this is a little different.

Sometimes a good song will make me run faster no matter how I'm feeling that day.

I'll admit I'm extremely weird when it comes to music. I've listened to the same 100 song playlist for at least a year. Yes, I add new songs occasionally, but for the most part it's the same songs I listen to. Since I've listened to so many of these songs more than once, I notice the specific songs that make me run faster. These songs are all I need to get the motivation to push the treadmill speed up.

I recommend checking out these songs! Do they help you run faster?

• Till the World Ends-Britney Spears
• 6 Foot 7 Foot-Lil Wayne ft. Cory Gunz
• Getting Away With Murder-Papa Roach
• Where Them Girls At-David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj & Flo Rida
• All I Ever Wanted-Basshunter
• Blue and Yellow-The Used
• It's Dangerous Business Walking Through Your Front Door-Underoath
• We Found Love-Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
• Ni**as in Paris-Kanye West & JAY-Z
• Turn Me On-David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj
• Gettin' Over You-David Guetta ft. Fergie & LMFAO
• All The Way Turnt Up-Travis Porter ft. YT and ATL
• Diary of Jane-Breaking Benjamin
• Disconnected-The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
• Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)-Pitbull
• Just a Girl-No Doubt
• That's What You Get-Paramore

I'm not sure what the science is behind certain songs making you run faster, but I'd definitely recommend these songs if you're having trouble getting through your run and need some pump-up jams. I think I need to separate these songs from my main playlist, and into one of their own. It would definitely help me run faster throughout an entire workout!

I'd love to hear any of your song recommendations. Do you think certain songs have the ability to make you run faster?

We are so excited to be hosting a live chat with Coach Jenny Hadfield

We'd love to have you join us! This Q&A is the perfect opportunity for you to get answers to your training questions. Have you started using the WalkJogRun Training Plans and have a few questions? Perhaps you have a general question about training that you would like Coach Jenny to answer. Be sure to participate in our live Q&A!

Time of Event

• CST Friday February 3rd, 2012 at 12:00 PM
• PST Friday February 3rd, 2012 at 10:00 AM
• EST Friday February 3rd, 2012 at 1:00 PM
• If you live in the UK: Friday February 3rd, 2012 6:00 PM

Time Zone Converter

If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Set an e-mail reminder and come back to this page at the time of the event to post your questions live!

I've thought a lot lately about how much laundry runners go through in a week's time. I recently went about a week and a half without doing any laundry. I try to do it every week. I got pretty busy, and an extra half a week of laundry built up before I got around to washing it this weekend.

Now before I'm lectured on not being "green" and doing too many loads of laundry, I just want to say that there are times when I'll wear running tights, sweatshirts, spandex, etc. more than once. I'll often wear the two pairs of running tights I own all week before washing them. For a non-runner, this may seem disgusting. However, you runners must understand that if I didn't do that, there would be much more than 4 loads of laundry every week and a half.

According to Consumer Report, and the California Energy Commission Consumer Energy Center, about 40-45 gallons of water are used per load of laundry.

This means that this weekend, with my 4 loads of laundry, I went through 160-180 gallons of water to wash my clothes.

These numbers really put things in perspective. As runners, we are going to do a lot more loads of laundry than people who don't workout. Knowing this, I try to think about whether the non-running clothes I wear throughout the week are actually dirty before I wash them. This helps me feel a little less guilty for wearing two outfits every day (regular clothes, and running clothes).

How much laundry do you go through a week? I'm curious to know how many loads of laundry you do, especially families washing clothes for people other than just themselves. The numbers have to add up very fast!

Are there any solutions to doing so many loads of laundry? I have yet to find a solution, but it's definitely fact that runners go through way more loads of laundry every week than the average person.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to run...naked?

Well, The Naked Runners have! They started a movement hoping to get people to ditch the distractions, and get out there to run! I'm sure many of you can relate to always needing to carry an iPod or mp3 player on your runs. Maybe you can't go out for a run without a Garmin on your wrist, or always feel the need to wear shoes. This is the case for many runners today. I was enlightened talking to The Naked Runners about the freedom that can come from running naked!

Dave Robertson and Silas Moss of the Naked Runners want to encourage people to let go of their dependence on these things, and just run! They do most of their runs "naked" and fully support running with the least amount of gear and clothing as possible.

Mapping your routes before a run on WalkJogRun is a great start on your way to naked running. It can be a great feeling to get out there and not have to look at your watch, especially with your route already mapped.

Tune into this episode of TalkJogRun to hear why this may be something you should try! I was definitely interested in hearing their views on barefoot running, and may give it a try when it gets warmer outside! Do they get completely naked when they run? Listen in to find out!

The Naked Runners feel that the more you can ditch the distractions and just run, the better. You will look better, feel better, and perform better. Listen in to find out how!

Have you ever gone for a naked run?

As a young woman living in Chicago, I use a variety of social media tools to keep me safe while running. I create my routes on WalkJogRun, check-in at different locations on foursquare, tweet, and text on the run. In this blog post, I will explore these different social media outlets, and explain why they work to help me feel safe on the run.

Email your route to someone

If I know I'm going out on a run in the dark alone, I try to make sure I map it out on WalkJogRun. Once I've created the route, I click "Route Actions" and scroll down to "Email." The form then allows you to write a personal note to whoever you're sending it to. I send it to my mom and say, I'm running this 5 mile loop at 8:00 tonight. If anything were to happen to me, there is a record of where I was. If you don't have a free account on WalkJogRun, you really should sign up!

Check-in on foursquare

I'm also an active user of the foursquare iPhone app. People have created check-ins everywhere on foursquare. Every few miles into a run, I will check in at a new location. I've found locations as specific as, "the bridge at Fullerton Street." This is another way for people to know where I am. If anything were to happen, they would also know my last location. I think this is important not only because of the risk of predators, but runners may twist an ankle, or any other number of things. I also never accept people as friends on foursquare that I don't know. I think in the world of social media, this is an important thing to remember. I've had a few friend requests on the app from people using an avatar I didn't know or recognize. Don't accept those people as friends.

Tweet on the run

I use the Twitter app on my phone religiously. Sometimes foursquare will allow you to post to Twitter. This may not be the smartest thing to do while out for a run alone. I do see Twitter as beneficial, to discuss where you are in the run in terms of mileage. When I needed to go for 8+ mile runs during my marathon training, I would tweet what mile I was on. This can be good, especially for those you e-mailed your route to. They will know how far you made it in a route if anything happened. I also love getting tweeted back, and having discussions on the run through Twitter. The main reason not to post all your foursquare check-ins to Twitter is if you have a public profile, which I do. Sometimes the frequent tweeting causes me to lose a few followers on Twitter. I'm okay with that ;).

Text your friends

When I was training for the Chicago Marathon, I needed to do my 20 mile run after 5 pm. I used my phone to text message my friend every ten to fifteen minutes. He knew I was training for the marathon and would encourage me to keep me going and make it to 20 miles. I would also include where I was, for example, "I just hit 15 miles. I'm at the tennis courts past the Belmont Harbor." Running that 20 miles alone was tough. I called a few different friends and just talked on the phone while running. Not only did this keep me safe, but it provided encouragement from the friends I talked to telling me to keep running.

Use common sense

All of these tools really help me feel at ease while on a run by myself. My best friend and training partner currently lives out of state for graduate school. I plan on looking into different running groups around the city. But for now, as a woman with friends who don't exactly like to run, this is a great strategy. It's also very convenient because it allows me to still do the runs when I want to.

Don't take these social media tools and strategies as a way to avoid common sense. Trust your gut. If you are in a situation or area that you don't feel right about, run away from it. When running alone at night, I always suggest running on sidewalks and busy streets that are filled with lots of people. These strategies are simply an added layer of protection on top of the common sense I use already.

Love social media? Don't forget to "Like" WalkJogRun on Facebook and "Follow" them on Twitter!

We wanted to know WalkJogRun users' favorite running, walking or fitness memories. We put them together so you can see all the treasured moments of WalkJogRun users.

My favorite running or fitness memory is/was:

WalkJogRun's Adam: Running the San Francisco Marathon in 2006. Then I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2009 with a time of 3:48. I trained for the Wisconsin Marathon in 2010 and destroyed my 3:48 time. It was my first marathon in a year and a half, and I lost 30 pounds training for it. It was great to run it knowing how many miles and hours of training I had put in.

WalkJogRun's Jeff: My favorite moments were taking after dinner walks around the neighborhood with my wife while she was pregnant which gave us the time to talk about where our life was headed. Now that we have 3 kids, we do our best to keep our after dinner walks going with them and talk about life. No need for a finish line; no personal records to beat. Just time with our kids away from TVs and video games and computers.

WalkJogRun's Caitlin: Finishing my first marathon and not knowing if I could ever do it again. Then finishing my second marathon, and knowing I can do it again. I also saw a man with a ton of "I'm Running For.." ribbons on his back. I thought it was amazing how many people he was running for and thought it was really inspirational.

Deb Miller: Finally getting to run a half-marathon with my daughter after years of running alone. She beat me, but it was so fun to have a family member to run most of the race with!

Jovan Bone: Running two marathons in a month.

Richard Tremblay: When I crossed the finish line of my very first timed run at the Quebec City Marathon this past summer. This very day, Hurricane Irene struck Quebec and the organization had to cancel the 42.2K event for safety reasons. I was running the 10K, facing winds of 40 km/hr. For me, it was the results of months of training and a complete change in my life habits.

W. Krup: One of my favorite race finishes was at the old Great Western 30k. After running sub 7-minute miles for two hours, and seeing nobody near me, I was content to maintain pace and simply finish. Unknown to me, another runner was catching up and with only 150 yards to go started to pass me. I was competing in the CARA race circuit, and a quick glance made me believe he was in my age group. We both took off at a dead sprint to the finish. Normally, the finish to a 30k is not sprinted and the spectators really got into our competition. As we approached the finish line, I was just inches ahead of him. We were both straining and totally spent. A photographer for the Chicago Amateur Athlete caught a great photo of us and it ended up in their publication. We entered the chute in a true photo finish with me just a bit ahead. The funny thing was that he was not in my age group.

Vanessa Lamb: The very first moment AFTER I finish a run. Every run is an accomplishment for me. Eight months ago, I couldn't walk 1km, let alone run it. Now I run 25km a week and just entered my first half marathon.

Sam Goddard: The Tidworth 10K charity run. Good off road fun and one big monster hill.

Paul Lee: My favorite race memory was setting a 5k PR. I couldn't believe it when I saw the clock :). I wish that my favorite memory was finishing a half marathon, but I was injured the week before.

Anna Richmond: The look of astonishment on my daughter's face as she finished her first 5K run with me for Race for Life and realized it was just a bit longer then she thought.

Tara Vanderploeg: Approaching the finish line, spotting the clock and realizing that I'd beaten my goal by a long shot! :)

Terri Perez: The look on my husband's face when he "coached" me across the finish line at my first half marathon as well as the tears that we shared!

Amy Lasher-Tibbetts: My first race, a 7k March 2011. I ran with a girlfriend, and we crossed the finish line under what we projected and gave each other high fives like dorks!

Mark H Grant: Never completing a race longer than a 5k in my life and in 2011 completing the Schaumburg Sprint Triathlon, The Chicago International Distance Triathlon, and the Monster Dash Half Marathon.

Gemma Gemalar Brunt: My favorite memory was taking part in Humber Half Marathon. I suffered an injury (28 degree temps were not fun either) and by the last 100M I'd had enough, I had nothing left but then my friend's little boy ran under the tape grabbed my hand and ran the last bit with me, I could have cried :). The race was hell but that more than made up for it.

Ellen Geiss Kumar: My favorite race memory was winning a JV Girls CC race in high school, at a multi-school event. We weren't usually split into 2 teams (V and JV) and as a result I was always mid-pack. Running that course and maintaining lead was a feeling I won't forget.

Dawn Nettleton-Frey: Crossing the finish line with my sister at the Hartford Marathon last year!

Todd Perrin: Watching my wife cross the finish line for her first half marathon.

Andrew Brown: Running for charity in the Bristol Half Marathon this year and hearing EVERYONE call out my name.

Kath Dodd: Running past temples and over the golden bridges through the night in the Bangkok Marathon, and through the park (seeing a snake and thinking I was hallucinating but wasn't!) in the 24-hour race.

Vicky Broadwell: The Bristol Half Marathon, as well as sharing an iPod with my husband whilst running under the suspension bridge so that I could listen to Elbow, "One day like this" as I'd deleted it from mine!

Irene Haines: I turned 50 this year and lost 50 pounds. I needed a new goal so trained all summer for a triathlon. I hurt my shoulder two weeks before. Three days before I hurt my back and quad. I had my PT fix me up. The biking did a number on my back and leg but when I got off and started running I knew I was almost there. My right foot was numb but I ran anyway. I came around the last corner and there was my daughter on my bike riding me in. Her face was priceless, "Mom you did this!" What could be better! I sprinted to the finish line!

Julia Lyon Dresser: Approaching the finish line on my 18 mile run to find my whole family jumping up and cheering me on. Best feeling ever!

Carmen Polwarth: It would have to be the week off work to travel from Australia to run in The Bay to Breakers 100th run in San Francisco last May. I have never enjoyed a run so much. Great people, lots of fun and a PB as well!

Simon Harvey: When I finished my first marathon well under the time I had predicted, it was a great feeling when I saw that clock.

Denise Power: Seeing an old lady wheeled out by her elderly husband to watch the Basingstoke Half Marathon and the look of sheer joy on her face as she watched the participants racing past!

Were you not listed in this blog post? Comment with your own favorite running moment! Let's start a discussion so we can read everyone's favorite memories. Be sure to check out the WalkJogRun Facebook page and comment your answers to our questions to be sure you are included in a future post.

Don't forget about our WalkJogRun race hats! Order yours today before they sell out!

As many of you probably noticed, there are a few changes we made to WalkJogRun's navigation. We've also been working away redesigning the site to make it easier for you to use everyday. We love the way it looks and think it will be much easier to use the site. We would also greatly appreciate your input on the new site.

Please check out our beta-version of the site and let us know what you think! If you notice something that's broken, let us know! If you think something looks awful, we'd love to hear about it. If you love it, please let us know! All of your suggestions help us build a site you love.

Key Features of the Re-Designed Site

• The training plans, once only in the iPhone app, are now available online.
• The map takes up less of the screen, which we think makes it easier navigating to other areas of the site.
• We've added a full screen button so you can still see the large map, without it taking up the whole page if you won't be using it. You can click the maximize button to view the map in full screen. The same goes for viewing routes.

View the Beta Version

WalkJogRun has partnered with Share Your Soles to organize a shoe drive benefiting impoverished people throughout the world. If you are in the area of our office, please donate any gently worn shoes or sneakers. We ask only for gently worn shoes to respect the dignity of those receiving them. For some recipients, it will be their first pair of shoes.

We are extremely excited to be organizing this Shoe Drive. We hope to get a ton of donations for Share Your Soles. This is an excellent organization dedicated to bringing shoes to those who do not have them. The founder of Share Your Soles started the organization after visiting Guatemala and seeing children place hot tar on the bottom of their feet in order to participate in a local running race. Can you imagine not having a decent pair of shoes?

As you go through your closet, do you really use all the shoes in there? I know I have at least five pairs of shoes I really don't wear, still in good condition. This is a great way to give back this season. If you're visiting with family and friends around the holidays, ask them to bring donations to the gathering. We would greatly appreciate all of your gently used shoe donations. We are looking for men's, women's, and children's shoes. Kids grow out of shoes so fast, why not donate the old ones to some children who could benefit from them?

Be sure to RSVP to the event on our Facebook page!

DROP OFF:

WalkJogRun.net

3759 N. Ravenswood Ave, Suite 226A

Chicago, IL 60613

Monday through Friday 9AM-5PM

Questions: (773) 697-3286 or Email us

As it starts getting colder outside, I shudder thinking of the snow that will inevitably cover the ground in just a month or so from now. I am excited for Thanksgiving and the holiday season, which also means some extra calories coming in from food I love and normally don't get to eat. To this situation, I would normally say "well, just go run more." However, with cold temperatures only getting colder, I'd be lying to say my fitness routine isn't suffering a bit.

Most people have very busy lives and this means rushing to work, school, or whatever else they have going on. I've tried getting up early to go for my run before work. However, as soon as my blanket came a little off me at 6AM, I quickly pulled it back over me; realizing how freezing it had to be outside by the temperature in my room at that hour. When I leave work, it's already dark outside and just as cold as the morning. After 5:00, I don't really feel like running anyway. I want to go home and tidy up my apartment, cook dinner or visit with my friends. These are not feelings I had before it started getting cold outside.

Somehow, I deal with this seasonal transition every year. I guess the problem I had in the past was I didn't figure out a balance. I signed up for a May Marathon last year, and didn't end up running it because of how hard I found it to train throughout the winter. When I ended up outside, I would slip on some ice, or I would be thrown off because I couldn't let myself run at pace for fear of slipping on a sheet of black ice.

This winter I am going to take a different approach. After talking with Coach Jenny last week for our podcast episode, I was inspired to figure this out. She made me realize there's nothing wrong with running on a treadmill. I am now going to join a gym. Joining a gym will have me on an elliptical or treadmill three days a week, and running outside only two days a week. The more I think about it, that's a better consistency than the two days a week of running I'm sure would have been my base all winter.

What do you do throughout the winter to stay in shape? Do you continue to run outside? Would you prefer a gym with all the amenities for a higher price, or a 24-hour basic gym for a lower price? I'd love to hear your schedules throughout the day, and how you make time for fitness! Comment below with how you fit it all in!

WalkJogRun is always about meeting new people! Our neighbor here at the office is a Chicago non-profit, STOP Foodborne Illness. We were interested in their work and learned a ton about food and food safety after speaking with them. We wanted one of their members to share her knowledge so all of our readers could be informed as well!

Guest Blog Post by Gail Stephens of STOP Foodborne Illness

I am an avid cyclist and runner, and I try to be careful about what I put inside my body so I can always perform at my best, mentally and physically. However, I never considered that my "healthy choices" could make me very sick. That was, until I took a job with STOP Foodborne Illness, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of illness and death from foodborne pathogens, such as E. coli and Salmonella. These microbes are impossible to see with the naked eye, and are never featured on an ingredient list.

My father was a runner. I remember him drinking tiger's milk (orange juice and milk...yes it is as good as it sounds), and sometimes he would even crack a raw egg into a glass and drink it ‐ GROSS! They now sell in-shell pasteurized eggs, which would have made his egg cocktail safe. Otherwise, raw egg and undercooked meat are not safe ways of getting protein.Proper cooking temperatures are essential to ensuring your meat is safe. We shouldn't have to worry about pathogens in our food supply, but unfortunately we do.

There is some good news:

Much of the typical "runner" food is actually very shelf-stable and quite safe. GU, Clif Bars and Luna Bars are all good choices if you cannot refrigerate your snacks. Even though they often contain dairy, they are processed in such a way that makes them safe to take in a backpack on a day trip. Bananas are a nutritional powerhouse, and one of the most food safe fresh items on the market. The peel protects the fruit (not to mention providing a convenient way to carry them). You do not need to wash the outside, just peel and enjoy! While bagels and breads do carry a risk of mold, they are usually not as likely to be contaminated.

The bottom line is, like with anything else, there is always a risk with anything you eat. Although it should not be up to us to determine whether or not our food is safe, there are some things you can do to reduce the possibility of contracting a foodborne illness.

Here are 5 things YOU can do (fact sheets available here):

1. Use a Food Thermometer: The color and texture of meat do not accurately indicate whether or not the food item is safe to eat. Here is a list of US Government recommended minimum cooking temperatures.
2. Wash Your Hands: You can actually spread germs if you touch different foods and surfaces without washing. Using soap and water, rub hands (including backs of wrists and tips of fingers) together for about 20 seconds. The friction from rubbing (the scientific term is agitation) is what really gets your hands clean.
3. Watch for Recalls: Check your kitchen for recalled items and make sure you throw out all contaminated products so that no one in your home eats anything unsafe. STOP Foodborne Illness sends out timely emails with recall and outbreak information. Sign up for STOP's E-alerts here.
4. Never Place Food You Plan to Eat in the Kitchen Sink: The kitchen sink is probably the dirtiest place in your kitchen. Who knows what potentially hazardous microbes may be lurking, and multiplying there? You certainly do not want any of them in your next meal. Also, it is actually safer NOT to rinse raw meat. When you wash something like chicken, water droplets that touch the meat can spray and contaminate other surfaces in the kitchen.
5. Keep Your Refrigerated Food Safe: Refrigerate food promptly, but remember that putting something hot into your fridge raises the temperature of everything already in there. Your fridge should be set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) or lower. Place leftovers in shallow containers so food cools down more quickly, and make sure air can circulate properly in your refrigerator. Another important tip: keep raw meat on the bottom shelf or drawer, so juices do not drip onto other ready-to-eat foods.

WANT TO SUPPORT STOP? Participate in our annual WALK FOR STOP!
Get your walking shoes ready and your fall jacket out! It's time for the second annual "Walk for STOP." We all live in different parts of the world, but on October 29th we'll be unified in our goal to end foodborne illness. You decide the distance of your walk, and you decide your fundraising goal. Anyone can participate in the walk, from any location!

How it works: The choice is yours!
You could walk 5 miles and raise $500 in honor or in memory of someone who has suffered from a foodborne illness
How about walking a block for every $10 donated
Why not form a team and do it together
Get Creative!

All proceeds will help prevent foodborne illness! Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 fundraisers.

Busy on the 29th? No worries!  There are alternate dates! Email Margaret for details.

If you would like more tips on food safety, check out WalkJogRun's latest podcast episode