The will is mightier than the cold

    I woke up a few minutes before my husband.  His clock is slow.  As I lay there, I prayed that the night's congestion wouldn't come pouring out once I was no longer horizontal.  I'd grown sick and tired of being sick and tired.  I stared up at the ceiling fan and practiced breathing in and out of one nostril, then the next.  Good sign.  This morning, even before cold medicine, I was no longer a mouth breather.  My husband woke up.  He noticed I wasn't coughing or clearing my throat.  Wonderful.  Today, I wasn't going to make any promises to him not to walk.  Today, I would work out.  Today, I would sweat.
    Once the boys had left for work and school, I proceeded downstairs to the gym.  I set my treadmill for 80 minutes at a 15 minute mile pace.  I usually only walk until I hit 5 miles (75 minutes).  I know its silly, but I set it for 80 because I like round numbers.  It was harder than usual.  I was in the fight and the cold was winning.  But I couldn't let that happen.  How many times had I been sick on active duty?  How many days had I pushed myself in training or at war motivated even when I was sick?  Being a civilian hadn't changed me.  I was still a fighter...deep down.
    I had the television on, but it wasn't enough.  I needed something to spark my will to continue.  I needed to light a fire under my butt.  So, I tried something new.  I tried some sensory overload.  I kept the television on.  I could still watch.  But I also listened to my Ipod.  I have over 900 songs on my Ipod, but I have a playlist just for walking at a fast pace.  Pretty soon, I was dance/walking on the treadmill, shadow boxing, and be bopping to the music.  I love my Ipod.  With its help, I proved that the will is mightier than the cold.
   So, in the interest of sharing, here are the songs currently on my walk playlist.  Maybe there are a few you would like to add to yours.


1)  Single Ladies- Beyonce                                                39) Black Betty - Ram Jam
2)  Rebel Yell - Billy Idol                                                     40) Don't Cha - The Pussycat Dolls
3)  Holding Out For a Hero - Bonnie Tyler                         41) I'm Gonna Be - The Proclaimers
4)  Smoking In The Boy's Room -Brownsville Station         42) Sussudio - Phil Collins
5)  Run To You - Byran Adams                                          43) Heartbreaker -Pat Benatar
6)  Baby Did a Bad Thing - Chris Isaak                              44) Welcome To The Jungle - Guns N' Roses
7)  Does Your Mother Know - Abba                                   45) Poison - Alice Cooper
8)  You Spin Me Round - Dead or Alive                            46) Make Me Wanna Die - The Pretty Reckless
9)  Walk Of Life -Dire Straits                                             47) So What - Pink
10) I'm Shipping Up To Boston - DropKick Murphys          48) Paparazzi - Ladt Gaga
11) Nowhere Fast -Fire, Inc.                                              49) Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
12) Urgent - Foreigner                                                       50) Black Horse and Cherry Tree -KT Tunstall
13) American Woman - The Guess Who                            51) Just Dance - Lady Gaga and Colby O'Donis
14) Redneck Woman - Gretchen Wilson                            52) I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry
15) Barracuda - Heart                                                        53) Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
16) Mr Zoot Suit- Ingrid Lucia and the Flying Neutrinos      54) Break Your Heart - Taio Cruz/Ludacris
17) Bad Things -Jace Everett                                             55) Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
18) I Love Rock 'N Roll- Joan Jett and The Blackhearts     56) The No No Song -Ringo Starr
19) I Like 'Em Big and Stupid - Julie Brown                        57) Cooler Than Me - Mike Posner
20) Hot N Cold - Katy Perry                                               58) Round and Round -Selena Gomez
21) Poker Face -Lady Gaga                                              59) Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
22) Material Girl Madonna                                                 60) Voulez-Vous - Abba
23) Dancing Queen - Abba                                                61) Irreplaceable - Beyonce
24) Thriller - Michael Jackson                                            62) Refugee - Tom Petty/Heartbreaters
25) Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield                63) Baby Got Back - Sir Mix a Lot
26) Fire and Ice - Pat Benatar                                            64) Bad Company - Bad Company
27) Sway - The Pussycat Dolls                                           65) Move It On Over - George Thorogood
28) She's Not There - Santana                                           66) No Surprise - Daughtry
29) The Warrior - Scandal                                                 67) Open Your Heart - Madonna
30) Proud Mary - Tina Turner                                            68) Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus
31) How Do You Like Me Now - Toby Keith                       69) Rock'n Me - Steve Miller Band
32) Sharp Dressed Man - WaveGroup                              70) Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
33) Holiday - Green Day                                                   71) Mickey - Toni Basil
34) Tush -ZZ Top                                                              72) Womanizer - Britney Spears
35) I Like To Move It - Madagascar Soundtrack               73) Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
36) Girls Lie Too - Terri Clark                                           74) She Wolf - Shakira
37) Born To be Wild - Steppenwolf
38) Jumpin' Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones