It’s a question of belief whether divine intervention can help your fitness program, but I can attest that God’s music can make you  a faster runner.

When it came time to train for my second marathon, I turned to Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Palestrina wasn’t a running coach but a 16th century composer of  sacred music. His compositions, still sung in Masses worldwide, helped revolutionize choral music in religious settings in the Western world.

A friend recommended I listen to jazz, because the improvisational style can aid in finding rhythm. It didn’t help. On a whim, I switched over to the Palestrina station and heard the Gregorian chants. Soon I would find them, well, instrumental to my fitness program.

In my guest post on the Washington Post’s To Your Health, I explain how Gregorian chants and attending the Church of the Long Run helped me focus and get faster. Read more here. And thanks to Lenny Bernstein and the Post for the opportunity!