Songspiration

Remotes can not work without batteries. Planes can not fly without fuel. I can not run long distances without music. It is a fact of life.

We’re talking anything over 5 miles and I have to have those earbuds in. Some runners wax philosophic about “centering themselves” and being able to “listen to their breathing and focus on that” as they make their way through runs. Uh uh. If I try to do that I start to hyperventilate and my lungs come close to exploding. Give me some decibel topping, fast-paced profanity.

Call me crazy, but I have a strategy in making race playlists. I put steady paced songs at the beginning to keep from starting out too strong. I then stick in some songs with a slightly faster beat so I know to pick up the pace a bit. About mile 6 / 7 I transition back to some steady paced songs to keep on an even keel. Around mile 9 / 10 I move into some buckle down and grit-it-out tunes because that’s usually when I just want to lay down and die. The last 2-3 miles are all fast paced songs. So you see, playlist making is a science.

Since almost all runners are always on the look-out for new songspiration, I thought I’d share my playlist from Saturday’s Bull Run 1/2 Marathon.

In their very carefully chosen order:

Some Nights – Fun.

Hell On the Heart – Eric Church

Lose Yourself – Eminem

We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe) – Fun.

Stronger – Kanye West

Bad Romance – Lady GaGa

Beautiful Day – U2

Red Dirt Road – Brooks & Dunn

Country Music Jesus – Eric Church

Forever Young – Rod Stewart

Cooler Than Me (Single Mix) – Mike Posner

Jump Around – House of Pain

Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson

Foreplay / Long Time – Boston

Dynamite – Taio Cruz

Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes

OMG (feat. will.i.am) – Usher

Live Your Life (feat. Rihanna) – T.I.

Can’t Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton) – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey

Carry On – Fun.

Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5

Run the World (Girls) – Beyoncé

Radioactive – Imagine Dragons

Uprising – Muse

F**k You – Cee Lo Green

Shake It – Metro Station

Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) -Beyoncé

Wavin’ Flag (Coca-Cola Celebration Mix)  – K’naan

In the Ayer (feat. Will.I.am) – Flo Rida

P.S.

Wylie Park is always pretty to walk Gunner in

Last night’s South Dakota sunset. Never have I lived somewhere with such beautiful sunsets!