I'm not exactly a stranger to running; I used to run track in middle & high school, throughout college I would occasionally take it back up, I've had an on-and-off relationship with running for years. I've not run competitively since my high school days and the 800-meters.
So now that I've gotten back into this, I am JUST NOW discovering the magic of the iPod.
iPod playlists are a MUST for runners. I hadn't really realized that before. When I started training for the mini last year, I just listened to the radio while running, which is NOT the same thing. Not. At. All.
A quality playlist is like a magical element that can completely transform your running experience.
I've been doing some research on running playlists, picking songs that are the right BPM (beats per minute, see how I'm already using cool running jargon?), the right energy and mood, and all that.
I'm not an expert playlist-maker yet. But here's where I'm at so far. In no particular order.
- Streetcorner Symphony by Rob Thomas. I love starting a run with this one. It's such a happy song that makes you feel like all is right with the world; running is awesome, being outside is awesome, heck, even 6a.m. is awesome with this song.
- Pink - take your pick. I had to pare back the number of Pink songs in my playlist because it was a bit much, but I can almost not get enough. My current favorites are Just Like a Pill, Trouble, and Please Don't Leave Me.
- I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas. Obviously, just a great song to run to. Every time I hear it, I think of Italy, and the parties there, because they played this song all the time. I am instantly transported to a packed gondola on the ski slopes of Cortina, at the welcome party our ski guides threw for us, with a bunch of Ohio Valley skiiers and a group of Asian skiiers from California (the Grumpy Asian Skiiers, or GAS, those guys were awesome), all of us belting out I Gotta Feeling at the top of our lungs. Good times.
- Sublime - any number of songs from their self-titled album. I love that entire CD and it takes me back to my college days. I had to pare that one down too and right now just have What I Got and Santeria on there although I am thinking about adding back some others. I really don't listen to much ska-punk music but Sublime is genius (RIP Bradley).
- I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. This one is a little cheesy, and a little slower, so I like to put it somewhere in the middle where I'm pacing myself a little more, but it is such a happy song that I had to include it.
- Sunday Morning by Maroon 5. Also a little slower, but I love this song and I absolutely adore Adam Levine, so there you go.
- Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. I know, I know, I'm a little embarrassed about this one, too, I mean I'm not seventeen and heading to the prom or anything, but it's got a good running beat and, what can I say, I like it. Sue me.
- Gives You Hell by The All American Rejects - I just feel like jumping up and down when I hear this song. I don't (usually) do this during a run, thankfully, but it still has a good running tempo.
- Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake because JT is super-awesome I don't care how much you try to deny it.
- The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars. This song is one of my favorites right now and once I get it in my head I sing it all day long. It was kind of coincidence that it was what was playing as I finished the Sunburst 5K and I made the decision right then that I would always try to end a race on this song. There's just something awesome about thinking about not doing anything all day after having just run three miles first thing in the morning.
There you have it.
Any suggestions, add a comment.
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