Simply a Playlist

So a follower of the blog tipped me off to the idea that I may be in need of a post devoted solely to a playlist of good running songs. I’m not going to be too descriptive at all with this—just provide a list of songs that I have run to (recently or for a long time) for you all to try out. Feel free to comment about any of the choices and add some suggestions if you have some great running songs that other readers might like to add to their collection of running tunes.

So, without further ado, here is a very eclectic list of running songs that have stood out in the past on various types of runs:

      1)   “Greyhound” by Swedish House Mafia

      2)   “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye (Tiesto Remix)

      3)   “Sail” by AWOLNATION

      4)   “We Are Young” by Fun.

      5)   “Hope” by Faith Evans (feat. Twista)

      6)   “Drive By” by Train

      7)   “Titanium” by David Guetta (feat. Sia)

      8)   “Butterfly” by Crazy Town

      9)   “Love Lockdown” by Kanye West

    10) “Sweet Dispostion” by The Temper Trap

    11) “Resistance” by Muse

    12)  “Opposite of Adults” by Chiddy Bang

    13)  “Little Secrets” by Passion Pit

    14)  “Daylight” by Matt and Kim

    15)  “Gifted” by N.A.S.A (feat. Kanye West, Santogold, Lykke Li)

A Return to the 5K

Late last week, a reader commented on my first blog post (which wasn't too long ago) to tell me that the concept of my blog was a great idea. While this was nice and reassuring, it was also the catalyst for this latest post.

The blogger, Marie, mentioned how important music was to her and her teammates when she ran cross country in high school--and I'd have to agree. Cross country as a sport depends on workouts of various distances and paces, but the competitive aspect of the sport revolves around the 5K. After reading Marie's comment I wondered if I still had it in me: a race-paced 5K.

So Tuesday afternoon, on one of the nicest days we've had in Maryland this year, I threw together a playlist of some newer songs and some old jams. A friend and I had figured out how to run a 5K at Lake Artemesia my sophomore year so I jogged there after class and did EVERYTHING like I would have done it in high school.

I ate a banana an hour before, stretched, and even threw in some warmup strides. I started to realize how much I missed competitive running--or maybe just how much I miss being in the shape I was in when I was a competitive runner.

The nostalgia turned into adrenalin and I did it. For the first time in a year I ran 5 Kilometers as hard as I could, without stopping. I was admittedly dead at the end, as I wasn't expecting 22-year-old beer drinking self to produce a sub 18-minute race, but I was surprised when I came in at 19:40.

These three songs were most helpful in me finishing:

1) "Numb/Encore" by Jay Z and Linkin Park: Possibly one of the best pump-up songs ever (in my opinion). Sang it in my head while waiting for the whistle at the start of every cross-county race and soccer game. Might not like both genres as it is a mashup, but I can't see how this wouldn't work to motivate someone.

2) "Ass Back Home" by Gym Class Heros: Ignore the title's vulgarity. If a song has ever been catchy, it's this one.

3) "Starships" by Nicki Minaj: Don't usually like her, but this one has an amazing drop. Can't beat the beat!

Why Nike+iPod might be TOO technological

If you're a runner who prefers running to music there is a good chance you have at least heard of Nike+iPod, an innovative new technology that helps runners track their workouts and, more notably, plays music in accordance with the runners pace. Yes, you heard me right.

Released in 2006 but updated almost yearly since, the innovative running aide uses a sensor to track the runner's mileage, pace and calories. This information is used to enable motivational coaching during the run, as well as a playlist of music that fits the runner's pace (i.e. slower songs for a slower pace and faster songs for steadier ones).

(image courtesy of djspinbalon.com) 

For me, this last quality of the Nike+iPod technology is the most unnecessary. Being that running is a very personal thing, I find music preference to be unique to the individual as well. That's part of the reason I started this blog, to give my opinion of good running music while creating a space for discourse. We all have our own preferences, but it's not always easy to discover music on your own.And while I may have some good suggestions, but ultimately it's about what works for you. With this technology that Nike and Apple are now jointly providing, runners will have to hope that a musical tempo that directly mirrors their running pace is the music most likely to motivate them.

It wouldn't work for me. The music I listen to when running is dependent on many outside factors such as weather, type of run, location and physical preparation. For some reason, when it's really cold out, I prefer to listen to slower more anthemic music, even if I'm running at a quick pace. Oppositely, when it's a hot summer day, I prefer rock with a faster tempo, and for some reason I don't think Nike+iPod will understand the individuality of my musical preferences and provide an adequate playlist for me.

(image courtesy of gizmodo.com)

And while some of the other features of this device may be lucrative for runners, I find the extent to which Nike and Apple have tried to customize running music feels a bit like boundaries being overstepped. Not only may the music not fit the runner, but the motivational speeches that are given for breaking personal records and the undependable tracking technology have some runners, like me, thinking the key to the perfect running playlist might all still be in the mind.