It's a Summer Thing!

A couple weeks ago I posted some new running iTunes recommendations. Thing is, a TON more music comes out in the summer than at any other time of the year. I already have a LIST of songs I'd recommend that got left out two weeks ago. I think a lot of these could double as additions to a BBQ playlist.

So "Here's to you, Here's to me May we never disagree Lets raise a glass to days gone by Here's to life Here's to life..."

Enjoy ya'll.

It's a Summer Thing--Troy Olson
Mmm...this isn't a power song, but will be going on my next long run playlist. It's chill which I need at the beginning of my long runs. And the lyrics are pretty awesome. See above quote.

California Gurls-- Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dog
This is going to be one of the biggest songs of the summer, and really THE reason I felt compelled to post a new list of running songs. I hadn't heard it when I wrote my last music post. This is everything I could ever want in a running [and summer] song.

Alejandro-- Lady Gaga
At first I wasn't sure what I thought about this single...but now I love it. I've had a great time dancing to it more than once. I'm not 100% sure what it's about (this tends to be common for me with Lady Gaga songs)...I think she had a thing with a Spanish boy and now its over....if she's singing about strangers at a bar I could relate. Just sayin'.

Magic-- B.o.B. ft. Weezer
B.o.B. is SO freakin' good. Everything I hear by him, I seem to LOVE. And yay for something new by Weezer. This is upbeat and fast paced!

My First Kiss-- 3OH!3 ft. Ke$ha
High energy. Slightly offensive. That's typical for 3OH!3 and Ke$ha r1ght?

Somebody to Love-- Justin Bieber ft. Usher
Featuring USHER. Enough said. This actually isn't my favorite JB song, but it always seems to help me push through a run.

Can't Be Tamed-- Miley Cyrus
There will never be another Party in the USA, but it's Miley, so I downloaded it. I heard after her latest album she wants to concentrate on acting. Lame.

Kissin U-- Miranda Cosgrove
Just in case JB and Miley weren't young enough music for you, I'll admit iRun to iCarly. The last time I was riding in the car with one of my best friends she disclosed that she runs to this song. Her friend riding in the back seat said she does too. They are the ones who got me hooked.

If We Ever Meet Again--Timbaland ft. Katy Perry
I had heard this when I wrote my last post, I just forgot to mention it.

Billionaire--Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars
In my opinion money does NOT buy happiness. But I LOVEEEE this song!!! It's hilarious. My favorite parts:
1) "Pull an Angelina and Brad Pitt. Adopt a bunch of babies that ain't never had shit."
2) "Give away a few Mercedes like here lady have this."
3) I’d probably visit where Katrina hit And damn sure do a lot more than FEMA did
4) "Whatup Oprah." (Second time he sings "Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen.)

I Made It-- Kevin Rudolph
Again, IMO, money=meh. But this is a pretty good analogy to how you feel with any accomplishment. And hey-- if you cross a finish line--guess what, you made it :)

Ridin Solo-- Jason Derulo
"I'm feeling like a star, you can't stop my shine, I'm loving cloud nine, my head's in the sky" LOVE it. Haven't we all gone on a solo long run? Builds character.

Haven't Met You Yet-- Michael Buble
Despite that I feel like I need jazz hands when I hear this song, it's positive! I still don't really understand how this is a pop song. It's not. It's so not. But it's good.

Now for some others I run to frequently that I've just never mentioned...

Shout-- Wedding Crashers Sound Track
Whenever it shuffles into my running playlist I instantly get a burst of energy. Waiting for the "Shout!" parts is a nice distraction. It's pretty hard not throwing my hands up obnoxiously throughout the run. Sometimes I will at a low level. I just can't help it. Wedding Crashers is one of my favorite movies. One of the greatest compliments I've received is being told I look like Isla Fisher by two separate people!

Yeah!-- Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris
Old School. Oh wait that's another Will Ferrill/Vince Vaughn movie I love ;) This shuffled onto my playlist when I did my first comeback five miler. I decided right then and there that it's fabulous to run to.

Love in this Club-- Usher
This is a classic. How can you not love this song? I may have been to an apartment dance party where every time Usher said "in this club" everyone sang "on this rug." For this reason, this song still CRACKS ME UP a year later.

Kiss a Girl-- Keith Urban
This also shuffled into my playlist on my comeback five miler. Don't think I had ran to it before that night, but I've ran to it since!

Summertime-- New Kids on the Block
This is a summer playlist after all right? "I like this part"= Best part of the whole song. I don't think New Kids had much of a comeback, but at least this song happened.

Summertime-- Kenny Chesney
I swear I really do run to this. I'm not just listing them because they fit the theme. Summer's my favorite season though.

Summer Nights-- Rascal Flatts
One more ;)

Like a Prayer-- Madonna
Not the gLee version. Although that's good too. And what made me realize I needed to add the original to my iTunes.

Do Da Stanky Leg-- Them G Spot Boyz
I have really eclectic taste. For the length of time it plays I'm thinking about the funny times I've had going out with friends and not the amount of pain I may be in on a run.

Chattahoochie-- Alan Jackson
I've witnessed some of my guy friends sing this in Karaeoke. I really only listen to this song in the summer, but thinking about them singing it ALSO distracts me from my run.

Good Girls Go Bad-- Cobra Starship
There It Go (The Whistle Song)-- Juelz Santana
Back that Azz Up-- Juevenille
My Humps-- Black Eyed Peas
Disco Inferno-- 50 Cent
P.I.M.P.-- 50 Cent
Just a Lil Bit-- 50 Cent
I'm not even going to try to be cute about the fact that I run to these songs. I love Hip Hop. I love Country. I love Pop. I mix things up. I thought it made since to cluster the dirty songs together.

Hope this helps for anyone in need of some new [summer] running music! As always I'm adding these songs to the Running iTunes link at the top of my blog.

Ready, Set, Shuffle

Not too long ago I posted the long run playlist I used when training for my last half. When I posted it I gave a disclaimer that I'm weird and I like running to more "chill" songs until the end of a long run. On shorter runs I do NOT run to slow/chill songs. I'm overdue for a post about these faster songs. So here are some, my taste is pretty eclectic. Don't be fooled that this list starts with 3 country songs. Most of the songs are Pop or Hip-hop. Ready, set, shuffle.

Rain is a Good Thing-- Luke Bryan

This is the song I'm currently OBSESSED with. I actually hate rain but this is so funny. Even if you don't like country music, one listen has got to be entertaining. Rain makes corn ;)

Water-- Brad Paisley

This is another hilarious song. My real musical taste could probably be summed up with: Silly.

Here Comes Summer-- Locash Cowboys

Summer is my favorite season HANDS DOWN. I spend the rest of the year looking forward to it and counting down the months, so any song about summer I love.

Nothing on You-- B.o.B. ft. Bruno Mars

(The Beautiful Girls song) Hellooooo, if you are a single guy and DON'T have this song on your iTunes. One question: WHY? It's a way to get on a girl's good side without even trying if you play it crusing around in your car. Actually, maybe this is player music? I donno. But I love it. I also love...

Airplanes---B.oB. ft. Hayley Williams

"Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now." I've decided I have a thing for songs about airplanes....

MIA--Paper Planes
I'm a huge fan of this song. Such a huge fan that I'm surprised I haven't already mentioned it on this blog.

Watching Airplanes--Gary Allen

Flying and airports are two of my favorite things. Back in the day (which was rarely a Wednesday) I flew a lot as a consultant. Enough to get upgraded to first class on Northwest Airlines. Last of the mohicians, since Northwest is now Delta. LAME.

Eenie Meanie--Justin Bieber ft. Sean Kingston
One of the things I really like about Justin Bieber is he features well-known artists in his songs. That's more than a LOT of young artists can say they have done.

OMG--Usher
Oh Myyy Oh My Gosh This song is amazing. Glad Usher's back.

In My Head--Jason Derulo

This song is kind of dirty. But if you're okay with that it's good to run to.

How Low Can You Go--Ludacris ft. Too Short
This is slightly silly, which is why I like it. And it's Ludacris.

Say Ahh-- Trey Songz

I recently learned this guy is from VA. Grew up in Fredricksburg. Thank you hotel TV in Kentucky with limited channels.

Carry Out-- Timbaland ft. JT
I guess "Carry Out" had a better ring to it than "Doggie Bag."

Bedrock--Young Money
When I first heard this song I had two thoughts.
1) I LOVE the Flinstones!
2) Did the writers of that cartoon mean to be perverted?
One year I'm going to be Wilma for Halloween. It's pretty crazy I still haven't right?

Your Love is My Drug-- Ke$ha
I've downloaded her entire CD. Tik Tik will probably always be my favorite, partially because of this:



She has so many great songs to run to!

Solo-- IYAZ
Much better than "Replay" which I wouldn't want my iPod to be stuck replaying.

Tie Me Down-- New Boyz ft. Ray J
Ray-J is Back!!!!!! Maybe that's only exciting to me and a few of my friends, but I about flipped when I heard this song. It's been a long time coming.

Sexy Can I?-- Ray J
Our joke was that this song didn't get nearly enough airtime (which it didn't). And once it gets stuck in your head it's hard to get out. So we'd try to get it stuck in each others heads. For me, the entertainment value of this song is enough to stick it on any playlist. It's probably going on my next long run playlist.

Ain't Back Yet-- Kenny Chesney
His new single which I downloaded right after it was released. His concert is the best country one I've been to hands down.

Day 'N Nite (Crooker's Remix)-- Kid Cudi
This is where some of my "not so current" songs begin. I don't think this one could ever get old for me. Dancing. Running. Whatever.

Tootsie Roll-- 69 Boyz
1994! "Cotton candy sweet to go let me see that Tootsie Roll." I actually run to this kind of a lot. It's a classic.

Hotel Room Service-- Pit Bull
HILARIOUS.

Ignition(Remix)-- R Kelly
Another Hotel Song. Toot Toot Beep Beep!

Boom Boom Boom Boom-- Venga Boys
The energy this song starts out with really can be a good pick me up if you are getting tired on a run.

Whatever You Like-- T.I.
This is a song people always seem to go crazy about if I'm out dancing. I don't blame them. I also like running to it.

Please Don't Stop the Music--Rhianna
I'll be honest, I like her older stuff better

Umbrella-- Rhianna ft. Jay-Z
I recently learned Jay-Z was named after the JMZ green line of the New York Subway. So cool!

That Was a Crazy Game of Poker--O.A.R.
O.A.R. is my favorite band. This is one of their most well-known songs. I like it, and at around 8 minutes it also can do wonders at making a mile of your run pass by.

American Pie-- Don McLean
Same idea as Crazy Game of Poker. This song is long and provides a distraction for a mile. (If you can handle it as it does get repetitive.)

Ticks-- Brad Paisley
You know he's married to Kimberly Williams the actress in Father of the Bride? If you've never listened to this you should it's really funny/clever. I discovered it was a good workout song when an instructor played it during a cycling class I took in college.

It's a Great Day to Be Alive-- Travis Tritt
I dare you to be in a bad mood running and listening to this song. It's near impossible.

Like a Boss-- The Lonely Island
This one is real short but still worth adding to any playlist. And "eat a bagel" classifies it as a running song.

Move Bitch-- Ludacris
Good for getting out aggression.

Get Back-- Ludacris
And this is THE SONG to listen to if you've had a bad day. Luda even says "I'm having a bad day, don't make me take it out on you."

Baby By Me-- 50 Cent
What playlist is complete without 50? This is one of his newer songs.

So as you can see I run to a wide array of songs. Really if something amuses me or makes me laugh there's a good bet it will instantly be added to a running playlist.

Long Run Playlist #2

Not sure if anyone noticed, but I added a link at the top of my blog that lists all of the music I've mentioned in posts. These are songs that I personally think are good for running to. It's always nice to browse the playlists of others, and I thought this was a lot easier than trying to find music posts in the archives. My taste is pretty random...so...maybe you'll see something that works for you :)

Before my first half marathon I made a playlist that I listened to on every training long run. I knew how far I was into the run based on the song, and could tell you what song would follow the one currently playing. Occasionally I'll still use this playlist. But, a lot of new music has been released since then.

What I tend to do is make playlists that have songs I like and play them on shuffle for any run 7 miles or less. I don't know what I'm going to get, but I like all of the songs that could end up playing and that's all that matters. When I start running more than 7 miles it's nice to have more predictability and I never put my iPod on shuffle. I've decided that I like slower/more "chill" music at first and songs that pump me up at the end. It took me 3 half marathons to figure that out...

Here's the playlist I used for every long run while training for the 2010 Yuengling Shamrock Half. (I didn't make a long run playlist for the OBX half...not sure why, I just didn't.) This takes you on a musical journey through Country Music, Rock, Running Songs, College Football Songs, and Pop Hits. This playlist was helpful to me because at the beginning of an 8-11 mile run, I just needed to take a deep breath and zone out; the songs at the beginning served as a constant reminder to pace myself.

1. Thunder Road-- Bruce Springsteen
The Boss+Running=Amazing. I like how the excitement builds in this song which is pretty symbolic of what happens on a long run.

2. Still-- Tim McGraw
Okay, I couldn't add this to my Playlist.com playlist, but it's definitely the second song on my iPod. This is a powerful song of Tim's. I especially like these lyrics:

"When the road gets crazy
And tries to break me
And I've had all I can stand
I can close my eyes no matter where I am
And just be still"

3. I Love Your Love the Most-- Eric Church
I LOVE THIS SONG!!!
Verse 1: "I love sleeping in on Saturdays, and I love College Football Games, and I love not acting my age, and good barbecue." YES PLEASE to all of those things. He's coming to DC in June...unfortunately, a lot of people here don't like country and I'm not sure I'll find someone who wants to go.

4. Already Gone-- Sugarland
I like this song because it's about growing up.

5. Fearless-- Taylor Swift
I'm a girl, what else do I need to say about this? The feeling that she's singing about is awesome. And I like that this song is about not being afraid to follow your gut/heart.

6. Hwy 20 Ride-- Zac Brown Band
A lot of people hadn't heard of Zac Brown Band before the Grammy's?! Not me. This is their current single and for me long car drives are very similar to long runs, so this is a perfect long run song.

7. Chicken Fried-- Zac Brown Band
"You know I like my chicken fried, cold beer on a Friday night, a pair of jeans that fit just right, and the radio up." Well said ZBB.

8. Toes-- Zac Brown Band
The radio edit of this song is: "Toes in the water, TOES in the sand" and LAME. The correct lyrics are "Got my toes in the water, ASS in the sand, not a worry in the world, cold beer in my hand. Life is good today."

(It's really a toss up for me about which song the radio killed more. This one or "Sexy Bitch.")

9. Today Was a Fairytale-- Taylor Swift
I think she really just released this one to "hold her fans over" until her 3rd album comes out. I liked Valentine's Day.

10. Snow ((Hey Oh))-- Red Hot Chili Peppers
This song is so amazing. It also was fun to run to when DC kept getting pounded with snow over the winter.

11. Red Dirt Road-- Brooks and Dunn
I know I've mentioned this before, but this is such a great song to run to!

12. Over My Head (Cable Car)-- The Fray
Sometimes I'd actually listen to this two or three times before going on to the next song. The weird thing is I actually don't like The Fray that much. I think all their songs sound alike. BUT, I like this one. Probably because the girl is on the guy's mind in overtime. And I've ridden on a cable car in SF. Or maybe because this is the first song I ever heard by The Fray...so everything else sounds like this one to me.

13. Breakeven-- The Script
Another really good song. I was usually kind of in pain when this one came up, so it helped to know I at least didn't feel as shitty as the singer of this song ;)

14. Don't Stop Believing-- gLee
I also would usually repeat this one. I love the Journey version of Don't Stop Believing, but I have to say the gLee version is even better. If this isn't on your running playlist, it should be!

15. I Run to You-- Lady Antebellum
Wooo. Running Song.

16. Need You Now-- Lady Antebellum
This song is the reason I love Lady Antebellum. It's now crossing over into pop... Who can't identify with this song?

17. 5k-- Matt and Kim
This is where things start to get more upbeat for me in terms of music.

18. Ready to Run-- Dixie Chicks
I put this song here because I'm getting to the point in the run where I'm ready to "do this."

19. Seven Nation Army-- The White Stripes
If this isn't a pump up song I don't know what is.

20. Hang on Sloopy-- The McCoys
Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up, Seven Nation Army wasn't in ANY WAY a shout out for PSU.

21. This is Our Moment-- Kenny Chesney
He finally released this as a single! I really liked this intro to College Gameday and now I can listen to the whole song whenever I want. I think it would be pretty hard to stop and walk while listening to this.

22. Bad Romance-- Lady Gaga
Until Bad Romance, BoysBoysBoys was my favorite Gaga song of all time. This one surpassed it, and will always be a workout song in my mind.

23. Tik Tok-- Ke$ha
One of my good friends is obsessed with this song. She's running a marathon in October; I decided she was onto something with her musical preferences!

24. Blah Blah Blah-- Ke$ha
Nowhere near as good as Tik Tok, but the other single of Ke$ha's that was out at the time.

25. If You're Going Through Hell-- Rodney Atkins
One of my top running songs. But you probably knew that.

26. Baby-- Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris
Another song I'm obviously obsessed with.

27. Break Your Heart-- Taio Cruz
Everything Luda touches is golden.

28. You Belong with Me-- Taylor Swift
The frustration in this song pushes me to run harder.

29. Stronger-- Kanye
I pretty much always listen to Kanye and Taylor in a row. This is my favorite song of his. Even if he says dumb things in real life, my workouts would not be the same without him.

30. Party in the USA-- Miley Cyrus
I really don't think I ever made it much past this song. I think a lot of times my run stopped around Bad Romance. If you've been following my blog...duh.

31. I Don't Want to Lose Your Love Tonight-- The Outfield
Besides a song that people get really excited about in bars, it's also great for running. Or maybe memories are what makes this song exciting to run to?

Anyway, I'll soon be posting more upbeat songs I like for shorter runs!

Oh--and yesterday I ran 2 miles on the treadmill in 19:38! My stomach felt pretty bad again, but hopefully it was because I had greasy food on Friday night and not a new theme of my runs longer than a mile.

Cherry Blossom Ten Miler [Spectator Report]

Anyone else getting semi-depressed by this blog? I just scrolled through my past four posts and there's not much running to discuss. I guess I didn't expect to be so sick during the 10k, or for my hip to bother me for so long. I'm doing my best to stay upbeat and not turn this into a bitch-sesh. The last good run I had was the Shamrock Half Marathon on March 21st. Ironically, I've never felt so good on a long run in my life. Talk about going out with a bang.

Obviously, even though I'm not doing much of it currently, I still love running!!! I'm also doing my best to keep up with other running blogs while taking a break from training because people are doing great things! I have to give a shout out/plug for her blog to Allyson for completing her first half! I've been following her blog since she started training and she did awesome in the Go! St. Louis half this past weekend!

Although I missed the formal race registration, [before my hip started bothering me] I was considering running the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler if my friend Craig could hook me up with a race bib. I haven't spectated a long race since I started running them, so I figured what better opportunity than this weekend. Side Note: I doubt I'll be ready to run the Marine Corp Historic Half in May...and if I can't do the Zooma Half in June... I may spectate both of those because... spectating is actually a great way to check out a race for the future. In addition to cheering on strangers, I'm secretly "shopping around" ;)

Now that I've seen it, I've decided I want to run the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler at some point.Shocked? I'm not. It would probably take a lot for me to not want to do a race at least once. But, the more fun the atmosphere, the more apt I am to pick it over a different race. DC is pretty good at offering 10 mile races... with the Army 10 in the fall and Cherry Blossom 10 in the spring. I wish that DC had a Rock n' Roll Half/Full...maybe this will eventually happen. It seems like the races here have slightly more serious themes... but good crowd support.

The race was in conjunction with the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC. Something I still really haven't been to, but if I'm being honest, the race is probably the only part of the festival I cared about. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Not humid. And around 60 at race start. That's a huge appeal that this race has, besides seeing the blossoms in bloom, the weather is more than likely going to be comfortable. All finishers received a medal! I spoke with one runner after it was over and she said there was less crowd support than in the fall at the Army 10. This may be because part of this race goes through a park that is not metro accessible.

My friend, Meghan (who also ran the Shamrock) and I decided to go all out in terms of spectating. We had hoped to stand around the Mile 8 or Mile 9 mark, but it was kind of hard to walk around with the posters and boom box we were carrying...and we both had to leave as soon as the race ended... so we settled on standing at the bottom of the final hill around mile 9.5

I was in Richmond Saturday night for my friends birthday. I left Richmond at 5AM to get back to DC around 7AM. Traffic was great (obviously)...and the lack of sleep was totally worth it! I made two posters for us. If Meghan and I were ridiculous enough to hold signs like this, of course we took pictures on our metro ride to the race! Besides the poster I'm holding changing...let's play a little game of one of these photos is not like the other.

First person to comment on what changes gets a Cliff Bar! Seriously. I'm beyond excited that I have documented proof of how early it was.


So, I was really rushed in making a CD...
but the songs I put on it were:

1) I Gotta Feeling--Black Eyed Peas
2) Low-- Flo Rida
3) Don't Stop Believing -- gLee version
4) Down-- Jay Sean
5) Baby-- Justin Bieber ft. Luda
6) TikTok-- Ke$ha
7) Bad Romance-- Lady Gaga
8) Glory Days-- Bruce Springsteen
9) Party in the USA-- Miley [duh!]
10) Sweet Caroline-- Neil Diamond
11) Kokomo-- Beach Boys
12) All Star-- Smash Mouth
13) Hey, Soul Sister-- Train
14) This is Our Moment-- Kenny Chesney

We played it through once...until we got to Kokomo and decided it wasn't upbeat enough of a song. We then did a 7x repeat of Don't Stop Believing. Which was AWESOME. And then I think the lack of sleep hit me and I was just like OMG I have to listen to something else... so we played songs #4-7 and Party in the USA. We repeated Baby, TikTok, and Party in the USA more than once.

I have to say it was actually kind of weird/nerve wracking spectating at the beginning. Since those were the most "hard core" runners the majority of them weren't super amused by us have a boom box playing pop songs or our silly posters. A few laughed. But most were in "the zone." Some people standing on the other side of the street were staring at us funny. Not that we really cared. But, Meghan and I both realized we were cheering on people who run faster than we can dream of. The Kenyans were already done...they had a special start time...but some of these people probably ran track in college, have won smaller races, etc.

Once they all passed by...it got more fun. More people started standing around us. And I guess were either amused by our boom box or went somewhere that they wouldn't have to hear us. Meghan screamed a lot of "No Lie, Your Almost Done" "George Washington wouldn't lie to you!" "You're almost there!" and I screamed a lot of "Finish Strong! One Last Hill! You've Got This." and "Go Fast! Go Fast!"... with a couple "Make Ricky Bobbyy Proud's" mixed in for good measure.

We sang and danced some too! One funny moment was when I meant to say "You're so close!" but it came out "You're so cute!" and I wasn't really screaming at anyone in particular. Oops. Haha.

Some things I could have speculated, but didn't know for sure until I SPECTATED include:

• If you wear a piece of clothing that has something specific people can yell... you're going to get more cheers. (These race bibs didn't have names on them.) But it's easier to say "Yeah Yankees!" to someone in a Yankee's t-shirt then just scream a color shirt.
  
• The people who are really energetic when they are running are the most fun to cheer for. I realize everyone has moments when they get tired. If you have too much energy, you probably aren't running hard enough. When I run I tend to turn into a general goof...and get really hyper the farther the distance. I love high fiving people and will scream back if someone is really into it. The people who ran through cheering not only pumped up the people around them...they also seemed to pump up the spectators. Variety is the spice of life ;)
  
• Music really, really does help if you aren't using an iPod. Some people started clapping or singing with us. We got a few thanks yous for the music.
  
• Sometimes a little distraction is all you need to push yourself harder/to the finish. We saw people noticeably pick up their pace when I said "Go Fast! Go Fast!" or after laughing at the George Washington poster get a little more bounce in their step.

I wish we had been able to stay for the very last runner...but we had to leave around 10 because I had to baby-sit. We did get one shot with the Washington Monument/race in the background. Somehow I feel much more legit as a DC resident now that I have a photo like this. I really DON'T go to this area of DC all that often. But it's pretty cool to say I can.
.

Oh, and if anyone's wondering, I did save the posters. Ricky Bobby WILL be used again. The George Washington one is kind of specific to the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. But, maybe I'll keep it an entire year. The only thing I actually wrote with a Sharpie was "No Lie, Almost DONE!" the rest was done by printing things off of the computer and gluing them onto poster board (including letters). I'd say using a colored piece of poster board/computer printer is the way to go if you are pressed for time!

Running iTunes: Running Songs

Lately I've done a lot of posts documenting my training, which is all fine, well, and dandy.

[Last night I did a 5k in 29:19! I'm pretty stoked because that was more of a brisk jog than me truly pushing myself for 3 miles. And unless I ran a tenth of a mile in 19 seconds...last I checked I'm not Kenyan...I did 3 miles in under 29 minutes!]


But, I really want this blog to be more than just a documentation of my training. So without further ado, have you ever tried to Google running songs?

I HAVE. And it's just not that easy to find a complete list of songs ABOUT running. Or even a LONG list. Results usually lead to some message board or Yahoo answers with responses like:
"Born to Run, Ready to Run, Running Down a Dream"

and that's it. Yes those are good songs, but I wish someone would take some time to sit down and make a legit playlist. I can't be alone in this, so here is my stab at it ;) You can listen to this playlist at the bottom of the post! (I wish I could have put it at the beginning, but it was creating too many blogger errors that way.)

Side Note: I don't think I could actually run to an hour of songs about running. But I REALLY like adding a FEW to my running playlists because they pump me up. The nice thing is the more running related songs I compile, the more songs I have to pick and choose from!

I even grouped these songs!

Slower/(Good for Easing into a Run)
-Ready to Run
-Take Me Home Country Roads
-Thunder Road I'm currently obsessed with this one. Probably because I've already listened to the first two more times than I can count!
-When the Sand Runs Out
-So Moved On This is my pre-run "pump up song!" I frequently blast it on my drives to the gym. I love OAR. And at 3:21 they actually sing "It Felt Good to Be on the Run!" Kind of weird that a song about getting over someone is my jam. It's the only OAR song about running, though..I think.
-Down the Road I just love Kenny Chesney.
-Speed I already posted this song on my blog. Not a bad thing to listen to if you need to get in the mindset of a speed workout!

Songs I'm a Huge Fan of Running To
-Born to Run If anyone ever runs a long race where this song ISN'T playing, I'd like to hear about it! At the OBX Half this song was played on repeat for like 15 minutes before we started. Good thing I love The Boss...but, hey, I also love variety. It's like the party my friend went to in college where everyone got excited the first time Jesse's Girl came on. Then the guy DJ-ing thought it would be funny to play it 15 times in a row....actually I probably would have thought that was funny if I had been there.
-I Run to You I'm obsessed with Lady Antebellum. Need You Now is my favorite song of theirs. I Run to You is a close second.
-Red Dirt Road Oh Brooks & Dunn. WHY is this your last year on tour?! The fact that this song is upbeat and is decently fast makes it great to run to!
-5k One of the few "Indie Songs" I'm aware of and listen to frequently. Pretty awesome!
-Long Road to Ruin Proof that my musical tastes are all over the place. I get just as excited by this song as I Run to You. Lyrics include: "Runnin' through hell"
-Wild at Heart "You got me running baby..." This song basically compares falling in lurve to running!
-Check Yes Juliet Is it bad that I only recently discovered this song through a Google search? I probably should have had it on my iTunes long ago! "Run baby runnnn!"
-Here It Goes Again Treadmill music vid!
-Rocky "Gonna Fly Now" I've decided I have to do a race in Philly at some point. I've never even been to Philly!
-If You're Going Through Hell If you've followed my blog at all you know I love running to this song.
-Run It C-Brown. The role model from VA. NOT. Still a good song (Just don't tell Rhianna).
-Runaway (Love and Theft)
-Run this Town A good running song by Jay-Z, however, my absolute favorite of his is:
-8 Miles and Runnin' I couldn't find it on Playlist.com, but if you go on runs of at least 8 miles this is worth getting off of iTunes!!!
-Hit the Ground Running Keith. Enough said.

Maybe a Little Bit of a Stretchh
-There She Goes Girl Power Song? Just try to block out the ballerina on the birth control commercial (if you've seen that one) and picture a girl running fast.
-No Reins For some reason this song really paints a running image for me. No reins, a wild mustang running through a field. Either it will do the same for you, or I'm just weird.

-More Running Songs

If I'm being honest these are songs I'm a little less excited to run to. I've arranged them in descending order of my excitement. I realize everyone has different tastes though....

-We Run LA
-Who Run it
-Tennessee River Run Actually this is only here because I discovered this song when writing this post. It's silly enough that I'll probably run to it to mix things up! I love songs that "the person on the treadmill next to me would never guess I'm listening to." They make me laugh.
-She's a Runner
-Running Down a Dream
-Keep on Runnin'
-Runaway (Bon Jovi)

I Personally Couldn't Run to These...

But maybe you could? They aren't peppy enough for me. I'd rather listen to Lady Gaga or Miley...even if the songs aren't specifically about running.

-Runaway (Linkin Park)
-Easier to Run
-Running Away
-Run to You (Bryan Adams)
-The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Great song! Not workout material, IMO.

Okay...so if there is anything you think needs to be added to this list, tell me! Finally a Google search of running songs with more than 3 listed!

Running iTunes: Power Songs

There is so much I want to say about my iTunes that I can’t fit it all into one post! If you want to check out what I listened to when I was a half marathon virgin…click here.
I’m really not sure how I came up with that playlist other than that I liked those songs. Believe it or not I listened to that playlist on EVERY long run I went on. No shuffle. In a way it was pretty cool because I knew how far into my run I was based on what was playing. To this day listening to that playlist gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

Recently, WannabeRunner made a post asking her readers for some power songs that get them through a tough workout. I had another friend on Facebook ask for some running songs prior to her half marathon. As I’ve been working at getting this blog up and going again, I’ve been meaning to make a few posts about iTunes because my little Product (RED) Nano was kind of the inspiration for the name of this blog. Oh and that I have red hair.


No joke. My parents really were that creative/oblivious when they named me.

Last night I discovered through Playlist.com I could actually post the playlist on my blog. So Brilliant. Here are the songs I like for an extra burst of energy…explanation to follow. You may notice that a lot of these songs aren’t the current chart toppers. The reason why is right now I really like Do You Remember?, Bad Romance, and Whatcha Say.…. To put it in perspective…last year I really liked Single Ladies, Womanizer, and Just Dance. They just didn’t make the cut now that they are past their prime.

WHY I Like These Songs:

If You're Going Through Hell-- My all-time favorite Power Song! It's about not quitting and has a good cadence. If I really thought running was Hell I probably wouldn't do it so much, but long runs are tough. Rodney even keeps telling you over and over to not slow down:

"If your going through hell
Keep on going, don't slow down
If you're scared don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there"

This song really isn't the same when listened to in a car. And I realize its country. If you can get past that, it's very good to run to!

Stronger-- Yeah Kanye was an ass to Taylor Swift at the VMA's. He has this song though so I really couldn't hate him. Again I think it's the words that work so well for running.
"Work it, make it, do it, Makes us harder, better, faster, stronger!...N- n- now th- that don't kill me Can only make me stronger I need you to hurry up now 'cause I can't wait much longer."

Born to Run/Glory Days-- Born to Run would have to be the most cliche race song of all time. Of all time. Still, I like it, I just like Glory Days more. It's very rare for The Boss not to join me in some way on a long run.

Party in the USA-- So, my theory is that when Miley says "This is all so crazy" she's actually talking about running. Very, very girly. But, she's gotten me through more long runs that I can count!

Sweet Caroline-- So good. So good. So good! It starts out a little slow...but if you can make it to the "Bah Bah Bah's" they are fun and a good distraction from all else. I don't think there is another song quite like Sweet Caroline and for that reason I think it's a good change up from the rest of your playlist on a long run.

Hot 'N Cold, Girlfriend, Picture to Burn, According to You, Since U Been Gone-- Basically just a bunch of female singers getting pissed off. The undertone of "anger" seems to help me push myself. No, I don't drive around with Girlfriend blaring in my car. Yes, Since U Been Gone is an extremely old song. They all work very well to run to though...especially if you are a girl ;)

Ride Wit Me-- Old Schooooool. I googled the lyrics to see if anything even sort of applies to running. Nope. I just love it. It's pretty upbeat to run to.

Rocky "Gonna Fly Now"-- Some of my co-workers made fun of me for running to this song. All I can say is, how wrong it would be to stop to walk while this is playing.

Good Morning--(Haters). I'm still waiting for this song to get more radio airtime. IMO, it's even better than Ridin' Dirty. The lyrics as a whole are good if you're ever upset about anything.

Living on a Prayer-- I've been known to start a halfway point sing-a-long in races with this gem from Bon Jovi. This is THE song to listen to when you are halfway done. Good luck finding anything that is more applicable.

Forever-- Two words: Office Wedding. I liked it when it first came out. Comfort & Twitch's Dance on So You Think You Can Dance made it better. Then the YouTube Wedding Entrance made my day over the Summer. I wasn't expecting something like that to be topped...oh but The Office found a way. The original airdate of The Office Wedding was also my birthday. So it's kind of sentimental for me.

The Middle--I remember having a major jam session to this song with my friend Melissa (who I'm running the Monument Ave 10k with) in high school. We had recently gotten our driver's liscenses and felt "so cool" with this song blaring. We both still love it though!

Here It Goes Again--OK Go is on treadmills. Enough said.

All the Small Things--I like running to Blink182 a lot. This is one of their more mainstream songs that everyone pretty much likes.

I'm On a Boat--Oh Shit, Get Your Towels Ready, It's About to Go Down! This song is hilarious. It's not very long, but I know every word so it's a power song for me. More fun in the summer though [sigh].

You're Gonna Go Far Kid--If you ever met me, this is probably one of the least likely songs you would ever expect me to run to. It has enough f-bombs that you can get your quota for the week, day, or hour... depending on how much you like sailing. I could never listen to stuff like this for an entire run. But it's a very good power song when mixed in with the others.

Low/Live Your Life-- I heard both of these played on the course of my first half marathon so they hold a special place in my heart. They weren't especially current on race day and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Live Your Life has a good overall message from T.I.
Specifically:
Your values is in disarray, prioritizing horribly
Unhappy with your riches cause you're piss poor morally
Ignoring all prior advice and forewarning
And we mighty full of ourselves all of a sudden aren't we?
Maybe not the most eloquent way of putting it. But, I get what he's saying. Money can lead to corruption. I'd love to do a fist pound+explosion with him.

I Get Knocked Down--This is a "Jock Jam" isn't it? I actually almost forgot about this one from Chumbawumba until it shuffled onto my iPod's playlist the other day. I very clearly remember how cool this song was when I was in 6TH GRADE. A lot that they say is really applicable to running. Just look past the fact that they are singing about getting wasted ;)

Another good way to find songs is to look at the top downloads on iTunes. If you've already discovered this, hopefully I gave you at least one more song to consider running to! Please feel free to comment about songs you really like for an "extra burst of energy!"

What I Really Need Is an Open Road...

And a whole lot of speed. Ahh, Montgomery Gentry. I LOVE Country Music!!! I blame my parents and the fact that I grew up in Richmond, VA where everyone’s necks tend to be a little redder than up here in NOVA. I don’t really run to that much country music. BUT, I think I need to add this song to my iTunes. In my mind, it’s running related.
So what is this post really about? Let’s talk about the times I’ve hit thus far in my life…

3 miles: 25:49

10k: 1:02:53

10 miles: 1:44:01

Half Marathon: 2:25:45

If you want the details, read on:

Although, this isn’t going to be chronological, I will go in ascending distance order.

3 miles:

I started running senior year of high school. I did a few 5ks in college. They were on campus, so my finishing times were never officially documented. I know one was definitely under 30 minutes. I wasn’t planning on getting as hard core about running..as I [sort of] have...so I didn’t document on my own.

The fastest I’ve ever run 3 miles was on the treadmill a few months ago in 25:49. I was trying to impress a guy. He had to stop because his calves were tight. I out ran him and his legs are a lot longer than mine. So that was kind of cool.

Goal: I’m not a sprinter. The splits for my treadmill time work out to 8:36. If I could do that in an official race, that would be great. I think I had a ton of energy and determination that day. Note to self: Run a 5k with a boy.

10k:

My very first 10k was the Ashland Railroad Run in 2007. I finished in 1:02:53. Not too shabby for a girl who didn’t run track in high school. That’s the only 10k I’ve ever trained for.

I did the Monument Avenue 10k 6 days after my first half marathon. This was also two days after I got laid off. Roughly 24 hours after a ROUGH night. I’ll summarize with me being at a bar with friends and knocking over some other girl’s empty glass. She gave me a mean look. And then I said “I’m sorry, I was laid off today.” The guy she was with was super understanding and responded, “Ohh, well then you need to knock over a couple more before you leave!” The girl then smiled. 10 months later this still makes me laugh.

Anyway, I didn’t wear a watch or even think about speed in the Monument Avenue 10k. I was more concerned with how many cheers I could get for my Minnesota T-shirt. I think it was around 6. My time for this race is not as good as my first 10k… 1:05:45. But, it is what it is.

Goal: I want to break an hour for a 10k. This would mean the pace I’m running at is slightly under 10 minutes/mile. But, I’d also like to complete a 10k in under 1:02:53. I know I’m capable of this; I just need to sign up for a 10k that is not a recovery run. Wear a watch. And be more focused.

10 miles:

My friend Meghan happened to be training for the Army 10 miler this past fall when I was preparing to run the OBX half marathon. We went on a few long runs together, and I was talked into running 10 miler with her. This was the MOST ENJOYABLE RACE OF MY LIFE. It was the first race I ran with a friend. The DC crowd was GREAT. I was a general goofball, Hi5-ing anyone who cheered for my Minnesota T-shirt and and starting a BonJovi “Whoahh, we’re half way there” sing-a-long at the halfway point. I unexpectedly saw my friend who was volunteering at the mile 8 water station. He gave me my cup of water and a hug. 10 miles is not a joke, but for some reason I barely remember being tired or wanting the race to be over. All I remember thinking that was running related was around the mile 9 point, “I’m glad this isn’t a half marathon.” So I guess I was ready to be done or not feeling quite ready for an additional four miles. Meghan and I sprinted to the finish in 1:53:02. I wasn’t even that sore from that race. I’ve decided 10 miles must be my favorite distance. A lot happens between 10 and 13.

I independently completed 10 miles in 1:44:01 on the treadmill a few weeks before the OBX half. Which works out to a pace of 10:24ish per mile.

Goal: 1:40:00 I want to be able to run 10 miles at a 10 min/mile pace. Or maybe slightly under that. I don’t know when that will happen. But that’s my ultimate goal. And 10 milers are hard to find. So this may only be on the treadmill.

13.1 miles aka. The Half Marathon

Oh hey, Half Marathon. You are the distance I need to get serious about. Somewhere between 10 miles and 13.1 miles my endurance starts sucking. I didn’t walk/pause (except briefly at the water station) at either of the half marathons I ran. But my times aren’t really that different from each other.

Yeungling Shamrock Half Marathon 2009: 2:27:15

OBX Half Marathon 2009: 2:25:55 (1^st half 10:42/mi pace…2^nd half: 11:09/mi pace).

It’s worth nothing that the OBX half has a 4% incline hill between miles 9 and 11. I didn’t walk. A LOT of people did though. So many that I was getting frustrated having to run around them and jealous that they were more comfortable than me in that moment. I think if I had run the Shamrock again… I would have gotten a slightly faster time than 2:25:55 since that course is described as “fast and flat.”

Something else that could be to blame is that I only did 10 miles to prepare each time. Granted, I did three 10 mile runs before each race day. But 10 doesn’t equal 13. It’s more of a “Yay, I can be lazy because Hal Higdon says I’m ready being about to run 10 miles.”

So, Goal: Break 2:25:55. Maybe even break 2:20:00.

When I saw that I could run 10 miles in 1:44:01 on the treadmill I was really hoping to finish the OBX half closer to 2:15:00.

*This is a goal for 2010. This is NOT my goal for the upcoming Shamrock Half Marathon. The 2010 Shamrock is all about being by the side of my friend Meghan as she completes her first 13.1. If her pace happens to be faster than 2:25:55 (great), but breaking this time is not even a slight goal. Running the whole thing is.

The real question is what other Half Marathon(s) I’m going to run this year.

The VA Beach Rock n’ Roll (Sept) and Richmond McDonald’s [Loveee the Irony of that sponsor] Half Marathon (Nov) are both thoughts. But, do I want to do one closer to the Shamrock? Doing a 10 miler and Half a month apart from each other last fall was a perfect combo. I think it’s too early into my training to decide. I’m going on a 7 mile run tomorrow. Hopefully!

26.2 miles…aka: A Full-Fledged OhShitWhatHaveIGottenMyself Into Marathon

Bahaha. I just thought I’d type that to see what it looks like. I’m not sure if I’ll ever decide to do one of these. For enough reasons that this post will get entirely too long. My dad told me I shouldn’t even think about a full until a half marathon is an “easy’ distance for me and I’m running them faster than I am currently. I agree with both of his thoughts. So, let’s see if I can get faster and more used to 13.1 in 2010. The nice thing is now that I’ve done two, I’m mentally in a totally different spot.

Running After Work and iTunes

I RAN 8 MILES TODAY! And it wasn't really all that hard. The only pause I took was after 5 miles for a sip of Gatorade and I was off jogging again. (I'm trying to simulate the water stations...or get used to the idea of a water break.) At this point in my training speed and times do not matter to me at all. I want to run at a pace that is less than 12 minutes per mile on the day of the Shamrock. I don't really have much to go off of except that when I did the Ashland Railroad Run 10k... I finished in 1:02:something. That's pretty good for 6 miles. A little over 10 minutes per mile. I know in that race I started off fairly slow... and kicked it up for the last two miles. I would say that is my strategy at this point for the Shamrock... pace myself...and have enough energy to "bring it home" the last 3 miles.

I set the treadmill at 5.1 today. Which I maintained until the last 2 miles when I increased my speed. I always think it's better to finish strong than to run out of energy too quickly. The last mile was under 9 minutes! The first time in my life I have run 8 miles and I was able to do the last one at that pace....what an incredible feeling.

Three thoughts I want to throw out there:

1.) Running after work is really difficult for me. I think because my feet hurt from walking around in heels and I just prefer a morning run. When I did 7 miles, I forced myself to do it after work (although you are supposed to do the long runs on the weekend.) Honestly, it kind of sucked. It wasn't hard in terms of endurance but my legs felt like lead for a lot of it and I forced myself to keep going. I just assumed it was because I was running 7 miles.

Today was the exact opposite. I felt great after the first 5 miles and excited to do 3 more. I definitely got a runner's high and felt like I could do more. I am sticking to the Hal Higdon plan because I think its better not to shock my body with a dramatic increase in distance. I like that he calls for consistency in training.

This week I kind of slacked off with the running during the week. I did 3 miles on Monday... took Tuesday and Wednesday off... and then ran 2 on Thursday and 1 on Friday. (At this point that is pathetic. If I was just working out that would be okay (maybe)...but I have to run 13 miles in March. 1 mile is a joke in terms of preparation.)

I have to be at work at 8:30 A.M. My commute takes 45 minutes. Now that the shorter runs have increased to 5 miles... its kind of hard to get that in before work... I've decided to go for punctuality over training... but I will need to figure something out. I definitely prefer morning runs over evening runs (and freeing up the evening).

My favorite feeling of all is waking up and knowing the only thing I HAVE to do is run. (Like today through next Wednesday). So that is why I'm not too concerned about the slack off this week. I know I will get all of those runs in between now and Wednesday. Today was the most important of all!

2) MAKE A LONG RUN PLAYLIST! I did that I think before I started training at all. I have Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer at 3 miles and Rodney Atkins's If You're Going Through Hell around 7 miles. I might want to move Livin' on a Prayer to my new halfway point... but having a long run playlist seems to be the best idea in the world.

I ONLY listen to this playlist if I am doing a long run. If I am going on a shorter run I listen to a different playlist with more random songs. I think it helps to recognize which song is coming next and in my mind know where I am. If I listened to the same playlist everyday I would be so sick of it. But I have the "familiar tunes" for when it counts.

3) This is kind of related to #2... the rules of the Shamrock 1/2 marathon state that headphones, iPods, Mp3 players, etc. are banned. There are bands playing music at some of the mile markers and I figured it would be okay to run sans-iPod.

The other night when I was watching TV instead of listening to my iPod...it seemed to take forever just to get up to a mile. I THINK I was more bored because I was on the treadmill. I used to run outside without an iPod and it was fine because of the change in scenary. I guess I never realized how much of a security blanket it has been for me in terms of the training...

Yesterday I started googling if this rule is actually enforced. I found mixed results. Some said that with thousands of people it is virtually unenforcable. I'm thinking I will sneak it... even if I don't start out using it.. as a just in case?

I Cannot Tell a Lie (or Keep a Secret)

George Washington would be proud of me. And Pinocchio's fairy too. I, however, am annoyed at my inability to keep a secret.



Within 48? Yes, 48 hours of signing up for the Shamrock Half Marathon it has already come up and out in conversation with a good friend who has run a MARATHON. Wait that's my ONLY friend who has run a marathon. So much for secretive and personal motivation. I think my running patterns were a dead giveaway that I was training though. And I brought up running on the treadmill... so I'm totally to blame. He's just intelligent.

I had anticipated a bit more time for the personal 'sink in' before announcing the news to anyone...

but whatever. Running is fun :-)
(Or so I say now.)

On the positive side, Running 2 miles this morning was nothing. And running 3.5 miles last night was also pretty easy. I love that my body is starting to go into auto pilot. I just pace myself and rock out to the iPod. I'm excited to go for the longer distances. 6, 7, and 8 miles. When I can run 4 miles with ease this should be doable.

Snaps for Hal... my faith in his plan is gradually increasing!