The Running Playlist

Hello friends! Today I'm writing from a hotel in Fort Wayne! I had a nice long drive up here and plenty of "windshield time" to think. Sometimes it's about dumb stuff. Ok, usually it's about dumb stuff... today, I was inspired to write a new blog post about the music on my running playlist.

Back in the days when I was running 5 out of 5 runs per week on a treadmill (and averaging 40+ mile weeks!), my first-generation iPod nano was the ONLY reason I ever survived running! Remember these things? I mean, that little click/scroll wheel was cutting-edge technology!

 

Oh wait, no! It gets better! Before that, I had a pink iPod mini, too!




I used to listen to the same playlist on every single run, all five runs of the week. The other day, I revisited that very same "RunSteph" playlist and, darn it, it's still good! I love that there's so much randomness, and a bunch of punk in the mix with songs that were the Top 20 type at the time. In hindsight, punk makes for really good running cadence. The songs themselves are all kind of edgy, but maybe their appearance on my playlist is a reflection of my personal life at that point in time. Or maybe punk was still really big (how could we have known that LMFAO and Ke$ha would later come along!).
Check out the playlist...

• How to Save A Life - The Fray
• I Just Wanna Live - Good Charlotte  (The only song in the playlist of my head during the 50 miler!)
• Dance Floor Anthem - Good Charlotte
• Gives You Hell - The All-American Rejects
• Swing, Swing - The All-American Rejects
• Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
• Stand - Rascal Flatts
• The Ohio State Buckeye Marching Band (TBDBTL) - Le Regiment
• The Ohio State Buckeye Marching Band (TBDBTL) - Fight Song
• Say It Right - Nelly Furtado
• Always - Blink 182
• I Miss You - Blink 182
• Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
• Holiday From Real - Jack's Mannequin
• Float On - Modest Mouse
• Hey Ya! - Outkast
• Missed the Boat - Modest Mouse
• Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
• Love Today - Mika
• Grace Kelly - Mika
• The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
• I'd Do Anything - Simple Plan
• Stolen - Dashboard Confessional

Lately, every time I go on a long-ish car trip, I hear a song on XM Radio and think, "That would be a great song to run to!" (Sorry, Gangnam Style is definitely not one of those. Gag.) Sometimes the song gets me because the lyrics are inspirational, and other times it's just upbeat and energetic. So, I'd like to make "The Running Playlist" a regular theme for blog posts when the ideas come to me.

When I add songs to a playlist, they usually don't come off. The list just continues to grow.... so it's funny how music and my personal taste can change in a few years.

Without further ado, here are the latest additions to my "RunSteph" playlist since 2012! Although I didn't end up using my iPhone to listen to music during the ultra, you now have a glimpse of the songs I queued up -  enjoy!

• Just Dance - Lady Gaga
• You're Beautiful - James Blunt
• 1973 - James Blunt
• Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez
• The Cave - Mumfort & Sons
• Viva La Vida - Coldplay
• Hall of Fame - The Script  <--- my favoritest song/band obsession. If you haven't listened, everything by The Script is amazing! Listen to the lyrics in this song.
• Soldier - Gavin DeGraw
• Uprising - Muse
• Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
• I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
• Little Lion Man - Mumfort & Sons
• Watch Me - Bella Thorne
• Shake It Up - Selena Gomez (I watch that show and I love it. Don't judge.)
• We Are Young - Fun.
• Tonight Is The Night - Outasight
• This City - Patrick Stump
• Apologize - OneRepublic <--- another band obsession. Crazy good music.
• Without You - David Guetta
• What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
• Madness - Muse

This is just a sampling of what gets me moving! Do you listen to music? Does your playlist continue to grow, or do you edit your songs once in a while?