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a blog by Laura O'Rourke

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Music To Run To: My Favorite Running Playlist

Much to my husband’s chagrin, I’m really not a music person. I enjoyed listening in high school and even went to a few concerts. These days, when I am in the mood, I can throw on a good album and get my groove one, but normally, I find music boring and a waste of my time. I’d rather be focusing on conversation or reading a book or engaging my mind with public radio.

My Favorite Running Playlist

Still, nothing gets me pumped up more than a good dose of upbeat music. Trust me, I have tried going for runs with an audio book or CBC streaming. It would make sense that entertaining my mind would help tune out that complaining voice inside my head telling me I can’t go any further, but unfortunately the plot is never loud enough. Nothing keeps my legs going and my lungs pushing like music does.

The weight of the world is just too much
If they knock you down you down you just gotta get up
And keep movin’¹

Music manages to course through my body in the exact way I need it to. The beat energizes my legs, the lyrics inspire me at just the right time, and the noise drowns out only the negative self-talk but leaves room for all of the positive. I am convinced that only the perfect playlist will get me out the door and keep me going. For someone who can live without music in her day-to-day life, it sure is imperative for my running life.

It’s a feeling that you get in your lungs when you run
Like you’re runnin’ outta air and your breath won’t come
And you (uh) wheezin’, gotta keep it movin’
Find that extra (uhn) and push your way through it²

I’m always recreating and updating my running playlist to find the perfect mix of pump that will get me going. And this summer, I’m going to need it. I already ran one race, have another one coming up this weekend, and have just enough on my calendar afterwards that my husband has cut me off from any more running-related purchases. Races are the thing that convince me to run on a regular basis and music is what makes those minutes relatively enjoyable.

I coulda gave up then but
Then again I couldn’t have ’cause
I’ve traveled all this way for something³

If you need motivation like I need motivation (do I ever!), then here are my favorite beats to run to. I hope they inspire you to keep going like they have inspired me. (Sorry for the Glee. I used to run only with Glee music, so it is a huge step for me to only include two Glee songs).

²Inner Ninja – Classified ft. David Myles
³On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons
Dog Days Are Over – Florence + The Machine
Runaway Baby – Bruno Mars
Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera
Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys ft. Nicki Minaj
I Wanna Go – Britney Spears
Lose Yourself – Eminem
Stronger – Kanye West
Raise Your Glass – Pink
Rock That Body – Black Eyed Peas
How Far We’ve Come – Matchbox Twenty
Getcha Good – Jenn Grant
Just Can’t Get Enough – The Black Eyed Peas
¹Just Keep Moving – Asif Illyas
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson
Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO
Good Feeling – Flo Rida
Boom Boom Pow – The Black Eyed Peas
Fighter – Christina Aguilera
So What – Pink
Run the World (Girls) – Beyonce
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) – Beyonce
Sexy and I Know It – LMFAO
Don’t Stop the Music – Rihanna
Here It Goes Again – OK Go
Bust a Move – Glee
Who’s That Chick? – David Guetta ft. Rihanna
4 Minutes – Madonna
Don’t Stop Believing – Glee

The blogosphere has been full of running blog posts this week, it seems. If you need some more motivation, be sure to check out Angela’s tips for becoming a runner, see how Robin found her inner-runner again, and congratulate Steph on running 5k for the first time!

This post is being linked up with #iPPP (iPhone Photo Phun) both because the picture included is taken with a cell phone and also because host Greta is super inspiring when it comes to being active and running.

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Comments

  2. I like music when I’m doing something that is otherwise mind-numbingly dull (and yes, running can get dull for me when I only get to go on the treadmill). I play it loudly when I clean. I used to pop on headphones when I did this time-consuming data entry stuff in my last job.

    I had Lose Yourself by Eminem on my running playlist too!
    Alison recently posted..Time, I’m SorryMy Profile

  3. We feel the same way about running and music! My husband and I are training for a half this summer and we do our long runs together on Saturdays. He doesn’t listen to music when he runs (he’s a musician, so he says he uses the time to clear is head), so I’ve been finding our Saturday runs torturous! Without music, all I can hear is that voice in my head that wants to STOP. I was complaining so much last Saturday that he told me to bring my iPod next time, haha. Thanks for sharing your playlist – I’m always looking for upbeat things to run to! Not sure if you’ve heard the new Daft Punk album, but there are some great songs to run to on there!
    Amelia @ House Pretty recently posted..Sofa stylingMy Profile

  4. I need to listen to music when I run! Two that I’m loving lately are Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke and Get Lucky by Daft Punk & Pharrell – they’ll get you moving :) I listen to music all the time, though, in the car, when I’m cooking, when I’m playing with Eli. He loves dancing so it’s double entertaining for me.
    Amy recently posted..A post I never thought I’d write.My Profile

  5. Ok, so let the heckling begin! I’m sure from my list, I’m not easy to figure out…. :)

    Take On Me – A-Ha
    Long Long Way to Go – Def Leppard
    Who Made Who – ACDC
    Someone Like You – Adele
    Anything You Want, You Got It – April Wine
    Ballad of Hugo Chavez – Arkells
    Hot – Avril Lavigne
    Love Shack – B-52’s
    Nothing On You – Bruno Mars
    If I Die Young – The Band Perry
    Grade 9 – BNL
    Pour Some Sugar On Me – Def Leppard
    Belly of the Sun – Barney Bentall
    Blue Highway – Bill Idol
    Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas
    It’s My Life – Bon Jovi
    Coming Home – Boyce Avenue
    Break The Ice – Britney Spears
    Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5
    Up and Away – Can’t Stop Won’t Stop
    Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood
    What About Now – Daughtry
    Block Cloud Rain – Corey Hart
    Where Them Girls At – David Guetta
    Photograph – Def Leppard
    The Long Way Around – Dixie Chicks
    The Reflex – Duran Duran
    Burn It To The Ground – Nickelback
    Bring Me To Life – Evanescence
    Low – Flo Rida
    Club Can’t Handle Me – Flo Rida
    Get Back – Haywire
    Keep Walkin Away – Headpins
    Wounded – Honeymoon Suite
    Pretty Vegas – INXS
    Stronger – Kelly Clarkson
    Strike Zone – Loverboy
    Kickstart My Heart – Motley Crue
    Now – Def Leppard
    S.E.X – Nickelback
    Bottoms Up – Nickelback
    Figured You Out – Nickelback
    Saturday Night’s Alright – Nickelback
    Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley
    Wind Him Up – Saga
    Follow Your Heart – Triumph
    Panama – Van Halen
    Beautiful – Platinum Blonde

  8. That’s a great list! I’m not a Bieber fan but the #thatPower with Will.I.Am Is a great jam to use to get pumped up to…my son loves to dancing to it! Way to go on your races!
    Natalie recently posted..Over at Emmy’sMy Profile

  11. My running/workout playlist is really eclectic. Or just plain weird, I guess. ;) I like songs that gets me moving and evoke a strong emotion like exhilaration or determination or even anger sometimes. It can have a good beat, but if it doesn’t evoke emotion or if I’m sick of hearing it on the radio, then it doesn’t do anything for me. Two of my favorite running songs are “Hung Up” by Madonna and “We Stand Alone” by The Covenant, which both have a great beat. And then I like “Rock Star” by N.E.R.D, “Sabotage” by The Beastie Boys, and “Eye of the Tiger” because they’re really angry/angsty. And then I like (don’t laugh) “Queen of Hearts” by Juice Newton because it’s fast and bouncy, and “O Fortuna” (Carmina Burana) because it’s so powerful. Those are admittedly two of my weirder workout songs, but they do the trick – they get me pumped!
    Kristin @ What She Said recently posted..Friday Tapas: UnpluggedMy Profile

  13. Ah…I also am not a big music junkie…except when I’m running. And then, I can’t live without it. Alot of your running songs would be on my ever-changing playlist too. I also love me some good lame pop when I run (think Taylor Swift) or Michael Jackson – seriously, smooth criminal totally gets me running.
    But I do think my all time favorite is “that girl is on fire”…it makes me feel so strong and confident and empowered and has so many good running memories associated with it. :)
    love your list. :) sooo excited for your 1/2 in September – and sooo wish i could be there running it with you!!
    candice rempel recently posted..The courage to GROW!My Profile

  15. I seriously thought I was the only person who didn’t like music. I’ve said pretty much the same things that you wrote in your first paragraph. I used to love music, now I just don’t.

  17. C + C Music Factory’s Gonna Make You Sweat leaves the rest of my running playlist in the dust. If I’m in the zone, it’s *repeat*
    Here’s a few others on my current list:
    Grimes – Oblivion (only for warm up/cool down or the end will psyche you out)
    Beastie Boys – Intergalactic Planetary (I run the marathon to the very last mile!)
    Foster the People – Pumped up the Kicks
    Shiny Toy Guns – Major Tom
    ELO – It’s a Living Thing
    MGMT – Flash Delirium

    Great post Laura!

  18. We could be twins when it comes to music. My experiences/thoughts are yours. therefore, I totally trust your recommendations and am going to update my iTunes for my run tomorrow. Thanks a bunch.

  19. I used to HAVE to run with music but I’ve stopped and it’s so nice. I just run and think and write blog posts in my head (that I always forget by the time I’m sitting at the computer). My go-to music was Green Day’s American Idiot album. It’s not all the right tempo but for some reason it worked for me. And whenever I hear it now I think of training for my first race, a 5K back in 2005 or so.
    Life of K recently posted..Wordless Wednesday and iPPP: The ducks came back the very next dayMy Profile

  21. Great list! I actually had heard OF Inner Ninja, but hadn’t heard it yet. It’s fun! I need to add these to my shuffle…after I lost my iPod and that whole debacle, I haven’t gotten my running music groove back. And the last couple of weeks of running on the track with the kids, I haven’t had ANY music. Makes for a looooong run!
    Greta recently posted..Behind The Scenes #iPPPMy Profile

  22. I LOVE listening to music in the car. I could drive for miles and miles beyond where I am going if I’m listening to some good tunes :) Especially on Sundays :) One of these days I’m going to give running a go. I really am. Thanks for linking this week Laura!