Rock N' RUN!

(Skip to the end if you just can't stop the music. This is mainly for my mom who complains of blog lenghth. No need to comment, Ma. This disclaimer is solely here to help you out!)

From the time I first started running, I've spent an ungodly amount of time in my head. And friends, this can be a terrible, terrible place to reside. I had one crazy summer in 1997 or so where I had this...thing...this am/fm thing that was the size of a pair of earmuffs sporting an antenna that I'd wear running my "Uptown Loop" from Lake to Franklin and back again. And since this was back in 1997 or so, "Tubthumpin" was on continuous loop. As was Alanis Morrisette. No good. And so when my sweaty melon finally shorted it out? I haven't used music during runs since.

Since my jaunts were usually 30 minute jobbies, I'd barely have enough time to plot world-domination much less what I was having for dinner so owning whatever the newest fangled music-listening device that was prevalent at the time wasn't a high priority to me. Now fast-Forward to last year when we started to put up 1-2 hour training runs. This takes "Inside Mikey Head-Time" to torturous water-boarded levels. Enter the kindness of my techonologically savvy friends to help me understand the (at the time already) outdated concept of: The MP3 player.

FeeJ was kind enough to give me her old model and Moda threw a bunch of tunes on it that she already had saved on her computer. So finally, I was able to plug in and tune out to some rockin' tunage. And while this was a fun period of adjustment for me and I no longer had to imagine what like would be like if I was filthy rich (A frequent fantasy while running), there were a few issues that I took with the technology. Minor quibbles, really.

First off:

-It was pink. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth and all, but yeah. No. Mikey No Pinkalicious.

-I stretched the arm strap so it wouldn't stay on, so I had to carry it in my hand. (Probably because of my BIG MUSCLES!) Plus my fat fumbly fingers couldn't skip songs very well. See the next bullet.

-While there was plenty of Michael Jackson (Thanks dear!) and Beyonce' et.al. which were upbeat and peppy? There'd occasionally be some of "FeeJ's Favorites" on there as well...namely, Jason Mraz. I have nothing personal against Mr. Mraz or his music, but after having the aforementioned Michael Jackson beats dropped, his music tends to acts like a drag parachute.

And that's the thing. Music and the beat, it's said, quickens your pace a bit. Adds to your energy. I can get behind that. When Moda's pa Panja hooked me up with an Ipod + clip last summer to replace the awkward MP3 (Lookit Mikey getting all the tech handouts!) and she loaded it up with her distance training mix (which was much more consistently peppy and beat-heavy. Nary a Dolly Parton song to be found), I had many months on my own to try and calculate/imagine what my personal race soundtrack would be. (Sorry, love. I'm not besmerching your mix. The beats got me through nearly 100's of runs)

So today, (After I finally launched into the 21st century and got an Itunes account of my own) I'm sharing the Mikey Mega-Run Mix Playlist. (Truncated version 1.0) For some reason I thought it'd be full of 80's montage power ballads (And they're on there, oh yes), but I ended up with an eclectic array that I've found to be encouraging on my long runs, and strangely enough...mildly inspirational? As long as I don't wind myself during the race playing air drums during "Sister Christian" or trying to sing along. Ahem. Feel free to bogart some of the titles for yourselves...

(An * indicates a song that I can't help but listen to twice. This isn't the full list, mind you. I put about 2.5 hours worth of music on there which is...I hope...enough time to finish the Half-Mary without doubling back through the playlist. I even categorized them.)

YOU WILL RUN. YOU WILL RUN FAR AND FAST AND IT IS GLORIOUS. DROP A BEAT!

Montage Music/80's
- "Live to Win" (Paul Stanley) Doi. If you've seen the MMPORG "South Park"...you'll know. Goofy.
- "Eye of the Tiger"/"Burning Hearts" (Survivor) You will beat up Russians.
- "Sister Christian" *(Night Ranger) Yeah. Twice. It rules.
- "Doctor Feelgood" (The motherlovin CRUE)

Mike's music tastes are stuck in High School between 1989-1993
- "Poison" (Bel Biv Davoe)
- "I'm gonna Knock You Out" (LL Cool J)
- "Good Vibrations" (Marky Mark mit der Funky Bunch)
- "Gonna Make You Sweat" (C+C Music Factory)
- "I've got the Power" (Snap! To be fair, I envision the movie "The Perfect Weapon" when I hear this)
- "Freedom-90" (George Michael. I have fond...fond memories of this song. My earliest workouts in my parents basement used to consist of running in place, doing jumping jacks and push-ups, all while watching "MTV". And this video? Mega Hot to a 15 year old. Get out of the tub, Ms. Evangelista. Please?)
- "Roam" * (B-52's. Reminds me of mall cruising Brookdale and Orange Julius)

Michael Jackson
- "Beat It", "Thriller", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Bad". I should mention my Janet hold out is "If"...b/c it's great. And yeah. MJ. 'Nuff Said.

Mo-ldovers from the MP3 days
- "All the Single Ladies" * (Beyonce') What? I'll cut you.
- "My First Mistake" * (Jellyfish)
- "Low" (T-Pain) "Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur...The whole club was like: 'Hey, that fat chick hates cardio and animals'!" (Not my quote, fyi)
- "Buttons" (Pussy Cat Dolls feat. Snoop-dogg) I'll explain this later.
- "I'm going on"/"Run" (Gnarles Barkley) Awesome...awesome running songs.

Goofy WTF'ers
- "I'm Awesome" (Spose) Look...don't knock it until you've worked out to it.
- "Thong Song" (Sisqo) Like "Buttons"? When you need to dig deep? Really really deep? And it's, like, mile 10 or so? You could do worse than songs dealing with women getting undressed. IJS.
- "Calling Baton Rouge" *(Garth Brooks) STOP WITH YOUR JUDGEMENT!