The songs on the iPod play list for race day should make one ravenous to run. When I train, running along forest trails or on city sidewalks, I listen to Podcasts of my favorite NPR shows: This American Life, Car Talk, Fresh Air. This just won't do for the race. The pace of the run has to be upbeat and so does the music. The songs cannot be rumpled - they must beguile the runner into believing the race is about the music - not the tired legs, the hills, the distance.
Each song is carefully scrutinized. Upbeat, intense - rap, hard and classic rock are good - mixed with the redolence of Van Morrison and Fleetwood Mac. Find songs with running in the title - Springsteen's Born to Run, or Van Halen's Running with the Devil. Throw in some tantalizing songs of one nighters, tunes with an attitude, and a few playful ones and the mix has potential. Then you hope they sync up with the course.
This play list served me well. Back in Black kicked it off, blaring in my ear buds, as I coasted downhill along Fifth Avenue, under the monorail, between lamp posts strung with sparkling starry Christmas lights. Born to Run burst into audio while I covered the flat miles alongside a calm Lake Washington. And I really needed Eminem's Soldier chugging up those never ending hills out of the Arboretum and Japanese Garden. A few tunes didn't work out (Mr. Jones and Romeo and Juliet - what was I thinking?!?) and were relegated to the skip pile. I finished with Put Your Lights On by Santana and Everlast. While a cute young volunteer with a smile slung a finisher medal around my neck and congratulated me, I thanked my mix for a virtuoso performance. Finish Time: 1:37:44. Pace: 7:27. Overall place 283, 26th out of 328 in division. I was psyched!
Without further ado, here's the list:
Back in Black, AC/DC
You Shook Me All Night Long, AC/DC
Running with the Devil, Van Halen
Black Dog, Led Zeppelin
Carry on my Wayward Son, Kansas
Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Van Halen
Into the Mystic, Van Morrison
Jack Rabbit Slim's Twist Contest/ You Never Can Tell, Chuck Berry (Pulp Fiction Soundtrack)
Romeo and Juliet, Dire Straits
Mr Jones, Counting Crows
Smoking, Boston
Two Step, Dave Matthews Band
Solsbury Hill, Peter Gabriel
(Da Le) Yaleo, Santana
Soldier, Eminem
Rollin' Crumblin', Tom Rothrock
Shoot to Thrill, AC/DC
Sharp Dressed Man, ZZ Top
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
Cat Scratch Fever, Ted Nugent
By the Way, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Get Out of This House, Shawn Colvin
Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?, Paula Cole
I'm the One, Van Halen
D'Yer Mak'er, Led Zeppelin
Sometime Around Midnight (Acoustic), The Airborne Toxic Event
Put Your Lights On, Santana, Everlast
Copyright 2009 by Tom Flynn
