Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Gimme a Beat

Quick update from the running front – Still doing my therapy every day, and have gotten into an every-other-day running groove that usually goes pretty well. I’m now allowing myself somewhere between 3-4 miles on each run, and have had some discomfort in my knee, but no real pain. Haven’t gotten to the practicing of Yoga yet, but am reading the ‘Athlete’s Guide to Yoga’ book right now, which I ordered after watching the ‘Athlete’s Guide to Yoga’ DVD and realizing I needed a bit more instruction than just diving in. Much of my time lately has been devoted to planning my wife’s birthday party this coming Saturday, for a milestone birthday that rhymes with ‘shmorty’, but that’s probably a good topic for another blog posting about my plans to embarrass myself.

As for the title of the blog entry, I realized on my last jog that I’m spending a lot of time pressing the next-song button on my iPod as I run, and am basically a bit burned out on my current collection of playlists. I’ve got 2 main go-to playlists for running, but after my last training cycle those songs and I need a little time apart to rediscover our love for one another. Thus, I’m taking to the blogosphere for some suggestions for building up a new collection of ear-candy. Once I discovered the wonderful world of Walkmans back many years ago, I found that I can’t run without some sort of music playing. I added podcasts to the mix on my longer training runs for the marathon, just for a little variety, but bottom line … I needs the noise in my ears to makes the feets go.

For reference, here’s a merge of my two go-to lists right now so you get an idea of what I like for running. Many of these aren’t necessarily favorite songs, or things I would listen to while driving if given the choice, but they keep me moving for whatever reason. I don’t look for a particular beats-per-minute or some sort of fancy cadence to match my running, I’m just mostly looking for a good tune with a good beat. I’m open to most any genre, although there’s definitely a lack of country music in my current rotation. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments and I’ll start loading my iTunes account with some $ so I can start the buying:

Bad (Live) -  U2
Won't Go Home Without You -  Maroon 5
My Life Would Suck Without You -  Kelly Clarkson
Lips Like Sugar (12" Mix) -  Echo & The Bunnymen
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Panama -  Van Halen
Pavement Cracks (Mac Quayle Extended Mix) -  Annie Lennox
Poker Face -  Lady GaGa
Crazy -  Seal
Just Dance -  Lady GaGa & Colby O'Donis
Eye of the Tiger -  Survivor
Far Behind - Candlebox
One Slip -  Pink Floyd
Love remains the same -  Gavin Rossdale
Shattered (Turn the Car Around) -  O.A.R.
Sabotage -  Beastie Boys
100 Years -  Five for Fighting
I Am Mine -  Pearl Jam
A Sort of Homecoming - U2
Training Montage -  Vince DiCola
Born to Run -  Bruce Springsteen
Basket Case -  Green Day
Free Fallin' (Live) -  John Mayer
Rock Your Body -  Justin Timberlake
Everlong -  Foo Fighters
The Stairs -  INXS
According to You -  Orianthi
Crazy In Love -  Beyoncé
Love Drunk -  Boys Like Girls
We Will Rock -  You Queen
She Sells Sanctuary -  The Cult
Gold Digger (feat. Jamie Foxx) -  Kanye West
Sober -  Pink
Time Stand Still -  Rush
Somewhere Only We Know -  Keane
Miss Independent -  Kelly Clarkson
My Hero -  Foo Fighters
Shine Like It Does -  INXS
Canned Heat [Album Version] -  Jamiroquai
Disappear -  INXS
Sympathy for the Devil -  The Rolling Stones
Gives You Hell -  The All-American Rejects
Hearts On Fire -  John Cafferty
You Can't Always Get What You Want -  The Rolling Stones
We Are the Champions -  Queen
Just Like Heaven -  The Cure
Happy Hour -  The Housemartins
Rocket Queen -  Guns N' Roses
Breakeven -  The Script
Remember the Name -  Fort Minor featuring Styles of Beyond
The Boys of Summer -  Don Henley

10 comments:

  1. I really like Eminem when I'm getting tired and starting to fade. He gets me going - like 'Til I Collapse is my favorite when I'm tired at a race.

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  2. Glad to hear the running is coming along slowly but surely. I don't run with music so I can't be of much help here. Good luck with the party, sounds like fun!

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  3. i tried yoga through on demand for a bit and it is pretty hard...really good for strength and flexibility though...

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  4. You are a good man devoting time to your wife's big b-day! Can't help you with the playlist b/c I never use music unless I am stuck on a treadmill.

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  5. If you're running in the Nimbus now and have ITB pain, there's not too much in the way of switching shoes that will help out. Your main priority (if ITB is your main pain) is to stick with a neutral shoe - any additional stability will only make the pain worse.
    If you wanted to try a different pair just for kicks you should look for a neutral shoe with a more stable (less soft) upper, like the Saucony Ride or the Brooks Defyance. The shoes will fit and cushion differently, but may limit some external rotation of your foot.

    Main thing with ITB is lots and lots of stretching. Any flexibility you can add to your hips will help. Searching youtube for ITB stretches is a great way to find ones to do.

    Hope it gets better!

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  6. Looks like I may be in the minority with my ear-bone-connected-to-the-foot-bone. Maybe I'll try running without the iPod a couple times and see what I'm missing.
    RunningLaur - thanks for the info. I've definitely stepped up my stretching with the physical therapy I'm doing, so I'll stick with that and with my Nimbus friends and hopefully continue to see improvement.

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  7. I like the remix "articifial horizon" by U2. Also, I like David Cook by American Idol, he does a great "Innocent" that makes me want to run harder and be inspired. Also, I like Black Eyed Peas "Tonites Gonna Be A Good Nite"
    Cheers!
    http://www.dailymile.com/people/ootaynee

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  8. here's my current top 5:

    1. Jay-Z - Run This Town

    2. Kanye - Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger

    3. Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country

    4. System of a Down - Chop Suey

    5. Linkin Park - Run Away

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  9. Also.. in running the "shmorty" birthday is refered to as the "Masters" birthday... its that point in the age group awards where all of a sudden people start getting faster!!!

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  10. Somehow I think if I were to let my wife know she has reached 'Masters' status that my knee would be the least of my pain :)

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