A few years ago, I started making playlists for my big running races. These playlists are very carefully put together and are the length of the time I want to finish the race in. So then my goal is to beat my playlist. The lists always end with Journey's "Don't Stop Believin.'" I haven't made a list to beat in a long long time, possibly as many as 2.5 years because I have not been healthy enough to shoot for a PR since then. Last week began the task of making my playlist. I kept a list and sent myself reminders whenever I thought of more songs that would be good to have on it. This list ended up having 60 songs, and being 4.2 hours long. I'm annoyed because windows media player used to give you exact time, but now it only gives you tenths of an hour. That really bothers us ocd types, but I just let it be because 4.2 hours was definitely a PR, I just wasn't sure exactly how long...was it really 4.16 hours, or 4.24 hours? Regardless I knew it was 4:15 or faster and that I'd be thrilled with anything near that time.
Here's a brief rundown of some of the songs on that list and what I remember about them:
#1: "Ready to Run" Dixie Chicks - this one is fun and upbeat and the title says it all...the song is actually about running from boys, but that's a small detail
#2: "Rain King" Counting Crows - I love this song. Not sure why and not entirely sure I could tell you what exactly it is about. It used to be my "pump it up" song on the way to jump day at ski tournaments. I used it to psych myself up and try to clear the fear of jumping from my head. I also thought it appropriate for this day because of the rain. However, it hadn't started raining by song #2.
#3 "Sunrise" Norah Jones - this is a very soothing, calming song that I love. I don't remember hearing a whole lot of this song, but just knew it would be a good one for very early on.
#5 "Every Girl" Turnpike Troubadours - I LOVE THIS BAND. Enough said.
#7 "You Are The Best Thing" Ray Lamontagne - he's hot.
#9 "Live Forever" Cory Morrow - I've been listening to this song for a good 8-9 years and it is a very happy, upbeat song. Cory covered it on his cd with Pat Green. Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote it, has recently released another version of it that they are playing a fair bit here. I kind of feel like I can live forever when I do this stuff.
#10 "Blue Clear Sky" George Strait - I accidentally pressed the back button during this one - worried I'd ruined the whole plan. I think I got it straightened out pretty quickly. Unfortunately there wasn't remotely a blue clear sky!
#12"Heavenly Day" Patty Griffin - She has a beautiful voice and any day that you get to do a marathon, especially with the kind of support I had, is a heavenly day.
#22 "Real World" Matchbox 20 - flashback to being 16
#25 "Born to Run" Bruce Springstein - questioned whether or not I was born to run that day or not
#26 "The Weary Kind" Ryan Bingham - I heart Ryan Bingham. The tune is a little slow, but the words very appropriate: "And this ain't no place for the weary kind. And this ain't no place to lose your mind. And this ain't no place to fall behind. Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try."
#29 "Lose Yourself" Eminem - I remember this playing after I turned onto University and I thought about the awesome wrapper we know around here as Maggalicious. I also remembered how good of a beat it has to run to.
#33 "The River" Garth Brooks - this one makes me laugh and makes my heart warm - Marianne and I used to see who could sing it louder in the shower at Camp Olympia.
#34 "Like a Child" Jars of Clay - I always like to have this one when I race...it is a good reminder to have faith in God and myself - the song is about moving mountains with faith like a child
#36 "Little Lion Man" Mumford and Sons - I first heard this song and band on one of my early summer visits to Austin - when I knew I wanted to move here but had not laid the groundwork for it yet. I really like this band and this song has an awesome beat.
#39 "7&7" Turnpike Troubadours - once again, I LOVE THEM. This one has a line in the chorus I like: "I had no clue I'd be the boy who your momma warned you about."
#46 "Heavenly Father" Billy Sprague - one I grew up singing at Camp O. Brings me back to very happy times.
#47 "Hurricane" Bob Dylan - fast beat and 8+ minutes long. I knew I'd be almost a mile further along the course after listening to this one.
#49 "Clocks" Cold Play - I know I listened to this one in my first marathon. It has a good running beat as well.
#53 "The Best of What's Around" Dave Matthews - this one came on not long after Kim and Tiffany hopped in to run me in. Perfect timing. This song starts off with "Hey my friend, it seems your eyes are troubled, care to share your time with me?" My eyes and every other part of my body were troubled by this point and sharing my time with Kim and Tiffany was wonderful. The song continues on "turns out not where but who you are with that really matters and hurts not much when you're around." I know we ran up one of the hills on Allen Parkway during this song and no doubt the fact I was with them made the fact I was dying at mile 24 of a marathon running uphill not matter.
#55 "Whole Damn Town" Turnpike Troubadours - third and last installment of this group, who I happened to see live last Wednesday. This one is along the lines of "the whole damn town is in love with you" (guy and girl breakup and he's lamenting that the whole damn town now loves her). I kind of felt like Houston was in love with me Sunday - it was so awesome seeing so many familiar faces on the sidelines the entire way on Sunday. I was in love with that whole damn town as well...well at least my heart was...my legs maybe not so much.
#56 "I'll Fly Away" Willie Nelson - wow. I cried. When we sat down at Grandmother's funeral, I opened the hymnal and the lyrics to this hymn were printed on a separate piece of paper in the front of the hymnal. Immediately I regretted not thinking of that song for her service. I was kicking myself for it and still am. I heard it on KVET's Sunday gospel morning show the next day as well and decided that I would definitely have to have that song on my playlist as a way to remember Grandmother while I was out there. I told Kim and Tiffany that I was crying but that I couldn't cry because I couldn't still breathe and run and cry at the same time. It was comical I'm sure - they were both like "oh no! why are you crying?!?! are you okay?!?!" I was just a mess and tried to say they were happy tears, thinking of Charlie and Grandmother, or more like somewhat planned sappy tears.
#57 "Beautiful" Christina Aguilera - normally I like this song during races, but normally I have it earlier in the list. I was annoyed with it on Sunday, thinking I wasn't so much beautiful at mile 25 of this marathon!
#58 "Long Day" Matchbox 20 - um, ya think?
#59 "A Little Revival" Radney Foster - this is the last song I heard, as I was coming down Lamar towards the finish. The crowds were getting louder and louder, drowning out my music. This is a gospel song of sorts by another one of my absolute favs. Radney absolutely rocks.
#60 "Don't Stop Believin'" Journey - never heard it. That, my friends, means I was successful in meeting my goal. It may have come on when I was in the finishers chute, but I never heard it. It was too loud and I was too done.
Next up, Austin Half Marathon. I may have to bring excel into the making of that playlist because I have a much more precise goal there. I'll have a real race report for this one soon.
Here's a brief rundown of some of the songs on that list and what I remember about them:
#1: "Ready to Run" Dixie Chicks - this one is fun and upbeat and the title says it all...the song is actually about running from boys, but that's a small detail
#2: "Rain King" Counting Crows - I love this song. Not sure why and not entirely sure I could tell you what exactly it is about. It used to be my "pump it up" song on the way to jump day at ski tournaments. I used it to psych myself up and try to clear the fear of jumping from my head. I also thought it appropriate for this day because of the rain. However, it hadn't started raining by song #2.
#3 "Sunrise" Norah Jones - this is a very soothing, calming song that I love. I don't remember hearing a whole lot of this song, but just knew it would be a good one for very early on.
#5 "Every Girl" Turnpike Troubadours - I LOVE THIS BAND. Enough said.
#7 "You Are The Best Thing" Ray Lamontagne - he's hot.
#9 "Live Forever" Cory Morrow - I've been listening to this song for a good 8-9 years and it is a very happy, upbeat song. Cory covered it on his cd with Pat Green. Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote it, has recently released another version of it that they are playing a fair bit here. I kind of feel like I can live forever when I do this stuff.
#10 "Blue Clear Sky" George Strait - I accidentally pressed the back button during this one - worried I'd ruined the whole plan. I think I got it straightened out pretty quickly. Unfortunately there wasn't remotely a blue clear sky!
#12"Heavenly Day" Patty Griffin - She has a beautiful voice and any day that you get to do a marathon, especially with the kind of support I had, is a heavenly day.
#22 "Real World" Matchbox 20 - flashback to being 16
#25 "Born to Run" Bruce Springstein - questioned whether or not I was born to run that day or not
#26 "The Weary Kind" Ryan Bingham - I heart Ryan Bingham. The tune is a little slow, but the words very appropriate: "And this ain't no place for the weary kind. And this ain't no place to lose your mind. And this ain't no place to fall behind. Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try."
#29 "Lose Yourself" Eminem - I remember this playing after I turned onto University and I thought about the awesome wrapper we know around here as Maggalicious. I also remembered how good of a beat it has to run to.
#33 "The River" Garth Brooks - this one makes me laugh and makes my heart warm - Marianne and I used to see who could sing it louder in the shower at Camp Olympia.
#34 "Like a Child" Jars of Clay - I always like to have this one when I race...it is a good reminder to have faith in God and myself - the song is about moving mountains with faith like a child
#36 "Little Lion Man" Mumford and Sons - I first heard this song and band on one of my early summer visits to Austin - when I knew I wanted to move here but had not laid the groundwork for it yet. I really like this band and this song has an awesome beat.
#39 "7&7" Turnpike Troubadours - once again, I LOVE THEM. This one has a line in the chorus I like: "I had no clue I'd be the boy who your momma warned you about."
#46 "Heavenly Father" Billy Sprague - one I grew up singing at Camp O. Brings me back to very happy times.
#47 "Hurricane" Bob Dylan - fast beat and 8+ minutes long. I knew I'd be almost a mile further along the course after listening to this one.
#49 "Clocks" Cold Play - I know I listened to this one in my first marathon. It has a good running beat as well.
#53 "The Best of What's Around" Dave Matthews - this one came on not long after Kim and Tiffany hopped in to run me in. Perfect timing. This song starts off with "Hey my friend, it seems your eyes are troubled, care to share your time with me?" My eyes and every other part of my body were troubled by this point and sharing my time with Kim and Tiffany was wonderful. The song continues on "turns out not where but who you are with that really matters and hurts not much when you're around." I know we ran up one of the hills on Allen Parkway during this song and no doubt the fact I was with them made the fact I was dying at mile 24 of a marathon running uphill not matter.
#55 "Whole Damn Town" Turnpike Troubadours - third and last installment of this group, who I happened to see live last Wednesday. This one is along the lines of "the whole damn town is in love with you" (guy and girl breakup and he's lamenting that the whole damn town now loves her). I kind of felt like Houston was in love with me Sunday - it was so awesome seeing so many familiar faces on the sidelines the entire way on Sunday. I was in love with that whole damn town as well...well at least my heart was...my legs maybe not so much.
#56 "I'll Fly Away" Willie Nelson - wow. I cried. When we sat down at Grandmother's funeral, I opened the hymnal and the lyrics to this hymn were printed on a separate piece of paper in the front of the hymnal. Immediately I regretted not thinking of that song for her service. I was kicking myself for it and still am. I heard it on KVET's Sunday gospel morning show the next day as well and decided that I would definitely have to have that song on my playlist as a way to remember Grandmother while I was out there. I told Kim and Tiffany that I was crying but that I couldn't cry because I couldn't still breathe and run and cry at the same time. It was comical I'm sure - they were both like "oh no! why are you crying?!?! are you okay?!?!" I was just a mess and tried to say they were happy tears, thinking of Charlie and Grandmother, or more like somewhat planned sappy tears.
#57 "Beautiful" Christina Aguilera - normally I like this song during races, but normally I have it earlier in the list. I was annoyed with it on Sunday, thinking I wasn't so much beautiful at mile 25 of this marathon!
#58 "Long Day" Matchbox 20 - um, ya think?
#59 "A Little Revival" Radney Foster - this is the last song I heard, as I was coming down Lamar towards the finish. The crowds were getting louder and louder, drowning out my music. This is a gospel song of sorts by another one of my absolute favs. Radney absolutely rocks.
#60 "Don't Stop Believin'" Journey - never heard it. That, my friends, means I was successful in meeting my goal. It may have come on when I was in the finishers chute, but I never heard it. It was too loud and I was too done.
Next up, Austin Half Marathon. I may have to bring excel into the making of that playlist because I have a much more precise goal there. I'll have a real race report for this one soon.
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