Here’s a weird thing.
I think playlist blog posts are so boring, so unoriginal, so lazy (seriously, just take a pic of your playlist and that’s a post?).
On the other hand, I love playlist posts.. because truth is, we runners, same way we go through running shoes fairly quickly, we go through running songs at a way too fast pace.
I mean, if you are running an average of 5 hours a week, that’s 75 songs. And then how many times can you listen to a song, no matter how much you love it, before it starts to annoy the hell out of you? And don’t even get me started about those songs that seem pretty cool at home when you are checking them out on YouTube, but then just suck when you are out on a run?
And all that rant is the reason why I’m constantly looking for new songs, so a big THANK YOU, to every blogger who’s ever done a boring and lazy playlist post. Like I’m about to do.
Here’s the playlist that literally got me through my 10K PR last Friday, they are my favorite running songs right now, all of them are AWESOME.
Especially the last 3 songs, I ran the whole race just waiting to hear those. And seriously, my fastest KMs ever.
Links to YouTube:
Which running songs are you loving lately?
2 Cups 'N Run 
Love both the Carley Rae Jepson song and Enrique! Ditto what you said…anything that makes me move is a good song. You should look up Gold Rush by Clinton Sparks! A little slower, but still good.
I will check it out! I have another race coming up in 3 weeks and I need at least a few new songs to refresh my playlist.
Currently loving Katy Perry’s Roar but my all-time favourite running track is Gabriella Cilmi’s On a Mission. It got me through a tough spot during my first ever marathon and it always makes me feel good.
That’s a good song, I hadn’t heard it before… I’m not always up with everything that’s out. I’ll have to put it on my playlist for a while, looks like it’d be perfect for running.
I heard it again on my long run today. It always makes me smile. Enjoy!
I am actually a podcast or audiobook girl! I find that the music messes with my pacing when running. I usually listen to the Jillian Michaels, Freakonomics, or Kinetic Revolution podcast. I’ll listen to music when I’m doing strength training or HIIT.
I still haven’t tried listening to podcasts.. I want to.. Although I do love my music.
Most of the songs you mentioned fit in my usual training playlist.
I recently ran a Half Marathon in honor of nyrr’s Fred Lebow and they said they were going to have classical music (Fred’s favorite) at the start.
So one day for my long run, instead of listening to my usual playlist I played a classical station in Pandora. I didn’t think that was going to last but I ended up running 10 miles listening to classical music, it helped me stay relaxed and to take it easy the whole time, I loved it.
Sounds cool. I need a new IPod that I can make playlists on so I can try different genres but also go back to my usual music if I need to.
It’s so true! Music is such a huge part of running and I do love a good shared playlist. I was laughing about the songs you think will be great and then suck on the run – yep, been there!! Thanks for the list – there’s a few on there I don’t have – sweet!!
Found you though NYCRunningMama – so glad I did!
Hope you try the songs in my list that you don’t have, and that you love them both at home and on a run! 🙂
I’ve never run with music. I’d like to know how it is. I keep a pretty good pace without music by listening to my body and periodically looking at my watch. I will try the music runs.
You should definitely try it and see if it works for you. I can’t run without music, but on the other hand love swimming without music so I can think and hear the sounds around me.
“How many times can you listen to a song, no matter how much you love it, before it starts to annoy the hell out of you?” I think you have just nailed why I don’t run with music. I tried it for like a week in 2008 and it made me want to shoot myself. So now it’s all audiobooks, all the time (except when it’s pod casts). 🙂
Wish I could pull books/podcasts off but I can’t.. I need rhythm.
I have several of those songs on my main playlist. Every race I try to add a few new songs. For Surf City, “Counting Stars” was one of my adds (although I trimmed off the slow open). For each race I have a long mix and then I have a special “last three miles” mix of nothing but my faves for motivation that I click on if things are going really well or getting tough.
Counting Stars was also a new one for this race, and I also fast forward the first few seconds… I thought I could deal wit the slow start but it was a race, and I couldn’t.
Great minds think alike!
I don’t run with music anymore. I’ve been thinking that I should try it out again one of these days, as a comparison to see if it affects my pace. But I’ve kinda fallen in love with just listening to the soundtrack around me and getting lost in my thoughts.
That would be really interesting as an experiment, I always run with music, but I can feel the difference in pace between a song I like and a song I love.
I am constantly on the search for new running songs; I need to change up my playlist every week or else I go crazy (except I never EVER change the first song on the playlist, and yet I always skip it). I usually just get top 40 songs I would never listen to otherwise, but one song that I’m going to download for my race this weekend is Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose.” My bootcamp instructor played it super loud when we were doing treadmill sprints and I swear I’ve never run so fast and felt so motivated!
I’m Youtubing (is that a word, LOL) that song now, I’m always looking for more songs too.
I’m building my running playlists right now so I only have about 20 songs, but the songs that keep my running right now is Timber (I know it’s a Pitbull song, but I’m all about Ke$ha) and The Police, Message in a Bottle.
I have Timber on my playlist too (although it didn’t make it to 10K playlist)… I love Pitbull’s songs, they have so much rhythm.. as long as a song gets me moving, that’s all I care about.
Thanks for this. Believe it or not I’ve never used an ipod while running but I’ve been thinking I need to. Maybe this will get me over the hump…
You should definitely give it a try and see what happens!
One that I have loved for the past 5 months, and listen to on almost every run, is Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars. Although lately I’ve been loving to run to classic rock from my jr high and high school days – Led Zeppelin, Yes, Aerosmith.
Thanks for the suggestion, will listen to it (when it’s not 5 AM and everyone’s sleeping) 🙂 I too sometimes like to listen to old songs that I used to love, although they get old fairly quick.
I got my PR for a half on Sunday. First up on the playlist was “Right Now” by Van Halen. Probably overworked by many a runner, but it worked for me. On Top of The World (Imagine Dragons) kept the gears going at mile 7. And then Till I Collapse (Eminem) and All I Do Is Win (DJ Khaled) finished it off.
Thanks for the suggestions and good luck on your PR!
I love playlists posts! I had my headphones plugged in to the treadmill TV at the gym and the channel set to the music channel the other day and did EXTRA intervals because a video came on that I really liked. I’d never seen it before, I loved the song and wanted to know who it was so I could download it later. The song was called “F For You” by Disclosure feat. Mary J. Blige.
As much as I love music though, I don’t run with headphones for safety when I’m outside.
Good call not to run with headphones outside. I thought of that too, but I still run with music.. That songs is really good, hadn’t heard it before. I’m getting it today.
I had a crazy run yesterday listening to old blues music and the majority of the tunes suited the cruising space mostly at my steps going double time. Try it sometime for a different experience! If you want a running dance party, a little Beyoncé, Run the world goes off haha
Sometimes I listen to other genres for slower long runs, you are right that it’s so nice to try something different. And I used to love that Beyonce song, listened to it way to many times.