I love compiling running playlists (RP)! If I’m purchasing music now, it’s usually through the lens of ‘can I run to this?’ Boredom and Flagging Willpower are my nemeses, and the RP is carefully crafted to avoid/de-escalate these run-killers. I’ll write a post sometime about the classic playlist, the trial and error that went into that, but, for today, this is what I listened to, how it worked, and why I chose it.
What? The ‘Rebel Rebel’ Alexa Chung Run– 26 minutes at a slightly to very inappropriate pace for someone who is just at the end of a chest cold and hasn’t hit the treadmill in a week. TV: ‘World’s Strictest Parents’
Oh, so you want the songs?
1. ‘A Beautiful Lie’ by (of course) 30STM. The treadmill plug-in I use plays songs alphabetically. This worked really well as an unexpected start song last week since it has just a bit of ‘screaminess’ and propulsion.
2. ‘I Know What I Am’ Band of Skulls. Classic second song. Usually I think about how many minutes I have left, and how it will be a long slog. The lyrics are what makes it and remind me that 26 minutes is a piece of cake for me: But I know what I am/ain’t no wonder/so let me be and But it’s all right/it’s ok/I got the time/but the time don’t pay
3. ‘From Yesterday’ 30 STM. This song shouldn’t work at the third position, cos it starts so slow and stays so throughout, yet it really does the job. I chose it because the third song last time was ‘Shut Up and Let Me Go’ by the Ting Tings, which I loved, but I felt that the structure was very similar to ‘I Know What I Am’. I love the line ’on his face is a map of the world‘ since traveling is my raison d’etre. So I get to ruminate about that and think about China and there’s a lot of screaminess.
4. ‘Sweetness’ Jimmy Eat World. The gamble today. Though there’s no real lyrical push, it’s still a strong, propulsive segue into
5. ‘The Fixer’ Pearl Jam. The lynchpin–at this point, I’m onto the second half and it’s a great kick of motivation: when something’s gone[my resolve! my gutsiness!], i want to fight to get it back again. if something’s lost, i want to fight to get it back again.
6. ‘When You Were Young’ The Killers. Not a star performer today; I think it’s because I was putting off listening to the next song. This was one of my WBRU post it selections. And I was sooo excited cos I save most of running songs simply for the ‘mill,, so as not to get utterly sick of them, but I forgot it last week. Sigh…I’ll have to figure this one out
7. ‘I Still Remember’ Bloc Party. This is my most loved song, and I was seriously anticipating it. Fail! Which sucked, and it’s really only because I put it in the wrong position, the last song. It doesn’t have enough screaminess to carry me through that devastating four minutes of dripping sweat, heat exhaustion, and pained lungs. So I had to switch to…
8. ‘Kings and Queens’ 30 STM. Not enough time left for the screaminess to kick in.
[...] 1. ‘A Beautiful Lie’ 30STM. [...]