New Marathon Playlist

This is the playlist I used for Rockford. It was perfect for that race and that day. Since, I've used sections for a chill run and speedwork. Love it! I usually don't start playing music until a few miles into the race and Rockford was no exception. This gives me a chance to enjoy the energy of the beginning of the race and also to stay really in tune w/ my breathing and my effort level so I don't start too fast.

I hit 'play' around mile 3. I usually start marathon playlists w/ chill but still upbeat songs. This time I chose Miike Snow's newest album. That pulled me through the next hour, to mile 11-12. At that point, it's time to buckle down a bit so I move into some faster songs and songs like 'Show Me What I'm Looking For' and 'Somewhere Only We Know' that aren't super fast but pull you in and inspire you to run hard. Then 'Make This Go On Forever', 'Idioteque' and the 2 Working for a Nuclear Free City songs are a little slower giving me permission to pull back and bit and reassess. In this particular race, I assessed that I should keep up the pace and kick some butt!

Around Mile 12 , I'm ready for a pick-me up. Not quite to the 1/2; still a lot of ground to cover. 'After Hours' is one of my favorite high energy songs ever. This was the first time I've run to it which was really fun. 'Starlight' is another must-have. 'Teen Angst' and 'We Own the Sky' are great songs that encourage a bit of zoning out, a bit of a mental break, but are high energy enough that there's no danger of slowing down during them. 'First Breath After Coma' is that way as well, plus it's a whopping 9 minutes long so I'm just about done with a mile by the time it's over! 'B.O.B' is one of my favorite running sons of all time. Super fun, super fast. At this point I'm near mile 22 and nearly home free!

The next 3 songs- 'Dakota', 'Sweet Disposition', and 'Into the Fire'- are AWESOME! LOVE THEM! Another mile and a half done! At this point, I realized that my play list is WAY too long. I back-loaded a bunch of really fast, motivating songs and realized I wasn't going to get to them if I didn't do some skipping. If I remember correctly, I listened to 'Animal', 'Ghettomusick' (super fast), 'Raise Your Glass', 1901', and OF COURSE 'More'. This is one of my favorite running songs. The beat, the lyrics, just perfect. Katie at Run This Amazing Day recommended it on her blog and I'm so glad she did! I think I ended w/ 'Tonight' and 'Club Can't Handle Me' and for the final ridiculous uphill, an encore of 'More'. 

I hope this provides you with a little inspiration for your own playlists!