Coldplay

For two years in a row now, Adam and I have been able to see Coldplay as part of our wedding anniversary celebration. But this time, WE WERE IN THE FRONT!! I knew it was going to be awesome and it was everything I hoped it was going to be.

I was first introduced to Coldplay by my brother. Back in college in the '90s (yeah, I'm old), the only access I had to music was ready bad radio stations in Champaign, Illinois, random CD purchases where you buy an album and hope for the best and my little brother. The latter was definitely the most reliable. The situation got even worse when I moved to rural Mississippi. You can imagine the music choices there:)

So I owe thanks to Garrett for sending me a burned album of Coldplay Parachutes years and years ago. My love for Coldplay has only grown over the years. They are great to run to, great to work to, great to rock out to with the top down in the convertible. Great to sing along to. And they are fantastic performers, really great. Chris Martin is a typical rock star in the best sense. Sweaty, jumping around, working the crowd, a true performer. We saw them last year at Lollapalooza and they were absolutely amazing. One of the few groups I'd be willing to deal with the unwashed masses of Lolla youngsters for.

But last Wednesday night, we didn't even have to that. We had a leisurely dinner with some friends and - due to insider information- made our way over the the concert arriving exactly 5 minutes before the show started (which was 1.5 hours later than the posted time). And we were in the 2nd row. THE 2ND ROW...FROM THE STAGE! The whole concert experience made me feel like a teenager. In a good way. I was screaming, I was dancing, I was so excited and I just couldn't stop smiling. The show would have been great no matter the seats but being right in front, not straining to see, not wishing I had binoculars, was so absolutely incredible.

I remember being in high school going to concerts staring at the folks in the front rows wondering if they really appreciated being there. Did they enjoy it enough to really deserve those seats? Sometimes, front seats would be empty! I could never understand that. But I can say with 100% certainly, that I enjoyed those seats as much as anyone could. I can't remember the last time I was so excited!!!

The show was great. The special effects were really fun- lot's of confetti, the usual light shows. Everyone got wrist bands that lit up to the beat of the music during certain songs, creating an absolute stunning display in the cavernous space of the United Center. They played all the key songs. Let's face it, almost all their songs are key songs. For one of their encores, they placed themselves in a back corner of the stadium which was great- folks who had mediocre seats suddenly were so close to Chris Martin that they could touch him. That was really cool.

I can't thank Todd enough for remembering my love for Coldplay and essentially getting Adam and I such an amazing 9th wedding anniversary present. He had no idea it was our 9th wedding anniversary, but sure enough, Coldplay night was our 9th anniversary eve which made the night all the more special. Thanks, Todd!

Me, Adam's left arm and Chris Martin. :)

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!