Headphones we all have at least a working pair, a dead pair we should throw away but haven’t because it seems such a waste and a pair of Skullcandys that could be sent back for warranty coverage but haven’t bothered to send them off. If you run, walk, workout, watch TV and movies on dvd or streaming, or basically live in the 21st Century you have headphones. If you have ever entered a race be it a 5K or 100 mile Ultramarathon you’ve seen headphones on the course.
Every race FAQ section has guidelines about running with headphones. Every road or trail race discourages use of music players and headphones for the safety of everyone. Every race I’ve entered I have seen people running and walking with headphones despite the warnings. (The exception is triathlon. They are banned completely and using them could get you disqualified for the day and banned from the event for that race’s prescribed amount of time — ranging from one year to lifetime. The reason is a combination of safety — bike courses are nearly always open to traffic and riders need to be able to hear traffic — and what is deemed “outside assistance.” The rhythm and beat help set the cadence for run.)
I don’t often use music while running because I enter triathlons. Music becomes a crutch for keeping pace and keeping one’s mind occupied to make the miles pass more quickly. I need to be able to listen to my own footsteps, breathing, and thoughts without going nuts or getting bored. I have managed to shut down thinking almost completely for miles at a time. It’s actually very liberating, this not thinking thing.
When I do listen I put my Running Mix playlist on shuffle. If I find myself skipping a song too often then I know it’s time to take it off the list. I removed a couple this week and added about 10 more in their place. I don’t have my Running Mix organized in any tangible way, not alphabetically by song or artist, not by release date (the oldest is 1937), not by play count. I have shuffled the storage order to shake up the shuffle algorithm. I don’t know if that changes anything, but let’s just pretend it does.
Here it is, about 70 songs from 1937-2016. Genres range from Big Band to Praise and Worship, Disco, Hard Rock, Ballads and has even included Classical on occasion.
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I’ll be Waiting Adele
Boom, Boom, Pow The Black Eyed Peas
Clocks Coldplay
Big Girls Don’t Cry (personal) Fergie
Blackbird (Glee Cast Version) Glee Cast (Chris Colfer)
Songbird (Glee Cast Version) Glee Cast (Naya Rivera)
Supermassive Black Hole Muse
Suite Madame Blue Styx
Try P!nk
Under Pressure Queen
Come Sail Away Styx
Somebody to Love Queen
We are the Champions Queen
We Will Rock You Queen
Starlight Muse
Fight Song Rachel Platten
Clouds Zach Sobiech
Sunday Tree63
Elevation U2
Let it Go Idina Menzel
Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey
Seasons of Love RENT Motion Picture Soundtrack
Rockin’ the Paradise Styx
The Phoenix Fall Out Boy
We Belong Pat Benatar
Sing, Sing, Sing (Parts 1 & 2, live) Benny Goodman
Tom Sawyer Rush
La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self Indulgence) Rush
In the Mood The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Mamma Mia ABBA
Take a Chance on Me ABBA
Sweet Emotion Aerosmith
Fix You Coldplay
Marathon Rush
China Grove (‘06 remaster) The Doobie Brothers
Just Give Me a Reason P!nk (feat. Nate Ruess)
Sigh No More Joss Whedon (lyrics: Wm. Shakespeare) (feat. Maurissa Tancharoen & Jed Whedon)
Ho Hey The Lumineers
Good Morning Mandisa (feat. TobyMac)
Revelation Song Phillips, Craig & Dean
Finale B (aka No Day but Today) RENT Motion Picture Soundtrack
The Trees Rush
Beautiful Day U2
Sky Spills Over Michael W. Smith
Gimme Shelter Ashley Cleveland
Just Like Heaven The Cure
Gypsy Dance The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Cups (aka When I’m Gone) Anna Kendrick
Backseat Driver TobyMac (feat. Hollyn & Tru)
The River Jordan Feliz
String of Pearls The Glenn Miller Orchestra
My Life Would Suck Without You Kelly Clarkson
Sway Michael Buble’
Uptown Funk Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars)
You Can Call Me Al Paul Simon
Alone Hollyn (feat. Tru)
Come on Eileen Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners
Greater Mercy Me
Orinoco Flow Enya
Creed Third Day
Morning Has Broken Third Day
The Sounds of Silence Simon & Garfunkle
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Chris Rice
Power in the Blood Ashley Cleveland
The Fighter (feat.Ryan Tedder) Gym Class Heroes
Wake Me Up Avicii
A Linda Song Barry Manilow
Copacabana (At the Copa) Barry Manilow
Defying Gravity (Wicked’s Original Cast Recording, 2003) Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel
Gloria Laura Branigan
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*Disclaimer: I don’t own rights to any of the music, lyrics or songs listed below. All songs listed can be found on Google Music as of 29 January 2017. Some may only be available by using their subscription service.
Thick Chicks Run, Too 