Running

Running Songs that Are Great After You’ve Been Out There For Too Long But Probably Not Long Enough and Gone Too Far but Probably Not Far Enough But that’s Okay that’s All Right It’s All Good and Today Is Not the Kind of Day Where You’re Going to Beat Yourself Up Though Maybe You Ought to But You Just Shake Your Head and Smile and Say Fuck It, It Was a Good Run, It Was a Good Time, I Feel Fine and There’s No More Need to Think About It, Other than I Feel Fine

in Music, Running

“Sunspot Baby” by Bob Seger
“She gave me a false address, took off with my American Express, Sunspot Baby, she sure had me way outguessed” — Too damn good.

“Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot

“Sunday Girl” by Blondie
Please keep speaking in French to me for the rest of my life, Debbie Harry.

“Girlfriend in a Coma” by The Smiths

“Walk Like an Egyptian” by The Bangles

“Whisper to a Scream” by The Icicle Works

“Pure” by Lightening Seeds
I don’t know why I like it but I have to admit that I do. It’s like that horribly annoying jingle that that helps keep that climber going in Touching the Void even though his leg is broken and he’s delirious and pretty sure he’s been left for dead with no chance of being rescued.

“Take Your Mama” by Scissor Sisters

“Kodachrome” by Paul Simon

“Werewolves in London” by Warren Zevon
“He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook’s. Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein” — too damn good times ten. Always, always brings a smile to my face.

Running Songs that Are Great After You Got a Late Start After a Really Shitty Horrible Terrible Day and You Went Further Than You Thought You Were Going to Go and the Sun Has Just Set and No One Is Around and It’s Probably Not Safe To Be In this Particular Deserted Area When It’s Getting So Dark But You Feel Like You Can See What You Need to See and Everything Is Going to be All Right at Least for the Rest of this Night

in Music, Running

“We Are Nowhere and It’s Now by Bright Eyes (with Emmylou Harris)

“Fake Empire” by The National

“Nightswimming” by R.E.M.

“There’s A Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)” – Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack

“Lilies of the Valley” by Jun Miyake

“We Belong” by Pat Benatar

“Runaway” by The National

“No One Is To Blame” by Howard Jones

“Wake Up” by Arcade Fire

“Mad World” by Michael Andrews & Gary Jules (Donnie Darko soundtrack)

“Waves of Mutilation” (UK Surf Mix) by The Pixies

“Good to Be On the Road Back Home” by Cornershop

Please DJ Play These Songs at Mile 12 of the Half Marathon Because I Almost Broke Down in Tears During Mile 11 (Okay Miles 8 Though 11) and Also the Only Thing My Legs Feel Right Now Is a Shooting Pain that Electrifies All The Way Up Into the Back of My Skull Every Time My Feet Land on the Pavement

in Running

“Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson

“Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees

“Don’t Bring Me Down” by ELO

“Going the Distance” (from Rocky, of course) by Bill Conti

“Born to Hand Jive” by Sha Na Na

“Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

“Paper Planes” by M.I.A.

“Mountain Song” by Jane’s Addiction

“She’s So Cold” by The Rolling Stones

“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor

Running Songs That Are Great When You Want to Imagine That You Are Running In Slow Motion in Some Kind of Triumphant Moment in Which You Are All Alone But Somehow People Are Watching You and Are Amazed.

in Running

“Tick of the Clock” by Chromatics

“We Are Young” by Fun.

“Chariots of Fire” by Vangelis (of course)

“Dream Operator” by Talking Heads

“Teardrop” by Massive Attack

“Everyday is Like Sunday” by Morrissey

“World Leader Pretend” by R.E.M.

“Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne

“Hold Your Head Up” by Argent

“Heroes” by David Bowie

Start of the 2012 Al Gordon Classic

in Prospect Park, Running

Photo taken Feb. 25, 2012, in Prospect Park.

Manhattan Half-Marathon January 2012

in Photos, Running

Of course the first snowstorm of 2012 was going to happen on the day of the Manhattan Half-Marathon in Central Park. It was cold, snow was falling, and the road conditions were a bit slippery. All of this made the run a bit more difficult. Those questions you ask yourself while running long distance runs, such as “Why why why in the fuck did I decide to do this?” stream through your head with a bit more urgency. The worst part for me is my non-waterproof gloves (great planning on my part, as usual) got soaked-through and my fingers were pretty much frozen to the bone for maybe 8 of the 13.1 miles. But in the end, such things just make finishing the race that much sweeter — the longer the distance, the more pain in your legs (and arms and back and neck), the more incredible it feels to run across that finish line. Would I do it again? Hell yeah I would do it again. But next time, I’ll wear better gloves.

Berlin’s The Metro Is A Great Running Song

in Music, Running

Synthesizes an energy overload that allows you to pick up the pace and ride a new wave to the finish line without taking your breath away.

Mountain Song by Jane’s Addiction Is A Great Running Song

in Music, Running

Even these obnoxious music snobs agree:

Steppin’ Out By Joe Jackson Is A Great Running Song

in Music, Running

This song is a rush, with a beat that pushes, but there’s also a very floaty, dreamy quality to the tune. Good for long strides on a sunny day.

“Ring of Fire” by Social Distortion is a Great Running Song

in Music, Running

This song just flat out helps pick up the pace. The vocals surf a perfect ride on top of the music. Burns, Burns, Burns. That Ring of Fire.

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