I was finally changing into my running clothes and fumbling to put on my runner’s watch. I’m left-handed and always wear my wristwatch on my left hand. However, when running, my left-handed running sister-in-law (an elite runner and one of my running heroes) advised me to wear my running watch on my right wrist, because starting, stopping and hitting the split button when you’re tired, out of breath and fatigued is much easier to do with the hand you’re most coordinated and steady with. (Sounds like a weird little tip, but trust me, it really helps me keep more accurate time of my pace.) Anyhow, I was so antsy to get out the door I couldn’t quite get my watch on. My husband watched me fumble with the band four times and finally said, “You want me to do that for you?” “No,” I replied, shaking my head in frustration, “I got it.” Finally, I managed to secure it and I clipped my ipod on, hit play and headed outside.
As Long As We Got Love (Javier Colon featuring Natasha Bedingfield) “…Girl we’ve got somethin’ that keeps reminding us we don’t need nothin’ as long as we got love. Believe it. I mean it. You know we’ll always have enough as long as we got love.” This is a great easy-breezy song to get me going on my run. I usually start out slow to warm up, so this laid back beat does just the trick. And, you know me and my feelings about love… you've got to find the love to succeed. I have a love-hate relationship with running. This song makes me start out feeling the love.
I jogged along, smiling because I was finally running. I felt a tingling sensation work its way through my arms, down my legs and into my toes – a precursor to even better feelings that I knew were on the horizon. Around the 5-minute mark, I started to run just a tad faster now that I felt warmed up. Feeling a little feisty, the perfect song came on.
“Naughty Naughty” (Porcelain Black) “ …Definitely not an angel, but I’m not that evil ya know...I’m getting’ sucked into the night and outta hand and losin’ control…ya get me wrong ya get me right ya know that I can never say no…” This techno rock, bad girl song with the crowd chanting “HEYYY!” in the background just gets my jets going. Near the end, I’m heading into mile two and, unfortunately, I’ve got the wind at my face. Just when it becomes a challenge, I’m reminded of one of the things I love about running. It’s all me. The falls of my feet. The pumping of my heart and control of my breath. My pace. How far I go (or not go). It’s mine.
“Part of Me” (Katy Perry) – “Days like this I want to drive away. Pack my backs and watch your shadow fade. You chewed me up and spit me out …But that was then and this is now. This is the part of me that you’re never gonna ever take away from me, no. Throw your sticks and your stones, throw your bombs and your blows but you’re not gonna break my soul. This is the part of me that you’re never gonna take away from me.”
I run because I can. I run to be healthy. I run to clear my head. I run to catch up with old friends and to meet new ones. I run for those who can't. I run for my soul. I run for me. I’m feeling a bit winded and slow for a 20-second walk break and my body forces me to take a couple of yawns (as I sometimes do while I’m running – especially against the wind), when I’m re-energized with this little diddy:
“Starships” (Niki Manaj) “…Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky. Can’t stop ‘cause we’re so high. Let’s do this one more time.” The driving club beat pushes me onward as I near the end of mile two with the wind at my back and head strong into mile three. Now turning my focus to my foot turn-over (i.e. increasing my pace by taking more steps per minute, instead of lengthening my stride) I’m breathing harder and I’m greeted with this tween-pop song:
“What Makes You Beautiful” (One Direction) “You’re insecure. Don’t know what for. You’re turnin’ heads when you walk through the door. Don’t need make up, to cover up. Being the way that you are is enough…” The bubblegum-pop sound just makes me smile and be-bop my way down the sidewalk as I run past the local ice cream shop and groove along heading into my third mile. Laugh if you must, but just try not to bounce in your chair while you listen to this boy band beat.
Just when I think I might be getting a little tired, the next song reinforces one of my core beliefs.
“Glad You Came” (The Wanted) “…My universe will never be the same, I’m glad you came.” Fifty percent of life is showing up. I showed up for my run. More importantly, my run showed up for me. It was giving me more than words can explain. It’s a feeling. And you’ll never get it, unless you run. As I eased up my pace for a bit, I was empowered once again to push it when the sexy rock guitars of this next tune rang through my ear buds.
“Supermassive Black Hole” (Muse) Muse is cool. For me, this song is more motivating because of its edge rather than it’s lyrics. And also because I think of super-fast speedy vampires playing baseball since it was used in the thunderball scene in “Twilight.” Come on…running as fast as a vampire? That’s good stuff. I can’t help but want to add some pep to my step and I always run faster to this song.
“Put Your Hands On Me” (Joss Stone) As I finish out my mile three, I groove along to Joss Stone’s bluesy-hip tune. It’s just plain sexy. And when I’m sweatin’ and pantin’ and pushing my muscles to do the things they were meant to do, this song just makes me feel sexy when I run. (Even though, I’m pretty sure I look like a big, out-of-breath dork, and not at all the least bit attractive.)
Going along with that same feeling of strength, I rock out to the next song while I head into mile four, concentrating once again on my foot turn-over. Drat. The wind. I forgot about the wind. Mile 4 was a repeat of mile 2. It gusted and pushed against my struggling body and I pushed back with all of my might.
“Wild Ones” (Flo - Rida featuring Sia) (Okay, before I go on, I have to point out that the artist on this song has the dumbest name. Florida? Really? You named yourself after a state and thought that was a good idea? Ugh. But that’s another blog topic…) Regardless of the ridiculousness of his name, he can put out some great music. “Hey I heard you were a wild one. If I took you home it’d be a home run…I am a wild one tame me now, running with wolves and I’m on the prowl.”
Just as I thought the wind was going to get the best of me, the most perfect girl-power song came on and I fought harder.
“Stronger” (Kelly Clarkson) “…You think you got the best of me? You think you’ve had the last laugh? Bet you think that everything good is gone? Think you left me broken down? ...Baby you don’t know me cause you’re dead wrong…What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller…what doesn’t kill you makes a fighter.” How could I slow up on my rage against the wind with this kind of song pushing me forward? I ran harder. Wind-Schmind!
As I headed into the last half-mile, wind and all, I was accompanied by “Drive By” (Train) and its happy up-beat melody carried me back to my driveway as I ran harder still, high on the feeling that my run was about to end. I always get a burst of energy at the end of the run. Even if I don’t really want to, its the part of my run where I push the hardest and sprint to the end. I was always taught to finish strong – no matter the task. Finish strong.
“Oh I swear to ya, I’ll be there for ya. This is not a drive-by… When you move me, everything is groovy, they don’t like it sue me.”
I hit my driveway and stopped my watch. 42:22. I smiled. A nice, solid training run. I felt invigorated. I felt relaxed. I felt full of life. As I walked to my car to lean against it to do some stretches, “Beautiful Freaks” by Hot Chelle Rae rang through my ears and I actually laughed out loud. Because sometimes, I think that all runners are kind of beautiful freaks. “All you beautiful freaks, just grab somebody and light the place up…”
I’ve got a lot of other favorite running songs, but today, these songs in particular spoke to me on my run. Who knows what challenges, joys, sorrows, tragedies or triumphs tomorrow will bring. But today…today these songs told me I was good enough. Today, I was strong enough. Today, I did something for me. Today, I can run.
“Music is the shorthand of emotion.” - Leo Tolstoy