You know you're a running machine when ..,

[iain-strachan]

... you've got a playlist you can follow the beat to, and it's "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller. Always brings a smile to my face. So you're running along to the beat, and right in the middle of In The Mood there is a long sustained note on the trombone and nothing else - kind of teasing. And all you can hear is the note and the pat pat pat of your feet as they hit the pavement. Then when the beat comes back it coincides precisely with your foot hitting the pavement, and you've kept time perfectly! Such a good feeling! (I'm not a musician, BTW)

Did the 6k run from Week 2 of JuJu's magic plan (yeah, I jumped on the bus at a different time from everyone else it seems). I kept it really slow and steady. The playlist is a whole collection of songs at 160 bpm - a little lower than my normal cadence and so makes for a relaxed, enjoyable run. And so many classic songs that are great to run to by the Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Monkees, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Paul Simon, Blondie. Probably the best ever for running to is I'm a Believer, with In the Mood as a close second.

So ... next week it's going to be 7 Km .. that's already almost half way across the "bridge".

[Oldgirlruns Graduate10]

Some fabulous music in there I-s! I have stuff on shuffle and every so often something comes up that I’d never have thought of as a running tune but hey presto it is!

[Stephen_UK Graduate10]

Great post. As a music obsessive I’d be interested to know exactly which songs you run to. I have a huge playlist of running favourites and The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Paul Simon and Blondie all feature in mine too among many others. I especially recommend ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ by the Stones, ‘Rapture’ by Blondie, ‘The Obvious Child’ by Paul Simon and ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ by Led Zep.

[Franglaise Graduate10 in reply to Stephen_UK]

Im having a running rest day today and you have inspired me to do a new playlist...going to try all these suggestions

[Hidden in reply to Franglaise]

What songs will you use?

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to Stephen_UK]

They are all on a Spotify playlist "Runner's club 160 bpm" here's a selection of the ones I found the best:

Can't run but (Paul Simon). - great sense of humour by whoever composed the list to put this one first!

I love you Suzanne - Lou Reed

Dreaming - Blondie

In the mood - Glenn Miller

Fun fun fun - The Beach Boys

I saw her standing there - The Beatles

Paint it black - The Rolling Stones

Barbara Ann - The Beach Boys

The Boys are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy

Zombie - The Cranberries

We will rock you - Queen

The thing is, outside of running I normally listen to Classical music, but I find it doesn't work so well for running - you really need something with a constant tempo. So this playlist has reconnected me with the songs that I've heard in the past that stick in the mind.

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to Stephen_UK]

The Paul Simon song sounds very good for running - if you can match the 180 bpm pace. (I checked it out with the Metronome Beats app which has a feature where you can tap the tempo).

The fastest song I ever tried and almost kept up with is The Rock Show by Blink 182 (a song my daughter was into in her teens). It has an insane pace of 192 bpm.

I also used Metronome Beats to measure Kipchoge's pace during his marathon effort. It was 180 per minute.

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10]

Love it 😊

Just really glad it wasn’t, Pennsylvania Six Five Thousand.

[Hidden]

Some good bands on that list 👍

[Franglaise Graduate10]

Definately "im a believer" and your close second, which I cant bring to mind...maybe know it when I hear it

My current playlists are full of Queen, Greenday, meatloaf that I love but havent been chosen for beat.

Need a change for my 9 or maybe its the 10 mile barrier tomorrow.

Ju ju`s plan is fantastic

[Franglaise Graduate10 in reply to Franglaise]

Definately your recommendations making the list too

[JaoJao Graduate10]

That moment when you are totally in the zone, it's amazing Iain, we get it! Good luck on the juju plan, I graduated this week and all I can say is I cannot beleive how quickly time flew by. Wishing you lots of magic and happy running for the remainder of the plan.

[misswobble Graduate10]

Fab music choice! In the Mood is just the business! We used to play that to death as kids as we had it on a78 rpm

I just downloaded Bluebirds over the Mountain by the Beach Boys. Got Paranoia Blues and Still Crazy by Paul Simon The Who’s Baba O’Riley is fab to run to if you can find a goodly stretch of flat I use Led Zeppelin on my longer runs for when the going gets tough. I love Kashmir and When the Levee Breaks, and several others too - all belters 😃. Proper rock n roll 😁

Music to run to let’s go! 😁👍

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to misswobble]

Kashmir is on that Spotify playlist.