Following on from Jools2020 's post in which she mentioned music on her run, I just wondered what we all listen to on our runs? Do you have favourite artists to run to? Does it have to be bpm or will any tempo do? Or do you prefer to run "naked'?
I have so many playlists and favourites I don't know where to begin but will go with ;
Imagine Dragons - Whatever it Takes, Demons, Believer etc
Sia - Flames, Bird Set Free, Alive, Chandelier, Elastic Heart etc
Florence and the Machine - How Big, how blue, how beautiful album
Hamilton -the Musical!
Sarah Bareilles - Brave
Kate Bush - Anything by Kate Bush!
and so many more! I don't go for bpm - I seem to be able to run to anything! 🏃🏽♀️😀
Occasionally I listen to the Jenni Falconer Runpod podcasts which are great - she has some fab quests (I took Seb Coe on my run at the weekend!!)
Look forward to reading your replies!🙂
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Sandraj39
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Hi Sandraj39 and running friends. I don’t always listen to music but when I do it’s normally either easy 80s/90s or all-out 80s/90s random playlists on Spotify. I mostly run with the NRC app for guided runs, but occasionally I’ll listen to a podcast about a random subject from BBC sounds. There’s some great stuff on there! Otherwise the ‘Zombies, Run’ app is a bit of fun🧟🧟♀️
Agreed, running is a great opportunity to indulge our guilty pleasures! I still love One Directions 'What makes you beautiful' because it was playing when I crossed the start line of my first Half Marathon!🙂
I have been running with NRC for the last few weeks, initially with Spotify free version but found that the adverts were infuriating! Luckily my son added me onto his subscription BUT... although I do like listening to music when I run - and know a few upbeat tracks which always make me pick up my pace - am pretty clueless about how to make best use of Spotify. I made one attempt at making a playlist by trying to remember concerts I'd been to in early adulthood with music-mad boyfriend - ELO, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Beach Boys, The Who, Procol Harum etc but it didn't work well!
So I'm very interested in what other people listen to and some Playlist recommendations. Have thought about podcasts but think road noise would be tiresome (my weekday runs are unimaginatively usually alongside an A-road - which happens to be beguilingly lacking in hills!)
Sorry, Sandraj - that doesn't answer your query at all, does it?!!
My current go-to playlist is the Hamilton soundtrack. I’m not a musicals fan as a rule, but this one’s different and it rocks! I’ve been learning all the words (and raps), and it’s been the soundtrack to most of my runs since the first lockdown. 🎶🎶🎶 I also play it whilst cooking. 🤦♀️
I also have a very embarrassing 70’s/80’s/90’s based playlist which is over 5 hours long! Backstreet Boys, *N Sync, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Abba - to name a few. No rhyme nor reason to them, just great tunes. 🎶🥰
Love, love, love Hamilton!😍 I saw it on stage a couple of years ago and it is AMAZING to run to..."Not giving away my shot", "Wait for it" - so many brilliant tracks! 🙂
Arghhh, ear worm! I know all the words to those! I’ve seen it on Apple TV and we have tickets to see it (pleeeeeeease don’t let it be cancelled 🤞🤞🤞) in London at the end of May! I love it to pieces and it’s the perfect running soundtrack! 🏃♀️🎶🏃♀️🎶🏃♀️
I thought 'Oliver!' would be my favourite musical forever but that was before I saw Hamilton! You will not want the show to end! Finger crossed for you🤞🤞🙂
I can’t wait Sandraj39 . I know the soundtrack so well I could probably sing all the way through, and I know exactly what song comes next! It’s my favourite ever. 🎶🥰
I have 2 playlists to shamble too. Current faves are The Snake fab northern soul classic, Stomp by the brothers johnson, the snoopy music and eric and ernie bring me sunshine. I like Rodrigez y garcia fab spanish guitar too that is fab to jog along too. Also apologies for low grade spelling and grammar 😳
Hi Sandraj39 ..I have all sorts on many playlists but yesterday I had The Sensual World on by Kate Bush, it’s my ‘go to’ album at the moment and is my ear worm every day!!! I also love listening to ‘British true crime’ podcasts...so many song on many playlists..I’m always skipping songs and then when one comes on that I love I’m almost dancing along!!! I love ‘You should be dancing’ by the BeeGees..I get a sudden spring in my step when that comes on!!!! 🎵💃🏼X
Kate Bush is my heroine!😍 The first time I ever ran a half marathon in training, I listened to Kate Bush all the way!! I think I posted on here under the heading "My Kate Bush Half Marathon!" ( or something like that!)🤣
She’s mine too!! I play her albums all the time, I could listen to her for a half marathon too...just couldn’t run one!!! 🤣🤣🤣My Dad was a police officer, in the C.I.D so my interest in crime is life long.
I love listening to those kind of podcasts...and also criminal psychology...fascinating x
I might check out those British True Crime podcasts too...thank you!
Hello I'm with you on Sia she's really good to run to, also I play dua lipa a lot, don't judge me on this but Steps actually has a really good high tempo. 😂
Mostly with music, sometimes one of the Nike Run Club guided runs - mostly the longer ones and sometimes naked - great through the woods, but hell along the road. I have also been known to listen to the odd podcast when there's no traffic noise - mostly from the BBC Earth series.
Music wise I don't go for any particular bpm. I did most of c25k to a mix of Orange Juice and Edwyn Collins tunes - might seem strange, but it worked for me! I have a few other playlists - mostly a mix of 80's Indie/Rock, Blondie, Queen and more recently ELO.
I have always tried to use headphones that don't cancel out too much sound, both from a safety point of view but also because I love to hear birdsong! I was given some Aftershokz bone conductor earphones for Christmas - which really do allow you to hear what's going on around you too.
I rarely run naked but always enjoy it when I do. Music is best for me though.🙂
Well Imc50... I agree re birdsong and even listening to the wind in the trees but I really don’t like hearing my footsteps plodding along, scuffing the ground occasionally etc. That - and the sight of my own shadow on sunny days - undermines my confidence almost every time!!
Oh Imc50... that’s such a nice thing to say about my shadow - it caught me off-guard and made me quite tearful!! And as for my plodding footsteps kissing the earth - well the floodgates opened wide...
thank you for your kind words!! I’ll certainly remember them next time I catch sight of my shadow!!
No not at all. It was just a response to unexpected kindness! Ooops that sounds rather pathetic but like lots of people I’m feeling pretty isolated and a bit ‘lost’ at present. If it weren’t for running and my new daily Yoga session (and the love and kindness and support from fellow runners), I dread to think what state I’d be in!!
Me neither! Sometimes, when it’s icy cold I have to turn off my headphones to investigate a noise only to find out it’s me breathing!!! Too distracting!! 🤔😔
I'll beg to differ @lmc50, though admittedly I live between fields and forest and can listen to the wind, birdsong and the natural environment (plus the odd tractor and car) whenever I want!
For me music can enhance my experience of running by complementing other elements: the feel of the breeze on my skin, the scent of the pine forest, the glow of the setting sun, and more. No, it doesn't always work like that - in fact it very rarely all comes together - but when it does, I can only describe it as magical.
I often listened to Massive Wagons album House of Noise or any of their albums really. Lots of upbeat music by a very enthusiastic band. I think their enthusiasm rubs off on me!
Hi Sandra. I can't run naked. So I have made myself a playlist that's fairly upbeat but not specific bpm. Mostly old stuff like the Stones, Bowie, Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Django django.
Also like to start with Blue Oyster Cult 'don't fear the reaper', and Seal's ' crazy' and I've got Little Feat 'feats don't fail me now' near the end as the words seem appropriate.😊
My music taste seems to cover everything up to about 1999 and nothing beyond. I’ve got about 10 hrs on Spotify and just play it at random.
If I’m struggling at the end of a run I tell myself if I stop running halfway through a song I have to delete it forever, seems to motivate me, lol. I do dip into podcasts occasionally, usually something light hearted, I used to love the Birthday Game on my consolidation runs, something to distract me from counting the minutes down.
Naked, mostly, and this is definitely what I prefer. I find a sense of space and expansion best in this mode. Lightness, even. Very occasionally I’ll try a coaching podcast... and especially liked one with sound of the coach’s running steps (so essentially, it seems I like listening to the sounds of running: footfall and breathing). Didn’t get on with music when I tried; to my own surprise, I found it a bit oppressive. Funny the huge variety of responses and experiences we all have!
Half Man Half Biscuit, The Smiths, The Skids lots of other (mainly 80s) stuff and of course The Beatles. Need some more Classical stuff too beyond Vivaldi and Bach. No Country and definitely no Western.
Amy Winehouse, Billy Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Celeste, Aretha, Van Morrison for pure enjoyment at any speed and some Bruce Springsteen and Oasis to get me going!Best wishes ☺️
Credence Clearwater Revival and T Rex are my favourites. I'm a bit of a magpie. My fun run playlist now has over 200 tracks. Happy to share and swap if anyone has spotify.
I suspect my listening can only described as eclectic!
Podcasts: The Naked Podcast, Runpod, VoxTox (Sandi Toksvig), and I have plans to download documentaries from France Culture.
Music: early music and Renaissance, classical guitar, Voces8, Glenn Miller, Jackson Browne, Joan Armatrading, The Eagles, Kate Rusby, Status Quo, assorted rock/pop mostly 70s/80s playlists. And that's just some of what I currently have on Spotify.
Always ‘naked’ - even if I could be bothered to fiddle with wires, ear plugs etc I am too busy focusing on what Squiggy is doing to be able to lose myself in some music! 🐶🐾🐿🐑😂. However music might switch off all those worries rattling around my head.....so maybe I should give it a go!
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