Music: a big deal

[Talulah1984]

I don't think I could run without music, I'm a 30-something mum of two with happy memories of clubbing, gigging and cheesy discos behind me. I run to hard house and if I'm struggling I take my mind back to the club and reach for the lasers, a bit mad maybe but whatever helps me push on.

On my first run I hadn't quite got my head round how the BBC/NHS app music feature works and ended up doing "shuffle all" on my entire music library. So the playlist went a bit like this:

- The Beatles, Hey Jude

- Royal Blood, Better Strangers

- Gypsy Kings, Bamboleo

- Muse, Time Is Running Out

- Beastie Boys, Pass The Mic

- UB40, If It Happens Again

- the Offspring, Staring At The Sun

and finally to really motivate me:

- Whistle While You Work from Snow White (yes I have kids)

It was an interesting run(/walk)!

I found a 70's disco workout mix on iTunes last week and it's brilliant, all the happiness of classic disco sped up to a rave pace. I love it!

I imagine music is important to most runners and am interested to hear what others are doing with their running playlist....

[Colettey-Betty Graduate]

Oh I completely agree! I constantly need to make new playlists and adapt current ones before I do a run! My tastes in running music vary a lot - punk / metal / hip-hop / dance. I may try some hard house as well as I'd imagine it is right motivating! At the moment I seem to have a lot of Destiny's Child on the playlists I'm making haha.

[TheHack Graduate in reply to Colettey-Betty]

For me it's mainly 80s rock which floats my boat. Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Guns n Roses also a bit of Bangles, Transvision Vamp and Voice of the Beehive. I am a trained singer and singing along helps my breathing. As I run at the gym I hope I am not sin ginger out loud 🤐

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to TheHack]

I love 80s Rock (I actually love most genres), do you pace to the music? If so I'd love to know what specific tunes you use.

[TheHack Graduate in reply to Talulah1984]

Bon jovi, Someday I'll be Saturday night, Sleep When I'm Dead. Def Leppard-Pour some Sugar on Me, Bangles-In Your Room, Survivor-Burning Heart, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Anyway you Want it, We Built this City, We'retain not gonna Take it, I love Rock and Roll. All these have helped me run. Don't really use them to pace but singing with them helps the breathing. I try and place some motivational tracks at points I find hard.

Love the eighties x

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to TheHack]

I enjoyed reading this list and imagined running to it *scurries off to iTunes*. Yep, they could work 😊.

I get what you say about motivational tracks at the right time, I have a workout mix and start it ten minutes in knowing one of the bangers will play on the last leg of the run!

[TheHack Graduate in reply to Talulah1984]

Final Countdown by Europe kicked in tonight on minute 25 of my first 28 minute run. Couldn't have timed it better x

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to TheHack]

Ha ha love it

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to Colettey-Betty]

Destinys child is definitely on the soundtrack to my teen years but can't imagine running to it! Do a search for Ultimate NRG, that's the stuff I run to.

[Noaky12 Graduate]

I don't always listen to music when running. Sometimes it's an audio book or a bbc podcast/ play or often with nothing at all.

When I do run I listen to a ecclectic mix which often depends on my mood but it can range from the Thunderbirds theme tune to heavy rock or anything inbetween!

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to Noaky12]

My mums a Lorry driver and often listens to audiobooks on the long runs, I hadn't thought of it for running. I guess it's good for ignoring the gremlins.

[useitorloseit Graduate]

And what in the heck is 'hard house'? How old do I feel now?

[secan Graduate in reply to useitorloseit]

I think "hard house" is the one that is not blown away when the big bad wolf huffs and puffs... 😁

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to useitorloseit]

Lol it's what you would listen to at a rave, although it could be trance, techno, funky breakbeat, drum & bass, happy hardcore.....

[useitorloseit Graduate in reply to Talulah1984]

That's cleared that up then!

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to useitorloseit]

As my mate says "it's all bang your head against the wall music" 😆

[Sarah-A Graduate]

I like 'rockmyrun' app. The mixes are done for you and there is loads of different genres to choose from.

I like to listen to upbeat pop tunes - i'm singing along in my head (mostly) - occasionally a word or too might slip out with an odd dance move. lol

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to Sarah-A]

I'm off to download that now, sounds good. I actually find it motivational to mime the music and throw the odd shape he he. But I live in a village so the cows and horses don't judge

[Zev1963 Graduate]

I've only listened to C25K, C25K+ and Audiofuel Polyrunner so far while running.

My tastes in music range through jazz, classical, rock and roll, blues, and heavy metal. I like groupes as diverse as Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Jethro Tull, Rolling Stones, Guns and Roses, Eagles, Lynard Skynard, Deep Purple, Rainbow. Not sure how I would feel about running to that music though. Maybe give it a try sometime

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to Zev1963]

A colleague told me about audiofuel and has shared loads of track I intend to use after I graduate, I hope it will help me to pace properly.

[groovyforster]

My playlist consists of a variety of songs from Iron Maiden for speed and different cadences from the U.S. Marine Corps (really motivates me with longer runs). I had to run a half marathon last year with no music as I found out just before the start that my music app wasn't functioning. Now I have a mp3 player that I use for most runs and the music app for back-up.

[Nick_Buddha_12 Graduate in reply to groovyforster]

groovy just looked at the marine corps cadences interesting, do you run to the beat ? what distances do you use it for ?

[groovyforster in reply to Nick_Buddha_12]

Depending on the type of running that I am doing I may or may not run to the beat. Currently, I am doing heart rate training and as a result my heat rate will get to be too high, really quickly. When I first started racing 5k's, I would always run to beat of the USMC cadences. At that time I was completing 5k's in 23 minutes. It really helped me to keep a constant pace.

[Nick_Buddha_12 Graduate in reply to groovyforster]

ill give it a go ty

[groovyforster in reply to Nick_Buddha_12]

Go for it!!!

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to groovyforster]

Oh wow cadences, I bet that's v motivational! Back up music is a good idea, I would have wanted to walk away with no music, utter torture!

[groovyforster in reply to Talulah1984]

Definitely! During certain songs, I get the runner's high and feel like I can go forever!

[Laureth Graduate]

I'm the same as you Talulah. I need to run to dance music or I literally can't run!! I've downloaded loads of cheesy songs that remind me of my clubbing days 😃

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to Laureth]

Have you heard of Alex K? Search for any of his albums and they are usually a full mix plus a couple of one hour mega mix tracks.

[louisella Graduate]

I definitely have to run to music - if it's the new week of repeats runs then I'll listen to Laura the first time then my own music for the next two runs. Yesterday's run was helped by Guns & Roses, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Raconteurs, Kasabian, Rage Against the Machine and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. On other days, I'll go for the dance option but I can't ever imagine feeling happy running to just the sound of my own laboured heavy breathing (no-one needs to hear that!)

[Talulah1984 Graduate in reply to louisella]

Oh god yeah my music played up in last nights run and I hated listening to myself while fiddling with the app! Black Rebel Motorcycle Club! I bought an album of theirs in Australia twelve years ago and listened to it every day until I came home , memories...