My favourite songs I associate with running (what's yours?)

[sarah469]

Hi, I love music and sometimes my biggest enjoyment from running comes when listening to the right song and the right running moment come together to really lift your spirits during a run. It just feels magical sometimes to me - as I said, I love music!

Today I ran for the first time in ages (see yesterday's post) and the key moment for me was when they played this song - it's a regular song in my local parkrun warmup and hearing it again after many months not running (surrounded by almost 500 others, all different ages, genders, shapes, colours and sizes, warming up and ready to run, waving their arms like crazy people in the air, in sync) got me a bit choked up, to be honest. I suppose it's a personal, you-had-to-be-there kind of moment, but I wanted to share it anyway. It's not really the song specifically, just what I associate it with.

youtube.com/watch?v=eK5mH9o...(Not working as expected?)

Hopefully you can imagine it is a great warm up/running song, very motivational!

Key lyrics for me are:

"Understand that it's days like these

When the world is so hard to please

In you, my heart has found a home" (re:running)

And the chorus in general: "We are more....TOGETHER!" (re: running community!)

Another favourite is the last song of the running on the Week 9 Laura C25K Podcast (trumpets, anyone?) Also Taylor Swift 1989 Album which is what I used to listen to when I first began running!

I have a Spotify playlist dedicated to my running.

What is/are your favourite running song(s)?

[Dunder2004 Graduate]

I tend to run without music but when I do put my earplugs in it usually is to a playlist of 80's music and mostly the big hair bands.

The strange thing is that this is not the sort of stuff I would normally listen to at any other time.

[runswithdogs Graduate in reply to Dunder2004]

Ah, 80s. Designed for running.

[runswithdogs Graduate]

Oh boy. Lots...

Florence + the Machine - Dog Days are Over - always a pick-up when I'm ready to quit. I run faster during the chorus. Great for fartleks/speed intervals

Eminem - Lose Yourself - slow and steady, great for 3/4 of the way through a long run, or on hilly bits

Goat Rodeo/ Yo-Yo Ma - Attaboy - instrumental song that grows into such a joyous, playful tune that is perfect mid way through a run.

Daddy Yankee -Gasolina - great for starting a race. I've started EVERY race with this song as it makes me chomp at the bit to get going as it builds

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

+1 for 'Lose Yourself'.

[Hidden in reply to runswithdogs]

Another Lose Yourself fan here. The Prodigy's Breathe is good too.

[rmoo in reply to runswithdogs]

Daddy Yankee! We do one of his songs in Zumba that isn't available over here (En Sus something) but it would be amazing to run to. Absolute killer of a routine on the calves in Zumba though 😬

[runswithdogs Graduate in reply to rmoo]

I will check out this en sus song. More Daddy Yankee can't hurt. I admire your zumba-ing. I tried it once, what a workout!

[melly4012 Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

Adding Lose Yourself to my running playlist now!

[Emmy9 Graduate]

I'm just about to start week 8 and got the last 4 weeks I've been listening to the same Van Morrison album (Back - or Still -on Top, I think) and it's perfect for me. The order if the tracks and their lace seem ideal off depending me up a bit, slowing me down a bit... Moondance starts just when I wish I'd stayed in bed, and eases me into the enjoyable part if the run nicely! I'm worried I'll never dare switch to anything else...!

[melly4012 Graduate in reply to Emmy9]

I love Van Morrison! Great choice.

[Hillrunner2201]

I've listened to the 101 running songs albums over and over. Most of the songs are nothing like my normal choice of music but they seem to work somehow!

[misswobble Graduate]

I absolutely love Moondance 😀

If I want to run fast I put on The Who's "Baba O'Riley" and get ready to let rip during the instrumental section. A flat piece of trail having been selected first 😀 Yeeeeeeeeeha 🤗

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Forgot about Baba O'Riley! That used to be my warm-up walk as its pretty much spot on 5 minutes long.

[Hidden]

I missed my music on run today. Think problem with phone not feeding through to earphones!

I seem to run at same pace whatever I play. I take the opportunity to play my favourite stuff mainly rock/ punk. But I will listen to almost anything except perhaps country music of the "stand by yer man" stuff.

I don't mind even a bit of Chopin ! As you live longer you collect more tunes. As I'm 61 at whatever age I think your favourites are usually what you listen to in your teenage years. I always have at least 1 Jimi Hendrix, Doors and Elvis Costello track on.

Happy running and tunes everyone !!

[misswobble Graduate]

I love Stand by your maaaayn! It's on my playlist 🙂

Watching the detectives is on it too 🙂

[motherduckling Graduate]

I usually just listen to a playlist of songs I love, but there are a few faves that I think relate to running and help keep me going:

Keep on Running - Andy Bull

Ways to Go - Grouplove

Break my Stride - Unique II.

[melly4012 Graduate]

I also have a spotify playlist for my runs! Bruce Springsteen 'Born to Run' came on during my warm down walk on my graduation run so that's always a big one for me. Although I usually have upbeat music, there's a song called 'Flesh and Blood' which was written by a choir of injured war veterans for the Invictus Games. The video for it is made up of injured athletes learning to use prosthetics until they are running, jumping, competing, etc. I always run a little faster or find an extra spurt of energy (as well as a lump in my throat) when that one comes on. It never fails to make me appreciate my running.