While I don’t always run to music, I have noticed that sometimes songs can anchor certain memories, and because I have started to occasionally run to music in 2013, some songs have become irrevocably linked to certain running moments for me.
Do you have any favourite running songs? Do any of them remind you of particularly memorable moments? In the spirit of reflecting upon the year which draws to a close today, I want to share my top ten running song and corresponding memories of 2013 here (and thereby own up to the randomness that is my running music playlist…):
Aerosmith – Living on the Edge
This song reminds me of the start of a 20 mile long run I did in the summer. It now stands for that wonderful feeling of taking the first few steps of a run which I know is going to be awesome. It’s like the first day of the holidays; the start of an adventure that is only just beginning…
Bon Jovi – Blaze of Glory
I was just cooling down after an all-out hill sprint session that had seriously zapped all my strength at the time, and just as I was cruising back down towards the harbour down a gentle slope this song came on. It reminds me how good it feels to give everything once in a while.
Fun – We are Young
This song started ringing in my ears on a particularly beautiful summer day while I was running through a rather remote and lushly green forest. I just couldn’t help myself, the sheer joy of it grabbed me and I started to bounce around the track and danced along to the tune. It’s good not to take anything for granted and to fully enjoy the good moments when they happen. It’s okay to dance like nobody is watching (but best done when there’s really nobody watching…!)
Guns’n’Roses – Sweet Child of Mine
I was coming to the end of yet another long run when the guitar solo at the start of the song put some serious bounce back into my steps. It is possible to find new reserves of strength and speed even after running for hours already and this song will always remind me of this important knowledge.
London Grammar – Strong
One of my most beautiful regular runs is also one of the toughest; it follows a stream up into the mountains, which means that the first three kilometres of the trail take me relentlessly uphill. The first time I managed to run the whole way up to the first plateau without stopping I felt pretty close to throwing up. I had to walk for a bit after all, there was no way around it. This song got me through the mixed feelings of making it to the top for the first time and not being able to run once I got there. It’s ok to take a break here and there, and it’s important to work with my body rather than against it. Once I had taken a few moments to recover, I ran on for more than ten additional kilometres, feeling strong and full of oomphf.
Massive Attack – Teardrop
This song means a lot to me at any time, regardless of whether I’m running or not. It reminds me of how many problems I have solved on a run. I mostly just have fun on runs, but sometimes running is a great way of working through all sorts of emotions. Running is good for me in more ways that I could list.
Mumford & Sons – Lover of the Light
I was running in a nearby nature reserve and was trying to find the way to some lakes which I knew to be somewhere around the north-western parts. The map which I had studied beforehand (but which I had failed to take with me) had clearly indicated the presence of lakes. However, I ran, re-ran and backtracked many paths that day, until even I had to concede that I was running around in circles. This song instantly snapped me out of increasing levels of frustration. I realised that I was running strong and healthy and the destination didn’t really matter all that much. It’s all about the journey after all, isn’t it? It may have been another “dance in the forest while nobody is watching” moment.
Newton Faulkner – If This is It
When it comes to simply enjoying the moment, this is the ultimate song for me. One day, while I was clocking up some miles on the country roads around my village, this song came on. The views in the area are pretty, but not amazing, at least not to me. They are just my home turf. But running always makes them special.
The Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil
This song will always remind me of the beginning of the end. I love the song and I love the Stones, but I mostly remember hearing this song when I was battling with the ever more crippling physical effects of dehydration during the Athens Classical Marathon. The drum loop at the end of the song goes on and on and on, just like my misery on that day. I needed it to end; both the race and the song. Sadly, both dragged on for what seemed like forever on that day…
The Used – Taste of Ink
Again, this song stands for the life-affirming awesomeness that running has been for me in 2013. I heard it when I reached the top of a mountain I run fairly regularly. The ascent itself isn’t really runnable, but as with all hills, the best parts are the views from the top and the prospects of charging downhill “brakes off, brains off”. Here I am indeed!
I wish you all a fantastic start to 2014 – may the year bring you countless happy moments!
“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.”
Girl Runs Wild 