I Ran (So Far Away)

I am a confessed co-dependent runner. I really like to have a partner to distract me from the run itself. Alas, there are times when I must run alone and for those times I depend on my tunes to keep me going. Over two years ago I created a playlist based on beats per minute. Apparently if you run between a 9 and a 10 minute mile you should be running to songs between 140-160 BPM*. So Mike and I sat around with a metronome and our music library and put together the ultimate running playlist, which I loved. Again, I do most of my runs with a partner and don’t use my ipod shuffle too often, still two+ years of the same old playlist was enough to eventually leave me ready to toss my little ipod shuffle into the road and watch it get run over again and again and again and again.

So this week after much research I created a new playlist that meets all my music requirements:
  1. The aforementioned BPM thing
2. Music I actually know and like (IE No Taylor Swift or Kenny Chestnut)
3.Songs that I wouldn’t quickly tire of

This time I didn’t even have to do the metronome thing as, lo and behold, other people in the world have already done it and have been kind enough to place their songs on the good ol’ net. So, I thought why not share these jazzy beats with you,my loyal followers (and take credit for other people’s hard work), and help you get off and running (if you aren’t already). And of course if you aren’t a runner you might enjoy this playlist for other activities such as cleaning your house, driving in your car, making dinner, hosting a super fun party, dancing in the shower or dancing in the shower while making dinner and hosting a super fun party. Yes!

And while I’m at it I’ll post the tunes on my previous list, which I used to love, but now can’t bear to listen to and will likely poke someone’s eyes out if they ever play them in my presence. Yippee! It is important to note that some of these songs have (gasp) explicit lyrics. Yes, even a clean living girl like myself enjoys hearing a naughty word here and there while running.

Of course I cleverly title all my playlists. This new one is called…wait for it, wait for it… “It’s Gotta Good Beat 2012”
Alone Together –The Strokes
American Music-Violent Femmes (not sure if this is in the BPM range, but it’s a necessity)
Blue Orchid-White Stripes
Change Your Mind-The Killers
Come Dancing-The Kinks
Crazy-Gnarls Barkley
Dog Days Are Over (which incidentally I thought were the Dark Days-oh well)-Florence & The Machine
Dream On –Aerosmith (you didn’t think I’d skip a classic did you?)
Float On-Modest Mouse
Funky Boss-Beastie Boys (I never run without my Boys)
Get on Your Boots-U2
I Melt With You-Modern English
I Ran (so far away)-Flock of Seagulls –Oh yes I did my friends!
It’s On The Rocks-The Donnas
Jacqueline-Franz Ferdinand
King of Rock (this is an exception to the BPM, but still too fun to overlook-put it in the beginning for warm up or end for cool down)
Lady Killer-Flash and the Pan
Like Clockwork-Boomtown Rats
Lump-The Presidents of the United States of America
Nine in the Afternoon-Panic at the Disco
No Rain-Blind Melon-honestly one of my all time faves-judge away
Ooh La- The Kooks
Piece of My Heart (this is slightly over the 160 BPM, but whatevah)
Rehab-Amy Winehouse
Strawberry Swing-Coldplay (sorry Coldplay haters)
Stronger-Kanye West (another not quite 140 BPM but had to throw it in there)
Talk to Ya Later-The Tubes
Veronica-Elvis Costello
We’re Going to Be Friends-White Stripes (again one of my all time favorite tunes)
What I Like About You-The Romantics
  Approx 1:45 mins.

Playlist # 2 "Fall to the Beat" (Named after the Season it was created and not after my well-known grace and agility)
Animals-Nickelback (don’t judge it has a good beat-not for innocent ears please)
Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown-Jim Croce
Beat on The Brat-Ramones
Beautiful Day-U2 The Beautiful People-Marilyn Manson
Born to Run-Bruce Springsteen
Dropping some NYC-Blues Traveler
Everlong-Foo Fighters
Fight For Your Right To Party-Beastie Boys
Hard Day’s Night-Beatles
I Get Around-Beach Boys
I Wanna Be Sedated-Ramones
Longview-Green Day
Looks That Kill-Motley Crue
Love Shack-B-52s
Material Girl- Madonna
Mr. Jones-Counting Crows (I pretty much hate this song, but there it is)
Peggy Sue-Buddy Holly
Pretty Fly-Offspring
Pump It Up-Elvis Costello
The Red-Chevelle
Runaround Sue-Dion
Shake it Up-Cars
Sugar Magnolia-Grateful Dead (one of my happy songs :))
Sweet Leaf-Black Sabbath
25 or 6 to 4- Chicago (least favorite Chicago song ever btw)
Approx 1.5 hours

So there you have it, friends. Enjoy….

*If you consistently run faster than a 9 minute mile I’m too jealous of you to give you playlist advice. I suppose you could google it and I guess I can give you the hint that you want songs around 160 BPM and faster