Music For Running

Each Saturday morning I awaken early and take my weekly “Long Run”. According to the common training program used by beginner marathoners, these are the keys to preparation for any marathon. They build from 6 miles in Week 1 to 20 miles in Week 15 (after that you taper off to get ready for the big day). While it’s okay to skip the occasional workout or juggle your schedule (I’ve only missed two days out of 23 so far, both due to illness), it’s never okay to skip a Long Run. The key is to run slow enough (45 to 90 seconds behind your typical running pace) that you don’t overexert yourself.

Typically I try to keep my long runs in the 9-10 minute mile range, and if I’m feeling really strong in the later stages I’ll kick it up for the last 1-3 miles depending on the total distance I’m running. In week one I kept my pace slow because it was the first week ever in which I ran more than three days. So I finished 6.02 miles in 63:39. Since my body responded well, I kicked up my pace a bit and finished 7.00 miles in Week 2 in 65:49 (that’s a 9:24/mi pace). Last week was my longest run yet (during this program), 10.75 miles, which I finished in 1:47:16 (9:58/mi). This week is a “stepback” week, where my mileage is reduced so I can gain some strength before the following week’s 12-mile run. My Saturday mornings are really boring and lonely.

The good news is, my iPod keeps me company. It’s an old, first-generation iPod (boasting a whopping 30 gigs of hard drive space) that was given to me for my birthday in 2004. Although I’ve been telling myself that I’ll create the perfect “Run Mix” in advance of the marathon, I haven’t yet gotten started. When I run, I listen to full albums. Most of the time I listen to the same ones because I can match songs to landmarks and determine my pace without constantly checking my GPS/odometer. But it’s starting to get boring. I’ve been training for five-and-a-half weeks now. I need some fresh albums for my iPod that are good for running. If any of you reading this are runners, let me know what you’re listening to now, or what your favorite albums to run to are!

And now, here is my personal list of the ten best running albums I’ve uncovered since training began.

10. Earl Sweatshirt – Earl – It’s not even 26 minutes long, so it’s perfect to listen to during my 3-mile “speed days,” when I’m just trying to run 3 miles in the fastest time possible. If I get to the last lap/home stretch and the last song is playing, I know I’m not running fast enough. “Earl,” “Couch,” and “Kill” have really great bouncing rhythms and the flow of Earl’s delivery creates it’s own solid beat.

09. Teenbeaters – My World My Sky – Another aggressive, driving and rhythmic album that is short enough to help me gauge whether or not I’m attacking my short runs as hard as I should be. Sometimes if I’m on a slightly longer run I’ll transition from this to the band’s 5-song 2001 demo and it’ll give me an extra twenty minutes or so of great music to listen to as I wrap up a good workout. [Listen to "A-Train" (Demo)]

08. Ash – 1977 – It’s got good pop-punk energy (or maybe that’s just how I remember it from when I was 14?) and solid bass/drum interplay. Plus I know all the words so I can hum them or mouth them while I run and it’s almost like having a running partner with whom to converse. Except instead of a real person I’m basically singing to myself, which probably looks awkward to the women at the Urth Yoga place on Sunset who always seem to be crowded around the door on Saturday mornings.

07. Calla – Televise – I rediscovered this album recently when I was posting tracks from it on one of the Book entries, and after listening to it for the first time in a few years I realized it made for great running music. It’s good for a long run because it’s a bit more slow, deliberate and tense, but there are drum patterns aggressive enough to counteract the bass/guitar interplay. Obviously the more caustic songs help establish a better running rhythm. [Listen to "Televised"]

06. The Replacements – Let It Be – Sloppy punk/pop/garage rock with fun hooks and singable lyrics that also happens to be great for running. The basslines are probably the best part, from a running/rhythm perspective. I usually skip over “Boner”.

05. Built To Spill – There’s Nothing Wrong With Love – When I first started running I would listen to this all the time, just because I knew all the words and it was one of the only albums on my iPod (at that time) that wasn’t a drone/experimental album. I got tired of “The Plan” really quickly but there are some really awesome, upbeat, fun songs to run to on this album.

04. Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes – I think there was a month when this was pretty much all I listened to while running. I think it’s more about the nostalgia I have for this record than it is about how the music translates to getting exercise.

03. Odd Future – Radical – The highlights of this rap mixtape are perfect for how I run. Since the crew spits lyrics over established rapper’s beats, they’re way more professional (or hi-fi) than the lo-fi stuff Tyler and company create on their own. “Splatter” gets me started and sets my pace, “Turnt Down” reminds me that maybe I need to back off if I’m running too hot at the start, “Drop” and “Everything That’s Yours” are 808-heavy and help my feet develop a solid rhythm. [Listen to Mike G's "Everything That's Yours"]

02. Superdrag – Head Trip In Every Key – An overblown pop album with crunchy guitars and animalistic rhythms is great for running. The ballads remind me maybe I need a sip of water, or maybe at the next traffic light I should stop and stretch quickly before the light changes again. It’s about 50 minutes long so it’s a good length for medium runs in the 4-6 mile range.

01. Depeche Mode – Violator – I know. I KNOW. I don’t know why I keep choosing to listen to this one either. I mean…yeah they’re an electronic pop band that I would ordinarily make fun of, but there are so many anthemic songs on this record that it translates to working out surprisingly well! The tempos shift a lot so it’s good for long runs because I find that I subconsciously follow along with the music and strike a good balance between relaxing and speeding. You know what? I don’t have to justify myself to you! I just like running while listening to Violator. Hey, if you think you’ve got something better, let me know.