What I'll Be Listening To As I Run 26.2 Miles

I run with music ALL the time, and my iPod was my trusty companion throughout nearly every single run during these past 16 weeks, and as October 15 has drawn closer, I've been mentally planning my marathon playlist.

Now that I'm just days away, I've got it finalized, and it's nothing if not eclectic.

Eclectic is actually a huge understatement, I think - there's a little bit of everything in here.

It's also extremely embarrassing in spots, but I've said it before and I'll say it again - if it motivates you to keep putting one foot in front of the other, it's fair game.

Some of these songs motivate me, some inspire me, and some are just pure fun to listen to. It takes a little bit of everything to get you through 26.2 miles......

Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles - because I can't hear this song without being instantly uplifted and feeling lighthearted and optimistic - and what better way is there to start a marathon?

Stars - Lamar

Pony (It's Ok) - Erin McCarle

Steal My Sunshine - Len - silly, and fun, and makes me smile - reason enough to have it on here

Hey, Soul Sister - Train - this one reminds me of Gabe, who, at one time, listened to it on repeat for hours at a time

Beautiful Day - U2 - has been played over the loudspeaker at so many races I've run, and has been on a lot of my own race playlists. I've never been a big U2 fan, but this is a great, upbeat, feel-good song.

Dance Tonight - Paul McCartney

Sunshine - Matt Costa

Head Over Heels - The Go-Go's - love the occasional 80s song while running, and this is a classic

Change Your Mind - The All-American Rejects

Here It Goes Again - O.K. Go

Chocolate - Snow Patrol

Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield 

Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland - a fun song that Gabe and Dante like to listen to, so it makes me think of them : )

Rhythm Of Love - Plain White T's

I Run For Life - Melissa Etheridge - always inspiring

MMMBop - Hanson - yes, you read that right. Seriously embarrassing, I know, but if you can believe it, there are even worse songs further down. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson - not a huge Kelly Clarkson fan either, but this song always gets me moving

Our Love - Rhett Miller

Rain King - Counting Crows - one of the songs I listened to a lot when I first started racing and getting serious about running, so it brings back lots of memories

Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall - Coldplay

First Time - Lifehouse

Galileo - Indigo Girls - love the Indigo Girls, and love that any song by them reminds me of some of my best friends, with whom I saw many of their concerts. Definitely at the top of the list of my 'happy songs'

Forget You - Cee Lo Green

Friday I'm In Love - The Cure - put this on my playlist for the Blessing this year, which was one of my best races ever, so naturally I'd like to be reminded of that : )

Superman - Lazlo Bane

Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani - listened to this during SO many laps around the track on Tuesday mornings "few times I've been around that track...."  - it will be nice to be reminded of those track workouts, and how much stronger they made me

The Anthem - Good Charlotte

Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall

Basket Case - Green Day

Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars

Iko Iko - The Belle Stars

Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie - love the song, and the title is also very appropriate - I like to put this one at or around the halfway point of my longer races

Viva La Vida - Coldplay

Mr. Brightside - The Killers

Least Complicated - Indigo Girls - more happiness : )

This Is Me - Demi Lovato - I told you it got worse. Yep - Camp Rock. Thanks to Gabe for introducing me to this one. I know it's awful - just awful - schmaltzy, ridiculous, crap music. But when I heard the lyric "This is me, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be" it resonated. I feel like this IS where I'm supposed to be at this moment in my life. So yeah, super cheesy and unforgivably lame, but once again - if it keeps me moving, it's fair game. (and until you've had to run for nearly four hours without stopping, you're not allowed to judge me!)

Don't Turn Out the Lights - NKOTBSB - come on, you can't tell me you don't want to get up and dance (or run) when you hear some classic boy-band music

Bad Romance - Lady GaGa - so not a GaGa fan, but I do like this one for running

Dynamite - Taio Cruz - another Gabe contribution. He loves his dance music.

Section 9 (Light & Day/Reach For the Stars) - The Polyphonic Spree - weird, and very unconventional, but I heard this on the show 'Scrubs' many years ago, and loved it.

Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls - whenever I hear this song, I am instantly transported to the New Haven green, where I saw a free Indigo Girls concert (before anyone even really knew who they were) with my bestest of best friends. Such a different time in my life, and fun to think about how much has transpired since then - a very good distraction from the pain, too!

American Idiot - Green Day

Without You - David Guetta & Usher

Reason to Believe - Dashboard Confessional - definitely has a good beat, but the lyrics are much more significant - "oh sweet lungs don't fail me now..." and "My capillaries scream, there's nothing left to feed on. My body needs a reason to cross that line. Will you carry me there one more time?"

Waterloo - ABBA

Stronger - Britney Spears

Loser Like Me - Glee Cast

Don't Stop Believin' - Journey - no explanation needed, right?

A-Punk - Vampire Weekend

Lose Yourself - Eminem - for a long time, I've been thinking of one lyric from this song as somewhat emblematic of this race for me, and it'll surely be running through my head as I'm waiting at the starting line in a few days - "here I go it's my shot, feet fail me not, this may be the only opportunity that I got."

Eye of the Tiger - Survivor - there's a reason this is on SO many people's running playlists.

The Middle - Jimmy Eat World - fun song, but also love the lyrics - "Just try your best, try everything you can..... It just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride. Everything will be just fine, everything will be alright."

Single Ladies - Beyonce - silly fun to keep me from getting too intense

Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae - more silly fun, courtesy of Gabe's interesting taste in music, which is even more eclectic than mine

I Wanna Be Sedated - Ramones

My Body - Young the Giant - more meaningful lyrics - "my body tells me no, but I won't stop, 'cause I want more."

Arms - Christina Perri - more schmaltz. I happen to love the song, but I also love the chorus, because it makes me think of my amazing, wonderful, fabulous husband, who has been nothing but supportive of this undertaking, despite how crazy (ane exhausted) it's made me at times. And not only supportive, but understanding, encouraging, and my biggest cheerleader by far. And I know that no matter how long it takes me to cross that finish line, whether I meet my goal or fail miserably, he's going to celebrate as if I was the first-place finisher. "You put your arms around me and I'm home."

Brighter Than the Sun - Colbie Caillat - just added this one a few weeks ago, and I absolutely love it. It makes me smile, and it makes me want to run faster - two for the price of one!

Happy Hour - The Housemartins - because I want to remind myself that no matter how much the final mile may hurt, I LOVE TO RUN, and it makes me happy, which is why I do it.

Sing - My Chemical Romance - for whatever reason, this song has been my go-to final-mile song for a while now. Nothing like a good anthem to help you persevere when you feel like you've got nothing left, as I expect to be feeling at mile 26.

So the playlist is finalized, and I'm packing my bag up today, so that I can double- and triple-check it tomorrow morning, before I leave for Hartford in the afternoon.

I'll leave here around 3pm, hit the expo to pick up my packet, then head over to the pasta dinner at 5:45, and then back to the hotel to attempt to get some sleep.

I'm still surprisingly calm. I've had a few panic attacks, but my mind is ready for them. The second I start having doubts, my brain fires back with reminders -

I've trained for this, and I've trained well. I followed a program designed to get me a 3:40 marathon, and I gave it everything I have. My qualifying time is 3:45, so even if I falter a bit and fall short of my 3:40 goal, I should still be able to get my qualifier. It's nice to feel like I have a little wiggle room!

I've run SO many miles on tired legs. I know how to push through the pain and exhaustion. I've practiced it over and over and over again these past 16 weeks.

So many times during track workouts, and tempo runs, and long runs, I wanted to quit. I wanted to stop and take a break. But every time, I reminded myself that there will be no quitting on race day. So I stuck it out and got it done. And I will do the same on Saturday.

I'm ready. I can't wait to do this. I can't wait to be at that starting line, and to hear that gun go off.

I know the nerves are going to kick in big time, and I'll be a nervous wreck Friday, but as long as I can channel that nervous energy the right way, I'll be fine.

I've signed up to have updates posted to my Facebook page as I cross the following checkpoints - 13.1 mile, 17 mile, 20 mile, & Finish. Here's hoping that final update is posted somewhere between 11:40 and 11:45.

Thinking happy thoughts, and Ready. To. Run.

Comments

[Mom and Dad]

I will be with you every step of the way Michelle.....love you muchly, Mom

[Wes]

don't apologize for your choices. what ever it takes, that is what we do. I would wish you luck for tomorrow, but you're not going to need. Instead, I'll say: go kick some booty. This is your time :-)