tunes!!

Since I can't write about the amazing run I had last night or about how I ran hills until I puked over the edge of the WW bridge (yeah, I miss it), I'll write about my horribly trashy running music.

I'm one of those runners that can't race without music....I know it's going to kick me in the ass one day, when I sign up for a race that won't let me, but so far, so good.  The only times I do well without music are when I'm running with a buddy and we can talk each other to death...but even then, during a race, I'll have one ear plugged in.

Here's my current list.  Disclaimer: yes, I am embarrassed about my girly music!  And yes, I LOVE IT!!!

I saw a picture of Ke$ha on one of the celeb-news blogs I read a couple weeks after adding "Tik Tok" to my running music, and went, "omg.  THAT'S who sings that song?"  Ugh.  Girl has too much unstructured free time.  If I put on chapstick when I get up in the morning, it's a lot of makeup.

I'm also OCD enough that I have different lists for different amounts of time.  That list is a 35-minute run, but I also have a 45-minute list, a 60-minute list, and then a really long list of all the running songs I love that I can shuffle through for long runs.  

I'm also one of those people that can listen to one song over and over and over again...This drives people.  CRAZY.  Almost without exception, those are the result of my OCD running habits.  I mean, honestly.  Who would listen to a Kelly Clarkson song 120 times if they weren't running and it didn't perfectly match their pace?  And Stevie is amazing, but, 188 times though, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" would be a bit excessive, if it wasn't the sole song I trained to the first month I came back after knee surgery.  I like Britney as much as the next person (shut up, you know you love her too), but I'd have to stab myself in the eye if I listened to any of her music 172 times and wasn't running.

I have noticed that I use music less of a crutch on longer runs.  During quick speedy runs, I listen hard to the changes in pace and use it to motivate me, but during longer runs, I more just let the music wash over me.  And when I'm coming back from time off, I need the music more to distract my body from the pain of dragging my out-of-shape ass all over Alexandria.

So that's my music.  What do you listen to?  What high-energy songs should I add into this mess?