Don't It Make You Wanna Dance? Run?

Wonder if Elaine would run funny too?

I do not run with music. Well, thats not entirely true. I do not run with music when I run outside. There are many reasons for this, which include but are not limited to:

• I like hearing the sounds, or lack thereof (on early morning runs when the rest of the world is sleeping)
• I like being able to hear if a car or something else (ax murderer) is coming from behind
• I tend to run all kattywompus pace-wise due to the change in music

However whenever I am running on the treadmill, my trusty old-school iPod Classic is right there with me.  This is to keep me from slitting my wrist while running on said treadmill.  I also do not listen to track after track of normal music, but I listen to podcasts designed specifically for runners.  By this I mean there is a DJ out there that puts mostly house-music like tracks together where the entire hour or hour+ is of music (and some lyrics) that are programmed at a constant bpm.  These bpm's range from around 130 to 180.  I personally like to run in the 150-160 range.  The 130 is more for walkers/walking or a very slow jog, depending on who you are.  You can find them on iTunes under GrooveElectric, PodRunner or Steve Boyett.  You can also google and find them online to give them a listen.  He even has FIIIIIIIIINALLY come up with an hour workout where the pace goes from 140 to 150 to 160.  I had asked for this a year or so ago and he finally got one out there! 

The reason I dont particularly care to run on the treadmill even with normal song after song, its mainly because again the pace changes, I know how long the songs are therefore making me more aware of how long I have etc...I like being able to mindlessly just run to a constant beat, and its a bonus that I love house music.

I have been thinking that ... well in Chicago ... just in case I get into some sort of 'trouble' I could really use the steady beat beat beat of the drum to possibly help me keep my pace up.  I have 2 tracks that I absolutely love but because my old laptop died, and the tracks are no longer available I had to figure out something as I needed to restore all the music on new computer and finally sync up all the music on the old iPod.  But I would lose these tracks...Getting accustomed to new ones so late in the game I wasnt sure...Plus the iPod Classic is a large device.  Not something I would EVER run with outside of the gym.  What to do?  What to do?

Enter ebay.

I have been selling a lot of stuff on ebay lately and have racked up quite the stash of cash in my paypal...so I started stalking the older model shuffle (since everyone has been yakking about the newer one)...and finally I scored big with basically a brand new one, sold by some mom who upgraded her daughters iPod to a Nano and wanted to sell.  $40 and it was mine.   Bonus points because its purple!

So in addition to adding back in the strength training at the gym its also been giving me the time to make the single most perfect running collaboration of music.  The hard part is picking the right songs with the right constant beat (Lady Gaga's Remix CD is AWESOME for runners btw), and to also throw in some just really happy music that I like to dance around to (September by EW&F and Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield)...Yesterday while running on the treadmill, I would FF through the songs that just didnt make the cut for running pace (Bad Romance) even if I loved the song.

The iPod shuffle is so small and clips onto your shorts or shirt so that I can easily run with it, keep the buds in my SpiBelt and should reason present itself, I'm locked and loaded on the course with music to keep me moving...

Once I have the single most perfect playlist, I will post it...I know a lot of you run with music, and maybe could care less about my list, but I also see a lot of people asking for suggestions.

Consider the (soon to come) list as my tiny contribution to keeping runners on the right track...pun intended.