Runnin' Down the Perfect Playlist

As the weather gets colder and more workouts move inside, having a good workout sound track becomes even more crucial. I am a person who always needs noise, whether it is in the office or on the running path, so I have spent a great deal of time thinking about the art of the perfect playlist. And at the request of my friend Laura Miyakawa, here are some of the guiding principles I have developed.

First, a caveat: while music can help motivate you in a workout, wearing ear buds can be a safety risk at times. I never, ever wear my ipod when I bike outside. Since moving to New York City, I have stopped using them in some of my outdoor runs as well, particularly when running with a group or on a city street. I love music when swimming laps, but if the pool is crowded, the AudioH2O device stays in the lockerroom. Sometimes being alone with my thoughts for an hour is not all that bad.

With that in mind, here’s some advice on how to create a motivating audio experience.

1) Pick songs with tempos that match the workout you are doing. For running, most of the songs should have a steady, slightly fast beat, with a few faster songs to motivate you to push it every so often. For an indoor cycling workout, I look for songs that have fast choruses for sprints and use some slightly slower songs for climbs. For swimming, since I am incapable of sprinting in a pool anyways, I go more with just songs that make me happy. Some examples of my favorites:

·    Running: Anything by Rihanna (her songs have great beats); the Biggest Loser soundtracks, most Katy Perry songs, Tom Petty’s Runnin’ Down the Dream, We Weren’t Born to Follow or You Give Love a Bad name by Bon Jovi.

·    Cycling: Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance is the perfect interval song. Stronger by Kanye West is a great hill song, as is the new song Princess of China by Coldplay with Rihanna. Many U2 songs work here as well—Beautiful Day, Mysterious Ways, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking for.

·     Swimming: I often shuffle the soundtrack from a show or movie that makes me happy, such as Glee. An 80s playlist is fun in the pool as well.

2) For a race, add a few songs that make you laugh or smile. These are songs that remind me of particular people or sings that I love—songs that I connect with emotionally and give me strength to push through. For me, these include: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey (my life motto), Centerfield by John Fogerty (love thinking about a brand new baseball game about to start), the Ohio State Fight Song (Go Buckeyes!!), Kanye West’s New Workout Plan (inside joke with a good friend), Love Bites by QED (reminds me of college roommates who are still my best friends). I started putting Motley Crue (Kickstart my Heart or Dr. Feelgood) for a friend in our indoor cycling class last year, and it has stayed on the playlist as a reminder of the important role that the Boston Performance Coaching crew has played in my life (same with Total Eclipse of the Heart, though that was on the list to annoy someone, not please).

3) Add a few new songs for each long-distance race. You’ll get excited when the song comes on because you are not used to hearing it and that will help you get through the distance. For Newton half, I used Stereo Hearts (the GymClassHeroes version) (awesome lyrics), All of the Lights (Dustin Pedroia’s at-bat music), and Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory (glory is a motivating word when you are on hills).

4). Pick a few songs that just motivate you. I like girl power songs, like Beyonce’s Single Ladies, or songs about just seizing the moment, like Eminem’s Lose Yourself. Katy Perry’s Firework is also great for this purpose, because it has a really uplifting beat and lyrics that make you feel like you’re awesome. My half-marathon PR is thanks to this song coming on at Mile 12 and me deciding to “Firework” the mile.

This weekend, I will be running my first Rock and Roll half marathon (in Las Vegas), so I won’t need a playlist. I’m looking forward hearing what the bands have to offer and taking in all the sounds and sights of the strip at night. But I don’t know how I’ll get through it without some “Livin just to find emotion hiding somewhere in the niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.”