The Connection Runners

The Return to Running Playlist

In anticipation of my grand return to running on Monday, I spent the better part of that morning cleaning up my iPod shuffle and filling it with a select group of tunes guaranteed to rock my run.

I'm one of those runners who feels physically disabled without music. In fact, music is so important to me that an entire page of this blog is devoted to it. However, some time in the last year, I got super lazy about posting good music, but I fully intend to revive this feature starting with Monday's playlist.

The Return to Running Playlist

If you're like my husband, you're probably mocking the almost disproportionate number of Coldplay songs littering this playlist.

But, for the record (score! another pun! I'm on a roll this week), the new Coldplay album is fantastic. There's something about Chris Martin and his meekly melodic voice set to tingling guitars and thumping drums that gets me all fired up during a run.

Yes, I just used the phrase "fired up" and Coldplay in the same paragraph.

While you ponder Coldplay's talent, I'll provide some (probably copyrighted) favorites from the list for your listening pleasure:

Foster the People - "Helena Beat"
I kind of wanted to throatpunch FTP after I heard "Pumped Up Kicks" for the 18,000th time over the summer. I also kind of wanted to throatpunch people for thinking it was all happy when in fact the song's about a kid that goes on a shooting spree.
But I digress. Luckily, "Helena Beat" came along and saved us all. It's funky and, instead of throatpunching, kind of makes me want to do The Hustle.

Lady Gaga - "Americano"
As she does with "Alejandro", Lady Gaga shines on this Latin-influenced little ditty. Now, where's my Flamenco-style running skirt?

Matt & Kim - "Block After Block"
Matt & Kim are about as close to hip-hop as this white girl from the Detroit suburbs can get. This song has a swift beat but maintains that indie rock hipster vibe that makes me feel okay about wearing TOMS while I listen to it. Plus, these guys (or, rather, 1 guy and 1 girl) absolutely rock live.

Mumford & Sons - "Roll Away Your Stone"
I can't get over how much I still love M&Sons' Sigh No More album. Usually, after listening to a record a bazillion times, I want to burn every copy of it in existence. But there's something magical about the banjo here. It makes me run... fast.

Your turn: What song(s) get you revved up for a run?