The weekends are when most long runs happen for many runners and I’m no different. And when you’re a middle pack runner, like me, you’re normally out on the road for two hours or more at a time. The monotony of pounding the pavement for that long can begin to wear on you. So I do many things to pass the time. I take pictures and talk to myself. But of course I listen to audio books and podcasts. Most importantly, I listen to music. But towards the end of any long run when my muscles are fatigued and my brain doesn’t want to function I have a few ridiculous (key word being ridiculous) songs that cheer me up, pump me up, and help me finish up the last few miles when I really just want to quit.
Here are a few of the running songs I listen to that I’m embarrassed to admit are in my rotation but love all the same.
- Wannabe – Spice Girls (Tell me what you want, what you really, really want. See, you dig it too)
- C’mon – Ke$ha (yeah, c’mon you can finish this run)
- Misery Business – Paramore (because running at some point or another is a bit of misery)
- Out of My League – Fitz & The Tantrums (you got my heartbeat racing…)
- Super Bass – Nicki Minaj (Oh Nicki, I kind of love/hate you, kind of like how I love/hate running)
- Groove is in the Heart – Deee-Lite (At this point in the run, I’m not happy. But I want to be happy. This song makes me happy)
- Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (This bro’s got goals and so do I)
- Dirt off Your Shoulder – Jay Z (don’t worry, you got this. brush that damn dirt off your shoulder and finish)
- B.O.B. – Outkast (Please, Lord, if I can just run really fast through this song I’ll be done running for the day.)