Apr
28
It started with deciding to say yes to a challenge that felt impossibly out of reach, which led me to a beautiful city I’d never seen before and a finish line I never thought it would be possible for me to cross. A week later, I thought, I’ve come this far and learned so much about myself in the process—what if I kept going?
We leave on Friday for Eugene. The marathon is on Sunday. The marathon that I’m running in.
I pushed myself out the door a thousand times when I’d have given anything to stay home. I ran through wind and rain and dark night skies. I ran short, I ran medium, I eventually ran 21 seemingly endless miles, all in the name of preparing my body to endure 26.2. I spent money on tights and fuel belts and energy gels and music and hats and shoes. I got sidelined by painful injuries in my knee and hip and foot. I sometimes ran lonely; I always ran alone.
It’s been the hardest thing I have ever done, this training. A lot of it has been, in a word, miserable. I don’t know if I will ever want to do this sort of thing again.
But here I am, about to run a goddamned marathon. It’s not over yet, but I’ve put in the work to get this far and it is a nearly indescribable feeling. I read a quote once: “Out on the roads there is fitness and self-discovery and the persons we were destined to be.” I believe this is true. I believe these last several months of running have forever changed me. Or maybe just revealed what was there all along.
I’ll be thinking of you on Sunday, my friends, you who have helped me out so much with encouraging words and support from afar. Thank you for being such a positive presence in my life. Thank you for the kindnesses you’ve shown me and the advice you’ve shared. It makes a difference.
Now, assuming I don’t black out and die in a pool of my own vomit before I have a chance to make it past the audiobook section of my iPod and into the music, I need what can only be described as the World’s Most Epic Running Playlist, and here’s where you come in: what’s the one song that never fails to revive your flagging spirits, that you’d want piped into your head-holes to help stave off total physical collapse? The request line is OPEN.
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Oh and the Ecstasy of Gold from the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly soundtrack fo’ sho!
Beat of My Own Drum by Poe!
Songs that make me happy:
Message in a Bottle – The Police
Super Trouper – Abba
Mamma Mia – Abba (Really almost anything Abba)
The Minnow and the Trout – A Fine Frenzy
If you’re looking for faster music
Flame War – College Humor downloadable from http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1907543
i second lose yourself by eminem. my spinning instructor likes to throw that one on during uphill climbs and i swear to christ that’s what gets me through those climbs.
You are amazing and inspirational! Thank you for this awesome post and good luck on your marathon!
Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani The cheerleader inside of me gets so excited when that damn song comes on. I know I am so lame.
Good luck!! I will be thinking of you!
Whoops, it’s really called “Walk the Walk.” Still by Poe though. That song makes ME want to run a marathon (the feeling ends as soon as the song does. I hate running).
18 wheeler by Pink. I know, I know, I’m embarrassed to type it but it does the trick for me.
Higher Ground – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Canned Heat – Jamiroquai
The remix version of Total Eclipse of the Heart
Lose Yourself – Eminem
Eye of the Tiger
Ridiculous songs but they seem to get the job done. Good luck this weekend :) Kick that marathon’s ass!
Linda, I just wanted to tell you that you were a huge inspiration for me to start running when it came time for me to figure out how I was going to get back in shape.
When I don’t *feel* like running, I will ask myself, “What would Linda/Sundry do?”, and I tell myself, “Linda/Sundry would get her ass out on the street and run through it.”
So, for chronicling this process as you go through, I thank you. It’s been major. Some day, I may even tackle a full marathon.
I have two songs that I love to run to:
“Bad Romance” by Lady GaGa (the beat works)
“What You Waiting For” by Gwen Stefani
My picks are:
– Fighter (Christina Aguilera)
– Survivor (Destiny’s Child)
– Sexy Chick (David Guetta)
– Holiday (Green Day)
– Lose Yourself (Eminem)
– I Will Survive (Cake)
OK, so my themes are obviously fighting and survival, but GEEZ that is what is takes for me to get through a run!
Good luck to you Linda. You will rock it. You are inspiring!
Wow. This is going to be quite the eclectic marathon playlist.
My vote: Where Is My Mind? -Pixies
“Sexy Bitch” by Akon and David Guetta
“Smack my Bitch Up” by Prodigy
Anything by Lady Gaga
not to rain on your parade, but have you checked to see that the race allows ipods? Many don’t. Which I KNOW!! Is insane!! How can anyone run without music to keep them going?? But they claim it’s a safety issue or some such bullshit.
Laid – James
Are you gonna be my girl – Jet
You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
KILL IT, GIRL!
Mighty Dub Katz – Magic Carpet Ride
GOOD LUCK!
I can’t run, but I bike, and Led Zepplin keeps me moving when I feel like I should be dead.
“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen — perfect for the end of a race. Good luck!
I know it is an oldie but “Girls just want to have fun” Cindy Lauper. Too much fun when you might be at a not fun point.
The Faders – No Sleep Tonight. Has this great drum hit on the refrain that picks me up on my runs MORE THAN I CAN EXPLAIN.
Ditto what everyone has said: rock on with your bad self! It’s been very cool to watch the changes in you over the years, and if it’s possible to be proud of someone you never met, I’m proud of you. :) My choice for non-stop song is Underworld’s Everything Everything – live version.
-Just Dance (Lady GaGa – just thinking about it makes me start hopping in my desk chair)
-Bittersweet Symphony
Go get ’em!
Sorry, song name is Born Slippy/NUX – the real name, not just the chorus. Sigh.
Good luck, Linda! I’ve been reading your blog for ages and am so inspired by you. That said “Push It” by Salt n’ Peppa always does it for me.
Go Linda!
I suggest Le Tigre’s “Deceptacon”–it jams from the moment it starts.
Trust me…She’s So Cold by the Rolling Stones. Perfect beat.
Good luck!
I love songs that have “run” in them when I run.
Rihanna – Pon De Replay (Run, run, run, run, everybody move run……)
I loves the Black Eyed Peas too. Let’s Get It Started – And the base keeps runnin, runnin. And runnin, runnin..
Laura C I have those on my shuffle too :) I second the White Stripes Seven Nation Army too.
Off to add Hollaback Girl to my playlist. Thanks Sande……
Oddly enough, Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show always make me run just a bit faster.
Good Luck!
This is going to show my age but I always get a little extra burst of energy when Paradise City by GnR comes on. Classic!
You’re going to do great in the marathon!
The song that always gets me going in my workout is Wat Pomp by Die Antwoord.
Oh, and anything by The National – bom bom bom bom bom bom – always a great beat that just keeps going.
Dude. Dragula by Rob Zombie, Guarded by Disturbed. Just thinking about these songs makes me want to go out and run. Or whack something with a stick. Whichever.
You are going to kick that marathon in the balls. Rock it!
Counting Bodies Like Sheep / Perfect circle
good industrial rock :)
-Adagio for Strings (full length version) by dj tiesto
-Now we are Free by Gladiator
-That’s not my name by the Ting Tings
-All the Small Things by Blink-182
-I need a miracle by Cascada
-Now You’re Gone by Basshunter
-Sandstorm by Darude
-Us by Regina Spektor
“Train in Vain” by The Clash, London Calling album. At least, that’s what would keep me going.
Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship. Yes, it’s cheesy but it works for me!
anything by Alanis morissette. I call her the Angry Woman. but she keeps me going 10 miles on a bike.
Good Luck. I’ll be waving from Portland!
SO LAME but I can’t help it…”Faith” by George Michaels…and it’s like seven minutes long. Almost a whole mile :)
Lose Yourself – Eminem
Drop the World – Lil Wayne & Eminem
History in the Making – Darius Rucker
Empire State of Mind – Jay Z
I’m So Paid – Akon
Oh Linda, what an awesome adventure you have ahead of you. I must agree with you that training for the marathon is as big, if not bigger, an accomplishment as completing it. I look back on those training runs with as much pride as the memories of crossing the finish line 26.2 miles later. Will be thinking of you Saturday, clear across the country on Long Island, NY. Come run the Hamptons Marathon in October!
Okay, this is super corny, but the chorus of Queen’s The Show Must Go On pretty much makes me feel like I can run a marathon right then with no training.
I can’t wait to hear how it goes! Good luck!
Good luck on Sunday, Linda! I’ll definitely be thinking of you, because I’m running my first ever 10K the same day, and I’m doing it largely because you inspired me. (I’m a regular lurker here, only sometimes commenter.)
My only playlist suggestion is Vertigo by U2 as MY long runs are still less than an hour and therefore a single episode of NPR’s Radiolab gets me through it. And I’m a gigantic NPR nerd.
You are going to do awesome!! We are all so proud of you!
My input for music would be Blue October, anything by them, I love them so much.
fuckin’ in the bushes — oasis
also…
don’t rain on my parade — barbra streisand. because come on.
Imma Be by the Black Eyed Peas.
Good luck! I have done halfs, but have yet to pull the trigger and sign up for a full…wimpy me.
I just discovered “Bicycle” by the Memory Tapes. It’s kind of ethereal and mystical and about half the song is a chorus of voices that kinda makes me tear up. IDK — kind of hard to describe, but it might be up your alley.
From the ‘Songs I Have Listened to On Repeat For Hours to Keep Myself Going’ file, I nominate Dar Williams’ “Closer to Me.” It’s all about journeying and getting yourself going and that sounds good for a marathon. Granted, I only run when I’m being chased, but it should work.
Good luck! :)
Send me on my way by rusted root . Has lots of happy flutes and drums
Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
You are fabulous.
I have no music suggestions because I don’t exercise (I leave that to my husband, who has just done his 6th marathon), though he does like The Propellorheads for that sort of thing, I think. So there you go.
Have a great run. You’ve earned it.
Get ’em, Linda!
My starting song is always has to be Son’s Gonna Rise from Citizen Cope, and if I timed it right/manage to find it I like to end with Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship.
I fear this may be a little cheesy but the Melissa Etheridge song, “I Run for Life” pushed me over my 5K finish line when, just two months before, I couldn’t run a solid minute.
I’ll be thinking of you Sunday, Linda. You can so totally rock the shit out of this.