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What do you run to?

Sequin | 13:43 UK time, Friday, 2 November 2007

We're following up a story in the Times about marathon runners in America being banned from using their iPods and other music players during races because of "safety concerns".

We're trying to compile a list of the best music to run to. The Times suggested Eye of the Tiger by Survivor, Don't Stop me Now by Queen, Keep on Running by the Spencer Davis Group.

Any thoughts?

Comments

  1. At 01:59 PM on 02 Nov 2007, wrote:

    if you're on a treadmill in the gym, there's always "Road To Nowhere" - Talking Heads...

  2. At 01:59 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Big Sister wrote:

    "While you see a chance" by Steve Winwood. I've always found that's a great track for keeping you going when your spirits are starting to flag.

    "I want to break free" by Queen - Good rhythm for running, and you can always visualise the video, which makes me laugh.

    And maybe, from the classical side, any of the Brandenburg Concertos, good for moral and pacey.

  3. At 02:03 PM on 02 Nov 2007, witchiwoman wrote:

    I used to love running to Hello by the Cat Empire, little known but very good!

  4. At 02:07 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Jeff Guest wrote:

    Music to run a marathon to? The only choice has got to be Iron Maiden's 'The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner'. Lasts about 3 hours as well!

  5. At 02:09 PM on 02 Nov 2007, wrote:

    In reality I've got a mix of stuff on the MP3 player. As the regular froggers know, I've got an eclectic taste in music, but recently I found myself running to the following tracks:

    "Jumping Jack Flash" - Rolling Stones
    "Happy Sad" - Gemma Hayes
    "A Room At The Heartbreak Hotel" - U2
    "A Good Heart " - Maria McKee (Yes! She's finally recorded the song she wrote for Feargal Sharkey)
    "If You Leave" - OMD
    "Perfect Day" - Skin (no, *not* the song the Beeb used in it's trails a few years ago...)
    "Don't You (Forget About Me)" - Simple Minds

    That's just the ones I can remember for now....

  6. At 02:12 PM on 02 Nov 2007, wrote:

    Well I stick to the cross trainer - or maybe the stepper, but how about Lindisfarne and 'Run for home'?

    Agree with Sis about Steve Winwood

  7. At 02:20 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Carolyn Quinn wrote:

    I want to break free - yes - love that song and can't forget the video.

  8. At 02:43 PM on 02 Nov 2007, witchiwoman wrote:

    FF - thats one of my fave U2 tracks, I'd listen to it tonight had I not already packed it!

    Bizarrely enough Seth Lakeman is quite good to run too, I'd forgotten about him.

  9. At 02:49 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Charlie wrote:

    I don't. Run that is

    If I did, I'd probably do it to a Funeral March

    The music would offer a suitable "pace" for me to aim at and would be appropriate for my demise which would doubtless occur during my attempt at the exercise...

  10. At 02:51 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

    I always find the Benny Hill tune Yakety yak very helpful.

  11. At 03:11 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Lee Vitout wrote:

    I always run with my mp3 player and my favourite song is from the Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get It Started" - not only is the music cool but the lyrics keep me going!

    it sounds something like this :)

    ....And the base keep runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and...

  12. At 03:14 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Big Sister wrote:

    Rufus: Surely Yakety Sax is just a bit too frenetic? (Oh, and Yakety Yak was a Coasters tune, I believe)

  13. At 03:18 PM on 02 Nov 2007, wrote:

    I'd try Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' and 'The Magic Flute', two works that I know well enough to be able to concentrate on instead of the pain.

    The Marriage of Figaro lasts almost three hours, so I may not get as far as The Magic Flute!

    But it's all very hypotherical - I have yet to run my first marathon! Lol.

  14. At 03:18 PM on 02 Nov 2007, JimmyGiro wrote:

    How about the Arab: Song of the Dessert.

    If you're a slow runner (or fast singer) you should be about 1/3 the way through it before finishing a marathon (or should that be snickers?).

    What was the 'danger' to be averted by the way?

  15. At 03:26 PM on 02 Nov 2007, whisky-joe wrote:

    Carolyn,

    I always run to the Today programme. It's on Radio 4 you know.

  16. At 03:33 PM on 02 Nov 2007, John Wilson wrote:

    Carolyn,

    it has to be Elektro Kardiogramm from Kraftwerk's Tour De France Soundtracks album

  17. At 03:35 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Tom Harrop wrote:

    The only reason I took up jogging was to hear heavy breathing again.

  18. At 03:48 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Aperitif wrote:

    Rufus (10) and Tom (16) Hahahaha :-)

    When I was about 13 I had a phase of running to "Easy Lover" by Phil Collins and Phil Bailey (on a Walkman, of course). I can't hear that song now without my thighs complaining (Proper warms ups were de trop as a teenager).

    Now I prefer my quiet thoughts. Which usually include "Oh God, it's not even a minute since I last looked at my watch!"

  19. At 04:01 PM on 02 Nov 2007, wrote:

    the pub

  20. At 04:08 PM on 02 Nov 2007, wrote:

    [puff]

    I've actually just got back from a jog, so lets see a selection of what was on shuffle while i was shufflin' along...

    I wanna be your dog - The Stooges
    Silver Rocket - Sonic Youth
    Supernaturally - Nick Cave (by god you speed up to this one!)
    Mr P.C - John Coltrane
    Big New Prinz - The Fall (good one to stomp to)
    Mexican Standoff - Elbow
    Runaway child, Running wild - the Temptations (I kid you not)
    Real life - Joan as Policewoman (how did this slow one get on? I deliberately only put "fast" ones on...)

    hm... not eclectic - more erratic
    Right, into that shower!

  21. At 04:10 PM on 02 Nov 2007, wrote:

    I thought I was running to the sound of a flock of seagulls the other day - then I realised it was my own wheezing..........

  22. At 04:27 PM on 02 Nov 2007, wrote:

    You could always try 3min 50 seconds odd of A Flock of Seagulls - "I Ran"

    ;¬)

  23. At 04:34 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Chris Jones wrote:

    I should think thw best track to keep you running would be Vindaloo!

  24. At 04:38 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Aunt Dahlia wrote:

    The Valeta

  25. At 04:41 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Joe Palooka wrote:

    Carolyn - last year I entered the New York City Marathon. The race started and immediately I was the last of the runners.

    It was embarrassing. The guy who was in front of me, second to last, was making fun of me. He said, "Hey buddy, how does it feel to be last?" I replied: "Do you want to know?" so I dropped out.

    Have a good weekend all. It's nearly 5.

  26. At 05:00 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Simon Worrall wrote:

    Marathon - Rush
    Let the beat control your body - 2Unlimited
    King of pain - Police / Alanis Morrissette
    Killing yourself to live - Black Sabbath
    Down the Highway - Bob Dylan
    Highway star - Deep Purple
    Sweat it out - Elton John
    Running on faith - Eric Clapton
    It hurts me too - blues standard
    Walk a mile in my shoes - Green Bullfrog album
    Running wild - Judas Priest
    Silent running - Mike & the Mechanics
    Take it on the run - REO Speedwagon
    Long may you run - Neil Young
    On the run - Pink Floyd
    Bad boys running wild - Scorpions
    The shape I'm in - The Band
    Can't stand the pain - Georgia Satellites
    Go where you wanna go - The Mamas & the Papas
    Breathe - Prodigy

    Will that do for starters?

    Si.

  27. At 05:43 PM on 02 Nov 2007, wrote:

    Run...? RUN???? You folks all actually do the Running Thing?

    Maybe it really is me that's weird around here...

    When I'm out on my BICYCLE (see? I do exercise a bit!) I prefer to be able to hear as well as see my surroundings. That's because pedestrians don't listen for you coming, and vehicle drivers gave up looking out of their windows years ago.

    How can you feel safe, locked inside your head? Surely you need to, in the words of the Green Cross Code, "Keep looking and listening" while you run.

    Especially on those days when it's wet, miserable and dark and you probably need motivating more than ever.

    Sorry but I think you're all bonkers (but as I said earlier... it's probably me, not you)!

    Fifi

  28. At 05:53 PM on 02 Nov 2007, chris hazelgrove wrote:

    Marathon runners and MP3s!?
    Got it easy on the health and safety front.

    I planned to climb Everest this weekend but there were so many of those darned H and S notices on the way up ----and even more on the way down--- that I decided to stay home and listen to Mozart instead...
    Chris

  29. At 05:58 PM on 02 Nov 2007, David McNickle wrote:

    Fearless,
    Yeah, I'd run away from any of those choices.

  30. At 06:06 PM on 02 Nov 2007, Rachael Reynolds wrote:

    Oh how ridiculous! America is the fattest country in the world. How many more excuses do they want to give people to stay sat on their butts?

    I always listen to the radio during training and races and the only time it's a problem is when it get's drowned out by crackly loud speakers blaring out "I will Survive" for the 478th time!

    There will always be idiots in races throwing water bottles at you, spitting without bothering to look behind, veering in front of you without warning and barging through non existant gaps.

    Steve Cram wants to try running in the middle of a big pack if he wants to know what racing for non elites is like, and it isn't music that causes any safety problems.

  31. At 03:46 AM on 03 Nov 2007, Jason Good wrote:

    What is this "running" of which you speak?

  32. At 09:23 AM on 03 Nov 2007, Deepthought wrote:

    I once tried to offer a young lady I knew a lift home one dark night. But she walked staight past me. So I sent her an email saying I didn't care if she had turned the offer of the lift down, but how rude it was to just ignore me.

    She claimed she had not heard me because her iPod was turned up so high (but surely her "guide dog" could have spotted I was talking).

    Assuming that this is true, I think it does highlight that joggers etc - especially at night - should be wary of how they use their iPods etc, especially if the music drowns out the sounds around them - like shouted warnings, car horns etc that could alert them to imminent danger.

  33. At 11:40 AM on 03 Nov 2007, Charlie wrote:


    ...your point is well made "Deepthought" @ 32

    Such advice might be also well heeded by both motorists and motorcyclists who drive with iPod's plugged-in...

  34. At 11:54 AM on 03 Nov 2007, Val P wrote:

    Whisht - Oh so that's where you've been, out running for all these months, a big hi to you!

    As beach frequenters will know, the last time I did any running, my mobile phone leapt out of my pocket and caused no end of problems, so I haven't since. I've also only just bought an mp3player and managed to get 2 albums on it (sick of one already) but I don't think I'll use it while dog walking - I like to be able to hear the sounds of nature/danger all around :o)

  35. At 12:10 PM on 03 Nov 2007, Aperitif wrote:

    HELLO WHISHT!!!!!

  36. At 01:05 AM on 04 Nov 2007, wrote:

    awwww Hi Val and Aperitif!
    [glances at shoes and slight blush]

    no, not been jogging all this time... erm... if I manage once a week i feel virtuous! though a step up from the once a month as was my 'routine' earlier this year!

    Been working on NHS Choices website for last 8 months and trying not to cause too much damage. Interesting to hear visions of healthcare from at least one bit of the NHS' insode. Pity that there are idiots who blunder around and cause the result to be so far from what was intended.
    hey ho.
    not bitter obviosuly [ahem]

    now.... I'm a man of leisure as I take a holiday. Probably off to South America. But until then i get a chance to actually hear PM (where's Eddie?) and glancing at the blog (which was always more important!)

    how are you both? maybe a summary on the beach?
    (um, should I have posted this to the Beach instead...? Have I broken the rules again??)
    x

  37. At 09:21 AM on 05 Nov 2007, Val P wrote:

    Rules are made to be broken :-). However, see you on the beach.

  38. At 03:08 PM on 06 Nov 2007, Aperitif wrote:

    Well Whisht, since you ask this autumn has been a bit of trial in Aperitif's world so far. Shan't trouble you with it all, but will stand you a beer on the beach and hear more of what you've been up to if you like? Welocme back :-)

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