Listen the date - part 2

-

Here is the final half of my Run The Date playlist:

Day 16 - Gabriel by Lamb - My favourite band and one of their best songs. Beautiful.

Day 17 - Every time the sun comes up by Sharon Van Etten - I just love her voice and this lazy, meandering tune is perfect for a long run.

Day 18 - The Shining by Badly Drawn Boy - Another feel good song that just trickles along like a babbling brook carrying you with it.

Day 19 - Got to keep on by The Chemical Brothers - Back to some hard, fast dance music. The title says it all and I'll need that mantra at this point.

Day 20 - Beetlebum by Blur - I'm hoping this rolling, repetitive refrain will lull me into a trance so the miles fly by. Reminds me of playing darts at university...

Day 21 - One more time by Daft Punk - Another hypnotic track but with a good mantra to boot.

Day 22 - Higher State of Consciousness by Josh Wink - You can tell I'm rolling out the high energy tracks as we approach the marathon distance. This is the most high energy track I know. I tormented my flatmates in halls of residence with this until my speakers gave up. A friend referred to it as R2-D2 being electrocuted. Just what I will need on this day.

Day 23 - Wake Up by Arcade Fire - Uplifting, joyous, ecstatic, huge and a joy to run to.

Day 24 - Stairway to heaven by Led Zeppelin - There's a lady whose sure all that glitters is gold....

Day 25 - Windowlicker by Aphex Twin - You may not know the title but I'm sure you'll recognise the tune. Experimental, catchy, weird and fantastic.

Day 26 - Inni mer syngur vitleysingur by Sigur Ros - The beat of this song fits my running cadence perfectly. You'll know I'm listening to this as I'll have a stupid grin on my face, hands in the air and chanting gobbledigook.

Day 27 - Sweet child o'mine by Guns 'n' Roses - Axl's voice, Slash's guitar, that opening solo. An epic tear jerker.

Day 28 - Seven Nation Army by White Stripes - Dum, dum-dum dum-dum dum dum. Tsh tsh tsh tsh. Gonna beat out these 28 on Meg's drumsticks and Jack's howling guitar.

Day 29 - Heroes by David Bowie - I'm no hero but I need to feel like one to get through these final back to back marathons. With David I'll be OK, just for one day.

Day 30 - Nothing else matters by Metallica - A Bald Monkeys anthem. It got John and I through the Dymchurch marathon and it will get me through the last day of the challenge.

Popular posts from this blog

Human v Horse

-
Image
The trail is ankle deep in mud. There are large U shaped holes in the ground. My brain is working overtime to relay information from my eyes to my legs to avoid breaking an ankle. I'm descending at speed through pine forest with shouts of 'Horse!' echoing behind me.  Moments later I hear the heavy breathing of a quadruped moving at speed. The drumbeat of hooves on turf are replaced with the splashing and squelching of the sodden earth. I feel a warmth on the back of my neck, almost imperceptible, likely imagined. Turning my head I risk a fall, but I need to see my foe. I glimpse the auburn mount bearing down on me, helmeted rider perched atop. I dive to the side of the trail just in time. The speeding steed is past in a moment. I watch as horse and rider gallop on and vanish into the shadows.  This isn't a recurring nightmare - that's the one about leading parkrun and then getting lost - nor is it my experience of participating in an anti-hunting protest. This was h...
Read more

A bridge too far?

-
Image
A post on Facebook caught my attention. This is how many of my running adventures begin. Bex Band, founder of the women's adventure community Love Her Wild had walked across all the bridges in Greater London. Obviously this meant the Thames River. Less obviously there are 33 bridges in total starting at Hampton Court and ending at Tower Bridge. Of these, 26 have pedestrian access and she had crossed them all. 'Hmm, that would make a good run' was my first thought. Seed planted. A couple of months later on a mild, bright January day I travelled to Richmond. My first run was Richmond parkrun with my friend Vicki and her pal Nicola. 3.1 miles, no dear and a warming coffee later, I ran the nine miles to Hampton Court. Twelve miles done and I was ready to start my run! My goal was to cross each bridge when I came to it. That meant crossing Hampton Bridge and a sign denoting entrance to Surrey before turning and re-crossing it to begin. Yes, I am a pedant. Hampton Court Bridge I ...
Read more

Great Lakeland 3 Day

-
Image
We had been descending for close to a mile. It was a steady descent, more than runnable. A chance to stretch out the legs. At the bottom we stopped at the checkpoint to refill out water bottles from the fast flowing stream when cramp struck.  I watched as my friend Matt grimaced in agony and beads of sweat fell from his brow. The muscles of his inner thighs had completely spasmed. He was unable to move. We were nine miles into day two of our three day Lakeland adventure with fifteen miles and numerous summits still to go. It was a relief when after a few minutes he was able to take a few hesitant steps. Disaster seemed to have been averted. We continued along a flat road before beginning our next ascent. Suddenly, Matt let out a cry and fell to the floor writhing in pain. The cramps were back. The day seemed to be over and we began to discuss how to get back to the campsite. ----------------- Matt, his wife Kelly and I had booked onto the Scarpa Great Lakeland 3 Day that is held in...
Read more