Every time I run a marathon, right around taper time, I try to stop listening to my music. Wait, what? Ok, this is only partly true. As you know, it's border-line torture for me to run any distance without music. Do I lean too heavily on it? Perhaps. Do I care? No, I do not. So, no, I don't really stop listening all together. But I do lay off my current favorites. I call it my music starvation period. It's pretty tough, but it's totally worth it as I know how good those babies are going to sound on race day. Back in 2001, right after I got married, I was re-bitten by the running bug after having taken some time off post college. Since then, I've run 10 marathons, 12 halves, and countless 5Ks. I have playlists for all of them. And while I am constantly creating new lists with each new race and (eh hmmm) year that goes by, I never delete the old ones. Many of my favorite songs make it on every list from year to year. However, some of my 'go-to's from back then...well, they just don't get the juices flowing like they used to. But, they're still great songs. Enter the taper playlist. This is a group of gems that I have compiled over the years that are not on any of my current running playlists. They may have stopped getting the job done back then, but since I haven't heard them in a while, I find that they have a new kind of zestiness to them when I listen to them today. And we all know zest is good during taper time. I make a point to not listen to this one until I enter music starvation period, thereby keeping it fresh and fun and guaranteeing that it will be a much-needed distraction. Yes, I am a bit of a musical mad scientist. I didn't create the flow chart in the photo up top, but I might as well have as my own would be of a very similar nature. Hey, at least I'm just obsessing about music. It could be a lot worse. I got such a kick out this group of songs during my last marathon taper that I decided it was worth sharing. Remember, I started compiling these babies when I was a young lass of about 25 years. So keep that in mind as scroll through the list. Listen to them. Share them. Laugh at them. Enjoy them. Do what you will. And if you find your own 'go-to' in there, well hot dog. Enough talk. Turn it up!
RUNNINGWITHMUSIC: TAPER ON
Black Tambourine - Beck
Break It Down Again - Tears for Fears
It's Love - Chris Knox
A Little Less Conversation (JXL Remix) - Elvis Presley
Jump (For My Love) - The Pointer Sisters
Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson
Let's Go Crazy - Prince
Optimistic - Radiohead
White Knuckles - OK GO
Teardrop - Massive Attack
Hung Up - Madonna
Too Fake - Hockey
Annie You Save Me - Graffiti6
Colorful - Rocco DeLuca & The Burden
Sweet Dogs - Trolle Siebenhaar
Spaceman - The Killers
Sometimes I Rhyme Slow - Nice and Smooth
Sweet Black Angel - The Rolling Stones
Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Great Defector - BellX1
Harold T. Wilkins - Fanfarlo
Take On Me - a-ha
Intergalactic - The Beastie Boys
Slow Dog - Belly
St. Petersburg - Brazilian Girls
Love You Madly - Cake
Let's Go - Eurythmics
Gangster Trippin' - Fatboy Slim
Love - G. Love
Better - Regina Spektor
(Nothing But) Flowers - Talking Heads
Elevation - U2
Block Rockin' Beats - Chemical Brothers
Parallel Universe - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Listen to this:
TAPER ON is available for your listening pleasure
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