Perfect playlist: The Marine Corps Marathon

I’d like to start by justifying this playlist. Not everyone’s into music, and those people might have a hard time understanding why

an otherwise sane woman who already spends an inordinate amount of time running might waste hours poring over iTunes to create the perfect long-run mix. It’s simple: If running is how I unplug from the pressures of daily life, finding that space between the hustle and flow that leads to something like meditation, music helps me get there. And as someone who loves music to begin with, pairing a new favorite song with the rhythm of my footfalls can help me appreciate the song on a higher level than simply listening to it as background noise.

Now. When asking for new long-run-mix suggestions, it occurred to me that simply providing a playlist might not be that helpful for other runners. Running songs are so personal, and what pumps me up might leave you feeling flat and  (or offended, considering many of my pump-up songs are angry, misogynistic gangsta-rap songs that send my gender, and the human race, back a good century or so). So I’ve included my strategy for building the perfect long-run mix, in case you want to improvise and start your own.

I like to think of my races, and my playlists for them, in roughly five-mile sections (a marathon is nothing more than four easy five-milers, plus one really painful 10K, right?). I like to plan for almost 50 minutes of music for each, just to be sure I won’t run out too soon. I’ve made notes by a few selections that have special meaning to me. Others, I feel are self-explanatory (how can I NOT have “Baby Got Back” somewhere in the mix?). I even tested this on my 21-miler on Saturday to make sure it’s awesome in practice as well as in theory.

Don’t need four hours of music? Check out my previous playlists for distances ranging from a 5K to a 10-miler here.

Finally, if it seems like we share musical taste (or lack thereof), please let me know if you’ve got any other brilliant suggestions — I’m always, always looking for new additions.

START: You’re going to want catchy, mid-tempo songs that energize and excite you, but that aren’t so hard-core, you go into immediate overdrive. This is also a good spot for some slower songs that somehow make for good running tunes — I’m digging “Come to You” by Carina Round right now, after finding it on Kara Goucher’s endurance playlist (“Viva la Vida” is a Goucher pick, too), and “Punkrocker” by the Teddybears, which was recommended by a Twitter-runner-friend, Megan. In the Marine Corps Marathon, this will take me through the hills on Lee Highway, and across the Key Bridge into Georgetown.

Mudhouse – Bob Schneider — This song led my National Half Marathon playlist, and was a suggestion of my runner-friend Jim, who inspired me to run my first marathon. His story, which is almost guaranteed to make you cry, made me think back in 2007: If he’s running a marathon, what’s stopping me?

Going the Distance – Cake

The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

The View – Modest Mouse

Come to You – Carina Round

Viva la Vida – Coldplay

Let Me Go – Cake

Beautiful Day – U2

Never There – Cake

Punkrocker – The Teddy Bears

Stronger – Kanye West

Live Your Life – T.I., feat. Rihanna

Universal Mind Control – Common (another suggestion from Megan – thanks!)

SECTION TWO: Here, you want songs that encourage you to lock in the pace. I like the ones that help me channel past races, like “Here We Go Now,” which started my playlist for the Nashville Country Music Marathon in 2007, or “Award Tour,” which led my mix for my first-ever distance race, Gainesville’s Five Point of Life Half-Marathon. This section will take me through Georgetown.

Here We Go Now – Naughty By Nature

Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z, feat. Alicia Keys

Come On Eileen – Save Ferris. This song reminds me of being a high-school senior visiting Georgetown on a recruiting trip for swimming, dancing in some dive bar with the swim team, convinced I’d die if I didn’t get into the school. I didn’t get in, nor did I die, and I’m convinced that not getting in, which led to me moving across the country to attend University of Colorado, where I met my now-husband, Steve, was the best thing that ever happened to me. The dive-bar jukebox played the original version of this song. When this awesome cover comes on, I’ll simply think: Suck it, Georgetown!

Woo Ha (remix) – Busta Rhymes

Did You See the World – Animal Collective

Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, Wives – Voxtrot

Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured – Arctic Monkeys

Run This Town – Jay-Z

Shake That – Eminem

Flathead – The Fratellis

What a Wonderful World – The Ramones

SECTION 3: This is typically a tough section of the race for me, and I like to pick songs that are meditative and thoughtful, that make me remember why I’m in this race to begin with. These are highly personal, and may not work for everyone. For example, “Cruel” and “Baby, You’re Amazing” are songs I ran to during Steve’s deployments. They’re not likely to pump up anyone else, but to me, they conjure a time in my life when I’d run so I could work out pain, and cry without being caught (I held the pace while bawling through these songs on many an occasion, thank you!) I pick some happy songs, too — “Brand New Colony” reminds me of my wedding. I bounce back from the heavier songs with a few that, if you don’t want to dance by the end of them, you should probably check your pulse (see “Kiss,” “Vivrant Thing.”) This section of the playlist will take me through Potomac Park, and should end when the course spits me back into downtown DC.

I Will Survive – Cake

How It Ends- DeVotchka

Cruel – Calexico

Breathe Me – Sia

Baby, You’re Amazing (live version) – Josh Kelly

Kiss – Prince

Gold Digger -Kanye West

So What – P!nk — This is a favorite of my hard-core runner-friend Sarah. I have it twice on this playlist to make sure I hear it around Hains Point (read my long-run report to find out why)

Two Step, Dave Matthews Band, Live at Red Rocks – My favorite version of my all-time favorite song!

Walcott – Vampire Weekend

B.O.B. – Outkast

Get Back – Ludacris

Catch 22 – Streetlight Manifesto

Rosa Parks – Outkast

Survivor – Destiny’s Child

When the Sun Goes Down – Arctic Monkeys

Vivrant Thing – A Tribe Called Quest

SECTION 4: I’ll be running around the National Mall here, and will likely be getting pretty tired. The serious pump-up songs start here. So do the ones that make me laugh, like “Baby Got Back.”

Run On – Moby

Make Her Say – Kid Cudi

Get High Tonight – Busta Rhymes

Baby Got Back – Six Mix-A-Lot

Shame on a N***a – Wu-Tang Clan

D.O.A. – Jay-Z

Lose Yourself – Eminem

Dear Sergio – Catch 22

Crack a Bottle – Eminem

Fugeela – The Fugees

Radio Nowhere – Bruce Springsteen

How You Like Me Now? The Heavy – A suggestion from another Twitter-runner friend, Dustin. Listen to it while you’re doing speed work, and you might just PR in the mile.

Still D.R.E – Dr. Dre

END: It’s “go” time. I like to start this section with “Ain’t Nothing But a G-Thing,” because Dre says it best when he warns: “Cause you know we ’bout to rip s**t up.” Indeed.

Ain’t Nothing But a G-Thing – Snoop Dog

Fight the Power – Public Enemy

Rump Shaker – Wreckx N Effect

When Distaster Strikes – Busta Rhymes

You Can Do It (Put Your A** Into It) – Ice Cube

Kick In The Door – The Notorious B.I.G.

Bulls on Parade – Rage Against the Machine

Scenario – A Tribe Called Quest

M-E-T-H-O-D Man – Wu-Tang Clan

Moving to New York – The Wombats