My Running Playlist

The Playlist. This can be one of the greatest motivational weapons you carry in your arsenal as a runner or athlete. If I'm just going to the gym to get in a good workout, all I really need is some loud drums and guitars on overdrive to get me pumped up. But when it's time to get serious - when I'm looking at starting to pound out 8, 10, 12....18, 20 miles on a winter morning, I need more than that. I need...the soundtrack! 

Several people have asked me recently, "What do you listen to when you're running?" While this is a conversation that mainly takes place between runners, others have inquired as well. So I thought I'd share with you the songs that light a fire underneath my feet and help keep me going when my body's trying to tell me, "We'd rather be in the jacuzzi!" One word of preface: Most days I go running, I don't start my iPod until halfway into my distance. One reason for that is I simply enjoy letting my mind and heart have a chance to commune with God (which I'm aware many of you find unbelievable to do while your legs are moving). But also because my iPod shuffle only has 2 hours of music. My fastest marathon time (Memphis, 12/09) was 3:49:48. So when I run Cowtown this February - with a goal of 3:45:00 - I'll put the needle on the record at 1:45 into my run. Without further ado, here are the songs that give me the runs! I mean, here's my playlist:

Where the Streets Have No Name - U2
Do It For Me Now [Clean] - Angels & Airwaves
Chocolate - Snow Patrol
Is There a Ghost? - Band of Horses
No Chains on Me - Chris Tomlin
No Way Back - Foo Fighters
The Nerve - MuteMath
Between the Lines - Stone Temple Pilots
Dig - Collective Soul
All In - Lifehouse
Tick Tick Boom! - The Hives
Let the Earth Awake - Charlie Hall
Work - Jars of Clay
Gleaming Auction - Snow Patrol
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Burn For You - TobyMac
Halfway Gone - Lifehouse
The Pretender - Foo Fighters
Nothingwrong - Jimmy Eat World
The Sound - Switchfoot
Heaven & Hot Rods - Stone Temple Pilots
Enough Space - Foo Fighters
Up in the Sky - Oasis
First Time - Lifehouse
Make Me Alive - Charlie Hall
These Hard Times - Needtobreathe
Heavy - Collective Soul
Alive - POD
All My Life - Foo Fighters
Bodysnatchers - Radiohead
You're All I Have - Snow Patrol
Stars - Switchfoot
My Hero - Foo Fighters
Vertigo - U2

Observations: I like Rock music. Sorry, no Hip-Hop or Country (although Keith Urban sometimes makes the list & I don't consider TobyMac as Hip-Hop). Foo Fighters came in with the most songs at 5. U2 started and finished the list (which is no surprise to anyone who knows me). Don't like my songs? Have some better ones you would suggest? Let's hear it! What's on your soundtrack?