“To a runner, a side stich is like a car alarm. It signifies something is wrong, but you ignore it until it goes away.”
Recently I have been looking back at some of my most popular posts and found that there was a lot of interest in this post on jogging. After reading through my previous jogging articles I realised that I’ve really not done a lot of outdoor jogging this year. I have been focussing quite a lot on gym work and not getting outside to jog even though we have been having some gorgeous weather here in the UK.
Looking back I feel quite disappointed in myself because jogging is probably 1 of my favourite exercises. It allows you to relax, de-stress, enjoy nature and be alone with your thoughts but in the last year I have just let it slip. The good news is that Sports Direct have made getting back into outdoor jogging a whole lot easier for me by sending across a brand new pair of Asics Gel Innovate 2 men’s running shoes (see below).
They look great and I cannot wait to try them out. Thanks to Lucie Oge for setting it all up and Sports Direct for providing the running shoes.
All this focus on jogging got me thinking about 1 of the most important factors for having a good run – music. I find that the right jogging music can really help you to keep going and make your run a lot more enjoyable. That’s why today I am going to be sharing with you my top 5 best songs to run to:
1) EVERCLEAR – I WILL BUY YOU A NEW LIFE
I originally got into Everclear after hearing their track ‘Unemployed Boyfriend’ on Yahoo Radio. After listening to a few more tracks I downloaded all their albums and they have become 1 of my favourite bands. I find a lot of their slower songs are really good running tracks and ‘I Will Buy You A New Life’ is 1 of their best. Something about the music in this song makes me really happy and motivates me as I run.
2) SURVIVOR – EVER SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN
I found this song after watching the Sylvester Stallone film ‘Lock Up’ (good film but no Rocky). It starts playing during the end credits after Stallone’s character is finally released from prison. After hearing the track I was hooked and had to know who sung it. The answer was Survivor. These guys have a lot of great tracks and are probably most famous for the Rocky theme ‘Eye Of The Tiger’. Whilst that track is a good punchy tune, ‘Ever Since The World Began’ is my favourite song from them and a really great piece of jogging music. I find it really relaxing and it makes me feel like I am almost floating as I run.
3) JOURNEY – DON’T STOP BELIEVING
Admittedly, this song has been played to death since it was covered on Glee. However, I actually heard it first on an episode of Scrubs and fell in love with the track. It is quite a simple song with a simple message but I find it really easy to run to. I think the chorus is brilliant and I get an extra burst of energy every time it kicks in.
4) HEART – ALONE
As you can see there is quite a theme developing here. I am a sucker for 80’s power ballads and this 1 from Heart is another of my favourite pieces of jogging music. Like ‘Don’t Stop Believing’, this track has a killer chorus and really gives me that motivation to run a bit faster.
5) PHIL COLLINS – AGAINST ALL ODDS
This is 1 of the most famous songs by Phil Collins and in my opinion 1 of this best. It is a really relaxing tune and allows me to clear my mind as I run. If I am feeling stressed or worried I can put this song on, forget about these things temporarily and just run to my heart’s content.
SUMMARY
Looking at this list you can see that I prefer running to slower more relaxed music and simple power ballads. For me, the most important thing when I am out jogging is to clear my mind. If I have too many things floating around in there I start thinking about them too much and I cannot run properly. These songs help me do just that. They completely empty my mind and although the lyrics are not always happy lyrics (‘Against All Odds’ is about an ex-lover), I find the music behind them really inspirational. It always puts a smile on my face and makes me want to keep running.
So now I have my new trainers and I have my relaxing playlist all that is left to do is get out there and jog. I’m aiming to get some jogging done this weekend. If you want to see how I get on then I’ll keep you posted via Twitter – FFT_UK.
Now I want to hear from you guys. What is your favourite jogging music? What do you think of my playlist? Do you feel music can make or break a run? Let me know by leaving a comment.
P.S. I know not everyone is a fan of 80’s music so if it is not your thing please go easy on me ;-).