Just gotta' groove

In your groove....cruise control.....floating......easy run.....

You know that feeling?  The rush of when you are in a run and you can't really feel your legs beneath you because you found YOUR speed.  The perfect pace of your run.

Now that I am getting back into a good running routine, it easier to find my groove.  More than a few times in the last week, I had to actually look down to make sure I was running.   It felt that effortless.   It doesn't last the whole run and I am not necessarily breaking any speed limits - but that's ok.  For the point in my run that it happens, it makes the rest of the felt effort worth it.  It's just nice to lose myself in running.   

My music makes my vacation-from-reality runs even better.   I am not sure if it is the running that makes the music better or the music that makes the running better.   I think after all these years I have stopped trying to figure it out.   I have realized that I intuitively choose running music whose tempo and beat mirror my "perfect pace".   Subconsciously, I now know which sets of music to choose as I start, grind through the middle or trying to finish strong.   

And even though running is a form of meditation to me - I am not one of those Zen runners.    I need music to get to going most days.   I rely on music to help me through the sore knees and awkward gait in the first mile or so.   My mind demands music to drown out the other thoughts of work and home so they are just inaudible background noises.   And most importantly, music helps me slip into my groove and keep me there.  It is like a little metronome .... tick, tick, tick, tick......

Here are some of the songs on my iPod (did I mention I finally got one for Christmas?!?!?) that you might like to:

• What You Want - Daughtry
• Her Eyes - Pat Monahan
• Famous in a Small Town - Miranda Lambert
• Love Song, Many The Mile - Sara Bareilles
• Lost Highway, We Got in Going On, Whole Lot of Leaving, I Love This Town - Bon Jovi
• Who Wouldn't Want to be Me - Keith Urban
• America - Neil Diamond
• Gonna Make you Sweat - C+C Music Factory
• Shame on You - Indigo Girls
• Stoppin the Love - KT Tunstall
• What do You Think - Montgomery Gentry

I do like podcasts when I need some company on my runs.  Thank you iTunes for making it so darn easy to get new stuff each week. Here are my weekly regulars that I carry:

• Phedippidations - of course! 
• 4 Feet Running with Nik and Dan
• Confessions of a Runner
• Podrunner (try them - but need to be in the right mood)
• The Extra Mile Podcast - love the stories!
• The Final Sprint

Can't wait to see the other music and podcast stuff you bring to the Take It and Run potluck!

Photo on Flickr by Who's Photo?

Comments

[kara]

Bon Jovi!

[Kent A]

For another great technical podcast, Dump Runners' Club is great.

[Shelah]

I love the idea of the running podcasts. I must be awfully slow on the uptake, because this is the first I had heard about them.

[Sandy]

I rely heavily on music to motivate me, too, Amy. Isn't the ipod the greatest invention ever? I'm not familiar with any of your musical preferences, but I'll be sure to check them out.

Glad to hear your running is going well.
Sandy

[Kaeti]

I just wrote about my current top 10 music choices on Friday. I'll definitely have to look into some of the options you mention!