Feel the Rhythm

       I'm always impressed when I read about people who can effortlessly embrace a mantra. The incredible focus and determination they possess are truly commendable. Lionel and I take turns sharing the phone during our rides. He dedicates half of the journey to listening to his safety sheriff Labrador podcasts, while I get the other half to enjoy my music. I've experienced both running with and without music, and while the latter is manageable, running with music is undeniably more enjoyable. Running with music can transport you to any period of your life in a matter of minutes. I can go from pouring espresso shots at the Think Tank (the coffee shop on my college campus where I used to work) to watching Joe Mauer step up to the plate or be mashing on Nintendo 64 buttons, all within the span of ten minutes. The sensation is euphoric, and music has a way of shaving 10 seconds off my average kilometer time. After dedicating three months to curating my favorite tracks and cultivating my memory, I've created what I consider the perfect running playlist – a mix of upbeat and mellow songs that keep my stride smooth. As it turns out, this mix is heavily influenced by mid-2000s German rap, Reggaeton, and the Beatles. Here's the list, and if you have any last-minute suggestions, feel free to share them. If you want to listen to the same beats while I'm running, you can compile the list and hit play at 6:30 pm on Saturday, October 29th.

The 26-Mile (sound)track  -  From the calmest to the most fired up

1. Cat Stevens – "Father and Son" (Fitting for the occasion)
2. Dean Martin – "Mambo Italiano" ("I'm Scullini, pass the mozzarella.")
3. Sheryl Crow – "All I Wanna Do"
4. The Beatles – "Love Me Do"
5. Tea Leaf Green – "The Garden Part III"
6. The Beatles – "From Me To You"
7. The Doors – "Break on Through" (I used my senior quote on this one; I had a thing for the Lizard King.)
8. Coldplay – "Clocks" (A great song for syncing your stride to the melody)
9. The Beatles – "Hello, Goodbye" (What I say in my head while passing other runners; I need to tone down my competitive side.)
10. The Beatles – "A Hard Day's Night"
11. Macy Gray – "I Try" (This song makes me forget I'm running)
12. Modest Mouse – "Float On" (The first song I had to have on my MP3 player)
13. Counting Crows – "Mr. Jones"
14. Hall and Oates – "You Make My Dreams Come True" (I'm dialing 1-719-266-2837, the Callin Oates hotline)
15. Colter Wall – "Sleeping on The Blacktop"
16. Paul Simon – "You Can Call Me Al"
17. Chopstick Brothers – "Father" (A beautiful tear-jerker of a song)
18. The Beatles – "Ticket to Ride"
19. L. Burnside – "Someday Baby"
20. Billy Joel – "Uptown Girl"
21. Blackalicious – "Make You Feel That Way"
22. Bruce Springsteen – "Born to Run" (Yes, Boss)
23. The Beatles – "Eleanor Rigby"
24. Tom Petty – "Running Down a Dream"
25. GEM – "Paomo (Bubble)" (Arguably the most beautiful voice I've ever heard; I'm not sure what a crescendo is, but if this song has one, it's brilliant.)
26. Doobie Brothers – "Long Train Runnin'"
27. Bruce Springsteen – "Born in the USA" (Ironically, not the most pro-America song out there, but it still gets played every July 4th.)
28. Earth, Wind, and Fire – "September" (I'm with my 2008 freshman roommate, Adam Van Atta)
29. Phish – "Character Zero"
30. Jay-Z/Alicia Keys – "Empire State Of Mind"
31. Regina Spektor – "Fidelity"
32. The Verve – "Bittersweet Symphony"
33. ELO – "Mr. Blue Sky" (I'm back on the quad in Montana)
34. Cake – "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" (Driving to Frisbee practice, slurpees in hand in Luke Dwyer's car)
35. The Beatles – "Get Back"
36. Jock Jams – "Boom Boom Boom Sey Wayho" (The T-wolves mascot Crunch is about to slide down the stairs on his sled at the Target Center)
37. Rolling Stones – "Start Me Up"
38. Michael Franti – "Say Hey" (Basically, block party)
39. Family Affair – "Mary J. Blige"
40. Shakira – "Waka Waka"
41. Yael Naim – "New Soul"
42. Gorillaz – "Feel Good Inc."
43. BBall warm-up 2006-2007 – Song mash-up from CDH's girls' basketball team
44. The Beatles – "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (This song came on once when I was at mile 14, right after I had an energy gu, and the world transformed into the Beatles' Yellow Submarine movie, and I thought I was running away from a Blue Meanie.)
45. Die Prinzen – "Mein Bester Freund" (I don't listen to much a cappella, but this one has stayed with me over the years)
46. Vangelis – "Chariots of Fire" (A reminder to be thankful I'm not running on sand)
47. Blue Swede – "Hooked on a Feeling"
48. Dexy's Midnight Runners – "Come On Eileen"
49. Goldfinger – "99 Red Balloons"
50. Seeed – "Dancehall Caballeros" (Credit to the German exchange student, Anka)
51. Space Jam
52. Tito El Bambino – "Siente El Boom" (Back in Venezuela, it's early in the morning, and the 70-year-old woman's birthday party we're celebrating is just getting started)
53. Manu Chao – "Bongo Bong"
54. Shakira – "La Tortura"
55. Wisin Y Yandel – "Ahora Es"
56. Barenaked Ladies – "One Week" (While I've seen less than half the episodes of X-Files, I do think about the Smoking Man a lot)
57. Atmosphere – "Puppets"
58. Spin Doctors – "Two Princes"
59. Hamilton – "Non-Stop"
60. T.I. – "What You Know About" (Joe Mauer is about to smoke a 420 ft home run to straightaway center on Papelbon)
61. Reel Big Fish – "Take On Me"
62. Brother Ali – "Self Taught"
63. OK Go – "Here It Goes Again" (Maybe it's the treadmill that made me put it on here)
64. Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out" (Probably from the iPod commercial)
65. Fleetwood – “The Chain”
66. Tarkan - "Kiss Kiss"
67. The Who - "Happy Jack”
68. Hall and Oates – “Rich Girl
69. Paul Simon – “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard” – (Royal Tenebaums is playing and I’m about to get into mischief)
70. Don Omar – “Salio El Sol”
71. “Rocky Theme Song” – (I actively seek out hills and stairs when this comes on)
72. Deltron 3030 – “3030” – (I am water tubing with Dan Scorpio)
73. Reel Big Fish – “Sell Out” (At the Minnesota Zoo watching this band perform live for my 21^st)
74. Jock Jams Theme Song – (I am listening to this on the school bus in my bright yellow Walkman with 20 second anti-skip technology)
75. Sweatshop Union – “Come and Goes” – (I’m at the coffee shop tapping my foot under the till to this one)
76. Cake – “The Distance”
77. Kieza –“Hideaway”
78. DJ Razal – “SSX Tricky” – (The only video game I managed to get past the first level on)
79. Flume – “Holdin On”
80. MIA – “Paper Planes”
81. Don Omar – "Danza Kuduro”
82. The Roots - “The Seed 2.0”
83. Rich Brian – “Edamame”
84. Brother Ali – “Fresh Air”
85. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Can’t Stop”
86. Les Miserables – “One Day More” (Sometimes I try to think about whether or not I would have joined the French Revolution)
87. Frankie Valli – “Grease” – (This track bangs)
88. Redbone – “Come and Get Your Love” – (this song puts all fatigue aside)
89. Jamie T – “Man’s Machine”
90. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – “Home” (About 70 nights of my junior year of college flash through my head, and I become very thankful that social media didn’t capture any of it.)
91. First Aid Kit – “My Silver Lining” – (Picked up from ultra-elite runner Coach T)
92. DMX – “X Gon’ Give It to Ya” (Radio edit for Lionel’s sake) – (I am playing Bounce It In board game in the basement.)
93. Michalis Hatzigiannis – “Xeria Psila” – (Blasting in the passenger side of Danny Gadskin’s car.)
94. Twilight Sparkle – “Legend of Everfree”
95. Swift – “Shake It Out”
96. Chris Corbnell – “You Know My Name” – (Title song from the James Bond Casino Royale motion picture)
97. Hilltop Hoods – “The Nosebleed Section”
98. Led Zepplin – “Ramblin On”
99. Matisyahu – “King Without a Crown” – (7 years of working at the J.C.C.)
100. Flobots – “Handlebars” - (Freshman year dorm days of college)
101. DJ Nelson -  “Pasarela”
102. Notorious B.I.G. and Miley Cryus – “Party and B.S. in the U.S.A.”
103. Vava – “Xindeyifu” (My New Swag)
104. Shindy – “High School Musical”
105. Cro – “Du”
106. Wyclef Jean – “Stayin Alive”
107. Public Enemy – “Harder Than You Think”
108. Nas Ft. Will.i.am – “Hip Hop is Dead”