The Need For Speed

I try not to pay attention to my pace. No, really. I try. My primary focus is adding to my mileage, and I know that I’m not setting a PR at Wine and Dine or any other races I’m doing this year. After taking a year off to have a baby, I’m just not there yet. And I’m okay with that. Mostly. It’s not easy to see the numbers on my garmin and know that I can do better. A lot better. For that reason, it’s just better for me if I don’t pay too much attention to it.

Typically, I run with a garmin, but I don’t check my pace until I finish. I log it into Daily Mile and that’s about it. (Okay, I also text my husband if I’ve had a really good run. Gotta celebrate the little things, you know?)

My treadmill running is a completely different story. I have to pay attention to my pace- it’s right there, after all. There’s also the urge to finish my run as quickly as possible, now that I’m running longer distances- who wants to be on the treadmill for over an hour? (I can’t believe that I once ran 12 miles on the ‘mill. There aren’t enough My Drunk Kitchen episodes in the world for me to do that now.)

Lately, I’ve been doing at least one treadmill run a week. Sara and I are both in half-marathon training, but we also have a five miler coming up soon, and for that, we have a time goal. Hooray! Treadmill days are speed days.

Speedy runs require fast beats. I danced for most of my childhood, and later taught aerobics, so my internal metronome still tick, tick, ticks to most sounds. I can’t help but try to match my feet to the beat! I also dig faster tunes on the ‘mill because it motivates me to run faster more naturally, instead of just keeping up with whatever pace I’ve selected.

My current favorite run-faster song (there are times I will listen to it twice during a run) is Church by T-Pain featuring Teddy Verseti. (I’ve said it before, but the Step Up 2 soundtrack is king.)

There are websites that list songs for a specific pace, but what’s the point of having running buddies (and blog readers) if you can’t ask them for advice? I turned to some members of Team Scoot A Doot to find out their speed jam recommendations.

Mer-
B.O.B. – Outkast
Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes
American Girl – Tom Petty

Brandi-

Let’s Go – Neyo
Applause – Lady Gaga (even though I am not a Gaga fan)
Where The Streets Have No Name – U2


Kyle-

Eye of the Tiger – Survivor. Because it’s hard not to run fast when the music is telling you to be like Rocky.
Stronger – Kelly Clarkson. Self-explanatory.
Applause – Lady Gaga. This one is new and since I still really like it (and it hasn’t been played to death on the radio) I get excited when it comes on and I always go a little faster.


Megan-

Dog Days are Over – Florence and the Machine
Red Hands – Walk off the Earth
Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men
Cruise (Remix) – Florida Georgia Line, featuring Nelly
Some Nights – Fun
The Idea of You (Live) – Dave Matthews Band
SexyBack – Justin Timberlake (featuring Timbaland)
More – Usher
Sexy and I Know It – LMFAO (yeah, what can I say…)
The Truth about Love – P!nk (featuring Nate Ruess)
I Will Wait – Mumford and Sons
I Know You Want Me – Pitbull
Stronger – Kanye West
Let it Rock – Kevin Rudolf

I didn’t ask Vic, because she runs sans music, but I did get to pick her brain about pace plans for upcoming races over breakfast yesterday. She’s in my ‘hood for the Disney Tower of Terror 10 miler, and she skipped a morning at Magic Kingdom to hang with me and my little dude. That’s real friendship, y’all.

Vic and Brooke

I’m ready to hit up iTunes, so please share your speed jams with me! Are you racing this weekend? Good luck!

16 thoughts on “The Need For Speed

  1. I don’t usually run with music anymore, but when I did, I had some speedy faves!

    Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
    A Little Party Never Killed Nobody – Fergie
    Higher Ground – RHCP
    Misery – Maroon 5

  2. First, I knew I loved you ladies. These are some awesome jams! I fully agree that Applause is awesome, but I give it like 3 more weeks before I am gagging over Gaga.

    My suggestions:
    Safe & Sound – Capital Cities
    Clarity – Zedd
    Counting Stars – OneRepublic
    Lucky Strike – Maroon 5
    The Boys of Summer – The Ataris
    You Make my Dreams – Hall & Oates
    Get Up – Kelly Clarkson
    Brave – Sara Barreilles

    Also, yesterday I ran to RockMyRun’s Fit to Fight mix (its free, just have to download the app) and its full of really inspiring music, with a Melissa Etheridge song near the end that also may make you tear up. Or I’m an emotional wreck. Or anyone who doesn’t tear up has a stone heart.

  3. Love the jams…. Timberland usually is the artist that gets me going. And yes, long runs are the mill are icky but they are great for speedwork. I usually do t pay attention to my pace too much during runs either- so that makes two of us 🙂

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