EZ Listening, Achy Shins, 7.8 miles

Lights And Music -- Cut Copy

Do You Feel Loved -- U2

*Sleep Better -- Pete Yorn

All I Know -- Dan Wilson

Against History -- Dan Wilson
Hand On My Heart -- Dan Wilson
Die Alone -- Ingrid Michaelson
**Accidentally in Love -- Counting Crows
No Other One -- Weezer
Holiday -- Weezer
I Think We're Alone Now -- Tiffany
Super Bon Bon -- Soul Coughing
Sunkeneyed Girl -- Mike Doughty
Like Eating Glass -- Bloc Party
Poker Face -- Lady Gaga
My Life Would Suck Without You -- Kelly Clarkson
Just Can't Get Enough -- Depeche Mode

I don't know what's up with all of the lite-ish rock lately! My pace is craving different rhythms these days -- I guess I burned out on 6+ years of constant Britney, Xtina, Madonna rotation. Oh, don't think I think I'm too good for it, though. Soon, when my body doesn't yawn at the prospect of having to power through "I'm a Slave 4U" again, the ladies will return.

* musicforthemorningafter is without a doubt in my Top 10. I haven't made it my business to listen to any of his other albums, which is lazy and silly.

**Honestly, another contender for #1. I'm a bit shy to put it up there, because, well, it's the goddamn Counting Crows Shrek song. Maybe next time. It needs more testing.

10K and MJ

*Will You Be There -- Michael Jackson

Man In The Mirror -- Michael Jackson

ABC -- Jackson 5

I Want You Back -- Jackson 5

**Cry -- Dan Wilson

Breathless -- Dan Wilson
Do You Really Want Me -- Salt 'n' Pepa
Accidentally in Love -- Counting Crows
Monkey -- Counting Crows
Die Alone -- Ingrid Michaelson
Comedown -- Bush
Genie in a Bottle -- Christina Aguilera
Regret -- New Order
Strange Condition -- Pete Yorn
Supernatural Superserious -- R.E.M.
If I Am A Stranger -- Ryan Adams
Waiting For You -- Seal

*I'm sure a bunch of the runners I passed last night had MJ blasting, too. And yeah yeah, out of all the songs to pick, Free Willy?! I hadn't heard it in years, so it was a nice nostalgia moment when it came on.

**I started listening to Dan Wilson after we saw him open for the lovely and amazing Kathleen Edwards last year at Irving Plaza. For the majority of his set, his familiar voice was driving me batty -- who WAS he? Where had I heard that voice before, damnit?? Then he wanted to tell us the line that inspired the hit we might know, a line that wrote the rest of the song about the birth of his child.

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

OH YEAAAH!

His solo stuff is filled with the intimate, melancholy love songs that make you happy and sad all at once. I love it.

I Think You're Smart, You Sweet Thing

I'll Believe In Anything -- Wolf Parade
*Got You (Where I Want You) -- The Flys
**World Spins Madly On -- The Weepies
Uncle Tom's Cabin Warrant
Sweet Surrender (live) -- Sarah McLachlan
Somehow, Someday -- Ryan Adams
Please Don't Stop the Music -- Rihanna
Disturbia -- Rihanna
Consolers Of The Lonely -- The Raconteurs
Electrolite -- R.E.M.
Finest Worksong -- R.E.M.
Let's Go Crazy -- Prince And The Revolution
Such Great Heights -- The Postal Service
***That's What You Get -- Paramore
Don't Look Back in Anger -- Oasis
Closer -- Nine Inch Nails
I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week -- Mandy Moore
Possession (live) -- Sarah McLachlan

*3 runs, 3 playlists! Sometimes I remember a song I haven't heard in years, download it, proclaim it "zomg, the best song EVAR," and then get sick of it in a week. So we have about 2 days. But seriously, though, this is an awesome song. The best part is the second verse, second line, when he goes "oh HE-eyyyyyy." No, no! The chorus is the best part. ZOMG, best song EVAR! Katie Holmes, you used to be the best muse...

**Such a beautiful little song. I love when this comes on when I'm on a super-busy street like Livingston, in the middle of Fulton Mall, during rush hour. I'm taking high little steps to avoid tripping, and I'm weaving around smokers (oh how MANY SMOKERS) and shoppers and carts and bikes and cabs, and no one wants to move aside to let me pass.  The Weepies make it all go in slowmo, like some music video, and I zip through the madness.

***Thanks, Rock Band, for the playlist inspiration.

7.5, Almost a New Champion

Paper Planes -- MIA
I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week -- Mandy Moore
Give Me Novacaine -- Green Day
Got You (Where I Want You) -- The Flys
Bleed It Out -- Linkin Park
*Trouble -- Pink
The Best Of What's Around -- Dave Matthews Band
Take Me Home Tonight -- Eddie Money
Ulysses -- Franz Ferdinand
No You Girls -- Franz Ferdinand
Feel Good Inc -- Gorillaz
Jesus Of Suburbia -- Green Day
Fill It Up Again -- Indigo Girls
Girlfriend -- Matthew Sweet
I Just Want The Girl In The Blue Dress To Keep On Dancin' -- Mike Doughty
Mistaken For Strangers -- The National
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight -- The Postal Service

One upside of the gloomy weather -- the nice cool sprinkle that's been falling on every run for the past two weeks. I won't miss carrying an umbrella everywhere I go, but I will long for a heat that's not oppressive and migraine-inducing. I know it's coming soon.

Just in case anyone doubted it, the gradual incline of Union Street, from Nevins to about Court, is oh so much more fun while going down. I usually find myself running back home up that hill, but today I took another route to Park Slope. During my glorious decline, I remembered not to enjoy it TOO much; the easier it is going down, the harder it is going up. I can will Brooklyn's streets into changing, you know.

*This almost displaced Eddie Money over there on the sidebar. Pink is an awesome running buddy. But then Mr. Money kicked in and I was pretty much singing out loud. He's still king for now.

Sickety Sick Sick

You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son -- Wolf Parade
Clint Eastwood -- Gorillaz
Got You (Where I Want You) -- The Flys
*One Thing -- Amerie
**I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week -- Mandy Moore
L.E.S. Artists -- Santogold
When You Were Young -- The Killers
***Smile Like You Mean It -- The Killers
Last Exit -- Pearl Jam
When I'm Gone (Sadie) -- No Address
Don't Change -- INXS
Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate -- Indigo Girls
Give Me Novacaine -- Green Day

Bah, one of the worst runs I've had in a while. Plodding, heavy, draggy. I planned to do anywhere from 6-8, but just stopped in the middle of Carroll Gardens after 4. Disappointing, because I can always push through the "But I don't WANNA run anymore!" feeling, but not yesterday. As it turns out, I'm sick. Boo. After 12 hours of sleep, I've promised Jeff I won't run today. Fine.

*I first downloaded this song after reading it on a few "Top 10 Summer Songs" lists a few years ago. A few listens, a few "meh"s, and I deleted it. It just didn't jive for me. Then, last week, Idolator introduced me to this awesome decade countdown of the best songs. Downloaded it again, tried it again, and... meh. It just doesn't get me going at all.

**My, this is a cute little ditty, isn't it?

***This is so by far the best song on Hot Fuss, right?

Who'll Stop the Rain?

Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z) -- Rihanna

Red Rain -- The White Stripes

After The Rain -- Nelson

Rain King -- Counting Crows

Only Happy When It Rains -- Garbage
The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) -- Missy Elliott

Lord Let It Rain On Me -- Spiritualized

*Blame It On The Rain -- Milli Vanilli
So. Central Rain -- R.E.M.
Weatherman -- Kris Delmhorst
**Don't Drink the Water -- Dave Matthews Band
I Come From The Water -- Toadies
***Beauty Of Gray -- Live
Shades of Grey -- Billy Joel
Grey Street -- Dave Matthews Band
Summer Long -- Kathleen Edwards

*Gotta blame it on something.

**Surprising powersong. I got into a groove when this came on. My knees stopped hurting, my breath slowed; I felt like I was skating, arms wide, world passing by slowly.

*** Bah. I really liked Live in high school. And now I just really... don't. Active dislike than neutral, even, which is strange because I'm obviously not one to outgrow or shun the music of my youth. But I don't even enjoy them anymore in a nostalgic Collective Soul/Soul Asylum/Wallflowers kind of way. It all seemed so deep and mystical in 1994, which just embarrasses the hell out of me now.

8-mile Rainbow Mix

Red Herring -- Kris Delmhorst
Orange Crush -- R.E.M.
*Yellow -- Coldplay
Yellow Brick Road -- Kris Delmhorst
**Hitchin' a Ride -- Green Day
J.A.R. -- Green Day
Blue Orchid -- The White Stripes
Violet -- Hole
***Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate -- Indigo Girls
It's Alright -- Indigo Girls
Black -- Pete Yorn
Fell On Black Days -- Soundgarden
Mr. Brownstone -- Guns N' Roses
Here I Go Again On My Own -- Whitesnake
18 Wheeler -- Pink
All For Love -- Color Me Badd

*Why did everything go downhill after this album? What an absolutely fantastic song, and what a far fall.

**I almost went with Pearl Jam, "Green Disease" here, but then remembered how much that song, well, sucks.

***Thanks, Haley, for the suggestion. LOVED it.

9 miles, A Belly Full of Chicken Mole, Ugh

Don't Let It Bring You Down - -Annie Lennox
Begin The Begin -- R.E.M.
Old Enough -- The Raconteurs
Sell Out -- Reel Big Fish
Divorce Song -- Liz Phair
Never Again -- Kelly Clarkson
**Waiting For Tonight -- Jennifer Lopez
The Infanta -- The Decemberists
Let's Dance -- David Bowie
Breathless -- Dan Wilson
***Shine -- Collective Soul
No Excuses -- Alice in Chains
Sleep To Dream -- Fiona Apple
When I Come Around -- Green Day
Know Your Enemy -- Green Day
E-Pro -- Beck
King Of New Orleans -- Better Than Ezra

** I know. I know.

*** In high school, like everyone else, I used to keep a blank tape in my boom box and record mixes from the radio. I taped this song one day off of either Y-100 or 94.9 Zeta or any other of the stations on which it played 80 million times a day. Some wacky DJ must have been bored, because during the guitar riff that leads into each chorus, right before the "yeah," he played an automized voice saying,

"P-Pardon me, a-are you Hispanic?"

The hell?

So I still hear that, 15 years later.

Also, I kind of felt like I was in a commercial for a Christian Rock CD when this one came on today. It got so bad during the, "hey yeah, hey yeah, heaven's little light gonna shine on me" breakdown at the end that I had to go on to the next one.

J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge

I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor -- Arctic Monkeys

Pieces Of Me -- Ashlee Simpson

Tones of Home -- Blind Melon

Bohemian Like You -- The Dandy Warhols

Soul Meets Body -- Death Cab for Cutie

Know Your Enemy -- Green Day

The Distance -- Cake

**E-Pro -- Beck

Transistor -- 311

Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts -- Wolf Parade

This Is Such A Pity -- Weezer

Hail, Hail -- Pearl Jam

Tremor Christ -- Pearl Jam

Satan's Bed -- Pearl Jam

Never There -- Cake

Bleed It Out -- Linkin Park

Waking Up in Vegas -- Katy Perry

This was my first road race since the debacle of the Lewis and Clark Half Marathon in September (torrential downpour, winds straight-on for the first 3 miles, course stopped at mile 10 due to flooding). In real life, I never run by mileage; I always run by time, assuming a 10-minute mile. I probably actually run closer to a 9:30 or 9:45, but I'd rather run for 60 minutes and call it a 6 miler. Makes life easier.

I'm pretty excited that I set a PR for 3.5 miles. Officially (and by that I mean according to my stopwatch, since the race didn't keep official time via chip or bib), I ran this in 31:34 -- a 9-minute mile. But because this was a Fun Run, the first mile or so was MUCH slower than I would have and could normally run; everyone was pushing, stuck behind walkers and joggers, and weaving in and out. So I'd like to think I easily ran sub-9-minute miles, which makes me very pleased.

**My powersong. Thanks, Beck.

Also, I usually have WAY more songs on my playlists than I fully listen to. I'll create my list and then >> after a minute or two or just skip if I'm not feeling it.

Full Disclosure

When I want to share with the world what pushes me through those last 10 minutes of a run, I can't very well be of service if I gloss over the fact that last night 6 out of 10 songs were by Collective Soul, now can I?

And I can't really be completely honest without sharing secrets like the fact that last month I texted Andrea, "Is it okay if I listen to Amy Grant's 'Baby, Baby' when I run tonight?"

Judge away, baby. And sync up. Years of practice have made me a master running playlister.