Soothing the savage beast

Welcome to December!  Crowded malls, black ice, subzero temperatures, myriad social engagements, beer advent calendars, and Christmas baking are sapping our will to swim/bike/run and bringing out the (10 pounds heavier) savage beast within.

 It ain't easy getting out there these days to tame the beast, so what to do?  If you don't already, why not add music?  For the exercise-with-music types, why not revamp your playlist?  Half the fun of running with music (a new and very happy discovery for me) is in creating the perfect playlist.   As some of you know, nothing will push you through a weak spot like your favourite song.  I recently asked some friends to send me  their favourite running songs-some are surprising choices and some will be added to my list in the very near future.  Here they are:

Name: Race Vault
Pace: 10:30/mile
Favourite Distance: Mile repeats/any sort of drill
Playlist: - Born to Run/Bruce Springsteen              -The Dead Heart/Alexisonfire
               -Big Wheel/Down With Webster               - Fire Burning/Shawn Kingston 
               -Sandstorm/Darude                                     - Supersoaker/Kings of Leon
              - Angels of the Silences/Counting Crow   - Run to You/Bryan Adams
               -Break Stuff/Limp Bizkit                              -Rock and Roll/Skrillex

Name: Alli
Pace: 9:30/mile
Favourite Distance: 10k.  Fair weather runner, will run on the treadmill if it's too wet (unless it's a club run, then I'm happy to then I'm happy to get soaked with my friends as long as it's followed by a cold beer by the fireplace at the Rose!)
Playlist:- Blurred Lines/Robin Thicke                             -Get Lucky/Daft Punk
              - Can't Do Nuttin For Ya Man/Public Enemy   -Hey Ladies/Beastie Boys 
              -Come Dancing/the Kinks                                   -Jam for the Ladies/Moby
              -Devil Went Down to Georgia/Charlie Daniels - Lets Talk about Sex/Salt N Pepa   
             -We no Speak Americano/DJ Americano& Melinda
               Kool                                                                         -Dowutchalike/DigitalUnderground

Name: The Nutcracker
Pace: 9:00/mile
Favourite Distance: 10k-short and sweet.  Rain or shine, preferably shine.
Playlist: - Big Mouth/Santigold                   -Daft Punk Is Playing In My House/LCD Sound           

             -So Whatcha Want/Beastie Boys - Try It Again - The Hives

             -Insane in the Brain/Cypress Hill   -You've Got Another Thing Comin/Judas Priest

             -I Love It - Icona Pop                        -Jerk It - Thunderheist

             -Power - Kanye West                        -Blue Orchid - White Stripes (and Icky Thump!)     

Name: Special K

Pace: 7:00/mile

Favourite distance: 10k (but I'm making that up, I didn't ask)

Playlist: -Go/Pearl Jam                            -Kickstart My Heart/Motley Crue

              -Hollywood Nights/Bob Seger  -Against the Wind/Bob Seger

              -Run LIke Hell/Pink Floyd         -Clash City Rockers/The Clash

              -Why Go/Pearl Jam                    -Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)/Arcade Fire

              -Harder than you Think/Public Enemy 
              -Galvanize/Chemical Brothers

             

Name: The Rabbit

Pace: 8:00/mile

Favourite distance: 8k.  Ocean front run on a clear, cool day.  Or any run with friends and beer at the end.

Playlist: Sorry I have never tried running to music. I prefer the tap tap (thump) of my feet and my own inner thoughts which may be a bit monotonous like some music perhaps. Also I'm too paranoid to block out the sounds of the world outside and I don't really like to run on the treadmill. 

So there you have it, 40 great songs and 1 good case for running without them at all.  Hope these help you off get off of the couch, away from the fireplace and cookies and out the door.  Any "must have" songs that aren't on here?  See you out there!

    

The perfect run

It's been said that perfection does not exist in nature but Sunday's 4th annual Boundary Bay Marathon/Half Marathon/10k/5k came pretty darn close.  According to sponsor Try Events they care.  They care enough to arrange an extra hour of sleep for everyone via the end of daylight savings time and I for one could feel the love.  The arrangement they made with the weather gods were a nice touch too-freezing, windy rain from hell on Saturday yet miraculously sunny and calm on Sunday morning.  Sweet!

Starting at Centennial Beach after a warm up with Ronald McDonald, the route went along the Boundary Bay dike in the sun with perfect views of the ocean, farmer's fields and the always beautiful Coast mountain range.  There were even bald eagles out to cheer everyone on.  Run races aren't even this nice in the movies!

Pretty sure a lot of PR's were earned thanks to the very flat and fast out-and-back gravel course.  I know my pal Alli scored her best time ever and Tenacious D (not her real name) was pretty happy with her run too.  This was my first race with music and what a difference!  Between the tunes and the great course, I was within a minute of my personal best (thanks Bruce Springsteen for getting me through kilometer 8!).

Hard to find any fault with this event at all-the ladies bathroom had it's ubiquitous crazy long line up but there were extra mobile washrooms available (I snuck into the line-up free Family washroom, shhhh.)  Well organized, very nice long-sleeved tech shirt in the race package, free coffee, decent post-race fuel, good entertainment (not just Ronald McDonald), sunshine, just one of those perfect runs.

So yeah, if you like amazing scenery, a well organized race that just so happens to sponsor a great cause like helping sick kids stay with their families, along with a flat, fast course and enough categories for all of your friends to find something they like, this is your run.  

What's your perfect run? Fave running tunes? I would love to add to my playlist!  See you out there!  Pics will be on Instagram :)

P.S.  If you are looking for a fun run you can do with the whole family, please be sure to check out the VanMarrewyk Christmas Fundraiser happening November 16th!