Tuck Takes Off

Wow, this Nike video gets me a little choked up and definitely motivates me to get outside and JUST DO IT. The combination of the sports imagery – the effort and grace, or lack of grace – and the music, literally moves me. This idea dovetails nicely with a call I got yesterday from my brother, Rob, asking (insisting) that I add music to the Tuck Takes Off repertoire.  He’s right – it has been sorely lacking here which makes no sense as music is  muy importante  in making  workouts  happy/successful/stress-relieving/fun. To stretch the workout metaphor a bit, music is CORE. In fact, listening to music with a driving beat when you exercise has been proven to increase endurance by 15% and, better still, it has been proven to make athletes “feel more positive” when they are pushing themselves at an intense level.  Don’t just take my word for it -here’s a story on the study: Brunel University (2008, October 2). Jog To The Beat: Music Increases Exercise Endurance By 15%. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 29,

And so readers, I am going to share my killer “RUN” playlist (great music, boring title) that I have been building and  painstakingly shaping, like Michelangelo chipping away at David,  for lo these many years.  At the moment, I have 196 songs on it with music ranging from hip hop to classic AC/DC rock to mashups and remixes to ska. This works for me because I can tend to get bored when I run (shocker, right?)  and as I run my mood tends to change every 200 feet or so, so having a wealth of tunes at my fingertips means I have the right aural fuel for every moment…right there! Satisfying:)

Chase that beat! Music makes you run longer.

I usually run 4 or 5 miles, so I’ll break down my huge playlist into 50 minute sets when I post. To check these songs out or buy them, go to itunes or amazon or something free and sneaky that shall go unnamed. Ready? Okay, here we go. This music will move those feet. Enjoy the ride!
Playlist #1:
1. Great DJ by The Ting Tings 3:23
2. Awful by Hole 3:16
3. Wonderful Night by Fatboy Slim 2:45
4. Gone Daddy Gone by Gnarls Barkley 2:28
5. She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult 4:13
6. Cobrastyle by Robyn 4:12
7. T.I.A. by K’naan 3:38
8. 99 Problems by Jay-Z 3:55
9. Jump Around by House of Pain 3:31
10. Song 2 by Blur 2:01 (woo hoo!!)
11. Keep The Car Running by Arcade Fire 3:29
12. Toxic by Britney Spears 3:19 (hey, I’m not proud)
13. Mirror In The Bathroom by English Beat 3:09
14. Don’t Fear The Reaper by The Caesars (6 Feet Under Soundtrack) 4:14
15. Bohemian Like You by The Dandy Warhols 3:32
Stretch & happy walk home :
Brick House by the Commodores
Feelin’ Good by Nina Simone

I’d love it if you tell me about some of your favorite running songs or playlists. Comment here so we can all see. My list wants to grow…
And as for the video up top, the song is The Killer’s “All These Things That I Have Done.” I really like it – but not quite enough to get the RUN playlist nod. At least not today. xoxoSteph