A Musical Exorcism
Let me start this post with the following:
Exorcisms aren't limited to casting out evil spirits from a person's body.
Music can play a powerful role in motivation for a race.
The Bee Gee's song "Love You Inside and Out" still sucks.
What does this have to do with anything?
I'm getting to all of that.
Earlier this year, I placed fourth overall in a 10-kilometer race. At sixty-three years young, that should have been an exciting experience. My honest response? Meh.
A couple months later, I placed forty-fifth out of a crowd of only one hundred twenty-four runners in the Loop the Lake. My response? I was thrilled!
What’s up with that?
For starters, I didn’t like how I ran that first race, getting out a bit too quickly. Another issue had to do with frigid temps that discouraged more participation and competition. The later race had near perfect weather with an incredibly talented field, including a large number of elite runners, all of which pushed me to a solid race.
But most important, it was during this race that I was able to perform what I call a "Musical Exorcism."
What in the world is that, you rightly ask?
It’s me purging a series of bad memories associated with a certain group of songs by replacing them with a positive experience.
Huh?
In a previous post, I shared that my most disappointing season of running occurred during my senior year of Track in 1979. In that blog, I outlined my frustrations and disappointments. What I did not share was that, as a result of that season, there were a number of songs from that era that I strongly associated with those lousy races. Essentially, the moment I heard certain songs, my mind immediately conjured up memories of that dismal season
Forty-five years later, I decided that enough was enough. I can’t redo those races. But I can supplant a lousy experience for Van Halen’s “Dance the Night Away” with a good one. I decided that 2024’s "Loop the Lake 8K" would be that opportunity.
This five-mile race is basically two laps around Gray’s Lake in Des Moines. Put on by the Capital Striders, a DSM based running club, this race is quite well-organized with delightful swag and an enjoyable awards ceremony at a tasty near-by brewery. Such a combination tends to bring out a competitive field for this mid-April event. In my mind, that would prove a perfect setting for this musical exorcism.
To finalize preparations, I developed a playlist consisting solely of songs that I distinctly recalled from that Track season. Burrowing deep into the storage unit that passes for my memory, I unearthed in a number of musical gems, ranging from disco to pop to classic rock to punk.
All that was now needed was to have a good race.
While the weather stepped up to that task with temps in the low fifties, my work schedule proved more daunting. As luck would have it, this was the one weekend of the year that I am required to work. And while I was allowed time off for the race, I didn’t get home until nearly midnight and would have to hurry from the finish back to our event. On top of that, my work schedule had been uber-busy for the previous several weeks.
Given all that, I was glad this race was only five miles and not a half marathon.
But I was there to appease the likes of Sister Sledge and Foreigner - not disappoint them.
That meant being impressed, but not intimidated by the speed of those elite runners in the first mile with Chic’s “I Want Your Love” calling out to me. Likewise, even though a notable gap had opened up between myself and a pack of runners ahead of me with the advent of the second mile, I patiently held to my pace, savoring “Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy.”
That patience began to pay off with the next mile as a smile started working its way onto my face during “Heaven Knows”, hoping that somewhere Donna Summer appreciated my use of her song as those runners were coming back to me.
Picking up my pace a bit with mile four, Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be Real" provided a perfect musical background as I passed several of those runners going over a scenic bridge on the far end of Gray’s Lake. It was here that I knew that barring a disaster, this exorcism was having the desired outcome.
With that exuberant realization, I heard the cymbals ignite the opening chords of The Baby's "Head First," sparking another uptick in my pace for that final mile. Sure, my legs were feeling the race. But damn if it didn’t feel good to know that you’re having a good race and putting to rest any lingering spirits of those lackluster 3000’s and 1500’s of decades past.
Wing’s “Goodnight Tonite” chimed in just as I reached the finish line. As much as I wanted to join everyone for an ale (or three) at the awards ceremony to gain my medal for second in my age group, duty called. Quick trip home to shower before speeding over to West Des Moines where I did my part for the next several hours…before succumbing to an early night of sleep.
Needless to say, that musical exorcism proved a sterling success! Now I only cringe at the Bee Gee's "Love You Inside and Out" because it's a lousy song! Any thoughts on this? Similar memories to share? Songs that dredge up memories of bad races? Want to take me to task for dissing the Bee Gees? Any suggestions to convince my wife to let me hear that playlist at home? Jot them down in the comments below or on Facebook.
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