The Art of the Playlist

Thanks to the movie Knightfall, this song resurfaced on my radar and became part of the warmup to last summer's Bix 7.

I am a music geek.

One with a collection of thousands of albums encompassing genres ranging from Top 40 to alternative rock to disco to pop to punk to classic rock to soul to country with a smattering of rap and heavy metal for good measure. Whether on the road, working at the office, sipping coffee in the morning or doing just about anything, I enjoy any opportunity to dive into that collection.

For me, music fits into running with the same ease as my foot into a perfectly broken-in pair of Nikes. When I'm running, I can lose myself in a song or album, letting the miles ease on past. (Rest assured that I do remain cognizant of traffic and other pedestrians.)

Music takes on an even more prominent role with races. Whatever the distance, I want my effort to be the best possible for that particular day. That’s why I have racing shoes and a highly detailed pre-race routine. It’s also why I devote considerable time to creating a playlist unique to each race.

I started the 2019 Fueled by Fine Wine Half Marathon at a winery in Oregon to this delightfully engaging song.

My goal is to have each song serve an essential role in the soundtrack of that particular race. If successful, whenever I hear that song again, it will take me back to that moment that race. As an example, although I've listened to Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” since it came out back in 1985, hearing it now conjures an image of the Principal Park Stadium in Des Moines as I ran past that ballpark about a third of the way into Loop the Lake, an 8-K race in 2019. Ditto with the Rolling Stone's "Bitch," a song now reminding me of reaching a welcome downhill stretch during last year's Bix 7.

As much as I hate to repeat myself, this personal favorite has been part of three racing playlists.

What goes into the development of racing playlist? Glad you asked since it's the perfect segue way to...

My Top 5 Rules for a Racing Playlist

Rule #5 - Find a Theme. I consider each race a unique event. Because of that, each playlist should reflect some aspect of that experience. Let's say I'm preparing a playlist for the heat, humidity and crowds of the Bix 7. My mind immediately seeks out songs that both sizzle with energy and drip with sweat. Two years ago, that meant about half that Bix playlist consisted of 70’s hits that I recalled from the scorching days of summers past. Last spring, that translated into an engaging collection of alternative rock for a five-miler around Gray’s Lake in Des Moines. Or gathering synth-pop collection for chilly December run with snow piled along the road. On occasion, I bore deep into nostalgia, devoting the entire playlist to a specific period of time, such as the time I selected music solely from the summer of '79 to commemorate my first year of college cross country. Not every playlist works as well as others, but dammit, I'm determined that each one will be distinct.

It seems that I don't go too many playlists without finding a home for Talking Heads song.

Rule #4 - Enjoy the Hunt! Although I always have a song or two in mind when I start compiling a playlist, the fun is the hunt itself - sifting through my collection, internet searches, borrowing from other sources (Thank you, Guardians of the Galaxy!) or whatever inspiration I find. You know you've done well when you've too many songs forcing painful decisions for that final cut.

Rule #3 - Follow Your Heart. Can we all agree that Toto is not cool? They never were and never will be. That said, I'm not ashamed to say that I have Toto songs included on several playlists. I did so because I liked those particular songs and how they worked with the songs around them. Reason I bring this up is that your playlist is your playlist. It should be made up of songs that light your fire - not someone else’s. If you’re into heavy metal, then that’s what should dominate your playlist. If it’s country, then twang away! If it's the post-punk revival from the early 00’s with an emphasis on bands inspired by the Joy Division, contact me. We really should talk.

Thank you Umbrella Academy for reminding me that I had this delightful song in my collection!

Rule #2 - Find the Right Songs for the Right Occasion. This is the tricky part. The first few songs comprise the warmup. They require some spark to get you ready for the fun, but not the full-on shot of adrenaline you'll want later. Of course, the first song for the race obviously requires some octane. From there, it’s about keeping the engine moving, but also saving the crème of the crop for that tough hill or final mile. It's also important to have a sense of your pace in order to best estimate when you'll actually hear that song. I totally blew this recently by underestimating my pace. As a result, Van Halen’s “You Really Got Me” - intended to be that final blast of energy for the finish - instead of hearing it as part of my cool down. It's also wise to listen to each song a few times beforehand. Not every great song is meant for a running playlist. I also try to avoid repeating myself. “Start Me Up” may seem the quintessential song for the beginning of a race. But trust me, there are a multitude of other songs that work every bit as well - or better.

Rule #1 - Keep It Fun! More than anything else, creating a playlist should be a pure, unadulterated kick in the pants. That also means that although I’m sharing my personal guidelines, developing a playlist should reflect your personality and what works best for you.

What Happens if You Can’t Run the Race?

Let's say you go to all the work of developing the uber-killer playlist only to have the race postponed. Or worse, you're injured and can't run the race. What then? I try to find an opportunity to use that playlist again. When the pandemic cancelled a 5K, I used that same playlist when they rescheduled the race a year later. I used large chunks of last year's playlist for this year's Hillbilly Hike 10K that my ailing hamstring made me skip last year. It's really up to you on this one.

Final Thoughts

That brings us to the end of the Countdown. You've endured a journey through my tangled mindscape. What do you think? Any ideas or suggestions? I love to hear them either in the comments below or on Facebook. And on that topic, any personal favorites you'd like to suggest? There are a lot of races ahead for '24!