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PARDON ME WHILE I ROCK OUT
By Kevin GemmellThe fi rst thing I do when making a playlist is to fi nd a
goopy Debbie Gibson song—something that takes me
back to junior high and awkward hands-on-hips slow
dancing. “Lost in Your Eyes” is a good one. Why?
Motivation, of course. But it’s not what you think. At
the end of my standard loop around my neighborhood
(about a 5K), there is a 200-yard hill with an approximate 6
percent incline. I put Debbie at the end of my playlist with
the hopes that I will never hear her. Because if I’m grinding
through that fi nal uphill push and I hear Debbie, I know I
haven’t properly paced myself.
For me, music is as much a timing mechanism as motivation.
There are those who dig the R&B umph, umph, umph beat.
And that’s great. I’m not one to tell others how to run. But
I’m a rock guy, and my playlist refl ects that. When I run,
I’m “Livin’ on a Prayer.” I literally want “KickstartMy
Heart” to do just that, so when I’m done my hat “Smells
Like Teen Spirit.”
There is a place in my ears for 80s glam rock, 90s grunge
and gritty 2K rock (Audioslave’s “Shadow on the Sun” is a
great slow burn to start your run ... RIP Chris Cornell).
A part of me envies runners who don’t use music, but can
still fi nd that head space to embrace their Zen between
each step and breath. But then Skillet reminds me to “Feel
Invincible,” and I let the music carry my legs as I sing along
(sometimes in my mind, sometimes out loud. I’m not
always sure which).
Debbie will always have a place in 13-year-old Kevin’s
heart. But for 40-year-old Kevin, she’s best kept out of his
buds. Some things are better left in your “Electric Youth.”THE JOY OF LEAVING TUNES BEHIND
By Amanda LoudinI love music. It is the background of my daily life with
my playlists spinning away while I cook, clean or get
ready for the day. I’m a proud card-carrying supporter of
my local member-supported radio station. Heck, I even
bought Bruce Springsteen tickets while perched on a
chairlift last year on a ski trip.
In spite of all that, there’s one place I never bring my
music: on my runs. In 20 years of running, I have never posi-
tioned an earbud to accompany my miles.
There are a myriad of reasons, chief among them the fact
that running for me is a multi-sensory adventure. I hear
the songs of waking birds, take in the wildlife along the
path or trail and smell the muddy stream as I run alongside
it. If I’m running with friends, there are miles of shared
conversation to enjoy.
There’s also the fact that my solo eff orts serve as time for
letting my mind roam. As a writer, I fi nd that many of my
article ideas spring to life while I’m in motion. I can’t help
but think music would interfere with that process.
If I’m racing, I tend to be an associative runner, taking
stock of my energy output, breathing and how my legs are
feeling. I think I’d be less in tune with my body’s needs if
my focus was on a song. Plus I like hearing the sounds of a
race all around me.
Finally, there’s the safety issue. I will admit that I
never bring a phone or rarely tell my family my intended
course. But one thing I do to increase my safety is allow
my hearing to be unencumbered.
I understand that I’m in the minority. That’s fi ne with
me. I’ve always beat to my own drum.Music VERSUS Nature
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