It Ain’t Easy Being White.
Yesterday, Caelyn and I were out walking and I almost, sort of had the urge to run. This is only significant because I only have the urge to run when I encounter anyone in the Apoidea family.
(Skip to the bold sentence right now to get to the point of this post and not read my feelings about running.)
I’ve tried running before. My High School buddies C.C. and Jeremy had this great plan for the three of us to run together every week (and memorize Bible verses — strengthen the body, strengthen the spirit), which in itself is kinda weird, but if you knew C.C. and Jeremy you wouldn’t think so. (Or maybe you would.) That venture ended with me telling Jeremy that it was stupid to insist that the only way a memorized verse was valuable was if it was word-for-word, comma-for-comma NIV, because any other translation or a misplaced pause or a forgotten “the” would decrease one’s witnessing effectiveness.
And with me saying, “Yeah, I don’t care about running enough to put up with my lungs burning like this.”
I had a good friend in graduate school who had never run before and just decided after attending a fund-raising event for kids with leukemia that she was going to run a marathon. And she did. She kept trying to get me to run too, but I decided to support a good cause in a way that didn’t involve me running 20+ miles at 4:30 in the morning and throwing up. (If you know the girl I’m talking about, you know she’s way more competitive and way tougher than me. I wish I had the discipline and determination to do something like that.)
It’s not that I’m anti-fitness. It’s not that I don’t think I should take care of my body because God made it. I walk. I do pilates. I cook with healthy ingredients and only eat junk food one meal a week. It’s just that I’m not one of those people who gets “addicted” to exercise, no matter how much I think I should take care of myself or how badly I want to be in shape. And with running . . . .
Well, why don’t I just list my excuses?
1. I have asthma. Before you throw me your jersey and tell me to get out on the field, let me assure you that I was more than happy to take that doctor’s note that got me out of running The Mile to my overweight elementary school gym teacher. Don’t worry. I did participate in this gym activity:
2. I don’t like the jiggling.
3. Nobody ever says, “Man, my knees are so bad from walking all the time.”
4. It’s takes too long to get to “Runner’s High.”
5. My stroller wheels threaten to pop off if I run.
So walking cuts it for me. It’s not like I’m sauntering. Chris refused to walk with me for the longest time. I wanted to go after dark, when it wasn’t so hot and there weren’t any wasps, but I didn’t want to go by myself. (I’ve been walking in the day this week because it’s been cloudy and drizzly.) Chris would say, “I’ll go if we run,” despite the fact that he’s not a “runner” either. We finally agreed that I’d walk and he could jog in front of me and promise to stop if I screamed. But when we set out that first night and he realized how fast I was going to go, he stuck with me the whole time.
I even declared this week that driving is kind of my running. You know those commercials for Gatorade and Nike? There’s one that says something about how running makes everything right, like a bad day or a bad relationship or a bad job can be dissipated just by hitting the pavement. Once you start running, you feel like you can keep going forever. Leave it all behind. (And beat it, or something sporty, I guess.)
I’ve never gotten any such feeling from running. But sometimes a good drive with a good album can (momentarily, at least) make me feel like every bad thing doesn’t matter anymore. A clear road that lets you move at a decent pace without stopping is best, but there’s a power and a connectedness in making a sharp turn with a bunch of other cars or driving in the pre-rush hour when it’s crowded, but not congested. And, some days, I think I could just drive and drive and not stop until I was some place I’d never been before.
Nonetheless, something in me wanted to run yesterday. It took me a while to figure it out, but eventually I narrowed it down to my iPod. When I work out or walk with Chris, I go iPodless. But he’s been sick, so I’ve been on my own . . . with the iPod.
I know what you’re thinking: how does any of the stuff you listen to make you wanna work out harder?
It’s true. Most of my music is “white.” But, fortunately, we’ve all got this guy to keep up the fam. And Chris and I merge our music tastes on hip-hop (in most cases).
I’m tellin’ ya. It makes a big difference in the workout world. Nobody in indie rock is telling me shake it or work it or go on and get down or show ‘em something or another. In indie rock, I might be the girl who got away, which is nice and all, but not motivating. I may or may not be hot, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve already earned it and nobody’s saying they wanna piece of anything I’ve got, except maybe my heart or my happiness or something else meaningful. For sure, nobody’s sayin’ the sidewalk oughta be honored by my feet touching it. You need a little arrogance when you’re working out. You might even need a little profanity.
And if Kanye can do it for Katie Holmes, than surely he can do it for me. Plus, he mentions Klondikes! That’s real motivation! (Ye, could you maybe mention bacon cheeseburgers on your next album?)
But not any hip-hop will cut it. Beat is obviously a big deal. I can’t not walk with the beat, so it can’t be slow or fluctuating. And you don’t necessarily have to be black or a hip-hop artist to make great workout music. (It ain’t easy being brown either, after all.) A really good pop song can do the trick. Prince, JT, Madonna, Christina, even MJ on occasion, can get me workin’.
So maybe you just need to be recognizable by a single name or set of initials.
I don’t know. But I do know that I could use some good suggestions on what to listen to whenever I actually do work out. I’m not totally hip-hop-ified (obvious by my use of that adjective), after all. So suggestions from that genre would be great. But pop is good too. It can even be indie. It can just be whatever you listen to. You don’t even have to be an exercise mogul to make workout music recommendations here on the For the Record! You can even have earned your very own Biggest Couch Potato Dundee!
If your suggestion actually convinces me to start running, I might even send you a prize.
P.S. This is the longest post ever, considering its purpose.
24 comments
First let me say that despite the fact that I’ve been running about 3 times a week for approximately the last 7 years at distances anywhere between 3 and 10 miles I have never, and I mean never, experienced “runners high”.
I do require music to run(or any other exercising), though. I’ll give you a list of my top 10 songs to exercise to. I don’t use alot of R&B, though, as I find that the beat isn’t always regular enough.
10. Do One - Gomez
9. Thankful - Caedmon’s Call
8. All Over Again - Phantom Planet
7. Get The Party Started (Sweet Dreams Remix/feat. Redman) - Pink (Yes I know but, it works)
6. An Honest Mistake - The Bravery
5. Abel - The National
4. Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
3. Fraud in the ’80s - Mates of State
2. Fell in Love With a Girl - White Stripes
1. Pounding - Doves
LCD Soundsystem did that song, “45:33″ specifically for working out.
I think Daft Punk would be good.
Girl Talk’s Night Ripper.
London Calling.
And what about something that leaves you out of the equation. Music that you don’t identify with, lyrically, like In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, that can let your mind wander and imagine while your body kicks into automatic.
Farky — Thanks for your playlist! (Even the Pink. If it works, it works.) Looks like it would be effective! I’ll have to give it a try.
I’ve definitely found that I have to pick and choose from almost every album, R&B or not, due to the need for a regular beat. That might not be true for pilates, since you have to focus on connecting the moves to your breathing, but I wouldn’t know. I have to do that to something that Caelyn likes, lest I incite a riot or begin to look like something she should climb on.
10 miles!? 10 miles and nothing!? That’s what I’m talkin’ about! The ladies at my old job would be like, “Oh, you just gotta run until you hit the high. It’s so incredible. Once you do, you’ll be a runner for life.” Seems like for how far you have to run to reach it, you have to be a “runner for life” before you get there. I don’t know if there’s such a thing as walker’s high — because, let’s face it, that sounds awful wimpy — but I can walk for 1.5 miles and be in a place where I can go forever. Of course, Caelyn usually starts thinking, “Um, you said we were going for a walk, but my feet haven’t touched the ground yet and I’m not happy about it,” by 3.5, but still. 1.5 is way more obtainable.
Lex — Thanks! I already use some LCD Soundsystem and I should’ve thought of Daft Punk! I mean, Kanye’s sampling ‘em in the same song with the Klondike, right? Girl Talk and The Clash are really good suggestions too.
In The Aeroplane Over The Sea or something along those lines is good idea too. But I think it would work best for me after the 1.5 mark. Then, again, maybe I could move the “automatic” mark up, if I tried it before hand. It’s worth a shot.
To be clear, I don’t usually identify with the subject (I mean the kind of subject that’s not the theme or topic, but I can’t think of another word to use to clarify) of most of the stuff I listen to when I’m not working out. Sometimes I do, but I usually identify with the artists’ perspective or the overall theme more. I just wrote it that way for dramatic effect. And because I wouldn’t ever seriously tell anyone to shake it, so you know.
Everyone — I think I should mention that I do know about jogging strollers. But I don’t have anywhere to put one, since we live in a smallish 2nd floor apartment, and I already have a stroller in the trunk of both of our vehicles.
Oh, Katy dear. I have a series of “running” mixes. I should and could send you one if you like. The other day, I listened to The Kinks - Days (just one song) over and over again for 45 minutes while running. I ain’t playin’. I do notice that the tempo of what I am listening to while running effects how fast I run. Last spring, I realized that it was taking for a half hour to run 2.5 miles. Way too slow. I realized Low wasn’t the best running music. I used to listen to Jay-Z while I ran, but I think hip-hop (sorry if this is not cool to say) makes me angry. I don’t like listening to it. The only hip-hop that doesn’t make me angry is Tribe or De La, so I listen to them sometimes when I run. My favorite running music? Caribou, The Beach Boys, New Order or Joy Division, Brit pop stuff. Music that makes me want to dance.
Runner’s high? You probably have experienced it and didn’t realize it. Adrenaline kicks in whether you realize it or not.
Sorry you have asthma.
I am glad you got the urge to run. I used to hate running. Hate it. But when I graduated from college and moved home, I was a wreck physically and emotionally and everything. So, I got on a routine where I ran every other day and ate healthy food and all that. It made a huge difference. I didn’t like running right away. To be honest, I think I like being by myself, listening to music and being outside on a trail more than the actual act of running. Take away any of those factors, and it ain’t the same.
In fact, here’s one of ‘em:
James Brown – Get up offa that thang
Silversun pickups – Lazy Eye
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
Can – Vitamin C
Beach Boys – Help Me, Rhonda
Mission of Burma – Academy Fight Song
Gang of Four – Damaged Goods
The Clash – Rock the Casbah
Depeche Mode – I just can’t get enough
Spoon – The Underdog
Nirvana – Drain you
Sonic Youth – Incinerate
Madonna – Like a Prayer
Stone Roses – Elephant Stone
Pulp – Disco 2000
The Dismemberment Plan – Back and forth
Blur – boys + girls
Animal Collective – The Purple Bottle
Unrest – Makeout Club
Allie! — Thanks!! I’m excited about your mix!!
I don’t think it’s not cool to say that hip-hop makes you angry. Different people respond to different music in different ways. Really, I wasn’t listening to all hip-hop and what was in there was mainly tongue-in-cheek. (Something weird happened, and I don’t have the playlist anymore, so I can’t tell you exactly what was on it.) The urge to run actually came at “The Underdog,” which isn’t so hip-hop.
But then I started thinking, “What kind of music has the biggest impact on the most people when it comes to working out?” I thought of the movies where people are always transforming themselves to the beat of hip-hop or rap. Then I wondered if that’s true in reality. There are some seriously ripped hip-hop artists. And whenever celebrity women list music as one of their fitness secrets, the selection is often Kanye or Jay-Z. (Beyonce’s up there too, though.) Then I thought about Katie Holmes telling Letterman that “Stronger” got her through her marathon.
So even though my playlist was a concoction of upbeat numbers from my main artists, a few old-school pop songs, a couple oldies, a handful of hip-hop tracks, and maybe even a worship song, I still concluded that hip-hop must have a significant impact on work-outers. My thoughts about why — kinda more from the universal “you” perspective than my own, but not totally — are in this post. (Plus, I thought about Franklin and couldn’t resist working him in. Maybe “The Final Countdown” should be on my list!)
I figured I’d like writing about the hip-hop stuff the best, but I still thought about the non-hip-hop options. “Music that makes me want to dance” came to mind as something that would work well for me at the beginning of a workout session. Once I get through the first part, I think hitting the same song over and over or listening to something that disengages, like Lex suggested, would be good.
So, yeah, good recommendations! I really like the idea of working in some stuff like James Brown and the Beach Boys.
And thanks for sharing how running/being healthy has changed your life! You’ve certainly inspired me. Seems like almost everyone who runs is passionate about it, and I like that. I can see how taking care of yourself can influence your perspective/feelings from the inside out; I’m glad it’s done that for you! And I love the appeal in getting out by yourself. I think that’s part of what’s missing for me. Since I’ve got Caelyn with me, I can’t ever completely let my mind wander or get too far from home. I really don’t want to be running 3 miles back home with a screaming toddler.
And don’t worry. Asthma might have been a legitimate excuse when I was a kid, but now it’s just convenient.
No, Allie’s right, it’s not cool to say she doesn’t like hip-hop.
Kevin, who runs with his ipod daily, suggests: A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds to Mars. “It’s a great album, but I don’t know if she will like it or not.”
I don’t usually work out to music, unless you count the Enya type songs playing in the background of my Pilates DVDS, the dorky beat music in “Walk Away the Pounds” or the music behind Billy Blanks’ TaeBo. I do always have fun when we do a “Body” class at the healthclub (pump, flow, step, etc) because there is music and other people working out with me. Crista knows the playlist since she does those classes weekly; we’ll have to ask her for suggestiongs.
You know I took up running for a year or so in college, just to say that I could do it. I never enjoyed it, ever. I never saw any physical benifits that made running better than powerwalking for several miles. And I never got high. I am addicted to walking though. I get cranky and feel bad if I don’t get out and hit the pavement at least every couple of days! I think it’s the physical activity plus the mental activity and alone time that I crave. That’s why I don’t listen to music while I’m going, and I don’t keep a walking partner long-term.
I’m glad you’re enjoying exercise!
Lex — Yeah, true. But she said “sorry if this is not cool to say” about hip-hop making her angry, not (necessarily) about not liking it, and you know I couldn’t risk JSmo calling me out for invalidating a feeling!
You know what else isn’t cool? No Hip-Hop Report for how many months?!
JSmo — I love that you asked Kev for a recommendation! Tell him thanks for me!
My favorite part of working out with Billy is the hug he gives you at the end. My Pilates video doesn’t have any music or at least not any that I’ve noticed — just Mari saying things like: “Remember to breathe,” “Bellybutton to the spine,” and my favorite, “Gotta make both cheeks even!” I usually do it from memory now, though, as I’ve found it’s not so frustrating to have to stop and start (when someone small climbs on your head in the middle of The Fold-Up) if I also don’t have to stop and start the video. But I still think about evening out my cheeks.
Yeah, I remember The Great Running Adventure of JSmo (circa 1999?). I believe you also did bleachers during that time. You proved it alright. Whew!
It’s interesting that listening to music lessens the alone time/mental activity for you, but you know, you do have a long-term partner. She just happens to sleep the whole time. For now.
You think we could talk Mom into getting an iPod if she knew she could listen to Dennis Jernigan while she walks?
Touché. However, “not cool” isn’t the same as “not valid.”
Re: The Hip-Hop Report–part of that is there hasn’t been much in the first quarter. Part of it is that I need to get off my cyber-keyster.
Lex — That’s a valid point.
Also, cyber-keyster!
Ok peeps. Straight from the trail. I just ran a whoppin’ six miles. I started by listening to “Help Me, Rhonda” on repeat for the first few miles, along with some Pavement, Joy Division, etc. I ran at my typical pace. Then, I did a little experiment. I put on Jay-Z (a la “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” “Show me what you got”) and then some Kanye. Here is what happened:
I ran the last two miles faster. The beat helps. So, I’ll give you that. But! I also started gritting my fingers as I ran, which actually wastes energy (running tip: run with shoulders lose, not stiff; don’t pump your arms. It wastes energy and ruins your posture!). So, I was more tired than normal at the end, and my pace was messed up.
It probably isn’t cool to say that I don’t like running to hip hop, and that I don’t like most hip hop. Maybe I am not that cool. I am just being honest. I do like some of the fun, playful stuff (De La Soul, Tribe, etc). And I recognize the talent of hip-hoppers. Some use literary devices, with or without realizing it, in a sophisticated way. But I don’t like music that is mysoginistic (have no idea how to spell that). A lot of rap is. I also don’t like music that is mostly just the singer bragging. It makes me uncomfortable. I went through a stage in middle school where I tried to get more into rap because it’s so big on Long Island to like all the NY rappers (Wu Tang, etc). But I just couldn’t. At an age where people discover “aggressive” music, I opted for the purposeful aggression of bands like Fugazi. What can I say?
[...] got called out for not keeping people in the know vis-a-vis hip-hop. Hey, cut a dude some slack! In addition to my [...]
Allie — You so get extra cool points for experimenting for the sake of the blog! Plus, running tips? Yes!
Very interesting results, by the way. I’ll have to make playlists based on all of these recommendations and do a compare and contrast of my own, eventually.
As for coolness, well . . . . Lex is really the authority, but here’s what I know: I do like hip-hop, even though it doesn’t make up the majority of what I listen to and even though I’m not pro-misogyny or pro-arrogance either. (But, even though I like hip-hop, I can admit that those themes can be angering and are present in some rap.)
When it comes down to it, really, so long as you’re pro-literary devices, you’re cool with me.
Also, Fugazi in middle school! Let me assure you, your coolness surpasses mine, as I was diggin’ whatever rap my friends were listening to, but I probably spent most of my time trying (unsuccessfully) to get my parents to let me listen to DC Talk in the open.
Allie, how can you decry the misogyny in hip-hop and still read Bukowski?
[...] of a Music Dork Jump to Comments There’s been some e-controversy over the role of aggressive music to motivate our exercise times. Pretty interesting, if you ask [...]
I see that Allie’s written a new post, but I’ve been thinking about this, and I need to say…
I think it’s unfair, and wildly inaccurate, to say that hip-hop is not “purposeful” in its aggression. I also think the implication that a hip-hop artist is unaware of his/her own usage of poetic devices is really strange.
Whoa. A girl goes to Water Aerobics and all kinds of stuff happens while she’s gone!
Okay, I gotta read all these posts before I can actually say anything intelligent, but I do think your question, Lex, about Bukowski is an interesting one. I’m not making any implications about what anyone else is doing, but, in general, the acceptance/tolerance of themes/elements in one form and not another has always been interesting to me — as in how does it happen, why, and should it?
And I’d definitely agree that hip-hop’s aggression is “purposeful.” Maybe the difference Allie’s pointing out is a difference in the type of purpose? Or a difference in the way that purposeful aggression was received and interpreted (for lack of a better word) by her peers back in middle school versus the way she responded to the purposeful aggression of Fugazi?
As for the intentional use of poetic devices, I’d think most know what they’re doing, although I suppose sometimes something “just comes out.” (I mean if “sophisticated” is accurate, and I think it is, it’s tough to imagine intention being absent from the writing equation.) Or maybe they’ve been writing and using those devices for so long that they just use them without thinking about the fact that they’re using them?
Okay. I’m reading now.
You’re very diplomatic.
I do think we should get Mom to get an Ipod. I think she’d love it, eventually…after Dad showed her how to use it.
I also do my Pilates routine by memory now, usually while we watch something else on TV. Pilates instructors must have something with “cheeks”. Mine says, “Put your right cheek on the floor. That’s facial cheek for those of you who are wondering at home. And put your arms behind your back…” It must be Pilates humor!
Yes, I was running bleachers back the too, when I was at HSU. I kept running the bleachers until we moved across town. It’s hard to get that level of intensity walking on the street!
Lex — I know what “diplomatic” means, but I can’t decide if it’s cool or not cool in this context. Am I always very diplomatic or just lately?
Really, I was just asking questions to make sure I’d understood everyone’s points correctly.
JSmo — Mom has shown some interest in my iPod before. And twice now she’s mentioned me making her a mix. (She really said “mix”!) She’s been lured by the sounds of Motown and the Beach Boys: “Songs used to be about the melody!”
I think she’d love an iPod too, especially in the car, although she would only listen to whatever she picked before she left the garage because she wouldn’t want to be distracted by shuffling through albums. She’d also be distressed about not being able to put all her old tapes on it. But we could show her how she could buy mp3’s of just her favorite songs off those, and I think she’d dig it. Oh, and once she discovered all the books “on tape” and the free podcasts she could get to make Dad listen to on trips, she’d be a goner! :)
We should swipe some of her CDs next time we’re in Altus, buy her an iPod, and set it up with some of her favs, oldies mixes, worship mixes of the songs she notes at our churches, sermons, a Beth Moore session, a western novel, and pics of her grandbabies!
I didn’t mean it as an insult, or anything.
[...] you regular readers know, we’ve been discussing workout music and the merits of hip-hop. The following are the thoughts I had while working out yesterday about [...]
[...] iPod. I’ve already written about this a few [...]
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