Running to MJ

I’ve noticed that when it comes to the tedious task of running on the streets, my legs are only as good as my iPod playlist. (Some Olympian probably just rolled over in his grave). The monotony of my shoes continuously striking the pavement for an hour is too much for my stimulation-craving brain to handle. And yes, I do try to look at the scenery, but not even Lake Union has the ability to keep my attention. I started out with a solely hip hop playlist, but since my iTunes collection of hip hop is severely limited, I grew tired of the same 15 songs. Now I run to a mix of hip hop and alternative, with a dash of Broadway tunes thrown in for good measure. Nothing gets your legs moving like “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray! I was recently surprised by another song that inspired me to run faster, but not necessarily for a good reason. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” came on, and I think that was the first time I actually listened to the words of the song. The lyrics are terrifying! I could feel my heart rate rising, and not just because I was working out. So maybe I should be thanking MJ for helping get my heart rate to its optimum level. I’ve since solved the problem of the scary song though. I don’t listen to the lyrics, I just imagine myself doing the dance. That gets me going.