I’ve been listening to a lot of Beatles on my long runs recently. I put on the Past Masters, Vols. 1 & 2 that was my favorite compilation growing up, and I settle into a friendly pace. I’ve found that today’s radio hits are a little too fast-paced for my long runs. Blurred Lines, Like a G-6, I Love It… they’re fun and they get me moving, but they’re best saved for my interval workouts and short runs.
The Long and Winding Road requires a calmer, steadier tempo so you can Slow Down. Something you won’t get bored with before you Get Back. Maybe you’re The Fool On the Hill without your running club on a Good Morning Good Morning and you’re not sure how you’ll make it to the top without A Little Help From Your Friends. When that happens to me, All I’ve Got to Do is turn on the Beatles for some Help! and then I’ve Got a Feeling that It Won’t Be Long until I’ve pushed past the challenging point in my run, stopped thinking I Should Have Known Better, and I just Dig It.
(Ok, I’m done. Not a Second Time. I’ll Let it Be.)
I could listen to Paul for hours. And John’s never boring. The combination of dreamy and creative/interesting keeps my feet pounding steadily for double digit miles.
When I’ve got a few hours of running ahead of me, I tend to just select a few Beatles albums, hit shuffle, and go. But I’ve realized that there are some songs that would actually lend themselves well to a shorter, faster paced three or four mile run. So if you’re out there for a quick run this morning, here’s some playlist candidates from my favorite foursome:
Beatles Playlist for a Tempo Run:
Get Back
Birthday
She’s a Woman
Act Naturally
I Should Have Known Better
Slow Down
You’re Going to Lose That Girl
I’ve Just Seen a Face
I’m Down
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Help!
One After 909
Baby You Can Drive My Car
Have a nice run 🙂
Other posts you may enjoy:
Fun place to run: college campuses
Why you shouldn’t be scared to join a running group