Smells like teen...angst

Yahoo, it is Thursday and that means Playlist Thursday! Brian from Pavement Runner has continued on from last week’s theme and this week is Teenage Angst...oh the memories. The songs won’t necessarily speak of angst but come from a time when I was all teenager-y and had more than my share of angst. The dates on these songs gives an indication that of my age; long live the 80’s.


Rules:

Something Old: Songs that are at least 5 years old. (Mine will most always be older than that!)

Something Current: Songs that have been released within the past year. (Harder for me)

Something to Consider: This is the wild card category - any song: old, current, guilty pleasure, underground, whatever.

Something Old

Artist: AC DC

Title: You Shook Me All Night Long (1980)

Side Note: AC DC was huge at my school and dominated the jukebox (yes, I said jukebox) in our cafeteria. Many a Friday or Saturday night was spent listening to AC DC and whose ever house we were at the parents never failed to yell down the stairs “turn that noise down”. I have to say that my husband and kids don’t get AC DC either; whatever, I do.

Quotable: “She was a fast machine she kept her motor clean, She was the best damn woman that I ever seen...”

Something Current

Artist: The Smiths

Title: What Difference Does It Make? (1984)

Side Note: There is nothing current about this song, but the theme is teen angst and I haven’t been a teen in a really long time. Nothing says angst like The Smiths. Morrissey’s voice and lyrics are the very epitome of my teens. Oddly, this music isn’t sad or depressing for me, it actually represents some very good times and makes me smile (okay, Morrisey's dance moves kind of make me laugh now...)

Quotable: “So, what difference does it make? It makes none, but now you have gone, and you must be looking very old tonight”

Something to Consider

Artist: The Grapes of Wrath

Title: Peace of Mind (1987)

Side Note: The Grapes come from Kelowna, BC, I loved the music and man, they were unbelievably cute. Much to my delight, they have just released a new single to radio, keep a watch out for it to make a list as soon as I can purchase it digitally.

Quotable: "why is the world so damn unkind to one so righteous in her mind, the sun won't rise and shine, will you never find your peace of mind”

That’s it for me this week. Make sure to go over and check out the other Playlist Thursday entries!

Songs From My Childhood

Brian from Pavement Runner and I have something in common.  No, not how fast or far we run, but our daughters share a birthday. My lovely girl is 10 and PR’s sweetie is 1! So to celebrate, the topic he chose this week is “My Childhood”.

My early childhood music was dominated by my parents tastes, Glen Campbell “Rhinestone Cowboy” and ABBA “Waterloo”. My pre-teen years were largely influenced by AM radio and then my teens by my older brother's alternative tastes. To do this topic justice, I am going to depart from the normal rules for this week. This is going to be fun!

Normal Rules:

Something Old: Songs that are at least 5 years old. (Mine will most always be older than that!)

Something Current: Songs that have been released within the past year. (Harder for me)

Something to Consider: This is the wild card category - any song: old, current, guilty pleasure, underground, whatever.

Something on 8-track

Artist: Paul Simon

Title: Kodachrome (1973)

Side Note: Paul Simon was big at our house; Simon & Garfunkel, solo artist, you name it my Mom loved it, I think my Dad liked it but he wouldn’t never have admited to it! This song is really good to run to and has such a great vibe you can’t help but smile.

Quotable: “When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school...”

Something on Vinyl

Artist: The Police

Title: Canary in a Coal Mine (1980)

Side Note: This is definitely my brother’s influence. I admit to sneaking into the basement when he wasn’t home and listening to his records, including this. I would stare at Sting on the album cover and wistfully dream of being Mrs. Sumner.

Quotable: “First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect, your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect...”

Something on Cassette Tape

Artist: a-ha

Title: Take On Me

Side Note: Music videos became popular when I was in high school, yes, I remember watching my first video on a local community television show (Tears for Fears - Pale Shelter). The video for this song cleaned up on the MTV Video awards in 1986, nominated for 8 awards and winning 6. This song makes it onto my list for it’s place in my childhood and if you’ve never seen it, the video is like totally awesome.

Quotable: “Say after me, it's no better to be safe than sorry...”

Something on Disney Channel

Artist: Candace Flynn

Title: Squirrel In My Pants

Side Note: I am fast forwarding 15 years and putting in an entry for my daughter and her childhood. My kids LOVE Phineas and Ferb and some days, much to my surprise, I find myself singing along with the very catchy songs. Here is a classic!

Quotable: “S to the I to the M to the P, squirrel in my pants, squirrel in my pants...”

I hope that you enjoyed the trip down memory lane with me.  Feel free to check out my other posts for more playlists.

Make sure you take a look at the other Playlist Thursday entries by visiting Playlist Runner's playlist catalog each week.

Vegas Baby

It is time again for Playlist Thursday, although I’m a little late getting this posted...Brian’s topic from Pavement Runner this week is “Viewer’s Choice”, so as he said on his post “each Playlist Thursday around the web will have it’s own different theme”.

I spent part of the week in Las Vegas, so while I had some other topics I was thinking of, I’ve decided to go with Vegas Baby!

Rules:

Something Old: Songs that are at least 5 years old. (Mine will most always be older than that!)

Something Current: Songs that have been released within the past year. (Harder for me)

Something to Consider: This is the wild card category - any song: old, current, guilty pleasure, underground, whatever.

Something Old

Artist: The Killers

Title: Somebody Told Me (2004)

Side Note: The Killers are from Las Vegas and urban legend says they wrote most of their first album, including this song in the band room at UNLV. I really like this song to run to, it has kind of an urgent feel to it that makes your feet move. 

Something Current

Artist: Calvin Harris (featuring Ne-Yo)

Title: Let’s Go (2012)

Side Note: Yes, I know Calvin Harris is Scottish but Ne-Yo spent a good deal of his school years in Vegas. The words and the beat make this a perfect running tune. 

Something to Consider

Artist: Elvis Presley

Title: Little Less Conversation (1968 & 2002 JXL Radio Edit Mix)

Side Note: What Las Vegas playlist would be complete without Elvis. I run to the JXL Radio Edit Mix, groovy horns and drums.

Feel free to check out my other posts for more playlists.

Make sure you take a look at the other Playlist Thursday entries by visiting Playlist Runner's playlist catalog each week.

Women in Song

I am trying to get caught up on a few of Pavement Runner’s previous topics and I couldn’t resist this one. There are so many great tracks on my running playlist from the ladies, here are a few. Enjoy!






Rules:


Something Old: Songs that are at least 5 years old. (Mine will most always be older than that!)


Something Current: Songs that have been released within the past year. (Harder for me)


Something to Consider: This is the wild card category - any song: old, current, guilty pleasure, underground, whatever.

Something Old

Artist: The Go Go’s


Title: Head Over Heels (1984)


Side Note: This song came out when I was in high school and even then I considered it to be a guilty pleasure. The rest of the albums in my collection were either pop synth (Duran Duran) or British New Wave (Style Council) but what can I say, this song is so contagious. There is a section in the chorus where there is a clap and I still do the clap EVERYTIME! And to my neighbour Morgan, who drove me to school in the morning, I’m sorry for my singing.

Something Current

Artist: Neko Case


Title: This Tornado Loves You (2009)


Side Note: Okay, I admit it, this song doesn’t fit ‘current’ as per the rules, but it is too good not to include. This song is absolutely amazing and not that I am biased, also features guitar by my friend Paul Rigby. This is a live version that she performed on David Letterman. In addition to her solo work, she also provided vocals to Canadian indie group The New Pornographers (their song Mass Romantic will make it on a Playlist Thursday list one of these days).

Something to Consider

Artist: Sarah Harmer


Title: I Am A Mountain (2005)


Side Note: This is the title track from her 2005 release. Sarah is a Canadian musician’s musician and makes vocal appearances with the who’s who of Canadian Folk/Rock/Indie scene. This song is pretty folk/country but is definitely one to consider.

Check out the other "Songs that make you wanna dance" from Pavement Runner and the other bloggers playing along.


http://pavementrunner.com/playlist-thursday-catalogue/

Songs that make you wanna dance

This is an interesting one, Brian at Pavement Runner described them as “songs that make you want to move your feet...while your moving your feet”.  I don’t have a lot of dance music per se but I do have a lot of music that makes me want to move.

Rules:

Something Old: Songs that are at least 5 years old. (Mine will most always be older than that!)

Something Current: Songs that have been released within the past year. (Harder for me)

Something to Consider: This is the wild card category - any song: old, current, guilty pleasure, underground, whatever.

Something Old

Artist:  Depeche Mode (1989)

Title:  Personal Jesus

Side Note:  Before husband, kids, full time jobs and mini van, I used to go out and this is the type of music we danced to.  When it comes on when I’m running, I’m instantly faster (and younger). 

Something Current

Artist: Neon Trees (2011)

Title:   Everybody Talks

Side Note:  This is a pretty new addition to my playlist.  It may not be a classic dance song but it has a great beat and puts a spring in my step.

Something to Consider

Artist: The Autumn Isles (2008)

Title:   It’s Been Awhile

Side Note:  A fantastic song from Austrailian Band, The Autumn Isles.  I first heard this song online on the Aussie radio station Triple J.  It never fails to get me moving!  Sorry, no video but here is a link to the song (try it, it is worth it!)

http://theautumnisles.bandcamp.com/track/its-been-a-while

Check out the other "Songs that make you wanna dance" from Pavement Runner and the other bloggers playing along.  

http://pavementrunner.com/playlist-thursday-catalogue/

10 Running Questions a'la RLAM

My post today is answering 10 running questions.  The idea came from one of my favourite running blogs, Another Mother Runner.   The website and their book, Run Like a Mother, besides having totally awesome names, is a great read for women and mothers who run.

1. Best run ever - That is pretty easy, my first half marathon.  It is still the best I've ever felt running; strong, easy, joyous.  It is the only race I ran as a group and I fed off the energy of my running mates.

2. Three words that describe my running are necessary, empowering and centering.

3. My go-to running outfit is my MEC Sixes running shorts, which ever race shirt is on the top of the pile, Teko eVapour8 Socks, Mizuno Wave Precision 9 runners and most importantly my Under Armour jog bra.  Winter outfits are another story...

4. Quirky habit while running - I'm not sure I have any but it makes me wonder if I should ask my running partner. I'm pretty anal about tracking my mileage but I think that is a runner thing.

5. Morning, midday, evening - early morning or at lunch mostly due to my schedule.  If I had my choice it would be about 8:30am with time for a long stretch after.

6. I won’t run outside when it’s really icy.  I live in a part of Canada that is below freezing a good part of six months a year hence the 'really' qualifier.

7. Worst injury—and how I got over it.  When I was training for my first half marathon I over trained and ended up not being able to start due to a painful case of posterior tibial tendonitis.  How I got over it?  Lots of complete rest, daily stretching, ART, acupuncture and massage.  I still have to keep up the stretching routine and take mileage increases slow but sure.

8. I felt most like a badass mother runner when I ran the Skookumchuck Narrows trail on the Sunshine Coast, BC.  It is a 4 km trail to amazing tidal rapids.  I did the out and back twice for a total of 16 km.  It was the first trail I ever ran and the feeling of accomplishment was...well...badass.

9. Next race is Banff Winterstart 5 Miler.  It is an evening run, almost always cold, one long trudge up and down and the best post run party ever!  Canoes full of beer in a parkade, classic!

10. Potential running goal for 2013 - honestly, just to stay healthy and keep running consistently.  I am working on logistics to run the Arizona Rock and Roll Half Marathon in January but that might be a long shot! 

Running with Barefoot Neil

I haven't run a race with my pal Barefoot Neil in a year or so but I thought I would share some video he  put together in a few of the races we have done.  We need to do another race together...soon.

This is from the 2010 version of the Urban Venus Cupcake run, which I ran again today.  Much much warmer today; 2010 was 4 Celcius, today was about 10 at the start and I'm guessing 15 at the finish.

This is from the Harvest Half Marathon a few weeks later, we had a really fun time running in a herd!

This is the Last Chance Half Marathon which takes place in November.  It turned out to be a very reasonable day weather wise, it almost never is!