Just a fun question for those of you who listen to music when distance training....Any particular favorites you use for either tempo or inspiration? My sister and I are training for our 1st Disney Half Marathon and are avid Ipod lovers, so we have created playlists specifically for training walks. We each have different tastes in music so the playlists are very different. However, in honor of our goal the first song on each playlist is "The Mickey Mouse Club March". The last song is "Go the Distance" from the Disney movie "Hercules". We especially love the lyrics for this one.

I have often dreamed
Of a far off place
Where a heroes welcome
Would be waiting for me
Where the crowds will cheer when they see my face
And a voice keeps sayin'
This is where I'm meant to be

I will find my way
I can go the distance
I'll be there some day
If I can be strong.
I know every mile
Will be worth my while
I would go most anywhere
To feel like I belong

I am on my way
I can go the distance
I don't care how far
Somehow I'll be strong
I know every mile
Will be worth my while
I will go most anywhere
To find where I belong

Any one have any favorite titles they'd care to share?

Mine aren't Disney songs - but here's what I run to...

I start off with "American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz...about mid-way I have "I will survive" and "Glory Days" and end with Melissa Etheridge "I run for life". I love running with my ipod too.

My sister and I just did the WDW half in January - it was our first big race (but not the last!)

Have fun training and planning.

"On My Way" from Brother Bear.

Tell everybody I'm on my way
New friends and new places to see
With blue skys ahead yes
I'm on my way
And there's nowhere else
that I'd rather be

Tell everybody I'm on my way
And I'm loving every step I take
With the sun beating down yes
I'm on my way
And I can't keep this smile off my face

And The Enchanted Tiki Room can be nice for getting you started on your walk or run. "(Jose yawns) Me amigos. My siestas are getting shorter and shorter." Eventually the "Tiki Room War Chant" with its drums can really get you going.

I think I posted my mix around here somewhere at one point. It's a lot of rock at the moment, but I've been mixing it up. I need stuff that's up-tempo; Disney songs won't cut it.

Haven't been doing too much on the machine lately, so I need to get back to it.

I was never a big believer in running with tunes...until the long runs come along - there's only so much "listen to your body" I can take before I get bored and actually forget to put one foot in front of the other! And I've found that good ol' 70's style disco does the trick - nothing like some KC and the Sunshine Band around mile 10 to make you smile in spite of yourself!

I like to listen to 80s music while I train, so I can pretend that I'm back in my prime ;) The high points of my workout are Whip It by Devo, and Life During War by The Talking Heads.

Hi,
Bear with me, this is my first post. I've only just begun to train, and I'm so far I'm only been using the treadmill that sat as a close hanger for a year. Cause up here in Michigan it's to cold to start outside but I'm hoping to start outside early spring. At first I used alot of Disney for motivation and they are pretty slow. Now I use some Disney tunes but also some other that have a good beat. And I've only been walking, sometimes up to 4 miles a hour but mostly averaging 3.4-3.7. strange things from toy story (3.6) son of man (3.8) 2 words (3.3) you've got a friend in me (3.4) man out of you from Mulan (3.2) something there from beauty and the beast (3.6) some songs from ccr lookin out my back door (3.3) nutbush city limit (3.9) travelin band (3.8) rollin on the river (3.4) bob seger old time rock and roll (3.6) stevie wonder you are the sunshine of my life (3.7) for once in my life (3.0) blues brothers sweet home chicago (3.6) gimme some lovin (3.9)

I have a mix of stuff, mostly upbeat rock, but I may add Go the Distance!! I have a lot of songs that I love but never hear so when they come on I am distracted by the song: for example, Another Night by The Real McCoy, Runaway Train by Soul Asylum, Stay by Lisa Loeb. hmmmm.... that song selecttion kinda dates me, huh!

Hi mousedreamer!! Welcome to the boards!!

Well, there's also the old standby, commissioned by President Kennedy, written by Meredith Wilson, and sung by Robert Preston:
Chicken Fat: The Youth Fitness Song (http://mediamogul.seas.upenn.edu/pennsound/authors/365/365-Days-Project-10-03-preston-robert-chicken-fat.mp3) (Lyrics here) (http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/c/chickenfat.shtml)

Does anyone know if iPods are allowed at the Disney marathons? I know they usually say "no headphones," but is it more of a blanket "no headphones/earbuds" thing? I don't know if I could take running for so long with no entertainment since I became addicted to watching TV on my video iPod at the gym!

I don't know if I could take running for so long with no entertainment since I became addicted to watching TV on my video iPod at the gym!

Hey Space Mountain, I thought the same thing about my tunes on the ipod because, frankly, my long distance training routes get kind of boring. Yesterday I did my first half marathon, the Columbus Distance Classic from the John Bingham Racing Series....it was so much fun with all the other runners/walkers (over 4000), plus the spectators and race helpers along the way that even chugging through a city I have lived in for 35 years took on a whole fresh look. Now I will grant you that I am all about having a great experience and I am not about my finishing time. Do you use the ipod for boredom prevention or is it to focus you for race performance and blot out what is going on around you?

From everything I heard about the Disney Marathon, I think that atmosphere will be more than enough entertainment. I have also seen reports on-line from folks in both the half and the full who mentioned using their ipods, so I don't know how strictly Disney monitors this.

I have signed up for the 2007 full at Disney and my plan is to tuck the IPOD in my fanny pack "just in case", kind of like having band-aids, but I don't think it will ever come out.

Are you thinking Full or Half?

"Music" by Madonna
"Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand
"Somos Gitanos" by The Gypsy Kings
"Beautiful Day" by U2
"Love Shack" by the B52s
"Que Onda Guero" by Beck
"Misunderstood" by Pink
"Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani