PEP- The Best Music of 2010

I have been keeping track of my favorite songs of each month so I thought it would be easy to compile my list of top songs of 2010. I was wrong; it was harder. I had so many to choose from that I ended up doing a list of songs to play at PEP and also made a CD for everyone. Shirley did my "Album Cover" - isn't it awesome?


PEP Playlist
Zorbing by Stornoway

Grenade by Bruno Mars (very poppy, but I love the lyrics...tell the devil I said hey when you get back to where you're from..." just great.)

White Blank Page by Mumford and Sons (I was really hard pressed to choose just one song of theirs. Turns out I absolutely love the entire CD)

Evening Kitchen by Band of Horses (Not a band I usually like, but this song is wonderful)

We Used to Wait by Arcade Fire (I like the song and am generally an Arcade Fire fan. But this video really cemented the song as a favorite. Use Chrome and check out the video.)

Models and Dancers by Harper Blynn (Just a catchy little tune and the lyrics make me smile)

Dream City by Free Energy (I originally found this band because of their song Bang Pop, but realized I liked this song more. It is a tad early Springsteeny, which I love.)

What You Know by Two Door Cinema Club (My favorite band of 2010)

Boy by Ra Ra Riot (Second favorite band of 2010)

Finale by Funeral Party

Amy's Audibles Best of 2010 CD

Breakeven by The Script- I am not usually a lyrics person but this along with Grenade, really grabbed me. This song makes me sing it out loud and get a little weepy along the way. A good, solid heartbreak song.

Girls With Accents by The Fences - Another great lyric song, and totally appeals to those days where I feel like everything I touch turns horribly wrong.

My Body by Young The Giant - An up and coming new band, Young the Giant is poppy with a British influence. This first song of theirs has a nice back beat and is all around a scream at the top of your lungs refrain.

Constellations by Darwin Deez- A great quirky American band that has found fame in England. Gotta love a song that starts off with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

We Speak No Americano by Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup- I dare you to listen to this song and not tap your feet and feel like you should be overseas. This song was also featured in The American with George Clooney.

Wavin' Flag by K'naan, will.i.am & David Guetta - I listen to a lot of BBC Radio One and this song was very popular around World Cup time. It's a great anthem for a country based sport competition.

The Bike Song by Mark Ronson and The Business International - "My mother tells me I should stop go and get a real job That can’t be the way that I roll Everybody’s growing up, having kids and paying rent And I’m getting count of it all. I’m gonna ride my bike until I get home." The whole song is fantastic!

I Was Drunk by Riva Starr- Another song that needs to be in a soundtrack, pronto!

Upside by Kano featuring Michelle Breeze - I really like songs that juxtapose rap with slow, beautiful parts. I LOVE Michelle Breeze's voice...it is achingly sweet.

Only Man by Audio Bullys- I first heard Audio Bullys when they did a song that sampled a Nancy Sinatra song. I love that they are so fully British you cannot hide the accents. This song has a great beat and gets stuck in my head.

Bang Bang by K'naan & Adam Levine- Second appearance by the Somalian K'naan pairs him with Adam Levine (you might recognize his voice from Maroon 5).

Bang Bang Bang by Mark Ronson & The Business International - Mark Ronson is England's Timberland...but he also sings. The Business International is his band but he contracts in other singers. This one features an American pop duo MNDR.

I Can Talk by Two Door Cinema Club - Yep, favorite band of 2010.

Heartbeat Song by The Futureheads - For some reason this song reminds me of an early 80s pop song.

Miami by The Foals - This song reminds me of Robert Smith in the Cure. The Foals is another great British band that has had some hits show up in various TV shows including Entourage. they also received several nominations at the Brit Awards, the English Grammies.

You Will Leave A Mark by A Silent Film- 2010 was a strong year for music and A Silent Film in top 3 band for sure. This song is pretty and I'm a sucker for piano in any form....more so in a piano rock format. The band is from Oxford (understand the British flag on the cover now?) and has a pretty successful following there. I am glad to see them hit the US now.

Sleepyhead by Passion Pit - This is one song that straddles the line between annoying and fantastic. Listen and decide for yourself.

Solitude is Bliss by Tame Impala - They are from Australia and one of the guys is named Gumby. Plus the song is a trippy delight.

Ivy & Gold by Bombay Bicycle Club- In 2010 I learned that I like folk music. This is one of a set of songs that fit into that Folk classification.

Rollerblades by Eliza Doolittle - I know nothing about this woman, but her songs (this and another called Skinny Genes) makes me happy.

Rolling in the Deep by Adele - I fell in love with Adele's voice after I heard her cover "Make You Feel My Love". I had heard and liked her other big hit "Chasing Pavements" but I really like "Rolling in the Deep" best for it's overall sound. She is coming out with a new album in March. I am looking forward to it!

Hannah by Freelance Whales - Technically this song was released in 2009, but it was December 28 of 2009 and it was a self release. It was then released by a label two days before my birthday and since I love everything about this song, I included it. I heard somewhere that a lot of the lyrics come from dream journaling and that makes so much sense when you hear Hannah. It sounds like a dream feels. By far, my favorite song of 2010.

Movie Review: The Mechanic

Last night Joe and I went to see The Mechanic, a shoot 'em up action flick starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster. Jason Statham has been involved in several quality movies like Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but mostly what you need to know about him, in case you don't know, is that he is very attractive with an amazing body, is very handy with a gun and plays stoic better than anyone. I first became aware of Foster during his brilliant run in Six Feet Under as Claire's boyfriend Russell. He followed that up with Alpha Dog where he played a fantastically evil hot head. He is one of those actors that seems like he might actually be as ruthless as the characters he plays, yet is still completely likable.

The Mechanic is a story about an elite hit man, Statham, who takes an angry young man, Foster, under his wing, teaching him the ways of creatively killing so that it looks like an accident. Statham is as stoic and manly as ever and predictably, Foster plays angry with a side of rage better than anyone in recent years. It would seem that this would be just an average movie, but I actually really enjoyed it. Foster is so likeable, balancing crazy with funny and tender that I actually shed a tear in one of his scenes. Nobody plays Statham like Statham but he is starting to show a soft side in his characters that give them a little more roundness. The fight shots are amazingly graphic so be prepared for that. I don't know if my expectations were low or I just was in the mood for a good killing story, but I absolutely enjoyed this movie. Oscar nomination it will probably never see, but if you have two hours and want to fill it with an action movie with lots of blood and a bit of heart, The Mechanic is the choice for you.

The Kissing Season

I was a late adopter to Twitter(though not as late as some), but now I love it and am very thankful for the positive things it has brought into my life. In 2010 I gave up soda thanks to @nofizzclt. Recently I took on another very simple challenge from @kiss10clt.

While not going into many details, Joe and I are pretty affectionate as a couple. We hug and touch and still sleep in "spoon" position all night long. BUT, with the exception of a quick peck, we don't kiss that often. So I jumped at the challenge to commit to kiss each other for 10 seconds a day, every day for a year.

Not going to lie; the first couple of days we needed to remind each other. Now we are in the habit and more than that, I look forward to it. We've been together 18 years and like all long term couples have fallen in a routine of life. But now, every night we have a nice little 10 second reminder of those kids we used to be; the ones that skipped class and ignored life just so we could wrap up in each other's company for just an hour or two longer. And that makes me very happy.

So if you are in a relationship, think about committing to kiss every night for 10 seconds. I think you will really enjoy the positive effects it has.

2010 - A Year In Review...and a Look Forward to 2011

I am a goal setter/planner by nature so the New Year appeals to me. Even so, last year was one of the first years that I took a hard look at what I wanted and set up some goals. So before I give my 2011 resolutions, I thought I’d follow up on 2010.

• Do three triathlons Well, I REGISTERED for three...didn't do any and am completely OK with that. Money got in the way of one, I ended up working another as volunteer coordinator and the third was the same weekend as Joe's first endurance foray...the MS Ride. I wouldn't have missed Joe crossing the finish line for anything.
• Do the Space Coast Half Marathon in Florida YEP. And it was easy!
• Lose 20 pounds The bad thing about long runs is that I justify overeating. I just ran 8 miles; bring on the ice cream! So nope, didn't lose 20 pounds.
• Improve my running time. First time I ran I managed a 16 minute mile. I am now down to a comfortable 11 minute mile.
• Pay off some debt. If by pay off I meant get tons more, then I succeeded. Pretty sure that's not what I meant, so I suck.
• Be a good friend to my friends and let them be good to me. I'm going to say yes on this one.
• Try to not drink so much soda. With the help of Twitter and http://www.nofizzclt.org/, as of August 1, I am soda free. All I drink now is water with the occasional diet lemonade.
• Go back to low carb living. I am still trying to figure out the nutrition aspect of being an endurance athlete. Bodies need carbs to perform, I just need to get better about choosing wise carbs.
• Continue working for the three non profits in my life right now: Tri It For Life, St. Jude and For Your Cure. I am now on the board of Tri It For Life and have continued to fund raise for St. Jude. For Your Cure has taken a break due to some personal issues with founder Stephen Fogg (Despite chemo and the doc saying it wasn't possible, Foggy and Julie are expecting their first child! Take that you stupid cancer!)

So now for 2011. I really can’t explain it, but athletic goals lead the way. I have a full slate planned so far:

• 6 mile run in Charleston (http://www.bridgerun.com/)
• Half marathon in April (http://www.racefest.com/)
• I am doing the swim portion of a relay at the Jetton Tri in May
• 24 Hours of Booty with a goal of 100 miles this year (http://www.24hoursofbooty.com/)
• The Nations Tri, International Distance Tri in DC (http://www.nationstri.com/)
• MS Ride to Sunset Beach with Joe
• Lose 30 pounds
• Train for a marathon next May of 2012 (flyingpigmarathon.com)
• Continue to push myself to do the uncomfortable things at work and persevere no matter the changes or challenges
• Stop incurring debt and maybe pay some debt down
• See my parents at least twice a month
• Read at least 1 book a month
  

End of Year Music

Seems like I haven't been paying much attention to music these days, or else I have been so busy building my running playlist that I seems to only hear songs by beats per minute. Whatever the reason, my 4th Quarter Music listing is a bit slim. I promise to be better next year.

October
Heart Vacancy by The Wanted
VCR by The XX
Love You More by The Pierces
Waiting for the End by Linkin Park (I KNOW....horrible. I doubt you will ever see their name again on my listing, but I really do like this song.)

November
Girls with Accents by Fences
My Body by Young The Giant
Terrible Love by The National
Solitude is Bliss by Tame Impala

December
Rolling In Deep by Adele
Post Break Up Sex by The Vaccines
Bonus Christmas Song you should listen to: The Christmas Can Can by Straight No Chaser

Marathon Music

I really don't think I need music to run, but it sure helps when you are doing a long run alone. Music helps me pace and keeps me going, even when I don't want to. So after a few days of honing and crafting, here is the playlist that I listened to during my half marathon. These songs all hover around the 160 BPM mark which translates roughly to a 10:30 mile pace. If you are a runner, feel free to steal and enjoy.

Stretching, ready to begin but not running time:
Beautiful Day - U2
Ready to Start- Arcade Fire

START!
Dakota- Sterophonics
This Modern Love - Bloc Party (this song is perfect for my pace. If I thought I could have listened to this song straight for 3 hours, I would have. I did sprinkle this in throughout the run...any transition in styles of music or just after a while to put me back on pace. I love it.)
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Blue Light - Block Party
Halfway Home - TV on the Radio
Gamma Ray - Beck
Black and White Town - Doves
I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked- Ida Marie
Keep Your Head - The Ting Tings
Lasso - Phoenix
Australia- The Shins
No Sunlight - Death Cab for Cutie
Molly's Chambers - Kings of Leon
Ooh La - The Kooks
This Modern Love (Dave P and Adam Sparkles Making Time remix) - Bloc Party
Sex on Fire- Kings of Leon
Walkie Talkie Man- Steriogram
Such Great Heights- The Postal Service
Na Na Na Na Naa - Kaiser Chiefs
She Moves in Her Own Way - The Kooks
Jigsaw Falling Into Place - Radiohead
I Melt With You- Modern English
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Age of Consent- New Order
Take on Me - a ha
Just Like Heaven- The Cure
Runnin Down a Dream - Tom Petty
End of the Line - The Traveling Wilburys
Young Turks - Rod Stewart
Steppin Out - Joe Jackson
One Way or Another - Blondie
What I Like About You - The Romantics
A Forest - The Cure
This Modern Love - Bloc Party
If Looks Could Kill - Camera Obscura
Hey Man (Now You're Really Living) - Eels
Pump It - Black Eyed Peas
Sweet Disposition- The Temper Trap
Feel the Pain - Dinosaur Jr.
Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John
What Difference Does It Make - The Smiths
Marathon Not a Sprint - Camera Obscura
A Well Respected Man - The Kinks
Glass of Water - Cold Play
hopelist - What Made Milwaukee Famous
Ask- The Smiths
Alex Chilton- The Replacements
The Seed 2.0-The Roots and Cody Chestnutt
Get On Your Boots - U2
We used to Wait - Arcade Fire
Fire It Up - Modest Mouse
Ali in the Jungle- The Hours

Really Living.

As of 9:16 on Sunday morning, I finished my first half marathon. In short, it was fantastic, fun, easy and so much better than I ever would have thought. The fact that I just used those words to describe 3 hours of running is still amazing to me, but they are true.

The details
The entire week before the race I was really nervous. I felt like a fraud, ill prepared and over analyzed every ache or tight muscle. Friday morning we went to pick up my race packet at the local running store. They had 13.1 bracelets and T-shirts with the race name on it and of course the 13.1 magnet. Joe wanted me to get one but I was afraid I'd jinx myself. At one point we were talking about the different fonts used on the magnets and which one I would get. I suddenly worried "What if I don't finish?". It was a real fear. After that we drove the course and I was pretty happy. It wasn't as flat as I had been promised, but I would never call it a hilly course. The rest of the day I rested my legs and tried not to think too much.

Saturday night was the pre-race dinner at the Kennedy Space Center. As we all lined up to get on the shuttles to take us to dinner, I felt very intimidated. I know that appearances don't translate to ability. I've said for a long time that I am quite proud being fat and fit....as long as the fit is in there. There are skinny people that can't walk up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath so I know that looks can be deceiving. But looking around, there were so many people that were obviously runners I felt out of place. We rode to Center and watched a video about the Saturn series and then saw the control room as it was in the 60s and listened as they simulated a shuttle launch complete with rattling windows and bright lights. As a former space geek, I loved it! Then we went into the main hall where the Saturn 5 rocket was hanging from the ceiling. Dinner tables were set up underneath and it was so cool to sit under such a massive peace of equipment and an amazing part of history.

Dick Beardsley was the speaker of the night. I had read 'Duel In The Sun", the book about his race in Boston against Alberto Salazar. They averaged less than a 5 minute mile for the entire marathon. As a slow runner, I am in awe of his natural ability. He also has quite a story about after the marathon and genuinely seems like a nice guy. He talked about lining up for that race. He had won several other marathons and I think most everyone would have said he was a runner. But he said as he worked his way to the starting line, he felt like he didn't belong....that he wasn't a runner. Then he said he realized he had put in the miles. He had done the hard work. He deserved to be there. Then he said to us..."You have put in the miles. You have trained. You deserve to be here." My mom turned, patted me on the leg and I held back tears. I did do the hard work. I got up at 4 AM and ran 3 times a week regardless of how I felt, what the weather was or how late I went to bed the night before. I designed a training plan and increased my mileage. I was smart, but pushed myself past my inherent laziness. I deserved to be there. As we got back on the bus to take us to the Visitor's Center, the guard wished me luck on the race tomorrow. I proudly said "Thank you!"

Back at the hotel I got into the elevator and recognized a couple that had been at the dinner. I asked them if they were ready and they said no. I asked them what they were doing and they said "Just the half.' "Me too" I replied. They seemed shocked. "Oh really?" they asked. I was giddy as I ran back to the room. Someone thought I looked like a marathoner!

I woke up at 3:30 on Sunday morning and was completely calm. I was excited and all the nerves were gone. I took a shower, talked to my legs like I normally do before a long run and put on my race outfit I had planned. Joe pinned my number on me and we left for the race site. The weather was perfect, a cool 56 with a clear sky. We found a parking place pretty easily and found our way to the main pavilion. After 4 trips to the bathroom (hydrating has its price), we walked to the starting line. There were 2700 people that were doing the race so it wasn't huge, but it was crowded enough that I couldn't find my parents. About two minutes before the start I was on the phone with my dad trying to figure out where they were in the masses. My mom grabbed the phone from him and in a very movie like moment said, "Amy, we're here. We love you. We know you can do this." It was exactly what I needed to hear.

Instead of a gun shot, this race starts with a space shuttle countdown and then sounds of the blast off. Before I knew it I was running. There was a brief moment right in the beginning where I thought "Holy Crap....I'm running a half marathon." It was exciting. I settled into my race and was very proud of myself for running my plan. I had a great playlist (Coming in a separate post) and I paced exactly where I needed to be based off my training for endurance, not speed. Miles 1-5 went by pretty quickly but around mile 6 I did get a little lightheaded so I walked for 5 minutes, ate a power bar and drank. The turnaround was a welcomed sight.

As I ran back towards the finish, I passed the marathoners making their way up. It was amazing to see some truly great runners (who quickly passed me, finishing the marathon an hour faster than I did the 1/2) and I became the cheerleader as they ran towards me. It was invigorating to yell and clap for strangers and kept me motivated to keep going. I was also pleased with how many people returned my cheer with a 'thanks, you too!' I remembered the book Born to Run that asserts that basically being a nice person makes you a better runner. That might sound ridiculous but I felt better once I started cheering for everyone as we passed.

Miles 10-12 were spent with a mother-daughter team that were running their first half as well. We made small talk about the other runners, the dinner the night before and my Garmin. I eventually left them after the daughter had to slow it down, but I am so glad they were there for those miles. After I left them I realized I had a mile to go. One mile and I would be a half marathoner. At that point "Hey Man" by the Eels came on my playlist. Here are the lyrics:

Do you know what it's like to fall on the floor
And cry your guts out 'til you got no more
Hey man now you're really living

Have you ever made love to a beautiful girl
Made you feel like it's not such a bad world
Hey man now you're really living

Now you're really giving everything
And you're really getting all you gave
Now you're really living what
This life is all about

Well i just saw the sun rise over the hill
Never used to give me much of a thrill
But hey man now you're really living

Do you know what it's like to care too much
'bout someone that you're never gonna get to touch
Hey man now you're really living

Have you ever sat down in the fresh cut grass
And thought about the moment and when it will pass
Hey man now you're really living

Now you're really giving everything
And you're really getting all you gave
Now you're really living what
This life is all about

I had to choke back tears, (which trying to do while also trying to run and not get out of breath is hard). I was going to finish a half marathon.

Last September, after I finished the triathlon, I felt like I could conquer the world and decided I wanted to do an Ironman. One Problem: I finished the Ramblin Rose by walking the entire 2 mile run course. The thought of me doing a marathon was pretty ridiculous. I decided I could do it if I gave myself enough time to train. There was the shadow of doubt that I wouldn't train...but I signed up anyway. I procrastinated training but eventually in October started getting serious. And here I was...about to finish my first half, and feeling that I was really living...that this was what it was really about.

I rounded the corner and started the last 100 yards to the finish line while "Ali and Jungle" was playing.

It's, not, how you start, it's how you finish,
And it's, not, where you're from, it's where you're at,

Everybody gets knocked down,
How quick are you gonna' get up?

Like Ali in the jungle,
Like Nelson in jail,
Like Simpson on the mountain,
With odds like that, they were bound to fail
Like Keller in the darkness,
Like Adam's in the dark,
Like Ludwig Van, how I loved that man, well the guy went deaf and didn't give a ----, no...

It's, not, where you are, It's where you're going,
Where are you going?
And it's, not, about the things you've done, it's what you're doing, now,
What are you doing, now?

My parents were right at the finish line. Joe was a couple of people behind them. I crossed the finish line feeling elated. A volunteer said congratulations as he placed my finisher's medal around my neck. I was a half marathoner.

I still don't really know if I like running, but I enjoy the planning, training, seeing myself improve and I LOVE finishing. I know that I want to do a marathon. I know it will be harder, both physically and mentally, but I also know I need to do one for reasons I can't explain; for me. I have so much respect for the training process and the body's ability to adapt and to grow. When I think about the first time I ran and then compare it to what I did on Sunday, it is amazing, but fills me with pride.

I am not fast. I will never finish first. I can honestly say that is fine with me. I had fun running this race. I enjoyed myself. I felt fantastic as I crossed the finish line and even the next day. I am excited to tackle the marathon and then after that, the Ironman. Training with friends, being surrounded by family, using and appreciating my body: now I'm really living.