My running mix

When I visited Nebraska in April, I found that 90% of my friends there were running the Lincoln half-marathon, and one was running the whole marathon. It made me feel like such a slug. I've been an off-and-on jogger for ten years now, but since moving to Oregon it's been more of the off-again, because I just couldn't bring myself to run in the rain, and I'm not the treadmill type.

For some reason, visiting with those awesomely fit friends flipped a switch in me, and I suddenly have an unreal level of motivation to get myself up to 5 miles. I've been running 5 days a week for almost three weeks now, and I've started looking forward to it rather than dreading it (a first for me). I'm even starting to eye some upcoming Eugene races, although I'm super intimidated, Eugene being Track Town USA and all. I don't want to finish last!

Here's my current running mix. I'm always on the lookout for good songs to add. I've marked with a * those songs that inspire me to accelerate, even when I'm falling-down tired. And I make no apologies for the mullet rock. Embarrassing in most situations, it's good stuff for running.

Arctic Monkeys, Fluorescent Adolescent
Arctic Monkeys, I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor
B-52s, Roam
Big Country, In a Big Country
Boston, More Than a Feeling
*Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
Cheap Trick, I Want You to Want Me
Cheap Trick, Surrender
Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Hi and Lo
Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Zoot Suit Riot
*Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Drunk Daddy
*Conor Oberst, NYC-Gone, Gone
Counting Crows, Accidentally in Love
*CCR, Bad Moon Rising
CCR, Fortunate Son
Dire Straits, Walk of Life
*Eagles, Already Gone
Elvis Costello, Veronica
Finger Eleven, Paralyzer
Georgia Satellites, Keep Your Hands to Yourself
*Green Day, American Idiot
Green Day, Holiday
Jason Mraz, I'm Yours
Jennifer Lopez, Let's Get Loud (ducking rotten tomatoes . . .)
*Joey Ramone, What a Wonderful World
*John Fogerty, Centerfield
*Kansas, Carry on Wayward Son
Killers, Mr. Brightside
Killers, Somebody Told Me
*Killers, When You Were Young
Matchbox Twenty, Disease
Michael Penn, No Myth
*Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit
OMD, If You Leave
Quiet Riot, Cum on Feel the Noize
*REM, It's the End of the World as We Know It
REM, Stand
Santana, Smooth
*Styx, Renegade
Talking Heads, Burning Down the House
*Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, American Girl
*U2, Vertigo
We the Kings, Check Yes Juliet

Willow is still shaking her head, so I don't think the bit or the bridle is the problem. I bought padding for the crown piece just in case, but I'm also going to get the chiropractor out. In spite of the head shaking, we had a super lesson Thursday. Whatever's going on with her is not affecting her performance, as far as I can tell.