What I’m currently listening to on repeat 3 / Why you need a power song!

By , May 25, 2018 4:19 am

When I heard Ariana Grande’s new single “No Tears Left to Cry” for the first time I knew I’d be downloading it.

What I didn’t know is that I would be listening to it on repeat so much! It got me ready for my tempo run Tuesday, when I listened to it (on repeat) during my two warm-up miles. It got me pumped up to have a fast finish during my Thursday long run, when I finished listening to podcasts after mile fifteen and decided to switch over to music, and played it three times (I had to stop myself from playing it more, ha).

Yay for new music!

Let me know if there’s anything you’re loving now that I need to check out.


My power song has been AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” for a looooooong time. I doubt it will ever retire. “Thunderstruck” always has the same effect on me – it gives me energy when I feel like I have no “push” left.

Example: I was doing my tempo run Tuesday, and had just gone up at hill at mile 8.5 and felt SPENT and wasn’t sure if I could do 10 tempo miles. But then “Thunderstruck” came on at the beginning of the final mile and I immediately got that surge to finish strong! I played it on repeat for that mile.

I listen to it at the beginning of 5Ks to get revved up, and listened to it at the beginning of my last half marathon.

It amazes me a song can have this effect! I told my dad about what happened during my tempo (he said “would have been just wrong to stop then!” <— yep!), and told him I may have to play “Thunderstruck” every ten songs during my marathon playlist. Ha. But seriously.

So, get yourself a power song, if you don’t already have one! It can be your secret weapon. And you don’t have to run with music to use it (although, truth – that does help). You can listen to it before you work out, or listen to it in your head, when you need it.

10 Responses to “What I’m currently listening to on repeat 3 / Why you need a power song!”

  1. Kristina says:

    Yes to the power song! I always listen to Eminem’s “Lose yourself” on race day. I’m also a fan of “Pumped up kicks” by Foster the People. Those are a bit more on the old side. Recent finds: “Everything now” by Arcade Fire and “This is America” by Childish Gambino (which, by the way, is a tough song – and video; packs a punch. I almost feel bad calling it a “power song” because it’s so much more than that…).

    • kilax says:

      Those are both good ones! I’ll have to look up the other two. I still need to listen to “This is America” and learn all the references of it. Thanks for the reminder (I saved a video about that on Facebook to watch when I had time and forgot about it!)

  2. dad says:

    Tough It Out by Webb Wilder can have/had that effect on me, along with a few others.

  3. Did you particularly appreciate the moment in Deadpool with Thunderstruck, then??

    I really don’t enjoy listening to music when I run, so I don’t have any power songs for running (and the gym usually has a good enough playlist on that when I’m there, I just listen to whatever they have playing). On marathon morning, however, I have a specific “I Run the Marathon to the Very Last Mile” (thanks, Beastie Boys!) playlist that I listen to before every marathon! I don’t remember all the songs on it, but I do know that it starts with Gonna Fly Now from Rocky – feels appropriate for the occasion, haha. And Intergalatic for the “I run the marathon to the very last mile” line, of course.

    • kilax says:

      Yes! I did! I mean, all the music for Deadpool 2 was so fun, right?!

      That’s awesome you have a pump you up playlist to get you going! And it sounds like it’s very well curated!

  4. Shelley B says:

    I’m going to work harder at listening to music when I run this summer, just to see if it helps me. I like the idea of a power song. Don’t currently have one, but now I’m going to look when I make up my playlist!

    • kilax says:

      That would be awesome if it did! Let me know what’s on your playlist… or if you want ideas 😉

      Do you think you’d only listen to it on solo runs?

  5. kapgar says:

    “Thunderstruck” was always on my playlist too. But another great one is “Song 2” by Blur.

Panorama Theme by Themocracy

31 ‘queries’.