The Adventure

As the days lead to the marathon next Sunday, I thought I'd post a few things that relate to me and race day.

I listen to my music at every race without fail. I have set songs, I know them all well, and they motivate me. Partly because I listen to almost the same songs every time, and I've had success with them, and they help me along the way. They are what gets me through the tough parts.

The first song I listen to is Angels & Airwaves' song called The Adventure. Check it out, at least the first 2 minutes. Then read what's under the video. Don't read until you've listened!



This song starts off slow, just like a race. Try and imagine it. If you've raced before you'll knwo the feeling, if you haven't hopefully I described it for you to understand.

You're in the corral, and the gun finally goes off, and you press play. People in front of you start trotting towards the start line, and you eventually reach the start line. It's chaos, everyone zigzags for postions, it's quite a commotion with everyone all around you. You want to get going, you feel everyone's adrenaline. It's everywhere. You're running your pace, and getting into a rhythm. You keep running, passing some, other pass you as they sprint by...

The beginning of this song just does it for me. It gets my blood pumping as I run, and as it picks up more instruments and change the pace, it literally gives me chills.
Eventually the lyrics start, and although they're not really meant to be running related, I've used this song so many times for motivation, that I've take specific parts and adapted my own meaning to them.

"I wanna have the same last dream again
The one where I wake up and i'm alive"
The start of a new race, you're alive, and there's no feeling like it.

"My eyes are open up with pure sunlight" Again, life and energy.

"And here we go, Life's waiting to begin" The start of my journey, my new challenge. There's literally no feeling like it!

There are other parts too...
A race is a personal thing, yet you end up building alliances along the race, you pull through the whole thing with either a pace buddy, or with people you've never met. Everyone working towards the common goal. And we all keep each other going.

"If you're gonna to fall
I'll let you know
That I will pick you up
Like you for I
I felt this thing
I can't replace
Where everyone was working for this goal"

It may sound stupid, but I've been through so many hard hours... they've all started with this song, I even get chills just thinking about it.

It is my race day song. It is the first 4 and a half minutes of my first mile.
Now go back and listen to the song again. But don't watch the video, look away from your monitor, and just listen. To the clock ticking, the music picking up pace, the song, the clocks ticking again, the pace picks back up.

It's the best song to the start of a race, a long journey of teamwork. I love it!