For the last seven weeks I have begun jogging. I am generally the last person who considers fitness. The following reasons forced me to make the decision:1. Playing football at friend Richard’s Stag Weekend tired me out within the first few minutes. I was out of breath and had to hide in the background whilst I caught my breath … which took ages. Then when I started to get into it again, I was knackered soo after. Clearly, this establishes my lack of fitness in the first instance.
2. A friend from work jogged into school. He jogged 8 miles. 8-fu*****-miles. Before he even taught a single lesson. This amazed me and inspired me. He never gave the impression that he was obsessivly fit … he just enjoyed it and improved week-on-week, to the point that he could run 8-miles in the morning before a day of teaching. Amazing.
3. I was recommend by a friend the NHS Couch to 5k podcast. Only a few podcasts which you listen to, generally, the same one, three-times a week and then week-by-week you up the pace. Starting on 1-minute running, 1-minute walking – times by eight – you run eight minutes the first week. By week 7, you get to 25 minutes solid running. That’s where I am now.
As it is 25 minutes, it seems a little useless to listen to the same podcast when I can just put together a playlist of songs to jog to. I always warm-up with a 5-minute “brisk walk” and finish on a 5-minute “brisk walk”, with the 25-minute run in between. With this in mind, I managed to hunt down the playlist from Forrest Gump and I use tracks that Forrest ran to as I do (the source-tracks are bookended by music from Silvestri’s score). It wasn’t easy to find, but I did fill the 25-minutes effectively.
This is what I will share with you film folk – the playlist for my evening jog. Not to mention how much I advise you to do the same!
5-minute Warm-UpHold My Hand (UNKLE) – 5.00
25-minute Run
The Crusade (Alan Silverstri) – 2.01
Running on Empty (Jackson Browne) – 4.58
It Keeps You Runnin’ (The Doobie Brothers) – 4.22
I’ve Got to Use My Imagination (Gladys Knight and The Pips) 3.29
Go Your Own Way (Fleetwood Mac) – 3.38
On The Road Again (Willie Nelson) – 2.33
Against The Wind (Starshine Orchestra and Singers) 3.52
The Crimson Gump (Alan Silvestri) 1.08
5-minute Warm-Down
Vision One (Royksopp) 5.00
So what about you? Do you run? And if so – do you have any amazing playlists you could share?
I’m hoping that as I continue and change my playlists, i’ll share them with you guys and maybe you could join me!
simoncolumb.com 
No!!! You've been sucked into another world, where soon you'll be a complete and total fitness nut!
Seriously though, good for you – glad you're liking it, and I absolutely love that you picked out a Gump soundtrack to run to. That's funny shit right there.
Yes!!! I am also a non runner turned runner, and boy is it addictive. It's also handy when you run out of conversation. I can talk about it for tens of minutes with people that I would normally have nothing in common with.
But seriously, thank you for this playlist, I might copy it. In return I would recommend the following albums for jogging –
The Postal Service – Give Up
Ratatatat – LP3 (no lyrics just good beats)
Loney Dear – Dear John
Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
Good luck!
Well Dylan – what other tracks should I play. I tried a bunch of tracks from the STAR WARS films. For one, jogging to DUEL OF THE FATES makes the entire jog much more epic.
Thanks Catherine! I will hunt down those songs. I don't know about addictive though … its a hell of a push for me to go running on a friday after school after a week of teaching! But I do – and it is always worth it. Though my ankle is hurting a little.
What tracks should you play? Beats me – I don't work out or jog. On the occasions where I have in the past, I'd listen to hip-hop or electronica – something high-energy to get me pumped up.
You should find the music tracks Dylan and go for a jog! In the US, the land is so much more expansive – you'll feel much more like Gump than me. I only run round clapham common – and have cars driving past me as i go! At the very least, hunt down the couch to 5k podcast (though it NHS, its on itunes) and do the same – you won't regret it!
YAY! Fitness nuts are awesome! And you're totally right to draw on something that engages your mind while you're running. I too have found that the music that keeps me going is linked to films. I ran a half-marathon a few years ago and here are some of the playlist that I really liked (I'll leave out the country music since that's an acquired taste).
Jump (For My Love) – Pointer Sisters – Scene of Hugh Grant Dancing in Love, Actually
Macho Man – The Village People – Scene from In & Out with Kevin Klein dancing
Friday I'm in Love – The Cure – from 50 First Dates
Build Me Up Buttercup – Foundations – There's Something about Mary prison dance
Get Rhythm – Johnny Cash (or Joaquin Phoenix) – From Walk the Line
Dreams – The Cranberries – It's in a thousand movies, but I remember its use in You've Got Mail
Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes – either Grosse Pointe Blank or Reality Bites
And Kokomo – The Beach Boys (or the Muppets) – from Cocktail.
Hope that helps. An odd mix sure, but go with what works!