Reason: “I love this old school ode to full-on self-acceptance from one grown-a** woman to another! 💥”

 

 

Reason: “This song gets me going when I hit a rough patch in a workout or race. It reminds me of Amanda and my daughter, Rylan, and keeps me going when times get tough.”

 

 

Reason: “I love how the lyrics and tone slowly build synergistically, starting calm then peaking with a powerful finish. Just like how I like my ultras 🙂. What ultrarunner doesn't hope to dance the victory dance in the evening’s setting sun?”

 

 

Reason: “I love running and working out to this song by an Indigenous artist! Being Indigenous, I feel a connection to my relatives, my ancestors, and my surroundings and it's a beautiful reminder to run forward in JOY and resilience. This song is energetic, helps with those tough moments and energizes you for the thriving, floating moments of a run or workout.”

 

 

Reason: “Making time for running can be tough with a busy schedule. Hearing “Fire on the Mountain” right before or at the beginning of a mellow night jog, after pushing myself hard all day at work, provides a good reminder that we all can only do so much—at some point, I need to accept that it’s okay to call it a day and just get out the door to relax with some easy miles.”

 

 

Reason: “This song is the perfect pre-race or pre-workout song as the lyrics and the beat get you centered and focused on a positive belief that you can accomplish great things.”

 

 

Reason: “When I am running a race and this song comes on, it always takes me back to my early running days when my cross-country team would sing this tune during practices. It always brings back so many great running memories and makes me pick up my pace.”

 

 

Reason: “This is my favorite because it is upbeat, positive, and reminds us that we have an opportunity to be our best each and every day. I used it before races not to layer on the pressure, but to remind myself that this run was a gift, and all I could I ask for was to do was my best.”

 

 

Reason: “So If I had to pick a great song in particular, I’d pick Metallica's Nothing Else Matters. This is meaningful because it starts slow with guitar picking, then moves on to typical Metallica James Hetfield awesomeness that motivates no matter how I feel. The song's message is strong too; believe in yourself, stay to your course. My runs are most always a single pace, except on local long climbs up the peaks and hills it adds inspiration to push on.”

 

 

Reason: “I like music that has soul and a good message. I like these songs to get me pumped up or when I need a pick me up in a long race.”

 

 

Reason: “I’ve had I’m Still Standing by Elton John on my playlist since high school, so for over 25 years!! I love this song because the beat always makes me happy, but the words always fire me up. Nothing can knock me down, I’m still standing!!"

 

 

Reason: “I like this song because the title is perfect for ultrarunning, and it puts me at ease."

 

 

Reason: “This song evokes memories of where and with whom I grew up. It talks about how we each travel down a different road even if we grew up together. It helps remind me how far I've come as well as grounds me to the people and places that help make me into the person I am today. Ultimately, it helps me pick up my pace."

 

 

Reason: “I have 10 copies of it on my iPod shuffle "Hundred Mile Mix" playlist, so it comes up often. I once listened to it 8 times in a row after I made a move on PoDog Vogler at the 2007 Arkansas Traveller 100 to take the lead at 100K and gap him to take the win with horribly blistered feet — 4 years before Altra was founded. My feet would have loved a pair of the Lone Peaks back then!"

 

 

Reason: “It is definitely more of a pump you up song. In fact, I use it to gauge whether I need a rest day or not. If I am on the fence about a workout and can't quite tell if I am looking for excuses or simply need to rest, I load up this song. If I am still on the fence or unmotivated, I know I need to rest. If not... well then I fire it up!"

 

 

Reason: “I’m a music head. So it’s hard to pin me to an artist or song... like EVER! I can tell you with 100% certainty if the beat drops... I’m 100% – I feel it in my bones, tendons and literally every fiber of my being. Now add that and some inspo lyrics that I am just applying to every faction of my life then I’m 100% unstoppable."

 

 

Reason: “Who says girl dads can't be hardcore from time to time? This is a great pump-up and workout song – so much so that I made it into its very own fartlek session that follows the rhythm of the music. Put the song on repeat and you'll get an interval workout that looks like: 35 seconds easy, 25 seconds build-up acceleration, 90 seconds hard, 3 seconds fake-out recovery, 30 seconds bonus hard finish. I like to get my feet turning over fast on this one and imagine I'm racing, like real racing, like a fight to win. That 3 seconds of backing off before punching the gas for the winning kick is a lot of fun. Complete a few repetitions or 20-minutes worth "Give it some more!". You can find this song and my own workout playlist on Spotify called "Hardloop Endurance"."

 

 

Reason: “It boosts me, and it’s great on a hard lactic session or at the start of a race."

 

 

Reason: “The rhythm is catchy and delirious, with old-fashioned percussion, there is a joie de vivre; the singer is "inhabited". It’s really the music that makes me smile and makes me dance, even in the rain! Ideal ion a long run or between two intervals to entertain my mind away from physical suffering and to keep training hard with the smile!"

 

 

Reason: “It represents my character: the perfect balance between internal calmness & external energy."

 

 

Reason: “This is my favorite song because it is very motivating from start to finish. It is perfect for splits, especially when you are in the "hard". On the other hand, if I’m going to do an endurance session, I prefer quieter music like Dance Monkey by Tones and I. This latest music just makes you appreciate the nature that surrounds you and you really get off (especially when running)."