Treadmill Tunes

My iPod is one-third Dave Matthews, one-third praise music and one-third country and pop. (Yes, I'm a stereotype.) There's one sizable exception: my treadmill tunes.

Heaven knows it's tough to get this nap addict motivated to break a sweat. More than the "walking to your car in August" variety, that is.

As you know, my relatively normal exterior belies a surprising selection of unabashed pop and rap trash, essentially. Whatever gets me through an hour at the Y.

I blogged about my workout playlist in 2009, but it's changed a bit. Some artists have been removed (I'm looking at you, Chris Brown, and am not happy to lose such a fab cardio track) and a new gems have been discovered.

I need a variety of beats for cardio, weights and abs. I can't stand counting to myself while competing with a different beat in my earbuds. I'm not that skilled. So you'll notice slower tunes for abs and angrier tunes (coincidence?) for the tougher parts of my workout.

Note well: I may listen to thugs, but I prefer the profanity-free versions. I have been known to email iTunes when I buy a "clean" version of a song that still contains something I wouldn't hear on the radio.

Some of these rappers are quite talented; I wish their moms, like mine, had told them that foul language is something people use when they're not intelligent enough to find more effective, creative alternatives. Preach it, Louise.

Ready to judge? Let's let it all hang out:
What the Hell - Avril Lavigne

Universal Mind Control - Common

All I Do Is Win - DJ Khaled
Club Can't Handle Me, Flo Rida
Take It Off - Ke$ha Blow We R Who We R
Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Rumors - Lindsay Lohan
Get It Shawty -Lloyd
Closer - Ne-Yo
So What - Pink
I Know You Want Me - Pitbull Fuego
Hard - Rihanna & Jeezy

Like a G6 - Far East Movement

Run This Town - Jay-Z & Rihanna

Le Belle et Le Bad Boy - MC Solaar
(French rap! Yes, from the final SATC episode.) Magic - Robin Thicke When I Get You Alone
Forget You - Cee Lo Green

Jesus Walks - Kanye West Blacklight - One Call Dancing in the Dark - Mat Kearney cover
Whip My Hair - Willow
Bottoms Up - Trey Songz
No Diggity - Blackstreet & Dr. Dre
What You Got - Colby O'Donis
Gotta Get Thru This - Daniel Bedingfield
Look At Me Now - Karmin cover
Ain't Nothin' Wrong With That - Robert Randolph & the Family Band DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love - Usher

Irony: I'm posting this to feel a bit more motivated to use these tunes for something other than cleaning day dance parties. The time I've spent at the Y lately has been in the pool...

Double irony: Me bobbing my head to "you think you're a gangster 'cause you did time..." when I get frustrated by people who run red lights.

Triple irony: My last workout playlist post was written two weeks before I found out I was expecting Mac. If only I knew how little I'd use my treadmill tunes that year!

Why are there so many angry love songs in my playlist? I've been known to cry while breaking a sweat, but do I need to see a therapist to delve into why only such music gets me moving? I'm thankful so many people have had tough break-ups, I suppose.

What am I missing? What gets you going, workout queens? Motivate me!

School of Rap

Did you know that I'm a rap-ologist? Truly, I am. For a really cool girl with an Arctic tan and a strong distaste for profanity, I know my way around some hip-hop. (Especially from the 2000s.)

I really should have been in the audience for Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake's History of Rap Part Deux. (See here for part one.)

Just as funny and adorable as the original, with even more recognizable rap gems for our generation. All sanitized for TV, too! Just the way I like it.

Prepare to be schooled in a few classics, and enjoy the hip-thrusting Salt and Pepa imitation in particular. I laughed out loud throughout - hope it brings you as many Wednesday morning giggles.

You may have to pause the Mac video a few posts south of this one. Not sure why it starts up automatically - sorry! Another day or so and it should be on the next page, so you won't be greeted with "Mac, can you smile?!" any longer.



Side note: I'm serious about the rap-ology. I'll have to give you a peek at my treadmill tunes playlist sometime. Real fans might roll their eyes at the edited versions, but it's what gets me going in a calorie-burning way!

Can I Borrow Your Moves?

Would it be extra creepy for me to ask this Chinese preschooler for some hip-hop tutoring?

How sad is it that I envy the moves of a three-year-old?

Seriously - wow.

I can't decide if I want to give him a standing ovation or just a big hug. (I know, I know, that would probably be creepy, too.)



As much applause as Mac gets for walking across a room, standing, squatting and throwing a ball these days, we'd knock him over if he mimicked some of this choreography. Go, little guy, go!

Jimmy + Justin = Hilarious

Have y'all seen Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake's history of rap? Two of the cutest, funniest guys on Earth giving us a walk through some of our generation's all-time favorite rap songs? Not a a bad way to wrap up a Thursday afternoon.

Please enjoy the looks on the older audience members' faces at the end. Is it that hard to sing, "New Yooooooooork!" with the rest of the crowd, older guy with too-tight tucked-in polo shirt?

(Side note: I can't hear "Empire State of Mind" anymore without picturing the cast of Glee belting it out... I should totally have started a glee club.)