Playlist Thursday: Race Day Tunes

This week's Playlist Thursday couldn't be more appropriate for me as I am set to race NYC on Sunday.  Turns out Brian (aka Pavement Runner) is also racing this weekend and he's got a kick ass goal so he thought it would be great to a Race Day Playlist.  He's going to post his entire race day playlist on his blog but has asked us to list our top 3 must have songs for our race day playlists.  This is a tough one for me.  Every song on my race day playlist has a place.  I am going to veer away a bit from Playlist Thursday tradition and give you 4 songs I've chosen to set the tone for the beginning, middle, the proverbial wall and end of the marathon.  

Check out Pavement Runners blog for his entire race day playlist and the catalog page for other readers must have playlist songs.

The Start

Artist: Sam Roberts
Title:Graveyard Shift
Notable: This song made it as an honorable mention in my Canadian playlist but I'm bringing it back again.  It's the perfect song for the beginning of a race because it's pace is steady and not too fast.  I listened to it on repeat for the first 15-20 minutes of my A-race last year.  It set the tone perfectly.
Quotable: "Now here it comes, it comes the setting sun, time to dig down and see what side you're on"

The Middle

Artist: Chris Cornell
Title: Time
Notable: When Chris Cornell paired up with Timbaland all hell broke loose in the heavy metal / alternative universe.  He got completely dissed by his fans for going down "that" road.  Honestly, I think it shows an incredibly talented and courageous person to step outside your musical comfort zone and try something different.  I really enjoyed this album when it came out and there are still several songs from it that are on my playlist.  This being one them.  It's a nice reminder that while I may be halfway through the race, I still have plenty of time that I need to spend on the road.  Plus I like the beat as well.  Steady enough that I'm not pushing the pace just yet.
Quotable: "We gotta know, know when to fight, know when to hold, and when to let it go."

The Wall

Artist: Muse
Title: Uprising
Notable: Another song that has appeared on my Playlist Thursday but again, I'm bringing it back because it is one of those songs that will pump me up and get me through the tough times.
Quotable: "Rise up and take the power back, it's time the fat cats had a heart attack"

 

The Finish

Artist: Rush
Title: One Little Victory
Notable: Yet another song that has appeared in a Playlist Thursday post but for good reason.  This song always gets me going in the last couple of miles of a race.  It's what I hear when I picture the finish line.  Every race I finish is one little victory. 
Quotable: "Celebrate the moment, as it turns into one more, another chance at victory, another chance to score"

What songs get you through the beginning, middle, the Wall and the finish?