Detroit Music Keep Me Runnin'

Rarely do I leave my apartment for a training run without music to help me along. Regardless of my mood, energy level, stress level, or general physical condition, I can always find some tunes that fit just fine. As I run through the streets of Detroit, I'm also running through a city with a rich and diverse musical heritage. Even before Motown Records hit its hey day in the 1960's, Jazz, Gospel and Blues music filled the streets, churches, ballrooms and clubs and influenced popular music for decades to come. Similarly, rock 'n roll, funk, techno, and rap all have significant roots in this city. I could write volumes about these roots, but the important thing is that all of this music is helping me through my training. As a tribute to Detroit's musical heritage, the following is a list of home grown songs for my various running moods****

Marvin Gaye - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough": For when I'm feeling as if nothing is going to stand in my way. Inclement weather, muscle and joint pain, work stress, late night partying, or even hills that seem like Detroit mountains.

Bob Seger - "Against The Wind": This song is appropriate every time I turn around to head back home along the river. It's also the same time that I stop enjoying what I earlier believed to be a fairly comfortable run.

John Lee Hooker - "I'm bad, Like Jesse James": A bad day at work might bring out the surliness in anybody, runners included. I may be feeling the blues, but I'm not going down without a fight. If I lose the fight, "One Bourbon, One shot and One Beer" might be next on the jukebox.

Parliament Funkadelic - "Agony of DeFeet": Funk will make even the meekest want to move and groove, but funk most accurately describes the foulness of the inside of my running shoes. One whiff, and you'll experience the agony.

Aretha Franklin - "Ain't No Way": -15 degree wind chill, sleet and rain. The Queen of Soul's got that right. I'll learn to R.E.S.P.E.C.T the treadmill.

James Carter - "I Can't Get Started": When I'm running low on fuel and just can't seem to get the engine turned over, a little saxophone melody from this Detroit star often sparks a flame.

The White Stripes - "Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground": Jack White can play a mean guitar, but he can't do nothin' about the six months of winter that so often turns our city's streets into a slush-filled mess of dirt and grime. I even ran by their favorite Hotel Yorba and confirmed that "all they got inside is vacancy."

The Temptations - "I Wish It Would Rain": Hey!, Motown isn't cold all year round. In fact, the summer months can be just as nasty with humidity that rivals the inside of my not-so-breathable windbreaker after a 9 mile run. Papa may have been a rollin' stone, but Papa needs a little relief from the heat too.

Juan Atkins - "Magic Tracks: Deep Detroit" (album): Along with Kevin Saunderson and Derick May, this trio of Techno pioneers will not only keep me moving, but with the bass turned up on my MP3 player, my ears will be thumping hours after the run.

****Disclaimer: This list is in no way intended to be exclusive. Apologies if I left off any favorites. I had to make some difficult cuts for the sake of genre, era, and gender diversity. I welcome your own additions in the comment section.