One of the strategies I consistently apply during the week of a big race (t-minus 4 days until my next half marathon!) is to add new music to my iPod to create an awesome race day playlist. I’ve found that updating my playlist right before a target race gives me something new and fresh to look forward to as I toe the start line. It helps reduce mental fatigue during the toughest miles by NOT hearing the same songs over and over that have been etched into my brain during training.

Can playlists be strategic? You bet your PR they can. If despite your best intentions, you shoot off like a rocket the first 2 miles of a race or you find yourself dragging during the second half, choosing the right music can help provide some helpful discipline to your race strategy.

So how do you choose the best race day plalist? Here are a few things to consider:

• Chose slower songs to play during the first 10 to 15 minutes of your race to help you control your starting pace. Avoid playing songs that are incredibly fast or are your favorite “pump-you-up-songs” to prevent your first 2 miles from being your fastest miles of the race. This doesn’t mean adding Celine Dion’s slowest ballad to the mix, it just means finding some motivating songs that may carry a slower beat.
• Strategicially position the timing of your favorite songs in your race day playlist … the ones that motivate you the most … during the parts of the race where you tend to feel the weakest. Miles 9 and 10 tend to be the most challenging miles for me during a half marathon. Unleashing my most powerful tunes can at least help boost my mental state.
• Include songs on your race day playlist that have motivating lyrics. Songs can serve as mantras, and their words can enter your ears during a race when you need to hear them most … “I just want to run,” “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,” “Running down a dream,” “This is fucking awesome,” “This girl is on fire,” “Don’t fall down now.” These are all lyrics in songs. Use them to your advantage to remind yourself that you can do this.
• Unlike the first 10 to 15 minutes of your playlist, add fast, high-energy songs to the latter part of your race day playlist to help you capture that negative split.

Now, before I share with you the songs I’m adding to my current playlist, please note that I sometimes go 2+ years before adding songs, and I realize that most of these tunes should already be on my playlist. Consider it done. They start slower and get faster …

• Decemberists: Why We Fight
• Pink: Just Give Me A Reason
• Calvin Harris: Feel So Close
• Chris Brown: Don’t Wake Me Up
• Alicia Keys: Girl is on Fire
• Macklemore: Thrift Shop
• MIMS: This is Why I’m Hot
• Superbass: Nikki Minaj
• Train: 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
• Cypress Hill: Rock Superstar
• N.W.A.: 100 Miles And Runnin’
• MGK: Invincible
• Carly Rae Jepsen: Call Me Maybe

Oldies but Goodies (These are some of my favs that are already on my iPod and will be included on my race day playlist) …

• Fabolous: You Be Killin Em
• 50 Cent: In da Club
• Far East Movement: G6
• Cake: The Distance
• Eminem & Nate Dog: ‘Till I Collapse
• Everclear: Strawberry
• Flo-Rida: Club Can’t Handle Me
• Jay-Z: Empire State of Mind
• Kanye West: Stronger
• Journey: Don’t Stop Believin
• Katy Perry: Last Friday Night
• Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne: Let It Rock

In case you missed it, here are my strategies for a successful race week. It’s almost show time.

What songs would you include on your race day playlist? I need some more good tunes to add before Sunday!