Marathon music mix

My iPod was my lifeline for the first 15 miles of the marathon. I was so accustomed to having a chatty partner in SuperAthlete J that I knew my music was going to have to do double duty to distract me. It wasn't going to work just to load up some new songs; I was going to need more than that.

So I thought, why not ask some of the people who have been so awesome and supportive of my running to supply some songs for me to enjoy during the marathon? That way I'd have new music to listen to -- and I could feel like each of them was there with me in spirit.

Here's the story of what gave me the idea: in October, my family had dinner a couple blocks away, at the home of one my daughter Sweet A's friends. This friend and Sweet A had teamed up for a health class assignment in which they had to prepare a healthy dinner for their families. After the (surprisingly good) dinner was done, it was time to go home. My younger daughter, Little C, had just gotten a new flashlight; she wanted to go home on foot and use it to light the way. I said I'd go with her. We told Husband M and Sweet A that we would race them home: them in the car, us on foot. As soon as we got out on the sidewalk, Little C took off running -- and immediately stumbled on a crack and fell. I helped her up; no damage. So I suggested we run in the street, where we could see better, and hold hands. Off we went, running down the street together, with the lights of our minivan inching along behind us (Husband M is a very good daddy). Little C was incredibly delighted at the idea that we were actually running faster than the family car. I kept looking down at her perfect child's profile, with the wind sweeping her hair back from her beautifully smooth forehead and her skin glowing under the streetlights ... and then she said exactly what I was thinking: "I'm so happy!" All the way home, she repeated it, "I'm so happy!" It was one of the most purely joyful moments of my life and I thought about it on every long run afterward -- whenever things started to feel hard, I'd remember the happiness of running in that moment with my daughter, and pretend she was there with me.

I thought that, by getting music from people that I love, I could easily pretend they were running the marathon with me, too. So I sent out an email to some of my favorite people, asking if they'd send 5 or so songs that might help me stay motivated over the long haul. And here's a cool twist: I asked that they send their songs not to me, but to Husband M. I didn't want to know what the songs were before the marathon. Then I'd have a whole bunch of surprises to listen to while I ran, and I could entertain myself by wondering who sent which song.

The night before the marathon, Husband M loaded up my iPod with the new songs, 76 in all. And when the starting horn went off on marathon morning, I hit "shuffle songs" and then "play" -- and spent those first 15 miles listening to the songs that the people I love chose for me. It was wonderful and distracting and sometimes tearful.

Here are the people that contributed to my marathon playlist, and the songs they chose for me:

Cousin-in-law H

- love game - lady gaga

- since you been gone - kelly clarkson

- diva - beyonce

- circus - britney spears

- when i grow up - pussycat dolls

SuperRunner K and her boyfriend J

Shaggy - What's Love
The Who - The Seeker
AC/DC - Highway to Hell
Ratatat - Seventeen Years
Metallica - Sandman

Husband M

David Garza - Kinder

Alice Cooper - Long Way To Go

Rocky Theme

Big Star - September Gurls

Rush - Tom Sawyer (live)

Hey Ya - Outkast

New York Sister H

1. Glamorous Life, Sheila E. And Prince
2. Lose Control (feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop), Missy Elliot from the album The Cookbook
3. P.Y.T. , Michael Jackson
4. We Run This, Missy Elliot
5. Beep Me 911, Missy Elliot
6. Pussy Control (Club Mix), Prince
7. Bizarre Love Triangle, New Order
8. Entertain, Sleater-Kinney
9. Survivor, Beyoncé
10. Take Your Momma Out, Scissor Sisters
11. I am not My Hair, India Arie
12. Let it Whip, Dazz Band
13. Lady Marmalade, LaBelle
14. Love & Happiness (Live in Tokyo) Al Green

Best Friend S

Halo by Beyonce
SImply the Best by Tina Turner
Escape by Enrique Ingelsias
Take a Bow by Leona Lewis
We Belong by Pat Benetar
The Climb by Miley Cyrus

Sweet Daughter A

Say Hey (I Love you) - Michael Frenti

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

Electric Feel - MGMT

Happy - Leona Lewis

So What - Pink

Cute Without the e - Taking Back Sunday

Drive Away - All American Rejects

SuperAthlete J

Gloria by Van Halen
Holiday by Madonna
Up by Shania Twain
Don't Stop Til you Get Enough by Michael Jackson
The Hustle

Sisters A and M

Daylight by Matt and Kim
2 Atoms In a Molecule by Noah and the Whale
I Feel It All (Britt Daniel Mix) by Feist
That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings
Kick Drum Heart by The Avett Brothers
Alligator by Tegan and Sara

Cousin L

1. No More Drama - Mary J. Blige
2. End of the World (as we know it) - REM
3. Stronger - Kayne West
4. Freedom - George Michael
5. Fell in Love with a Girl - White Stripes

Business Partner R

Too Hot To Trot - Commodores