Shamrock Music

Shamrock set out DJs at various points on the course. These locations and songs I remember:

Mile 3 - Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory. It was too early in the race to tell whether I was on the edge of glory. In hindsight, it was an auspicious sign.

Mile 5 turnaround - Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks. Foster the People has some good running music. I sang along until I couldn't hear the DJ any longer.

Mile 13.1 - Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer. I actually turned to 2 runners next to me and said, "Hey, we really are halfway there" just after that line played.

There were more DJs out on the course, but I either can't remember what they played, don't remember where they were, or didn't recognize what they were playing.

I ran the first 14 miles or so without music. I am used to running about that far without it, and there were enough interesting things on the course to keep me occupied. At mile 14, the music needed to come out. It got suddenly quiet. The course had been too straight for too long. I knew it was going to continue that way for many more miles.

A leprechaun possessed my iPod and picked me the following songs (with approximate mile markers):

Mile 14-15 Atlantic Ave north
Kevin Rudolf - I Made It. I had set my Shamrock playlist to shuffle before I started the race and then turned my iPod off. I knew this song was going to be the first song. It is more appropriate for a last song. Oh well. The beat was right. The message was good too. I hadn't made it yet, but I was pretty sure I was going to make it.
U2 - Magnificent (Redanka's 360 version) - This song is very long. Another song with a good beat. It was a message I needed to hear at that point. Magnificent. I turned onto Shore Drive towards the end of this song. Let the long crowdless stretch begin.

Mile 16-19 Shore Drive
Fraggle Rock - Pukka Pukka Pukka Squeetily Boink. I put this song on my playlist because I wanted something fun. It came on at just the right time.
Chris Brown - Yeah 3x. Any song that repeats "yeah" or "woo" or any other one-syllable noise is good in my book.
Lady Gaga - Highway Unicorn (Road to Love). On a section of road that looked like a highway. This song starts off with the lines "We can be strong ... run run with it" and a thumping beat.
Incubus - Dig. This is one of my unexpectedly favorite running songs. Already tested at the end of a long run.
30 Seconds to Mars - The Battle of One. Yes, a marathon is a giant battle of one.
Ke$ha - Take It Off. Eh. Not making the cut in the future.
Tom Cochrane - Life Is a Highway. Huh. Like Highway Unicorn, that was appropriate.

Mile 20-22 Fort Story and Cape Henry
Daft Punk - One More Time. This song saved me at the end of my first half marathon. I was very close to breaking 2 hours. This song helped me pick it up and run hard the last half mile. It ends up on most of my running playlists.
Passion Pit - Little Secrets. I remember hearing this song but didn't have any particular thoughts about it.
U2 - Elevation. U2 is my favorite band. Elevation is my favorite U2 song. I remember thinking I didn't particularly want to hear this song. Mmm. It's getting cut next time around.
Hanson - If Only. My favorite Hanson song. Don't pretend like you don't like Hanson too.
Blue October - Into the Ocean. I had just been thinking about looking for the ocean and thought about this song. Poof. There it was.

Mile 23-24 Atlantic Ave south
Chris Brown - Turn Up the Music. One of my favorite songs of the moment. Ironically, I had to turn the music down at an aid station.
Shakira - She Wolf. OK, be a she wolf and keep running.
Rihanna - Don't Stop the Music. Don't remember hearing this song. Maybe I was distracted by the fighter jets? Or starting to take more walk breaks?
Ke$ha - We R Who We R. Eh. Another Ke$ha song? The leprechaun could have done better than that. This song is being dropped from future marathon playlists.
Foster the People - Call It What You Want. Love this song. The rhythm in the beginning always makes me think of a step class.
Hanson - Can't Stop. Oh you think you're clever, leprechaun. I was taking a walk break when this song came on. Can't stop. Keep running. I ended up taking another break during this song, but at least it got me started up again.
Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning. Shoulda had this song for going over the bridge earlier in the race. Still good later in the game.

Mile 25
Sean Kingston - Fire Burning. The end of the song coincided pretty closely with reaching the boardwalk. Pulled out the headphones once I could see the finish line a half mile away.