For the next 4 weeks, my morning run will be a ½ miler @ a nice leisurely pace of 2.5mph, which I'll gradually increase every so often. The last time I ran that distance, I thought I did it in 8 mins, so the plan was to get a playlist around that length of time and 
@ Jeni, I *finally* got around to coming up w/the playlist. Make that 2, to avoid boredom this week, I wanted some variety.
Popular convention is to share these files, but w/the podcast going (a new episode will be up Saturday) my bandwidth is getting its own workout (Hi-Ohhhhhhhh!). Once I get the hang of this, I'll post my playlists on a more regular basis and @ that point, I'll make them available for 24 hours. Hmmm...I s'pose I can make it up to you by humming the tunes in the upcoming podcast. No? Fine.
Well, in lieu of actually providing the songs for you to download, gather round as I regale you w/the story on why I ♥ each tune so much. Grab your hot cocoa, be sure to blow on it to cool it off a bit, can't have you burning you tongue now can I?
Comfy? Cozy? Good!
Here goes:
Running Session A (Aprox 10 mins 7 secs):
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Back in the days of the fake iPod I heard this song and instantly fell in love. It has such an awesome hook where it slows down, just thumps then it builds back up in intensity. Perfectomundo.
The Killers - Mr. Brightside
Tied w/the above as my favorite song ever. I remember many a cold dark mornings last Spring when the melody of this song warmed me up and now thanks to Geenee, I no longer have to blast the TV to hear it, which resulted in the woman living above the gym to gently scold me early one Saturday AM. Now I can get my *tinnitus on, loudly, in peace.
*Public Service Announcement: Tinnitus is a very serious medical condition and while Renee made a snarky remark, please take it seriously and listen to your music at the low levels it was meant to be enjoyed at. For more information, please visit http://www.ata.org/about_tinnitus/consumer/faq.html, thank you.*
Fall Out Boy - Sugar Were Going Down
I'm still quite miffed that my web visitors, knowing I have bad reception and no cable, did not hip me to this band, much less song. *pouts* Never mind all that, I heard it, got it and all is forgiven *group hug* this band has single-handedly driven me to find songs of wailing rocker/rapper white boys.
Running Session B (Aprox 10 mins 1 sec):
My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Okay
Man I love this song, the beat is amazing, though the video bothers my inner feminist. Still, the icing on the cake is, now that I have the album version, I get to hear the lead singer belt it out the way it's supposed to be heard, and unlike the sanitized MTV version, he utters a cuss. The F word *tee hee*
The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
I heard a snippet of this amazing beat in, of all things, a television commercial for Kaiser Permanente. I searched the vast corners of the web to find out if it was in fact a song and not just some kick ass jingle. I was elated to find out it was a song and once I listened to the full length version I've uncovered what is possibly, the best running song ever. And I'm not even a real runner.
I won't steer you wrong, if you run, if you want to run, if you hate to run. Get. This. Song. Like the Rocky theme song before it, that made millions of men, women, even children, want to one handedly crack open and drink raw eggs...this song will make you want to run and if you already run, it'll make you run faster.
RENT Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Disc Two) - Finale B
The final song is from RENT, a play I never saw, a movie I almost walked out of and a soundtrack I've come to love. This song is what the trailer used to trick me to see the movie. Hearing the phrase, "No day but today", was my movie message, I had to find this song.
And find it I did.
I listened to this, via computer, during the dark days of late November/early December. When I was emotionally low, eating till queasy and throttling Subway Sandwich Artistes.
Towards the end of my first running session when this song slowly started I got tingles all over. By the time Mimi came on w/her lyrics...
The heart may freeze or it can burn
The pain will ease if I can learn
There is no future, there is no past
I live this moment as my last
There's only us, there's only this
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss
No other road, no other way
No day but today
...I had impulsively cranked up the treadmill from my safe and easing my way back into running speed of 2.5mph to a whopping 3.7mph. I wanted to run, to zoom, to soar and just let her melodic voice propel me forward.
When my ♥ rate leapt to 185, I closed my eyes and ran out the shame and embarrassment.
And as the men crooned...
There's only now
There's only here
Give in to love
Or live in fear
No other path
No other way
...I wanted to cry.
Finally, by the time they all got to the final shout...
NOOOOO DAAAAAY BUUUUUT TOOOOoOoOoOoOoOoooooODAY!!
...I was spent.
Determined to run to the entire length of the song and still having .05 miles to go, I dialed the mph back down to a ♥ rate friendly 2.5mph.
That song, not as long I'd like to be, is the most emotionally powerful song I've ever heard and never fails to deeply touch me.
Amelia, I was thinking it should I who is embarrased cuz I know them 
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embarassed to admit this but I have never heard any of those sounds or even the bands I need to get with it.