Drogging

(A quick note: to get the full effect of this blog post, you must check out the multimedia links posted…)

My running playlist is starting to get stale, but it definitely still meets my needs. The things I look for in a running playlist:

1. A driving beat
2. Catchy Hooks
3. Air drumability

Number three is crucial. For those of you who know me well, you know that I tend to default to air instruments whenever I am dancing. I really can’t dance, and when I do, there usually involves an air instrument of some sort. Air guitar is a given, but no one can top my air keyboard, air saxophone, and air drum max-out for typical 80s ballads. I remember my first Satori dance. I was in the 6^th grade, and my ideas of what “dancing” were consisted of how wildly I could run around the dance floor and play made-up music. I also pleaded with the DJ to play “Faithfully” by Journey at the dance. To my knowledge, they’ve played that song at every Satori dance since.

What does this have to do with running? Everything. I am an air-drummer when I run. It’s sad, and I probably look spastic doing it, but I can’t help it. Take the song “Badlands” by Springsteen. It has a fun, driving beat. I usually keep the beat with my right hand while running (and usually the first song on my playlist is this song). It’s fun! The main problem I have when drumming while jogging (from this point on we’ll call it ‘drogging’ because it sounds cool), are the inevitable drum fills. For those of you who are new to musical terminology, a drum fill is, according to Wikipedia, “is a short musical passage, riff, or rhythmic sound which helps to sustain the listener's attention during a break between the phrases of a melody.” (More information can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_fill). If you want an audio/visual example, here’s a clip from “The Hangover” illustrating the best drum fill of all time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuynfY6LTRw. This is a key component of drogging, but it isn’t without danger. I once tripped and fell, scraping my knee pretty badly while in the middle of a big drum solo. I’m sure I’ve creeped out people who pass me jogging while I’m rocking out with a fill. Passing commuters likely wonder if I have fleas, and marathon trainers running behind me pass widely.

Of course, drogging encompasses more than just air drumming. I can’t help but air-keyboard during my run…the keyboard solo for “Jenny was a Friend of Mine” by the Killers, for example, is one I can never resist. Again, audio visual evidence can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PblaZq2DoI. (Random aside: Who makes a video just to show-off their keyboarding finger skills? Is the video meant to be instructive? It reminds me of my proudest “teach myself a song” moment when, in the 4^th grade, I figured out how to play the “Another Night” by the Real McCoy. You can google that one yourself).

So, to anyone reading this: do you find yourself drogging in public? Jilian’s definitely guilty of it, and it’s pretty hilarious. Or do you find that you focus better by staring straight ahead, focused on that next mile? Is running something that you have to focus on every step, every breathe? If I were like that, I’d go bored and fall asleep. Part of me wants to go to Craigslist and start a drogging club. We could have a syncrohnized playlist and be assigned an instrument for each run…maybe I’m on to something…

Until next time.

-Nate

PS: 3 runs this week! All centered around Green Lake taking advantage of Jilian’s Park and Ride commute. I’m enjoying morning runs because there aren’t as many people on the “track” around the lake. Also, the weather has been fantastic.