What is your favorite song to get you pumped up before a race?
U2: Where the Streets Have No Name. Starts really calm like you feel just before a race and builds up to the “start” with a fast tempo, exactly how you want to start.
This is my “A” race (typically a marathon or Ironman) visualization music. Everytime I hear this song in my car, I visualize how I want ot feel as the race starts. I also have another end of the race visualization song. “Man’s Too Strong” from Dire Straits. When I hear this song, I visualize feeling good in the last quarter of the race and finishing strong.
Recently I’ve had that Eminem song “soldier” in my head for all big races, and training days.
“I’m a soldier, these shoulders hold up so much, they won’t budge, I’ll never
fall or fold up
I’m a soldier, Even if my collar bones crush or crumble, I will never slip or
stumble…I’m a soldier”
Just repeats over and over in my head.
Too many favorites to list but here are a few:
Two Against Nature by Steely Dan
Red Streamliner by Little Feat
Right Off from Jack Johnson by Miles Davis
Stratus by Billy Cobham
Saturn 5 by Tribal Tech
Venusian Summer by Lenny White
Got My Mojo Workin’ by Jimmy Smith
Caught in the Act by Tom Coster.
Angel of Death - Slayer
.
Culture Club…“I’ll Tumble For You” that Boy George can get a guy pumped up.
I made a great selection for pre IMNZ this year.
Rolling Stones “Don’t Stop”
Rolling Stones “Dont Stop” Again 
Van Halen “Jamie’s Cryin”
Van Halen “Runnin with the Devil”
B-52’s “Downtown”
Roxette “Joyride”
Keith Richards “999”
Keith Richards “Will but you won’t”?
Rolling Stones “Don’t Stop” (love that tune before a race)
Good Rock, Pop and dirty Keith Richards Blues rock. Some light stuff for buzzin’ along the flats at high tempo and some grinding stuff to hum on the hills.
Worked a treat since I did a PB AND loved every second of it!
On KISS Alive III: “Creatures of the Night”, with “Deuce”, then I kick it old school with KIS Alive with “Deuce” and “Strutter”. I love the song “Deuce”, as I connected to it many years ago, it’s the first KISS song in almost every KISS concert I have seen. (Hid will have to post a pic of me in my Gene Simmons costume), it was my first song I learned on the bass guitar, and I just love that song. I an put it on continuous play and never get tired of it.
Thunderstruck AC/DC. We used to listen to AC/DC prior to every high school basketball game— to get us pumped up.
Those guys are on their 8th farewell tour…I think they play our fairgrounds next month. Seriously.
I agree that they should have called their official farewell tour their last.
But they still sell out large venues to those of us who want to remember what a real band is like, even if they’re on their “oops we didn’t really mean Farewell tour”. Beats the hell out of bands like the backdoor boys and Lip Synch.
have seen em 3x myself, always a thrill to hear Paul’s intro story to “Lick it Up”…" I met a girl in the lobby of a hotel…or better yet, Gene’s intro to “I love it loud”
.
I am surprised that there is no commemoration of them taking off the makeup- happened twenty years ago this year…
I listen to the same thing before every IM, right before stepping out of my car or hotel room to head for transition:
Bolero by Ravel performed by the Dresden State Orchestra
Starts slowly and quietly, building to a dramatic crescendo. Perfect pre-race piece. I also use it during the race to take my mind off of the pain.
Disturbed, The Sickness
.
adding a second vote for AC/DC and putting in Kickstart my Heart and Wildside by Motley Crue…or if I’m heading to a northern race I’ll break out the hillbilly music in me and listen to Foggy Mountain Breakdown. If listening to a banjo being played at a hundred miles an hour doesn’t get some blood moving…yer prolly ded.
Soundtrack from Gladiator.
BIke,
I like the theme song from the movie Beverly Hills Cop and The Heat Is On by the Pointer Sisters. Great tempo and beat. Really gets the juices flowing. And really sustaining during a race, especially time trialing where you are pretty much all alone.
When I first get up to eat some food I listen to some Moby. Then before the Race it’s AC/DC. Hard as a Rock, Stiff Upper Lip, TNT, Back in Black, etc. Saw those guys in concert two years ago and they ROCK!
Metallica - “Wherever I may Roam”
And the road becomes my pride…