Born to boogie

Oh yes, you know what I'm writing about here ... it's "Rapper's Delight," the 1979 one hit wonder from The Sugarhill Gang.

Arguably one of the best hip hop songs of all time, "Rapper's Delight" was definitely the first song to popularize hip hop in the United States.

Not sure if it's because 1979 was the year I was born, or because "Rapper's Delight" has the ultimate beat for my running speed -- but I love this song!

I first heard "Rapper's Delight" in the mid to late-90s, when my then-boyfriend picked me up in his classic red Jeep Renegade -- top down and tunes blaring. I instantly fell in love ... with the song.

Shortly thereafter, I was beginning to train for my first 26-mile marathon and the lengthy rap beat got me through many, many long runs.

I knew it by heart.

Now, as I'm in the middle of training for another marathon, the Country Music Half Marathon this April, I find myself missing my "Rapper's Delight" and my old walkman cassette player (not really).

I'm not sure why I haven't downloaded that song to my iPod -- other than the fact I'm hopelessly incompetent when it comes to technology. I only have 500 songs on my iPod, and they're the same ones my husband downloaded for me three years ago.

I'm not in nearly as good a shape as I was back then, and so music is even more important to me now as I suffer through long runs, often on a treadmill at a local gym.

Currently, I'm up to about seven miles in my training, and I am having a lot of trouble when I have to do any more than three miles on the treadmill. Do any of you realize how hot gyms are in the afternoon?

"Its gettin' hot in here (so hot) So take off all your clothes ... I am gettin so hot, I wanna take my clothes off."

Rapper Nelly's "Hot in Here," is more like it these days -- as I try everything in my power to finish the run before having a heat stroke.

Seriously, while I don't typically like rap, I do tend to listen to more of it when I'm working out. That, along with hard rock.

Run, Sadie, run, whispers a small voice inside my head as the volume is set on the loudest notch.

"I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame I'd even cut my hair and change my name ... 'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars and live in hilltop houses driving 15 cars."

Maybe if I keep running I'll become one of those rockstars?

I doubt it, but "Rockstar," by Nickelback, is still a must-have for runners with an iPod, along with other top picks including "Eye of the Tiger," "We are the Champions," and AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long."

All good stuff.

All this rap and rock generally goes against my "non-running" taste in music, which leans toward country and soft rock. But for some reason, Willie, Waylon, Johnny and Merle just don't deliver the goods when I'm needing an energy boost.

And trust me, my need for energy boosts comes frequently these days. I know I'm only 30, but running does not come as easily as it did 10 years ago. When I'm not fighting heat stroke on an afternoon long treadmill run, I'm wondering why my knees hurt and why I feel so heavy.

Hmmm ... I think the next song on my playlist, by Dave Matthews, explains it all ... "I eat too much ... Too much."

-- Sadie Fowler is lifestyles editor at the Times-Gazette. Her column, Sadie Says, runs every Sunday. She may be reached at sfowler@t-g.com or 684-1200 ext. 214.