The final few kilometres of the Easter Island Marathon with Team Diabetes

[twitter]When I do a race with Team Diabetes, I like to fill my iPod Shuffle with local music.

For Team Diabetes in Rio de Janeiro, that meant a heavy dose of samba, and João and Astrud Gilberto. Sure, The Girl From Ipanema may not be pulse pacing to get your energy up through a tough spot in the race, but there is something magical about listening to the song while the white sand of Impanema Beach scrolls by on your right hand side.

Last summer, in Reykjavik, with Team Diabetes Iceland, I filled my player with music from Björk, The Sugarcubes, and Sigur Rós. My favorite, though, was Gus Gus. I went back and listened to many of their deep, trancy tracks as I wandered the route around Reykjavik’s bay. There is just something about listening to music in the actual place that inspired it. Their album, Arabian Horse, is brilliant. But, to be honest, I also love Attention, Polydistortion, and This Is Normal.

Now, with Team Diabetes Edinburgh on the horizon in a month, I’m digging back into iTunes for some songs and music from Scotland to have in my ears as I make the half-marathon journey from Arthur’s Seat in Hollyrood Park to the southern shore of the Firth of Forth.

Big Country
I love it when bands name songs after themselves. Living In a Box – Living In A Box, Talk Talk – Talk Talk, and I would include Big Country‘s In A Big Country on the list. The horns in this song give me chills everytime. This will probably be the song I use right at the start of the playlist to set the tone for a great run.

Simple Minds
One of my all-time favorite bands. From New Gold Dream to See The Lights, I will easily drop a dozen Simple Minds song in the playlist. Love Song, Sanctify Yourself, Ghost Dancing, All The Things She Said, Alive And Kicking, Promised You A Miracle, Waterfront, and, yes, Don’t You (Forget About Me).

Del Amitri
I had no idea these guys were Scottish. I played Roll To Me at radio school back in the late 80s.

The Proclaimers
How can I not include music from the Reid twins? When Sunshine on Leith was released in 1988, the tape was almost worn out in my Honda Civic (alongside Cowboy Junkies and Bodeans). While I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) will be on the list, I actually prefer I’m On My Way as a power track to get me skipping down the course.

The Bay City Rollers
There is always room for oldies on my running playlists. S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT! on a Sunday morning run? Sounds good to me.

Yakoo Boyz
Okay, this is a Canadian act, but their song, Pipe Dreamz, was a radio hit when I was on the air at Z95.3 back in the day. It takes bagpipes and dancifies them with a wicked techno beat. The bagpipiness of it, gets this one on the list.

Got any other tracks that scream SCOTLAND?! Let me know…