My Marathon Song

I have always had an odd knack for liking theme songs for big things. I am not sure why; I just do. The LA Roadrunners never mentioned this.

Anyways, when this all started, I decided I needed one for my attempt to run a marathon. My life was really in tatters ... breakup, job loss, death of my uncle, niece being sick ... way too much, way too fast. It had been (and still is to a degree) a big struggle.

So, I thought and thought ...

Then it hit me. I chose a song I liked a lot. Coincidentally, the band is from my dad and uncle's hometown, Wigan, England. The song just spoke to me (well except the line about never praying ... I did and do). This was a song I played throughout preparing for the Los Angeles Marathon, before many weekday runs and before and after all the long runs with the Roadrunners. It was a lot different from the adrenaline-building ones I used in track and soccer.

I chose "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve. (see down for the video)

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die

I'll take you down the only road
I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet yeah,

No change, I can change
I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no

Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
No change, I can change
I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no I can't change
I can't change

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
Try to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the things meet yeah
You know I can change,
I can change I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next

I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change my mold no, no, no, no, no,
I can't change
Can't change my body, no, no, no

I'll take you down the only road
I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road
I've ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Have you ever been down?
Have you've ever been down?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3lTQljbKLw

It is a song that has always struck me and seemed appropriate ... trying to make sense of life and trying to change. I have been trying to become better through all of this and it has been a long journey since the day in March 2009 on Wigan Pier. Hopefully, I have changed ... at the least, I ran the road.