It’s been a long while since I last wrote here. Life, well more accurately work, has temporarily got the better of this blog. However, the training and my challenges continue as I keep working towards an English Channel solo swim attempt (latest target date is in 2020).
Most immediately I have a very exciting swim ahead of me in August, the 20 Bridges around Manhattan. This is also an opportunity to fundraise – much more on the swim and the cause will follow in the coming months.
45 kilometres around the city that never sleeps (Photo: NASA)
First though – can you help me? I am putting together a playlist of songs about New York to listen to as I head to the pool or open water, and to motivate me while I do dryland training.
The initial playlist is a smorgasbord (read mess) of random tracks somehow linked to New York. Some of these are really working. Thank you Beastie Boys, and Alicia. While others are not at all suitable – N.Y. State of Mind by Nas may be one of the most gripping and poetic songs about the Big Apple but it’s so bleak I don’t want to get out of bed when I hear it, let alone swim around Manhattan.
The songs so far
· No Sleep Till Brooklyn (Beastie Boys)
· Empire State of Mind (Alicia Keys)
· New York, New York (Grandmaster Flash)
· N. Y. State of Mind (Nas)
· New York State of Mind (Billy Joel)
· Theme from New York, New York (Frank Sinatra)
· NYC (Interpol)
· Englishman in New York (Sting)
· 53rd & 3rd (Ramones)
· Fairytale of New York (The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl)
· The Streets of New York (The Wolfe Tones)
· New York, New York (Ryan Adams)
So what do you think? What am I missing? And from my existing songs what should stay and what should go?
Not everything has to be a classic motivational song – Frank and Sting are staying – but a few more that help me get my butt to the pool would be gratefully received.
As I get suggestions I will update the playlist and this post.