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Mojo

I put my long runs on Tuesdays. Or at least I have the past two weeks. Even though albums leak early, and can be found bootlegged in the sketchy corridors of the internet or on mix playlists, sometimes it's worth waiting, buying (admittedly downloaded from Amazon), and giving that first full beginning to end listen.

If there's a new album I'm excited about, I make that first listen during a run. Granted, my iPod is ancient enough that the hard drive stalls from time to time, and I trot along thinking to myself please iPod, I love you, get moving (generally a good mantra for running), but it's great for the listen. And I don't want to hear about all the dangers of zoning out to music while running and potentially tuning out the hazards of the outside world. Escapism is worth that minimal amount of living on the edge.

Last week it was Grace Potter & the Nocturnals self titled release; this week it was Mojo, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers's bluesy new album. Petty & Co. are by far my favorite band, so this was without a doubt the album of the summer for me.

It wasn't really a running playlist. There were some barnburners. When I first heard "I Should Have Known It," something about Petty sneering "that's the last time you're going to hurt me" told me I needed to run to this song. And it came along at the perfect time. Halfway through the run, when one foot was borderline numb. My pace may not have been my fastest ever, but I was content to just run, trying to keep mellow rhythms from slowing me down too much.

I ran the entire album, except for the last track "Good Enough," which seemed appropriate for a cool down. I don't think I've ever run for an hour straight before.

Must've been some good mojo.