Help Me!

I've started exercising again. Normally one would be dieting in order to ensure she fit into her wedding dress. But as you all know, my dress is at least one size too big in the hips and 3 sizes too big in the top, so really I should be bulking up! However, that is not the look I'm going for in my wedding pictures. I miss being in shape. Not that I was ever able to run faster than a 10 minute mile (I think I may have run one 5K in under 10 minute miles once in my life and there is the proud moment where I successfully completed a 10K after staying out drinking in Fremont until 3am), but I used to actually have muscles that you could almost tell were there. Now I'm just kind of flabby in places that I didn't use to be. So I've started exercising again. I'm almost up to running 30 minutes non-stop again, and hope to be able to run a 5K this summer. I'm even going to the gym several times a week. Here's where I need help. My musical interests do not lend themselves well to work-out music.

What kind of music do I listen to, you ask? It is what Adam fondly refers to as "Tracy Music." For lack of a better way to describe it, I looked up the descriptions of my stations on Pandora. Here are the identifying characteristics of "Tracy Music":

folk roots
a subtle use of vocal harmony
mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation
a busy horn section
major key tonality (although there is also a large minor key tonality presence)
acoustic sonority
melodic songwriting
mellow rock instrumentation
mild rhythmic syncopation (I do like syncopation)
intricate melodic phrasing
bluegrass influences
vocal-centric aesthetic
acoustic rock instrumentation
melodic string accompaniment
orchestral arranging
great lyrics (this was from the Leonard Cohen station)

While the likes of Jenny Lewis, Sufjan Stevens, the Decemberists and Alexi Murdoch make for some great weekend listening it is all a bit too mellow for running. Especially if I have aspirations for someday running faster than 10 minute miles.

I need music suggestions! I have a $20 gift card for itunes. With it, I will purchase the work-out music you recommend and continue towards my goal of running a 5K this summer!