Running to the Beat of My Own Feet

I am one of those runners that feels like they need music to get through a run.  I’m OK on short runs, but if I am running any significant distance by myself I need tunes.  Or so I have told myself.  Running music is different from the music I would put in the CD player in my car.  Running music allows me to indulge in guilty pleasures, like 90s rap and 80s pop and hair bands.  I have spent many hours putting playlists together for half-marathon road races – not just selecting the songs but putting them in a specific order based upon where I expect to be at a particular time along the race path.  Very serious stuff.

Neither of my running coaches run with music.  One of them regularly vocalizes displeasure with headphones while the other encourages you to do what you are comfortable with.  I was running with her Wednesday and she was talking about how she weaned herself off of running with music.  She said that during her first marathon her iPod stopped working at around mile 20.  I would have felt such panic!  It took her a while to get her stride back, and then the iPod started working again around mile 24.  After that she started the process of weaning her dependency.

I am fairly certain I could run a half marathon without music.  When I first made the decision that I would run a marathon, I was convinced that I could not get through that entire distance without music.  If I was alone for 26.2 miles with just my thoughts, wouldn’t I just focus on how far I had left to go, how tired I was and what was starting to hurt?  That sounds horrible!

However, deep down I know that there are signficant benefits to running only to the sounds of nature and your body.  You are more aware of the sound of your feet, and therefore your pace.  You hear yourself breathing.  You are conscious of your heart beating.  These are all things you need to focus on in order to ensure that you are not going too fast or too slow.  Very important when you are pacing yourself for a marathon.

So, tonight I went out and ran 5.4 miles with just the sound of my feet.  Surprisingly, I did not notice missing the music.  I thought about random things like I always do, ideas and thoughts running through my head the entire time.  I do not recall thinking about how far I had gone or how much farther I had to go any more than usual.  I realize that 5.4 miles is a very small distance comparatively speaking, but it’s a start.  After all, training for a marathon is adding on one mile at a time and before you know it, you’re there.  I’m (almost) convinced it will be the same for training without music.  Happy running!

TGIF

Unfortunately, this is going to have to be a short, rushed post.  I had a packed day today.  I had three status reports to get out this morning (only completed one), then I had to drive over an hour away for a deposition that didn’t start until 3:30 (on a Friday!).  It took a couple of hours, and I didn’t get home until 6:45.  Now, we’re about to head out to take advantage of some 40% off sales, then go to the Rathskeller for dinner, music from The Woomblies, and the tapping of Sun King’s newest winter seasonal.  While it was a bit of a hectic day, I am so glad it’s Friday, and looking forward to a fun, relaxing evening!  I hope everyone else has as great a start to their weekends!  I promise more substance tomorrow.