Listening

When I sit down to blog (everything is a verb now.  see Orwell, George "Newspeak")  I often feel uneasy about the self-promoting I'm about to do.  After looking over my blog I realize that it's very evident in what I write.  There is a lot of "hey look at this awesome thing I did" followed closely by "I'm such a moron" to balance everything out.  Today I will continue this quest at self-promotion and self-deprecation, in the hopes of neutralizing the narcissism inherent en blog.  I think it's also evident in needlessly using big words.

That effort leads to this -

I did my second ever run with an iPod today.  I LOVED it.  Though, before I explain today, I should explain the philosphical strawman (I think that makes sense) that has kept me from using an iPod in the past.

There are a lot of issues that runners can cling to, just like any weird activity, there will be sects.  I have always tried to adhere to a minimalist/purist ideal, because I like it.  But, as a true American, I secretly want all the cool stuff and the newest and shiniest version.  The best way to reconcile this contradiction is to pick one and hate the other.  I've complained about people jogging down the street mindlessly listening to their iPods, completely unaware of their surroundings, gaining a motivational advantage from the Lady Gaga I'm sure they're listening to.  As I pass, I'm frowning and listening to the beautiful sounds of police sirens, car engines and people yelling "nice tights, fag!"

So, I've reached a breaking point a couple of times.  The first time was last spring in Raleigh.  I was running decent mileage and decided it would be nice to try to learn something or at least stimulate my mind a little.  I downloaded some podcasts and hit the road.  There were a few factors that led to a horrible experience.  I was in North Carolina, so of course it was beautiful out and warm enough to run without a shirt on.  I clipped my 2006 iPod shuffle to my shorts and got going.  I had a lot of trouble focusing on what I was doing and what I was listening to.  The headphone cable bounced around and the headphones themselves felt like they were constantly falling out.  I was flustered.  Never again.

Thanks to terrible short-term memory (my greatest attribute as a runner)  I decided to try it out again here in the Twin Cities.  I figured I could put the cable under my jacket and I'd have a hat to hold the headphones in.  There's not much to look at in the cities, so I wouldn't be missing any sort of visual or aromatherapeutic benefits by cutting off one sense.  I actually really enjoyed this time out.  I think I can utilize the iPod when I need a little boost some mornings, and forcing myself to accept that my own ideas aren't perfect all the time will hopefully help me on the path to self-actualization in the very near future (jk).  Here's what I listened to this morning -

Radiolab - Escape!
FarPastPost

Also,

Five years ago Sunday, I joined Running2win.com to start an online running log.  I have logged all my training there since.  It's a great site, and I'd recommend starting now.  I couldn't have known all the cool stuff I could easily look back at five years ago.

 This graph doesn't really tell you much, but it looks much cooler than a line graph. Apparently my peak mileage is early spring and mid-summer.

There are a few discrepancies in this list.  I accidentally must have counted things that weren't running as running.  For example I somehow got a mile in under the activity labeled "No Run - Sick" And a few miles walking, which I'll count, because I walked 3-4 miles a day my last year in Manhattan.










So that's the post.  Here's last week's stats:

-110 miles (8 runs)(intentional low week)
-Metrodome workout - 3x640(1:41), 2x1280(3:40) 1x1920(5:34)
-Hill workout 8x80sec. then 3.5 mi tempo
-6 cans of beer