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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Running Solo

So I've been doing a lot of running lately, and it has been absolutely fantastic. One of the things that has helped me stay motivated has been my iPod. Derek gave it to me as a wedding present and it has been one of my favorite running companions.

The thing is, when I run I usually run by myself. And most often I run the same runs over-and-over out of convenience and lack of good places to run. So I get bored. And when I get bored, I tend to give up. With my iPod though, I can just turn up the tunes and blast out as many miles as my body can handle - I love it!

But the other day, I forgot to bring my running buddy with me. At the start of the run I worried that I'd loose motivation and give up, so I made a conscious decision to run my run (4 miles) as hard as I possible could.

And I DID!

It was one of my best times to date, and all without the aid of my iPod. Such a liberating experience. And the quality of the run was better too - without the distraction of music, I focused in on my breathing and my form to stay in the moment. I think my body definitely benefited from the increased attention.

Now, I'm still going to be taking my iPod on most runs - definitely the ones that last longer than 30 minutes! But I think I'm going to start running 'solo' more frequently. I think that's part of the challenge and joy in running - that ability to make your body do what it needs to do, even when you're not really into it. It's a mental training that you have to work just as you train your physical body.

1 comment:

  1. I am a big fan of running without music. I think you have to give your mind the space to do find fixes and to work through issues with your running. I know it is hard, and some days it is easier to do than others (I never run without music on a treadmill or a track), but I think the benefits are worth it!

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