I got online yesterday morning and figured out a route that was 4.5 miles. I plugged my earphones into my ears and headed out the door. I felt like I was dragging and uncoordinated. I had a hard time breathing and I had to concentrate way too much on my breaths, which is distracting. In no time though I felt like I was in sync. My feet were hitting to the time of the music I was listening to and I was feeling pretty good.
I just finished my 3rd mile and my iPhone rang. My iPhone is tied around my waste so I couldn't see who was calling but I was worried that something happened at home while I was gone. My earphones allow me to talk so I squeezed the button and said "hello". Nobody answered, I could hear breathing besides my own and busy sounds going on. I thought maybe they didn't hear me answer so I repeated. Nothing. Then I realized it was probably one of my sister's kids that got a hold of her phone and she didn't know they had called me. I keep running... the problem is... I don't know how to hang up with the earphones. Getting my iPhone out would take way too much coordination... I can run and talk at the same time but not run and try to work electronics at the same time. Besides... I'd have to lift up my shirt to access the phone which would show off my belly a bit... something the general public does NOT want to see. In the meantime I'm stuck listening to breathing, car doors clanking and people talking through my earphones. Aarrggghhh!
Each step seems like eternity! I frantically keep squeezing the button for my headphones trying to figure out how to hang up. There has to be a way to hang up! I have about a mile left and finally decide I'm going to squeeze it for 5 seconds and see what happens. I hold and count and... still noise.. oh wait... my music!!! YAY!! I have my music! My steps quickly fall into the rythm of the music.
By now my legs are hurting and I feel weak. I still have about 1/2 a mile left. I have a song that's coming to the end and I decide that I would just run through the next song and then walk the rest. The song starts, it's a good beat for the way I'm feeling. My feet are hitting the pavement with the drumbeat. Wow! This song is long! I'm pretty sure that I would have quit by now if I wouldn't have made that little deal with myself and if I wasn't do darned determined to finish my goals! I'm about to turn my last corner. I keep thinking the song should end any moment. I finally reach my house and the song ends at the same time. I look at the running application on my phone.... 4.54 miles 10 1/2 minute mile. 10 1/2 minute mile... well... I'm not going to win any awards but not so bad!! I keep listening to the music while I walk off the stiffness I'm starting to feel in my legs. Wait though! 4.5 miles! That's pretty awesome! The longest distance I've run so far! I'm excited about that and stretch out all my muscles really well to prevent soreness.
4.5 miles, only... I wouldn't have made it without my music. It's funny how that can keep you going. It reminds me of something a friend said to me a while ago. She said that she was in the middle of a long race and her iPod broke in the middle of the race. She felt like sitting on the ground and throwing in the towel. She said the rest of the race was miserable and she kept thinking... what's the point? She felt like she couldn't run without the music. I guess that's how I feel too! I can push myself a little harder just to stay on beat. I can go a little longer, longer than I thought I could because the song hasn't ended. I can breathe a little easier because I'm breathing in between the words of the songs. I don't think I could run (or do much of anything else) without my music playing as I go, pushing me along.
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