iBrutus

Et tu?

For me, half the battle of achieving focus while running is establishing mood. Sometimes getting angry with lots of shouting and drums really drives me. Then another day good old rock-n-roll does the trick. Still other times I create a great flow from some modern stuff with emphasis on the minor chord and a bit of electronica backing it up.

Tonight, however, was funk and soul.

Bowie's Golden Years was making me secretly smile as I started with the warm up walk. I had to hide my happiness because I was once again outdoors at a public park (this time in daylight with many other humans, ones capable of hearing me scream, enjoying the evening), and walking around with a grin plastered on your face gets you mistaken for someone who...well someone who should just be avoided at all costs. "What is she smiling at? It's not right."

I decided to walk a loop before starting on the straight path where I can keep rough track of distance as well as time. Grooving and mentally shaking it, my lips twitched and I tried not to sing aloud about papa being a rolling stone, and that wherever he laid his hat was his home. And despite the persisting, never-ending, insufferable humidity, it was going to be a good run. Does anyone even know what that instrument is that makes that bow chicka wow sound? Who cares, I thought, it rules.

Then suddenly there was no more Sly, and the Family Stone, they'd left the building. What gives?!? I looked down at the iPod.

No battery power remains. Please connect iPod to power source.

You filthy expletive. This is betrayal! I can't run without music! How am I going to keep my mind occupied, keep a rhythmic footfall, stay motivated for TWENTY SIX minutes?!? I seriously considered simply returning to my car a few yards away. I didn't want to be discouraged by a poor showing, and I knew that the loss of music was going to seriously affect my performance. But I was already there, already warmed up, so I sucked it up and just started running.

One foot right in front of the other. That's right, you can do it. Do I always breathe this loudly? Can other people hear it? Hey, a fish just jumped. I am running really slowly. Do I always run this slow? It's so hot out. I think I'm sweating an abnormal amount of sweat. Do people look at me and think "she doesn't look natural doing that"? I think I just heard a cat meow. Oh man, did I just almost drool? Does that dog belong to that guy? It's sort of following him, but not really. Is my key still tied to my shoelace? I'm kind of thirsty. My shoulder hurts a little. I wonder what our t-shirts for the race will look like. I AM BREATHING SO LOUDLY.

I looked down at my watch: 1:54. Not even two minutes. I am never going to make it 26.

It really is amazing what distraction can do for you. I think the failure of my little electronic brain occupier proves that I have a lot to learn about running. There are probably tricks to keeping going, to building speed and distance. I thought about an email I received from Running Fit yesterday that listed so many surprising facts, including that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated--and they're not even running! Clearly I have a lot to learn about this activity, and to that notion I have signed up for a Running 101 class. I have already found that running with a partner can be invaluable to building up endurance, and I am really hoping that running with a group and learning how to stretch, hydrate, and train is going to build my confidence so I can cross that finish line with an enormous, public smile. And that, my friends, will be very right.

Are you ready for a shock?

Tonight's tally:
26 minutes consecutive running(!)
13 minutes walking
1 fantastic drive home with the moon roof open and all the windows down, the night air on my skin, cooling me off.