running: the dawn

To be completely honest, I have already failed at one of my goals for this week.  I wanted to get back on track with my early morning workouts, but alas this morning I did not rise before the dawn.  Instead I slept.  Don’t get me wrong, the joy that I got from sleeping out weighed the guilt I felt from not meeting my goal.  The good news is that KT is back in town and we are scheduled for our early morning run through the empty streets at 5:30am.

Since my run did not happen early (and I logged no miles yesterday) there was no escaping a run tonight.  It did take a fair amount of incentive to get me out the door.  I decided that I needed something that would truly make the run enjoyable and this prompted me to fine tune my running playlist for my ipod.   Up until now, I just throw all of the songs that I like well enough into a playlist that I then put on shuffle when I go out for my shorter runs.  This has turned out to be more distracting than anything else. I end up having to skip over songs that are not in tune with my running mood or that distract me from my pace.

It is important for me to explain a couple things.  First, since I taught Jazzercise for almost 3 year, I have a wide variety of music in my library.  Usually only a song or two from each artist or album.  The genre range from hip hop or techno to country and rock.  Secondly, the idea of sifting through this haystack of unacceptable music all the while hoping to find the gem that is the perfect running mix is not my idea of a good time. However, if I was going to get myself out the door, I needed the promise of some uplifting tunes to champion me on my run.

It totally worked!  I ended up with a fabulous mix of songs with strong beats, loud guitar, and inspiring (sortof) lyrics.  My favorite is still the first song.  I have run across it several times on past runs as I was skipping over every other song.  Because I knew of it’s ability to lift my running spirits, I put it first.  This song is “Check Yes Juliet” by We the Kings. I love the words:

Lace up your shoes
Ay oh Ay oh
Here’s how we do:
Run Baby Run!
Don’t Ever Look Back

Gets me every time.  A huge smile on my face and wings under my feet.  After that there was no turning back, it got me out the door and far enough away from my house that I knew I’d have to get the miles in before I turn back.

Then at the half way point, my keep me going song “Gotta Get Through This” by Daniel Bedingfeild.

I gotta get through this
I gotta get through this
I gotta make it, gonna make, gonna make it through
I’m gotta get through this
I gotta get through this
I gotta take my, gotta take my mind off you

I titled my new playlist “running tunes: fast” and it lived up to its name.  I was able to run five miles with an average pace of 8:41 and the last time I had that pace I believe I was only running a two mile loop.  Feels good!

Besides the music there were many things that kept me entertained during my run.  Since it was dark there was the added challenge of seeing the potholes and ice packs in time to avoid them.  Near the end of the run I was not so lucky.  Hidden in the shadow cast off from a street light, my foot found its way directly into a pothole full of slushy water.  It covered the one foot and sloshed onto the other.  Magically however, thanks to my amazing goretex running shoes, not one finger of that icy water reached my skin.  I was utterly amazed.  I kept waiting for the water to trickle into my footbed, but it never came.  This excitement carried me the last mile home.