Running to Run

After classes and a long internal debate, I decided I would go out for a run again today. I have been limiting running two days in a row because of my knee, but the icing and stretching has been helping a lot so I figured I'd give it a go (it held out just fine because I'm sure you're concerned).

I downloaded an episode of Comedy Death Ray to listen to for the trek, but I realized it was only 47 or so minutes long. Normally, when shows I listen to are short I'll turn on music for the remainder, but as I stepped outside I had a huge epiphany. I had never run once without an iPod.

I thought for a minute about how I never do just one thing at a time. I run while I listen to music, I read the paper while I eat, I fart around endlessly on my phone while I'm in class. When the hell was the last time I just payed attention to what I was supposed to be doing?

I started running and made the executive decision that I would not listen to anything...but I brought my iPod along just in case (come on, you never know). If I love to run so much, then why am I trying to distract myself from it by listening to music to take my mind off it? Running in itself is an escape, so it seemed so circular to try and distract myself from what I consider a daily distraction from the rest of my life. I was doing myself a huge disservice by not running just to run.

So off I went. I heard myself breathe, I felt myself run, I took a good look at the route I've traveled so many times without really looking at where I was going. I smelled the remnants of this amazingly warm day as the sun set, breathing in the scent of woods and trees and smokey air. There's THREE ponds on this route...I've never noticed any of them but one.

I felt like I missed out a little bit on all of those other runs, and I was a little disappointed in myself.

The moral of this story is I'm not going to distract myself from what I should be doing anymore (minus my Sensation and Perception Processes Class...sorry professor). I shouldn't feel the need to be constantly entertained, and I'm missing out on everything by neglecting the world around me. Not just when it comes to exercise, but in so many other facets of my life. It was a nice little lesson I taught myself.

I definitely am not going to give up my iPod on runs for good because I love me some NPR and Comedy Death Ray as I plow through my exercise, but I did come to the conclusion that I really do just love the act of running. I shouldn't be scared of getting bored of it.