Day 16, 349 To Go

January 16, 2013

Let's talk music.

Do you use music when you run?  I think most people would say yes to that question.  I certainly do, unless I am running with someone else.  It is kind of rude, I think, to pop in headphones when you are running with someone.  Kind of hard to have a conversation.  And if you have no interest in talking with the person you are running with, why are you running with them in the first place?

Of course, you can do the half rude thing and put one headphone in.  That isn't so bad.  And if you are doing a really long run, you may need the extra diversion.  I also find that when I am doing speed work, music bothers the hell out of me.  It feels like it is always too loud and a distraction and it interferes with my panting and trying to catch my breath.

My music of choice varies quite a bit, but lately, I have been on an 80's metal kick.  Yup, I said it.  I was a headbanging, long haired, pot smoking, drinking, bass playing metal head when I was a teenager all the way up to my 30's!  I wanna rock!!

Actually, I still do, but headbanging gives me a headache these days...and all that headbanging makes my head feel like it will fall off my neck!  How the hell I did that when I was younger, I'll never know.  So, I may not be able to head bang anymore, but I can still play.  Occasionally I break out the Bass guitar or my regular guitar and jam a bit.  I kind of suck now, but back in the day, I was damn good.  My dreams of becoming a rock star were dashed when I had kids (see, kids...the root of all evil) and now I am too old.  And once I started eating better, drinking less, and exercising, playing in a band and getting home at 4:00am on the weekends, drunk, was not as appealing any more.

So, now, I am all nostalgic for the music of my youth.  That includes bands such as Megadeth, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Rush, Black Sabbath,...and it includes some hair metal bands like Winger, Motely Crue, Mr. Big, Ozzy, Dokken, Ratt...and the list goes on and on and on.

There is just one problem with listening to this music - other than I like it loud and since I'm half deaf from playing music for years, my iPhone is never loud enough- and that is that it always makes me run too fast.  Seriously.  If you are going for a leisurely run and you put on Master of the Puppets by Metallica, by the end of the song you are flat out sprinting, and you may have even run over some children and kicked a few puppies on the way.  AHHHHHHH!!!

Ok, that was an exaggeration.  I would never kick a puppy.

So, music is kind of indispensable if you are going to run, that is for sure.  But there are other alternatives like books on tape (haven't tried that yet) or talk radio (I used to listen to ESPN or NPR) or of course, there is always silence.  Or, if you are running with someone, there is always conversation.  Like when I run with Honey.  She never shuts up...well, at least she doesn't shut up until she can't breathe anymore, then she shuts up.  So, a tip from your uncle Steve, if you are running with someone who won't shut up, just run faster!

Here are my numbers for the days run:

Time: 15:00

Distance: 1.54 miles

Pace: 9:46/m

Max Pace: 8:11/m

Calories: 200

Avg HR: 121

Max HR: 135

It was a nice and easy day today.  I didn't even try to push it at all...at least not until the end when I was listening to a rather upbeat tune by Mr. Big called "Addicted to That Rush".  Other than that little blip, I chilled today with a nice and easy pace.  It felt great.  Can't wait until tomorrow. 

Run for life!