My Walking Days Are Over (for now)

After a two week break due to an injury I'm finally running again.  It's slow going, but it's soooo nice to be back on the road.  When it comes to exercise, I like to be efficient with my time so I'm not a huge fan of walking.  In this case, it was all I could do, so I had to roll with it.  After logging several long, slow miles, I must say I have a new appreciation for walking and what it has to offer. In the first week, I was still pretty sore, so I was really just shuffling.  On these days, I often took my dog who used to run with me when she was younger but has started to slow down in her old age.  On the hotter days, she'd often pull the "sniff and stall", her own move, where she would pretend to be smelling something of interest but was really just taking a little rest.  Rather than be impatient and pull her along as I normally do, I found myself looking up and taking it all in.  When I run, I get in the zone and lose myself, so this was something new.  And I loved it.  Every day I discovered something really cool, something unique and it was always worth stopping for a closer look (see pics below).  On of my walks a group of people in a jeep pulled over to get directions.  Before they took off, I asked them what band they were listening to which they were happy to share with me.  We chatted for a bit and then I borrowed a pen and wrote down the info on my hand so I could come back to it when I got home.  There is no way I would have done this or stopped for anything, really, if I had been cruising along on a run.  So, yes, my walking days are over for now.  But there will undoubtedly be more injuries.  And probably a lot more walking.  And I'm ok with that.

JEEP SONG

COOL PLANT (from the cactus family)  

NEWLY OPENED DAY LILY

COTTON BALL SKY

LUCY, MY WALKING PARTNER

Listen to this:

Real Love - Delorean   

It's Friday - Reader's Pick

Today's pick is from GT.  Perfect choice.  Great for running.  Great for listening.  Just freakin' great.  Thanks for sharing, G.

Listen to this:
Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective   

APP REVIEW: TRAILMIX

TRAILMIX: STEP TO THE BEAT

I was recently asked to review TrailMix, an app that lets you manipulate the tempo of the songs you're listening to while you're working out.  Not only do I love to run with music, but when choosing my songs, the beat is a huge factor so my curiosity was instantly piqued.  I downloaded the app, chose my playlist and headed out for a run.  First, I tried the manual setting.  I set the BPM (beats per minute) to my preferred pace and listened as each song played at that specific tempo.  I'm not going to lie, it sounded a little strange to hear the songs pick up or slow down to match my selection.  But at the same time, I liked that as I tried to hold a steady pace, the beat of the music never changed which helped to keep me motivated.  There is a lot of music in my iTunes library that I don't run with (but love to listen to) because the pace is too slow and I immediately got excited as I thought about all the new songs that I could potentially add to my playlist if I used TrailMix with them.  I also tried the automatic setting and listened as the tempo of each song increased or decreased in time with my steps.  I played with this a lot as it was a bit funky to get used to and slightly odd to hear songs at a different tempo.  But I was digging the way some of my slower songs would pick up as I built up steam and could see how this would help push me during a speed or hill workout.  I loved experimenting and found myself continuing to play with the app after my run was over.  Do I want to listen to Jack Johnson at faster pace while I'm driving in my car?  Not really.  But if I'm on a run trying to push it up a hill and all I need is a slightly faster beat to help me out, it's pretty cool to have that option.  

DOWNLOAD TRAILMIX:

For the next 24 hours you'll be able to download the TrailMix app at a reduced price of $0.99.  Go try it out! 

Cool Fact:

According to scientific research, “synchronizing movements with music enables athletes to perform more efficiently, resulting in greater endurance.”

Karageorghis, C., & Priest, D. (2008). Music in Sport and Exercise: An Update on Research and Application. The Sport Journal.

Listen to this*:

Ooh La La - Goldfrapp    *(then listen with TrailMix)

Discoveries

Last week I made several discovories.  Due to some bruised ribs I was unable to run.  I typically get out there five or six days a week, so my predicament was not ideal.  I tried to get creative and come up with something physical that I could do to replace the running.  I quickly discovered that almost every potential alternative requires some form of twisting, pulling or folding at the mid-section.  Thus, my only option was to walk.  And I'm not talking power walking.  I had to walk without moving the upper part of my body like a robot; avoiding any sharp turns or movements while keeping my arms tucked tight at my side.  I'm guessing I looked pretty odd to those who passed me but it was all I could do so I went with it.  I discovered that I do not want or need a vacation from running.  I'm all for taking a break once in a while and running without my watch or veering from my training plan, but I need the running on so many levels and it goes way beyond the physical release.  Running clears my head in a way that nothing else can.  When I get home from a run, I am ready for whatever is thrown at me.  Some people need retail therapy.  I need running therapy.  It's that simple.  All that said, within a day or so I discovered how important it is to give my body time to heal.  The simplest things like tying my shoes, brushing my teeth, even laughing, were difficult with a sore mid-section and I needed to do all of those things, especially the laughing.  So, despite feeling anxious and wanting to just run through the pain, I discovered I could be patient and rest.  I'm not good at either of these things, but I was glad to discover that I could do it when I needed to and I found strength in that alone.  Finally, on my long robot walks, I discovered some incredible music.  I set Pandora to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a band that I love to run with but haven't taken the time to explore beyond the few staple songs on my playlist.  I am newly obsessed with lead singer Karen O's voice which is sultry and totally mesmerizing.  I realized that every one of their songs is awesome for running, dancing or both and I would bet that it's impossible for anyone not to notice this when they hear them play.  Not only did I dig deeper on the Yeah Yeah Yeah's collection, but I also discovered some amazing new bands such as Ratatat and Cold War Kids (thank you Pandora). I discovered that music sounds different when I'm walking because I can focus on the song and hear the notes and lyrics in a way that isn't possible when I'm running.  And that was pretty cool.   Most importantly, though, I re-discovered how important my family and friends are when I'm struggling to get through something that's difficult.  Their support last week was endless and I was so grateful to to have them to both vent my frustration and remind me that in the grand scheme of things, it really wasn't that big a deal.  EUREKA!

Listen to these:
Kiss Kiss - Yeah Yeah Yeahs    
Party With Children - Ratatat    
Royal Blue - Cold War Kids