I’ve started running again, thanks to the joint-cushioning magic of the treadmills at the gym across the street. And music.
When I was young(er), I’d run the country roads of the rural Shenandoah Valley, energized by the music of nature and the sound of my own breath in rhythm with my gazelle-like (ha!) footfalls.
Country roads turned to suburban sidewalks and walking paths when I moved to Northern Virginia, and my energy came from the music of conversation and laughter as my sister and I chattered through our long distance runs.
(And then there was the day we started giggling so hard that I had to stop running and literally — yes, literally! — fall onto the grass and laugh ’til I ’bout near passed out.)
Time wore on, and so did my joints. Sigh. Knees and ankles started hurting more than I cared to deal with, so running became a memory — replaced by pilates, yoga, power walks, weight lifting, and near-death-by-trainer sessions.
Until I moved last winter to Philadelphia and became a gym rat. At the Training Station, a gym known as THE gym for runners. Well shoot. Teased endlessly by the treadmills I finally snuck onto one (hoping my 43 year old ankles, knees, and hips wouldn’t notice. They did, but that’s a different story) and ran my little heart out. No really, my heart almost popped out. Apparently I left the one-with-the-wind long-distance-bliss in VA.
But I got a glimpse of that pure freedom feeling that I get from no other exercise but running, and I wanted more.
So I turned to music and my best friend iPod.
Started with the typical Workout playlist:
- Jillian Michael’s Favorite Workout Mix 2011 (by Giancarlo)
- Sexy and I Know It (LMFAO)
- Lots of stuff by Blue October (X-Amount of Words, Picking Up the Pieces, Everlasting Friend)
- Dance About It (by Paper Tongues)
- and of course Faith by George Michael
But something was still missing. My body was energized-ish by the music, but my heart was still sitting on the crossbar of the treadmill, napping, waiting for the run to be over. Not how I wanted my run to feel.
So one day I did the ole iPod shuffle instead of the Workout mix. And a song from my recent re-discovery of spiritual (ok, Christian) music by the 2nd Chapter of Acts group started playing. My heart soared, and my feet grew wings.
It was in that moment that I realized in a new, profound way, that to tap into the most powerful energy we can ever access, we need to start with the heart. Not just for emotional energy, but for very real physical energy also, as they are inextricably intertwined.
I finally get it. For the same reasons it’s important to engage our hearts in our work (see OutWriteLiving.com) and in our everyday lives, it’s important to engage our hearts in our physical exercise routines. For me, music is that spark to the heartfire… and the joy fuel for my running.
Is it time to take even better care of your body? Start with your heart. Through your headphones.
And tell us in a comment here what you think about all that.
Kris Bergey said,
May 4, 2012 at 11:04 am
When I went out for my first run in almost a year last week, I kept thinking about how much I had missed my workout playlist.
Starla J. King said,
May 4, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Kris, I know, right??
Eli said,
May 4, 2012 at 2:20 pm
To this I day I do not run with music. 4 marathons, countless halfs and other distance runs and I just don’t do music. I run with my head and heart. I have written letters and research briefs while on my long runs, I have noticed the glorious flowers or quiet sunrise, and I have had arguments when I run as well. At the end of the run I am clear headed. If I had music it wouldn’t work.
Also I can’t pace myself to save myself so I would be running with the music and that would be insane!
Starla J. King said,
May 4, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Eli, you bring up an important point — the alternate option of no-music-running. When I’m outside, I am much more likely to enjoy the iPod-free running zone. Inside, on the treadmill, music is about the only thing that keeps me on that thing.
I too write a LOT of things in my head while running … sometimes with music, sometimes without. Unless it’s on a treadmill, then WITH music.
Yes, there is a beauty and inspiration also in the purity of natural sound to fuel the run. LOVE that you know this about your way of working/running. xo
Eli said,
May 4, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Forgot to point out that I cannot run on a treadmill. Fall off, trip, get dizzy, fall down, etc, so outside or in a tunnel.
But I like the idea of how where you are in life affects your thought and run.
You can read up on my 8weekreturn to running on my blog.
Starla J. King said,
May 7, 2012 at 10:53 am
“or in a tunnel” — hahha!
ok, LOVING the running 101 posts (read them here, folks: http://yandeathome.blogspot.com/ ) … and now I’m really hoping I can start running outside again (come on, joints!).
Steve said,
May 4, 2012 at 6:02 pm
When exercising I listen to the news and I really like podcasts about nature, history and music. Somehow music works for me as background at work (unceasing, MUST have it all day ( or night) at work, but not at home or when running or biking). Not that you need to know
Starla J. King said,
May 7, 2012 at 10:57 am
Svn, of *course* I need to know.
Sooo interesting the way music does or doesn’t work for different ones of us. And for different days and activities. Like right now I’m in “music is too distracting” mode, whereas often I’m in the “must have music as background at all times” mode.
I know of other folks who listen to podcasts while running…
Love this variety of options!
Mir said,
May 4, 2012 at 8:25 pm
My heart did a little leap when I read your title, Starla Jane…because I’ve had a completely new experience with finding tunes, as of late. Because of, you know, an unusual and impossible to explain situation, I haven’t been listening to any music — or audiofiles of court proceedings or television…. Our home has become suddenly quiet except for the hum of a fan or two, the air conditioner, our voices, and the various shuffles, skuttles, pitter-patters, bumps, knocks, and swishes that accompany the simplest activities daily living.
It is quiet.
And when this began, we both began to hear music — louder thought-music than we’ve ever before experienced. As long as I can remember, I’ve had particularly clear music in my head. (I remember slipping out of my summer camp cabin in the dark of night to see if there really was a choir singing down by the lake.) But apparently my husband does, too.
What I found interesting about the music I hear is that 1) the music started out eerie and a little scary at first, just eight basic notes moaning repeatedly. It was annoying. Then one day, something broke, and I began to hear a song from my (our?) childhood: “God sees the little sparrow fall. It meets God’s tender view. If God so loves the little things, I know God loves me, too….God loves me, too, God loves me, too, I know God loves me, too.” Remember? After a couple of days, I found that the two were playing together and the eight repeated notes had become a basso ostinato. Soon Ode to Joy joined in counterpart.
And 2) I’ve discovered that these sounds developed from the fan, the air conditioner, and from the beat of my own heart. They found and were found through the pitch and rhythm of that which was around and in me.
Freaky; right?
So, I’d just as soon we kept it quiet around here for a while, at least some of the time.
Apologies. I haven’t really written in, like, three or four days. That just poured out faster than I could even try to stop it.
Starla J. King said,
May 7, 2012 at 11:03 am
Ah, Mir … wow, what a time you’ve had. Bigtime wow. The sounds developing from the sounds within and around you — makes so much sense, really, in the quantum theory of things.
I didn’t realize you heard music so clearly in your head! Both cool and not so cool at times, I’d guess? And now, with you and your hubs sharing internal music experience. Yes, I can see why quiet is your choice these days.
May the quiet be your perfect companion as you experience the unimaginable complexities of life, my dear.
much love…