Running With No Music

I forgot my ear buds at my sister's house last weekend!  I wanted to go out for my first run today since the Monument Av 10K race last week.  Last week was tough for me - the hubs was out of town for business, I couldn't get a run in, so today I felt so done.  I NEED to run.

I was so desperate to start feeling better about everything that I ventured out without music.  I refused the hub's offer to borrow his headphones because I just wanted to get out right away.  Forget SI Joint Dysfunction, forget ITBS, forget plantar fasciitis.  I'm so over being injured.  I need a break away from the kids.  I'm going for a run.  I left the boys with the hubs around 6:30pm.  The hubs gave me this look like, "what about dinner?" and I just had to leave.  I'm so done.  I felt kinda bad afterwards for not telling the hubs ahead of time what I was going to do and to leave him trying to figure out dinner.  Yeah, that was bad.

I did my usual 5K out and back to Victor Lane.  I started slow and steady.  It was a cloudy and the skies threatened rain, but I didn't care.  For the first time, I heard the little brook that went under the same running path I take every week.  It was neat to hear the water jump over the rocks.  I heard birds trying to get away from the darkening skies.  I could hear my running shoes hitting the pavement in a rhythm with my breathing.  For the first time since I started running, I felt more relaxed, at ease.  I didn't feel as hurried by a fast beat, or feel the pressure to run fast to music.  I ran as fast and as slow as my body wanted, and it felt good! 

The other thing I discovered today was my left running shoe is a wee bit bigger for my left foot!  When I doubled up on socks on my left foot, I didn't feel any arch pain!  YAY! 

It was a great run today.  I didn't stop to walk or to jog.  I listened to my body and just ran.  Do you run with music?  Have you tried running without music?  Give it a try!  It's not as scary as it seems.  I was distracted by everything around me to feel burdened by the miles.  I actually like running without music now.  Helps clear my head.  If I ever need to focus on something I want to hear, I play a song in my head, and it works just fine.  Try it!