Danger Will Robinson,

I am going to sound like the old lady that I am pretending not to become…….

When I was a kid we didn’t have all the technology we have now.    What am I talking about?   We didn’t have ANY.     There were no cell phones, i-pods, 24/7 updates.   Hell our phones were still attached to the wall and if you wanted to take music on the go, it was a big ole boom box.   Not conducive to going anywhere except your front lawn.

You know what?

We didn’t miss anything.   No we really didn’t.  They were good times.   We may have actually been more aware of what was going on than “the kids of today.”   I see it everyday at pick-up.   The first thing the kids do when they come out of school is look at their phones.   Walking out with their heads down missing it all.  Many of the parents too.   Don’t get me wrong, I am as bad as the next person.   I admit it.   I might be worse, but I’m work in progress.

Now what does this have to do with running?

I’m getting there.

When I was at Dirty German on Sunday, I knew I probably would not run with headphones as many times when I’m running I don’t use music.   I usually never do during a race because I usually like to experience the race around me. (try it)   Part of me thinks that on my second loop inspiring music might have helped as I was running by myself, but being as I didn’t bring earbuds the decision had already been made.   It didn’t really matter on the first loop because even though I was running by myself, I was not alone. (Yes, there is a difference).

There is a big part of me that loves running races without music, especially when I am by myself which is the norm. To save my phone battery, I even turned my phone onto airplane mode.   No interruptions.    I could hear my own breathing, I could be with my own thoughts, I could listen to the sounds of the trail, and really just be.    It is almost meditative.   Really.   This kind of “alone” time is hard to come buy in the world we live in today.  (Yes, I know I sound like Grandma).

We are so connected yet at the same time so disconnected.    No I did not have some  awe inspiring idea pop into my head or resolve an issue but it has happened.   This run was all about the run.   All about the distance and all about finishing.    So no I was not thinking about anything else but my run – moving one foot in front of the other.    This was enough.    We don’t do that enough.   We have become the age of the great multitaskers that we forget that sometimes it is ok to just do one thing at a time.

  It is enough.

How could I not get into the zone when running these trails alone.

There is something to be said about taking the time to be by ourselves with no distractions.   To get away from it all and just be.   Our minds need it.    A run like this recharges not just the body, but the mind.

What do you think?