Today I went for a run fueled by an epic friends playlist! I’m going to be honest, despite new tunes and an early start, this run got tough! However, it would have been over before it started if I had not enlisted my awesome friends and their tunes.
At the beginning of the week I knew I was going to tackle the hilly roads around my home for my 18 mile long run. What better way to start building momentum and motivation for this run than to ask my friends for their favorite songs. One of the my Run 40 Throw Down challenges was to run to new tunes. Now, I could have just randomly picked a spotify list, but the purpose of this challenge was for me to get ideas from my friends and hopefully pull from my friends during my run. Well I’m glad I did!!!
Throughout the week friends shared songs with me – generating a very eclectic list. (I even had “motivational” themed music with famous inspirational quotes included like my favorite Rocky quote!!!) Friday night I sat down and downloaded my lists, loaded it up and was very tempted to try it out on my easy run on Saturday. I held off thinking this soundtrack was special, made for this Sunday long run. So I waited.
Sunday I planned to get out by 6am, but 6:20 was the start. A rain/cold front blew through the night before making the temperature pleasant, but once the sun came up a heatwave was arriving. I was hoping to complete twelve easy paced miles before pushing the last six miles. I started my loop and included a few new roads, looped the park and went by a few familiar stretches I had not traveled for a while. Luckily the morning miles were in covered shade (as if I was Molly Seidel searching for shade in Japan) which made running comfortable. I listened to my tunes. A few I had not heard since college, others were classics that I couldn’t help but want to stop and have a dance party and some were just cruise control songs! Zac Brown came on just as I moved towards a few open fields with goats grazing in the distance. It was odd how perfect the music aligned with my run.
I got back to my car hitting twelve miles ready to take on my uptempo miles. Instead, I realized I needed to hit a bathroom. I had grabbed a lime gel, not checking the expiration date, and it was hitting me. Could it have been something else? I guess, but the chances seem very likely that I need to check expiration dates on gels. I can’t be the only one that neglects that!?
After a quick stop at home I was back out the door and lined up ready for my last six miles. I was hoping to do interval style. Once I picked up the pace I realized the sun was no longer hiding and it was HOT. I paused a few times to catch my breath and I felt my heart racing. Was it the heat, my stomach or just a bad run? Either way I was driving that struggle bus as I pushed through those six miles. And what helped me most – my music. Shining Star by Earth Wind and Fire was just what I needed to keep me moving and get me back on track. I thought about each of my friends that had requested music on my list. I could not let them down and bail on this run. So they “ran” with me in spirit. I distracted myself by thinking about how each were a part of my life. They really came through for me. The tunes kept the beat and my friends gave me a lift.
18 miles done! I battled, but in the end I finished my run with more appreciation for my friends and their music.
Today I went for a run... 