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Friday, January 9, 2009

The Power Song

Everyone should have one. One of the coolest Christmas gifts I received this year was the Nike + iPod (good job marketing boy) Let me explain: If you're really cool you buy the Nike running shoes that are equipped with a pocket for this little sensor thing that communicates with your iPod and records your workouts. Since I'm not a fan of the Nike shoe and an Asics girl you can also buy a little pouch to strap on to your shoes and it does the same thing. I must admit my first few runs with Nike + iPod totally pissed me off. I calibrated the damn thing. I followed the directions, but there's nothing quite as frustrating as running 5 miles and having your workout being recorded as 1.5 miles in 50 minutes and now my stats on the Nike Plus site show my average as 15 minute mile. I received some advice that my pouch thing for my sensor wasn't strapped down tight enough and the sensor needed to be facing up..so I re calibrated on a 1 mile run and poof! I have Nike + iPod greatness.

Here's what I love: I pop the little Nike + gizmo into my iPod, scroll through and tell it how far or how long I want to run..it let's me pick the play lists that I want to listen to while I'm running I hit start and I'm off. During my run, a pleasant sounding voice tells me when I've run a mile and what my pace is... as you near the end of your run it starts counting down the end in meters... and at the very end Lance Armstrong comes on to tell me that I've completed my run and good job. There's another chick too that informs you if you set a new personal best in your pace.

Sometimes I need a little reinforcement during a run so my only suggestion to Apple & Nike would be to have drill Sargent voices saying things like " My grandmother runs faster than you..." or "You're slowing down you wuss- pick up the pace.." or "You suck..run faster" or perhaps "if you hurry up and finish there's some bread pudding waiting for you" would be greatness too. After all is said and done I can sync my iPod and upload my workout to the NikePlus website and track my progress.

The best feature of this little get up is the Power Song. I can hold down the center button of my iPod and my power song plays. The power song being the song that gets you moving. A song that makes you bob your head, shake your booty & run faster. Mine is "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall. I was somewhat disappointed in America when I learned that the no. 1 power song is "Eye of the Tiger" ugh... We're so not original any more. But how awesome is it to press a little button during your run and instantly hear that song that makes you pick up the pace? Life should have a power song.

You'll Never Finish

So on my life list I have down that I want to run a marathon. Reality has set in- and I am learning that's not really a realistic goal. I'm an almost 32 year old mother. These hips have given birth and I'm just not that svelte. BUT I have signed up to run the Austin Half Marathon on February 15, 2009. That's 13 miles if you were wondering. I'm a little stressed, but I have a training schedule and my lazy butt hasn't missed a run this week.

I know me and the more people I commit to, by telling them I'm running it- the more apt I'll be to finish. So there you have it.

I told my family over the break. My awesome new sister in law had my back, my mother had my back...my brother and my dad.. not so much. My Dad said "No..you'll never finish.." This, of course, instantly got me good and fighting mad. This could just be my Dad knowing that if you tell me I can't do something- I'll be more determined to do it..or it could be my Dad acknowledging that I'm not in the physical shape to do it. Regardless, the challenge has been made.

As I reflect on my childhood and remember my Dad always encouraging us to be competitors, athletes, and yelling at/coaching us from sidelines of soccer fields, I'm reminded of a particular soccer game where I got pegged in the face with the ball and landed flat on my back in the middle of the soccer field. My Dad trotted out to the center of the field where I was, of course, crying and certain that my nose had been broken. I was expecting an "it'll be okay Ash" He helped me up, walked me to the bench and gave me about two minutes before he informed me I'd better shake it off and finish the game. You might be reading this thinking "that's harsh" and it might have been, but these are the moments where our parents help us define our character.

Hopefully, I'll finish 13 miles. I do, after all, have the greatness of the power song.

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