The History of Slowness
The last couple of weeks I have been a commercial for Nike. The kind that plays over and over again. I am getting sick of my own voice but I kind of can't help it. I am leaving the spiel here, but with a purpose this time.
Never in a gazillion years could I ever find myself supporting Nike. I'm not against them as a corporation, per se, it's just not my thing. Like Starbucks maybe. Anyway, I finally crumbled and invested like $300 in this wacky Nikeplus idea (and to be fair, half of that actually went to Apple). I had attempted running a few times in the past. Generally it would only last a couple of runs before I got bored or felt like I wasn't ever going to make any progress. I am a lousy runner. Always last place in school, etc. My sorry lungs haven't helped much either. Anyway, there was something about this magical chip that seemed like it would help me over some of those hurdles and so far, it totally has.
Firstly, why I ever ran without music is just plain baffling. Listening to my brain tell me how much I suck and how much I hate running definitely didn't help. Jamming out to Faster, Stronger, Radder, Harder (or whatever it is called) is definitely the way to go.
For those not in the know, Nikeplus is basically a glorified stepometer - a chip in your shoe that speaks wirelessly to your ipod which in turn speaks to you ("You've run half a mile"). It's especially nice to know exactly how far you've gone or how much further you have to go to reach your goal. It's also rad to know that I did slightly better today than I did yesterday, even if there is no weight loss or runner's high (still waiting for that one). I'm not much into speed or calories burned yet, but apparently it keeps track of that, too. And then when you plug it into your computer it downloads all of your runs onto your personal Nikeplus profile so that you can compare your workouts, etc. I'm only a few runs in, almost twenty miles total, but for the first time last week I ran a mile without walking. This week I ran two. This is UNHEARD of. Lance Armstrong must have sensed this as he butted in and congratulated me on my best workout yet. And oddly, I am pretty fired up to get out there and run some more. In fact, Barnacle and I going for a run in Forest Park this afternoon. Way more awesome than spending Memorial Day drinking heavy microbrews down at the pub. No offense if that is what you are doing, by the way. (You deserve it!)
The website is a little difficult to navigate, but if by chance you are a member, I think it is possible for us to be friends and challenge each other to runs and stuff like that. You can find me here.
Most importantly, if any of you are regulars at this sort of thing, or even if you are not, I am in need of some serious inspiration-inducing tunes. Please pipe up and let me know what gets you moving, and if you are so inclined, a mix my way would be so so fine. I went to buy the latest M.I.A. yesterday but the record store was sold out. This may have been a good thing as I ended up with the admittedly hipper Dat Politics disc, but I am not ashamed to say I need more M.I.A. in my life. Same goes for LCD Soundsystem and bands of similar ilk that I've always appreciated but never really had a place for.
Lastly, I don't quite grasp the concept of running with somebody quite yet, but I am also not against the idea if anybody else is on this same trip. Or, if by chance I've inspired you to get all chipped up, I am happy to lend support/high-fives/etc. Time will tell exactly how awesome this little invention is, but if it can get someone like me all riled up about something as boring as fitness, I bet it'd work for just about anyone.
Never in a gazillion years could I ever find myself supporting Nike. I'm not against them as a corporation, per se, it's just not my thing. Like Starbucks maybe. Anyway, I finally crumbled and invested like $300 in this wacky Nikeplus idea (and to be fair, half of that actually went to Apple). I had attempted running a few times in the past. Generally it would only last a couple of runs before I got bored or felt like I wasn't ever going to make any progress. I am a lousy runner. Always last place in school, etc. My sorry lungs haven't helped much either. Anyway, there was something about this magical chip that seemed like it would help me over some of those hurdles and so far, it totally has.
Firstly, why I ever ran without music is just plain baffling. Listening to my brain tell me how much I suck and how much I hate running definitely didn't help. Jamming out to Faster, Stronger, Radder, Harder (or whatever it is called) is definitely the way to go.
For those not in the know, Nikeplus is basically a glorified stepometer - a chip in your shoe that speaks wirelessly to your ipod which in turn speaks to you ("You've run half a mile"). It's especially nice to know exactly how far you've gone or how much further you have to go to reach your goal. It's also rad to know that I did slightly better today than I did yesterday, even if there is no weight loss or runner's high (still waiting for that one). I'm not much into speed or calories burned yet, but apparently it keeps track of that, too. And then when you plug it into your computer it downloads all of your runs onto your personal Nikeplus profile so that you can compare your workouts, etc. I'm only a few runs in, almost twenty miles total, but for the first time last week I ran a mile without walking. This week I ran two. This is UNHEARD of. Lance Armstrong must have sensed this as he butted in and congratulated me on my best workout yet. And oddly, I am pretty fired up to get out there and run some more. In fact, Barnacle and I going for a run in Forest Park this afternoon. Way more awesome than spending Memorial Day drinking heavy microbrews down at the pub. No offense if that is what you are doing, by the way. (You deserve it!)
The website is a little difficult to navigate, but if by chance you are a member, I think it is possible for us to be friends and challenge each other to runs and stuff like that. You can find me here.
Most importantly, if any of you are regulars at this sort of thing, or even if you are not, I am in need of some serious inspiration-inducing tunes. Please pipe up and let me know what gets you moving, and if you are so inclined, a mix my way would be so so fine. I went to buy the latest M.I.A. yesterday but the record store was sold out. This may have been a good thing as I ended up with the admittedly hipper Dat Politics disc, but I am not ashamed to say I need more M.I.A. in my life. Same goes for LCD Soundsystem and bands of similar ilk that I've always appreciated but never really had a place for.
Lastly, I don't quite grasp the concept of running with somebody quite yet, but I am also not against the idea if anybody else is on this same trip. Or, if by chance I've inspired you to get all chipped up, I am happy to lend support/high-fives/etc. Time will tell exactly how awesome this little invention is, but if it can get someone like me all riled up about something as boring as fitness, I bet it'd work for just about anyone.