A Music Revolution

I downloaded iTunes in the first 24 hours it was available for Windows.  (iTunes originally came out only for Mac, and in those days no one owned a Mac.  There was no iPhone.)  I fiddled with it some, ended up spending the entire night playing, downloading, etc.  My wife thought I was insane.  I told her -- the music world has changed forever.  Record stores are extinct (one of the biggest in the world was around the corner), and albums are history too.  And oh, Apple will rule the music business.  She laughed.  I was 100% right.

My next reaction was to buy a bunch of Apple stock.  My friends talked me out of it -- it was expensive and the success of iTunes was already factored into the stock price.  Besides...its Apple.  Um, ok, right, so I passed.  The stock is only up about twenty times since then.  100% wrong.

I have been trying to get music and running right since the beginning.  Headphones -- I have tried them all.  Seriously, I bet I have 20 pair.  I owned, as a kid, one of the very first Walkman stereos (a cassette tape model, with foam covered headphones and before the yellow rubberized case, 1980 maybe?).

My first Walkman circa 1980?

So, with that backdrop...I present the next revolution...Bluetooth headphones.  In essence, athletic headphones with a tiny Bluetooth receiver in them so no wires to the iPod.  Is that a big deal?  I think so.  The wires bounce and tend to pull out the headphones.  (My Sennheiser sport headphones have the single worst cord design I have used -- a microphone right in the middle that bounces and both distracts and pulls out the headphones in ear.)   For my runs, I assiduously plan the location of my iPod, the wires, where they go, etc., and the armband, Spibelt, pocket whatever, where the iPod will be stashed.

For Christmas, Mrs. Wolve gave me a new iPod Nano.  Eh, don't need it, but thanks, probably return it.  Keep in mind I just returned and got a new pair of Westone headphones (under warranty yeah!) which died because of sweat. But then I saw a post about these Bluetooth ones, designed for sports and  sweatproof ...Jaybird Bluebird X.  What if...I used the headphones, bluetoothed to iPhone...yeah!  I bought the headphones (pricey at $169, but I had a discount from Best Buy to use, so not insane).

First run, with the iPhone, was a revelation!  Not having wires dangle was just, like magic.  They sounded great and it was literally like music just appeared in your ears.  It is disorienting really, not having a wire dangling, because I expect it.  It's just weird, but awesome.

The next problem was the iPhone.  It's too heavy to stash in a pocket and slung around as I ran.  And then I remembered.. the new Nano has Bluetooth!  Awesome ...it will fit into the tiny little pocket in most of my running shorts. (For whatever reason, most mens shorts have like a 2 inch elastic pocket sewn into the waist that is good for nothing except holding a nano.  Maybe a key, but not money, trust  me.

And so I configured the nano, the headphones paired, etc.,.. and ...Game Over.  This is it.  The nano is undetectable.  The sound is incredible.  The lack of wires is indescribable.  This is it, the ultimate running music set up.  I cannot describe enough how crazy good the sound is and the lack of wires makes it just like it is coming from inside your head.

Is it perfect? Eh., pretty close.  As the name implies the Jaybirds, are bud style which have to lodge in your ear canal to stay put.  When they do, the sound is incredible.  If they slide out the sound is only just good, and it feels like they are about to fall out as I ran.  Invariably, I can't get the right size tip and the holder to make a perfect fit.  Soon, though, someone will take the Yurbud idea (a rubbery thing that molds to your ear and make them Bluetooth and sweatproof...and bang.

I called the iTunes revolution.  The next one is Bluetooth headphones.

Beautiful Day

Friday night, on the way home from work, a co-worker invited me to have a drink. I knew I shouldn't.  I knew I would regret it come the next morning, as it would make exponentially greater the odds I would blow off the race.  Or, if I actually did it, run poorly.  But, it was Friday, after a long week...Ok what the heck?  But I knew I was going to regret it.

Saturday morning rolled around, and at 6 a.m., I really, really did not feel like running.  But I slogged out of bed, got geared up (which thankfully I had fully laid out all the clothes and gear the night before), and got out the door.

And what a morning it was!  Crystal clear blue sky, about 50 degrees, sunny.  Absolutely gorgeous weather.  When we moved last year, we also bought another car, and since it was my car, the one I drive on weekends, I bought a sports car I always wanted. (Its a convertible, and about 15 years old, but still really fun.  And incredibly impractical but that is another subject.) And that was the car I hopped into to drive to Central Park for the race.  Driving down the Hudson river, top down, U2's Beautiful Day came on.  And you know what?  Bono was right: it really was a beautiful day.

This race was huge (almost 8000 people finished).  As we were lined up, I saw the big CNN sign on Central Park South:  55 degrees.  Wow, and the field was absolutely world class, but I never saw them -- I was in the second corral, and lets just say the leaders went out a little faster than me.

At any rate, I finished with a 48:40, with an average pace of 7:51, Age Grade of 60.17%. (Yeah for 60%+AG!)  I was extraordinarily pleased.  I wanted to vomit a couple times, and really regretted those drinks with a co-worker.  And the bottle of wine with dinner.  I so wanted to stop, but was doing ok.  Finally, at mile 5, I walked through a water stop, and that was only time I stopped.  I needed the break, the water, everything.  My heart rate was OK, but sheesh my stomach and head sure were spinning.  (even that mile ended up at 8:12, so was basically ok.)  I was very, very happy at the end. 

Overall Place:  1702
Gender Place:   1443
Age Place:   183
AG:               60.17%

As I was walking back to my car -- parked down the street, about 50 yards from my first NYC apartment that I moved into 20 years ago -- I saw a woman with a T shirt that said "Smile.  Breathe Deeply.  Enjoy the Moment."

Indeed, exactly.

Hurray for LRS!!!

Ok, so a shout out in favor of my Local Running Store (LRS), and why I hope we all support them.  Last summer I bought a pair of running sunglasses.  I got home and realized they were not polarized, which was one of the reasons I wanted a new pair in first place.  They weren't that expensive ($50), so I thought I would just go back and exchange them.  I never did, and I forgot about it.  This weekend, I found them tucked away, in original box and bag, with my receipt, and thought, what the heck, why not?  I will go ask and see if they can get manufacturer credit or something; if not, I could sell them on eBay.  (I suppose I could have used them, but they would always be the glasses I didn't want, ya know?)  Also, last year I bought Mrs. Wolve a Garmin 210 after she announced she was running a half marathon.  She didn't, and the watch literally was never used.  Never even unboxed.  So, I thought the same thing, why not see if I could do a deal if they could send back to Garmin.  If not, I more than completely understood.  And then they would make their way to eBay.

My LRS stepped right up.  Took both back, with a smile.  I, in fact, exchanged the glasses for the polarized version, bought the wife a Timex Ironman watch and got myself a new pair of running shoes, and ended up owing them about $50.  What a deal.  Trade 2 things I didn't want for things that were needed.  And I completely feel almost embarrassed by asking them to take them back, but they assured me it was all OK.
Thanks LRS!

On running notes, I wish it was that easy to run again.  Last week was 20 miles, with an outdoor run up and down hills.  Watching the Woodstock movie last night, I saw the performance of Crosby Stills and Nash, never one of my favorites, but wow what a performance.  i have been having a loooonnngg  debate with my 11 year old over what is good music; namely, imo, the overproduced dance/rap stuff on the radio involves no real musical skill.  Steven Stills blew me away, even though I could honestly say I never knew anything about him.  Despite the fact that it is a love song (not a running song) one line in Suite: Judy Blue Eyes resonated with me and the way I felt this weekend:

"Don't let the past, remind us of what we are not now..."

This Is The Day

Not very much exciting news on the running front -- treadmill at the gym during the week and a hill run on the weekends.  Overfocus on heart rates.  Not enough weight lifting.  I ditched the orthotics about three weeks ago.  My arthritic left toe is feeling much better,  although I am reluctant to give credit to the Osteo Bio Flex supplement I started.  But slowly, one run at a time, getting back to it.

I have been listening to a lot of music on the treadmill at the gym.  I am really sick of my iPod right now.  At any rate, last night was my daughter's 10th birthday.  (Happy Birthday!).  I told her -- and this true -- that on the way to the hospital on the day she born, "This Is the Day" by The The was stuck in my head.  "This Is the Day/Your life will surely change..."

The The is an interesting band.  I remember my sophomore year in college that my roommate had the "Soul Mining"  album.  It has a very disturbing/bizarre painting on the cover.  And I couldn't stand the record.  But later, senior year or so (1989?), I just really fell for the music and listened to the cassette so much it actually broke.  The music is incredible ("Giant" has an incredible xylophone solo (at 1:27)), and even now, I still run to it.  I thought The The (which is mostly one person with a rotating backup band), would become an obscure eighties band remembered by a few hard core fans.

And then "This is the Day" ends up licensed to M&M's and becomes the theme song for a bunch of singing and whistling animated M&M's.  And what is even more ironic is that the song is actually kind of depressing (as is most of The The).  It is about someone who wakes up and resolves that this is the day they will pull themselves out of a stupor and realize their ambition.

But, as I told my now ten year old daughter, I listened to it again yesterday, and remembered the sunny walk from our apartment to the hospital to see my new baby girl. 10 years ago.


Well... you didn't wake up this morning
Because you didn't go to bed
You were watching the whites of your eyes
Turn red
The calendar, on your wall, is ticking the days off
The calendar on your wall is ticking  the days off
You've been reading some old letters
You smile and think how much you've changed
All the money in the world
Couldn't bring back those days.
You pull back the curtains, and the sun burns into your eyes,
You watch a plane flying across a clear blue sky.

THIS IS THE DAY -- Your life will surely change.
THIS IS THE DAY -- Your life will surely change.

You could've done anything -- if you'd wanted
And all your friends and family think that you're lucky.
But the side of you they'll never see
Is when you're left alone with the memories
That hold your life together like glue

You pull back the curtains, and the sun burns into your eyes,
You watch a plane flying across a clear blue sky.
THIS IS THE DAY -- Your life will surely change.
THIS IS THE DAY -- When things fall into place.

White Gloves

Tonight is the annual dance for my 9 year old's manners class.  It is very Old School.  The girls wear white gloves.  They sit, and have the boys ask them to dance.  The boys are all wearing sport coats.  They dance things like the hokey pokey or the foxtrot.  And repeat the process, as a teacher calls out the etiquette steps "Gentleman, put your right hand on the lady's shoulder; ladies offer your hand; dance slowly, and now spin,..."  Then, the boy fetches the girl a glass of lemonade and a cookie.  Of course, my daughter hates it.  She will inevitably complain that she had to dance with "Tommy Barnes" or someone and he is just gross.  But tonight, the Dads come and dance with their daughters.  Last year, my daughter won one of the prizes (to keep the kids interested, they get prizes).  You would have thought she won the lottery by her reaction.  A really nice night that both makes me smile and feel old all at once.

And what does that have to do with running?  Nothing, I suppose.

In response to various questions (both in blogworld and in real life), my injury may or may not have been a stress fracture.  The doctor said it looked like it, but to know he would have to order an MRI, which would likely be inconclusive given that the pain had just started. And the prescription would be the same: no running for four weeks, and if no pain then, start back.  Also, after four weeks, change shoes and training pattern to avoid the things that led to the injury in the first place -- if I did the same thing, it would produce the same results regardless of whether it was or was not an actual stress fracture.  In other words, something caused the pain, and if I didn't change, it would likely return. Of course, if I did change, it was no guarantee the pain would not return, but hopefully it would not recur.  We'll see but so far, so good. Hope springs eternal.

And, finally, my least commented post in recent months was the post on my running music.  So, I have avoided continuing that thread.  But a recent song has just stuck in my head.  "Lay Me Down" by The Dirty Heads with Rome.  If you are inclined to punk/ska/reggae music, check it out; it is also the #1 song on Billboard's Alternative Music chart.