An emo music-filled running day

To quote a term that the kids are using these days, I'm feeling a little "emo" this afternoon. For those of you who don't happen to know any young hipsters, I'll tell you to the best of my knowledge: picture Edward from Twilight. Brooding, sullen, for no particular reason.

I had been pretty nervous about today, because Week 4 has me doing 5 minute runs. Up to now the most I had done was 3 minutes, and that was pushing it.

So anyway, picture a brooding and sullen me. Entering the afternoon with little expectation of extraordinary achievement or even satisfaction. Time ticks on, 3:30 comes around, and it's time to do Week 4 Day 1 of the Couch to 5k challenge. "Oh well. Whatever. I'll do it, but I don't have to like it." I pop in my earbuds and head to the gym. I decide that I'm way too moody to watch any silly movie while I run, so I'll just listen to my emo running mix, stare at the wall, and brood. 

Listening to music on shuffle is like inviting the hand of God onto your iPod. I don't know if he's really taking time to make me a running mix, but my mind certainly can put him in there, giving me little messages with each subsequent song. The first song was a Tab Benoit song from a mix from our friend Matt, and has Matt's voice at the beginning saying "Let's go..." It was lighthearted and just good pure steel guitar music. Wonderful for getting the heart pumping. Next was Genesis' Mama, and I was drumming those slow chunky beats in the air as I ran my first short run. Not sure how the next few songs transpired, but U2's Where the Streets Have no Name was definitely in there. Medeski, Martin, and Wood's Let's Go Everywhere came up too, and I almost skipped it, but it reminded me of my kids: "don't forget to call your mama!" Rush's Tom Sawyer got me to the end of the workout, Neal Pert's drumming never ceasing to thrill me, as always.

The two 5-minute runs in this workout were difficult, don't get me wrong. But they were do-able because I was focused on music. I even turned up the speed halfway through each of them, because the music was just pulling me forward. I let the screen go off on my phone at the beginning of the workout, and never turned it back on. I am usually betting myself not to look at the screen, and this time I just didn't care. 

As the after-workout cool down walk was completing, a rockin' song came on. It was Depeche Mode's A Pain that I'm Used To (from their newer album, Playing the Angel). I decided to start the song over at the end of the official workout, and ran three and a half extra minutes to that song before doing another few minutes of cool down. 

So, Week 4 Day 1 complete. I guess being emo can be beneficial sometimes.