Slow run; too much rhythm

I generally don't like running with music. There are actually a couple of reasons for this, most of which could be considered practical, and all of which I think I could convince you were valid.

The first is that when you're listening to music, you lose part of the connection to your environment. In practical terms, this means that you're much less likely to hear that truck that's about to run you over. But perhaps on a more ethereal level, I like running because I like being outside and taking everything in -- what I can see, what I can smell, what I can hear. And I've found that it's much more interconnected than I would have expected -- disrupting one sensory input seems to disrupt the others. The headspace is just different or something.

But I'm doing a lot more miles because of the training for the half-marathon, and those miles tend to be on the road and done on my own because I'm unemployed and starting the runs from the house. And as much as I like running and moving and being outside, given the number of miles I'm doing these days, and the roads, and the running alone thing, I hate to say it, but the runs can get a little tedious (not to mention that it's winter so often enough, it's landscapes of gray and grayer).

So I figured I'd try running with headphones again.

Now, the other problem I have with running with music is that it throws off my rhythm. I tried it once before, a long time ago, and my stride was all over the map. I follow the music. Or rather, my body wants to follow the music, but more often than not, the music doesn't want to be followed. At least on a run. But I've been running for a lot longer now and I have a better sense of pace, so I was hoping that it wouldn't be a problem.

Anyway, I tried to do this on a long run yesterday (7.8 miles), but as luck would have it, the battery in my MP3 player died just as I hit the bottom of the hill. (maybe 300 yards from the house) I should note that for the short time that I had music, it seemed pretty good. I got through maybe half of "1000 dollar car" by the Bottle Rockets before it died, a song with a nice slow tempo, and it didn't seem to throw off my stride at all. And on a cold day (like just about every other day recently), it was good to have a melody and rhythm to get me moving.

So today I figured I'd do a SLOW and EASY run, so I picked a 5-1/2 mile loop, put on the headphones and headed off.

Here's the playlist:

1000 Dollar car - the Bottle Rocks (4:46)
Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers (3:22)
Plenty - Guru w/ Erykah Badu (4:38)
Conjunction Junction - Schoolhouse Rock (2:59)
Deadweight - Beck (6:13)
Do Your Thing - Basement Jaxx (4:41)
Two Way Action - Andrew Bird (4:43)
That Don't Impress Me Much (Dance mix) - Shania Twain (4:28)
She Don't Use Jelly - Ben Folds Five (4:13)
Rock Lobster - B-52s (4:54)
Love Shack - B-52s (5:22)

I should note that our house is on a hill, so any run I do is, by default, a hill run. And then the area around us is also essentially on a hill, so the geography kinda looks like a stretched out, lopsided bundt cake pan. Anyway, I head out down the hill to "1000 Dollar Car" again, and it's feeling pretty good -- a nice slow song as a warm up for my nice slow run. It's supposed to be an easy day after all. Turning the corner, it's still downhill but the grade is lower, and it's the Chili Peppers' version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground." It's got a faster pace, but it's ok, I can kind of manage striding half-time. It's not quite right, but it's manageable, and I'm concentrating on going at my own pace rather being controlled by the music.

The first sign of trouble is on "Plenty." I can feel that I've picked up the tempo, even as I turn the corner and the grade flattens out. But it feels good to run with the music, it's like I've found a slipstream and it's practically carrying me along. During the next mile or so, and the next two songs, I feel like things are somewhat back under control: I bring the tempo down, and am going at more or less my own pace (although probably still a bit quicker than I would have liked, but ok), turning the next corner and starting the first of the long uphill sections of the run.

And then all is lost: "Do your thing," Basement Jaxx. I thought I was strong. I thought I could handle it. I try to hold my pace, but the driving beat proves too much for me. BOOM, BANG, BOOM BANG-BANG. Stride, stride, stride-step-step. I must look like an idiot bounding up this hill like some crazy cartoon character. step - step - tri-ple-step And in my head, I'm following the magic bus, shooting rainbows and cellophane stars. Mile three of my slow easy run, and I'm striding, leaping, bounding UP THIS HILL. I'm feeling good, the musical slip-stream pulling me along, and it's easy, and my legs are... tiring. I notice... my breathing. Funny how quickly these things catch up with you.

Next corner, new song, new hills. The tempo is all wrong. I'm trying to establish a rhythm to get up the next hill, to get some momentum, but the music is now getting in the way. Can you - hey - move over th' - *exhale* - got to ge' - leg, move... It's a struggle to get back. There's an easy downhill towards the end and I recover a bit. It's also a bit warmer here, catching the last of the afternoon sun (what there is of it), and finally with the wind at my back (Did I mention that it was windy? And somehow, it was a headwind for almost the entire way except for this one stretch.) as "She Don't Use Jelly" ends and I pick up "Rock Lobster" for the home stretch. The Lobster has some drive and it helps me get up the beginning of the last hill, but it ends just as I'm in the thick of things and the "Love Shack" followup just takes the wind out of my sails. The last push to the house is a struggle.

5-1/2 miles, planning to run 9-minute miles. I end up with sections where I was running sub-8s. Whoops.

Maybe I should save the headphones for fartleks. We'll see, I'll probably give it another couple of tries.