A Perfect Run

I left the house before the sun was up this morning with a longish run planned. If I leave here and head towards the downtown area, I will be running almost all downhill. It's not a scenic route, there are many stoplights, lots of traffic, but very few pedestrians, so I can have the sidewalk all to myself, especially at 6am.

One of my shoes felt a little tight and I debated stopping to re-lace it, but decided not to, and I finally just forgot about it. I think it was one of those mental run delays that can go on and on if you let them. Oh - I just realized today (after reading about it in Runner's World) that my Asics have an off-center lacing pattern. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer here.

The route I chose takes me past the college, the psych hospital, two shopping malls, and two coffee shops. I'm not sure why I have never taken cash to stop for coffee at my half way point, but I might start doing that occasionally. I feel like I'm cheating myself if I stop though.

Some days I use my Nike+ sports music tracks on my iPod to do intervals for endurance or speed, but this morning I played HipHop (mostly.) It's mindless music that has a good beat for me and it made the time pass quickly. This is the playlist:

Right Now - Akon
Circus - Britney Spears
American Boy - Estelle
Burnin' Up - Jonas Bros.
All Summer Long - Kid Rock
When I Grow Up - Pussy Cat Dolls
Disturbia - Rhianna
Cinderella Under the Umbrella - Rhianna (and that skank Chris Brown)
Cry for You - September
Corona and Lime - Schwaze
Crank Dat - Soulja Boy
Dangerous - Akon and Kardinal Offishal
Don't Cha - Pussy Cat Dolls
Move Ya Body - Nina Sky
Love Lockdown - Kanye West
Go Hard - DJ Khaled
Wait a Minute - Pussy Cat Dolls
Belly Dancer - Akon
Shut Up and Let Me Go - Ting Tings

I admit to not being able to run the entire hill back home - I took one minute walk breaks when my heart rate got too high, but I think it will only be a few weeks before I can conquer it. I haven't been doing many hills over the winter.

It's a bright sunny day - I feel fantastic - and life is good.