Running with Moe May 2

I was trying out my treadmill this week to see if it still worked.  It was purchased years ago at a very good price and thought that on cold and rainy days I would use it to stay in shape.  I found out that running 20 minutes on a treadmill is worse than running a four hour marathon.  It is the same for stationary bikes.  I can go for a three hour ride in the country side but my limit is just under 20 minutes on a stationary bike.  A friend said I need to get a sound system to run to.  He was willing to set me up with a blue tooth thing and said it will make it much easier to run on the treadmill.

I hesitated at his suggestion as my experience with music while running has not been the best.  A long time ago the first set of ear plugs were like hearing protectors that workers use around jet planes.  They had built in antennas that made you turn your head from side to side to pick up the best reception.  If you have tried to run with your head turned to the left or right while trying to run a straight line you can get some idea of what those first music providers were like.   

As technology improved and the tiny inserts fit inside your ear it made listening to music much more comfortable.  You could carry the small cell phone, or MP3 player, in your hand, or put on a pouch to carry it in.  Keeping up with trends the shirt manufactures sewed a small pocket into the shirt to carry a cell phone or music player.  I never ordered a shirt like that for any of my races but I can imagine it would be a popular race shirt for the runners.

The other problem with listening to music while on a run is the selection of songs to play while you run. I personally like the old country western music, but most of these songs are not set to a runners pace.  Even at the gym lifting weights the music is more upbeat and faster.  Waltzes, slow love songs, and classic music with a big orchestra is not heard that much in work out scenes.  I imagine if I went through my collection of albums I could come up with enough songs to get past that 20 minute mark I have trouble with.  I guess I can add that to my bucket list of making a song collection that I can use on a treadmill.  Thinking as a retired person that item will probably be at the bottom of the list. 

My problem with trying out listening to music while on a run is that I concentrated so much on my breathing, pace, and how my body was reacting, that I never really heard the music playing in my ear.  I finally gave up on trying to be up to date with the latest running technology and focused on plain old running for running’s sake.   

Now that I am a senior citizen, and more of a walker-runner type, the suggestion that listening to music might be the motivation I need to put time in longer than 20 minutes on that treadmill.  I may be slower, but I still try to listen to my breathing, effort, and pace when I run. I find myself looking at the clock that shows how many minutes I have run.  It takes a major effort to last 20 minutes.  Old habits are hard to shake, I guess.   

I have not tried watching television programs, or a movie, while putting in time on a treadmill. Some people say that it is much easier to put in the time and miles watching a program on a video screen.  I imagine it is easier to “lose yourself” watching a movie, and concentrating on a plot or something, than listening to music. But, as long as the weather is nice I will have to wait for a while before I try something to motivate me to trying the treadmill again.

I think I could do the walking treadmill system when working at a desk.  With research mentioning the health problems associated with too much sitting I think working while walking would be something to try.  There have been systems where the worker has an elevated computer and can work standing up.  This is another thing I find hard to do.  Standing still and not moving is hard for me.  I can walk and move the feet much easier than I can standing in one place.  Walking at least moves the blood through the legs and keeps the heart rate a little higher than a resting rate.  With a better blood flow through the body it seems the brain works much better.  Fewer mistakes, more creative ideas, and more production seems to be better while moving. 

I am not sure how I can set the system up, but I started thinking if there was some way to put my computer on my treadmill, set the speed for a comfortable pace, and try typing the weekly article while walking.  I know that writing an article will get me well past that 20 minute mark. If that ever happens you can bet there will be an article about it.  Just don’t look for that article next week.