I went for a run in preparation for my upcoming 5k race yesterday. I call it a run because that is common parlance. In reality, what I do is more of a jog or if you ask my husband, a “slow jog”, so slow in fact, that he considers it akin to his “fast walk”. Fair enough, I say. After all, he does have a few inches on me, thereby justifying the longer legs and longer strides. Seriously, that man could run a marathon tomorrow without breaking a sweat and without any training whatsoever!
There are some people who love working out and live for their morning runs. I am not one of those people. I could very well do without running or jogging for the rest of my life. In fact, if I was my ideal weight, I wouldn’t exercise a day in my life. Problem is, I do enjoy jogging or even working out once I actually get going. It is the getting going part that takes effort.
So, on my jog today, I decided to do something different. I decided to focus on my thoughts. As I started to do that and after transcribing them below, I realized that my thoughts aren’t quite as random as I had previously thought. They are all connected in their randomness. It’s as if all my thoughts have this amazing mnemonic quality to them. How cool!
Here’s my transcript:
Warm up – Walk
Airlift – Soch Na Sake
This is nice. It is so cold. I love it. I think it’s going to be really hot today. This is nice though. It’s still dark outside. I like doing this. Wish I could do this more often. Of course I can do this often. Everyday, if I choose to. Everyone is still asleep. What a beautiful song! I love the male singer’s voice. So calming. I wonder if TJ is awake yet. If he is, Aaron will take care of him. I just hope E isn’t up. That’s okay though. She’ll just go right back to sleep. I hope.
Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass
Here we go. I need to keep up my energy. Pace myself. Slow and steady. I was able to jog other races, I should be able to do this one. Of course I am 19 pounds heavier. Maybe that’s why my knees hurt. Carrying all that extra weight. Last time, I was able to jog up to the entrance of the Trail. I should exert myself more today and go further.
Hmm…This is a catchy song. TJ loved this song as a baby. He even ate to this song. It took grandpa to figure out she was saying “treble” and not trouble. I didn’t even think to dissect the lyrics. What an anthem for girls like me. How much longer should I jog? Not tired but happy I am doing well.
Meghan Trainor may be whatever size she is but she is rich. Would I worry about my weight if I was a rich celebrity? What if my celebrity was based on my weight and my fans were my fans because of my weight? Would I still try to lose weight then?
That Melissa McCarthy, what a girl! I like her. She’s lost a lot of weight recently. Wonder if her fans liked her because they could relate to her weight wise or because they really liked her acting? Would I have said the same thing about Julia Roberts? Hmm..she played that woman in Eat, Pray, Love. Damn it, I should write something like that. What’s so hard about traveling to all those places and then writing about it? Am I jealous? Of course I am. I do like her new book though. $#$& it’s due at the library tomorrow. I better finish reading it before then. I guess I could always renew it.
C’mon music, change soon. I need a soundtrack to run to. How long is my gap between songs? Maybe I can change that.
American Authors – Best Day of My Life
Oh what a perfect song to run to! I like this song. I should create a family video with this song as the background to J and E’s births. I guess that would be two best days of my life. Were they though? They were great and all for obvious reasons but what was the best day of my life? Do I have one? Do I have more than one? I think it’s the latter. I think I have a lot of great days. I am beginning to get tired. Oh here we are. I can see the entrance to the Trail. Almost there. Don’t stop now. Keep going.
Michael Jackson – Beat It!
This is good. I am still going strong. I like that it is cold. Makes me less tired. Bill (my one time running coach) once said that the perfect running weather was 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Wonder what the actual temperature is right now. Damn, that 5k starts at 7:30 a.m. It’ll get really hot when I am right in the midst of it. I just don’t want to stop. As long as I am able to continuously jog, no matter how slow, I’ll be proud of myself.
Oh Michael, why did you leave us? Wonder what new music he would have made had he still been alive. So talented. Some of my favorite songs are his. Oh these are cool lyrics.
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
I start singing “Just beat it” aloud but stop when I see an old couple walking within earshot.
Okay, I can’t go about singing loudly. Maybe when no one’s around.
Meghan Trainor – Better When I Am Dancin’
I am beginning to get really tired now. I have been running over a mile and a half. I feel like I should stop but know I could go on so I push myself just as these lyrics hit my ears.
Don’t think about it
Just move your body
Listen to the music…
…Show the world you’ve got that fire
Feel the rhythm getting louder
Oh yeah…I can do this. What song is this? I should really check what songs I put on my playlist. I should consciously create a workout playlist but this is good too. I didn’t even think of this random collection of songs but they are turning out to be really good. Refreshing. Oh but I am tired. I think I may stop soon. Let me keep going just a little longer…perfect lyrics, meant for me.
The song continues…
But I feel better when I’m dancing, yeah, yeah
What? No, I am not dancing. I wish I was dancing. Oh the singer just betrayed me. I thought this was just a motivational song but it is about dancing. Oh well..you’re right singer (I didn’t know who the singer was), I do feel better when I am dancing. It doesn’t feel like a workout. I should look into Zumba classes. I loved Zumba and WERQ. Over 600 calories in 1 hour! Oh back in the day when I could…sigh…keep moving. Don’t give up now.
Shortly after the conclusion of this song and after the next one had begun, I stopped jogging. I did sprints for about a little less than a quarter of a mile and then got cramps from all the actual running which forced me to walk. It was time to head home anyway.
I started jogging again after some time as I listened to Calvin Harris’s This is What, Capital Cities’s One Minute More, and Charlie Pluto’s One Call Away. I especially enjoyed David Guetta’s Hey Mama (don’t care for the lyrics which have tremendous innuendo but boy! you’ve gotta love the rhythm), and Demi Lovato’s Confident was perfect as I neared home.
Finally, 40 minutes later, as I approached the rows of homes leading to my own, Ed Sheeran‘s brilliant song, ‘Photograph‘ started playing, I couldn’t have picked a more perfect song to remind (not that I needed a reminder) me of my family, of the three amazing people who make me strong every day, who love me so unconditionally, and who were waiting for me to come home.
One thing I definitely realized after this jog: I unequivocally think in English. Not Konkani, my mother tongue; not Hindi or Marathi or Kannada or Tulu or Japanese. English. I have suspected this for a while but now I have proof.
What songs do you like to workout/run/jog to? Or, do you prefer quiet?