Toronto Mike

My Offline Challenge: Week Six

running

We just ran for five minutes followed by one minute of walking.  We did this for about 3km.  This week six synopsis is about gear and tunes.

Gear: You can tell the semi-pro runners by their gear.  They have those running pants and the proper attire, but it looks worn.  They've done this before, and why they're in the "Learn to Run" clinic is beyond me.

Then there's the noobs who just want to look the part.  They are learning to run, and they've got the gear to make sure they look like runners.  They're wearing those running pants and proper attire, but it looks brand new like it just came off the shelf.  It looks that way, because that's the way it is.

As for me, I throw on the same pair of jogging pants I paint in and a tee shirt, pilled fleece and my new Winners-bought wind breaker.  The only appropriate gear I wear are my new Brooks running shoes.  I don't look as salty as the vets or as trendy as the noobs, but I'll be kicking Hazel's ass next month nonetheless.

Tunes: As I wrote last week, the secret to running is singing.  I've been doing this all week and it's fantastic.  The singing has respiratory benefits, but it also distracts you from the fact you're running and the time just flies by.

The hard part is agreeing on what tune you'll be singing with the group.  Last week we settled on Blue Rodeo and on Sunday we went with Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone", my guilty pleasure of 2005.  Today we wavered between Bryan Adams, GNR and Poison.

I've suggested we debate the song options via email before our runs.  It all goes a great deal smoother when you're in sync with the song selection.  I'm pushing for Pearl Jam, but I'll settle for less.  When you run in a group, it's all about compromise.

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