iPhone

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In with a roar

I won’t begin to tell you everything about my New Year’s eve and New Year’s day!  Let’s just say it was spent chasing a lost iPhone 30 miles and then giving up on the chase.  That was the 31st at 9:00 PM.  Then on the 1st we were contacted about the fact someone had it (I assume the same people) and we drove another 30 miles to retrieve it.  Thanks Apple for allowing me to lock the phone (my kid’s phone) remotely so it was bricked and unusable until it was returned.

Also on the 1st, my second youngest woke me up feeling sick.  After a visit to the doc-in-the-box, I found out he had strep, a fever and was, well, sick.  This was first thing in the morning.  The iPhone retrieval was early afternoon.

Then an unusual trip to the store.  We picked up some items for a cookout and on the way home there were about 30 people looking at a house.  Hmmm.  I slowly went past as to not hit anyone wandering into the street.  It looked like a tree had fallen on part of a house and a guy was outside sitting in a chair on the front lawn not looking good.  We went on ahead as it seemed there were plenty of people to handle the situation.  It wasn’t until later last night that I found out a plane had crashed into that house and that guy in the chair was the pilot.  I’m glad no one was hurt, but we must have missed seeing it by a couple of minutes.  There weren’t even emergency vehicles there when we passed by.

So that was the my end of 2013 and beginning of 2014.

Oh, and I ran.  I was able to run 27 miles from Christmas Eve to New Years Eve.  Not bad considering all my issues lately.

2014 has been a busy year so far…  A found iPhone, a sick kid and a plane crash a half mile from my home.

Bring it on!

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My iPhone is hurting my running

Okay, what am I talking about.

Really it is me, not my iPhone.

I think too much!  My mind is constantly thinking, analyzing and running and just doesn’t stop.  This is something I didn’t realize until I started running, especially my long runs.

As I run, I am constantly thinking.  It didn’t used to be that bad.  But lately I think about EVERYTHING regarding my run.

  • Where am I going?
  • How far will I be running?
  • How am I feeling?
  • Am I running too fast?
  • Am I running too slow?

Yesterday I tried an experiment.  I’ve talked about this before on my blog some, but I wanted to really put this into practice.  I really wanted miles yesterday.  I took off Monday. Tuesday I ran 2 miles.  Yes, 2 miles.  Tons of things got in the way of my run.  I finally got out and started way too fast.  Then as I was at the 1 mile mark, I got a warning that serious storms were coming.  So I stopped and just couldn’t get started again.

So, yesterday it was important to me to not only do my run, but try to make up for some of Tuesday’s miles.  I left my house and began to run.  I thought about how I was feeling, would I be able to run further, was I starting out too fast, etc.

Finally I just stopped thinking and began running.  I started looking at the trees, grass, houses.  I ran at what ever pace I felt good.  I ignored my pace, I ignored how far I went, I ignored everything.

I ran.

It was great.  I ended up running over 9 miles.  The most weekday miles in one run ever.  At mile seven I started getting thirsty, but I kept going.  It was cooler, which really helped.

It was awesome.

Okay, how does my iPhone hurt my running?  I didn’t start my constant thinking until I got my iPhone.  I notice that I am always looking at it.  I pull it out at stop lights.  I look at it during meetings.  I am constantly distracted by it.  My mind never stops.  It doesn’t even stop at night.  I wake up in the middle of the night and my mind is reeling.  Moving at the speed of light.

So I am going to try to ween myself from my phone.  I need it, but I am going to try to no look at it as much.  I am going to try to stop the distractions, the bombardment of all that is happening in virtual world.

Funny, but I would not have put two and two together without my need to be able to run far.  To be able to get into the zone.  To be able to not think.  I never thought I would say that I don’t want to think.

I need a break from my mind.  I am starting with my iPhone.