Dusted off my Brooks running shoes (Ariel model shown here - they are simply the bomb - yes, i said it, the bomb - for flat footers like me) and ran for the first time this weekend in almost a year since the first trimester. Went with my neighbor Mimi who is also a new mom to 4-mo old remy. It felt so refreshing to get out and feel the air on my face and get my legs moving..... all with the compact window of freedom sans bebe (sorry baby!). I do look forward to running with Colin at some point when his neck can withstand the rough and tumble.Post-partum running was not particularly painful or tiring. The troubling thing was a weird feeling in my belly. It felt unsupported and somewhat floppy. Then there were my legs. They just were not moving as fast as my brain envisioned. But that was a consequence of long under-use, not post-partum.
We did about a 1.5 mile loop close to our home. Today, I felt adventurous and did a longer 5 mile loop with a mid-point stop at the library.
Today's run was boosted with my new shiny little silver i-pod shuffle.
Plus this was my fourth ipod in 3 years, one was on the fritz, the other lost on a business trip and the 3rd too bulky with video screen. Since i got used to always running with my on-the-fritz nano i was skeptical of the skimpy looking shuffle. but less is indeed MORE.
It's an amazingly tiny & weightless mp3 player. tiny, but gigantic in storage. 4 gb holds 1,000 songs. I clipped it to my shirt. So light you might toss it into the washer if you're not paying attention. So tiny it does not have a screen. But who needs one when you're running? You can have the shuffle read through your playlists so you can choose which one you want to play.
Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie serenaded me & my run today with their latest album Narrow Stairs. At the end of each album, a nondescript gentleman with a soothing voice kindly recites each track's song title and the names of each band member and who mixed each song in which studio. A little more detail than I need, but still a nice touch.
Speaking of Death Cab, I also got their latest re-issued album, their very first, Something About Airplanes At first it sounded thin, somewhat college garage band-like, but it's actually very interesting to hear their early sound and how it progressed to their current state.
Adrian & I were able to catch them playing at the Bridge School benefit last year. My favorite music show yet. Among others: Band of Horses, Cat Power, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, Sarah McLachlan, Wilco, Neil Young.
