Zen and How I Ditched the iPod

I used to love listening to my iPhone while running. SomaFM.com's Secret Agent, This American Life Episodes and when I needed a little push I'd listen to Military Cadences. Then came Heartbreak Ridge. Running deeper into the canyon I lost my cell service. Secret Agent was off. I didn't want to fiddle with my phone so I left it off.

There's a breathing exercise I like to do to relax. The basic idea is that you focus on your breathing. If your mind wanders you push it back to the breathing. With the music off I found myself listening to my breathing. I had this little patterns that would develop and evolve. Out Out Out-Innnnnn, Out Out Out, IN! Like that over and over. Sometimes the pattern would invert so the In would be the rhythmic part. The miles started to pass and as long as the pattern was there I was running a fairly consistent pace.

I walked the turn around. It gave me a chance to fire up the iPod. I started the military cadences. It was, after all, on a Marine Base (don't tell the Marines I was listening to a Navy Seal Cadence). But the iPod distracted me. I couldn't hear my breathing. The zen was lost.

I killed it. The headphones were stowed and I went back to my breathing exercise.

Now I leave the phone at home. An added bonus is that nobody call me during my run.