Some may find it strange that this week’s post is on music and fitness, since I was probably the last one to subscribe to the iPod revolution. Resisting as long as I could, I’d contend that I preferred to listen to the sounds of nature as I ran: the pounding waves of Lake Michigan, the robins and the squirrels, my fellow runners’ occasional grunts of greeting and even more occasional “Good mornings.” From my superior height I looked down on those who perceived everything through little wires attached to their ears, essentially missing out on 90% of the benefit of exercising outside. When my husband gave me an iPod as a gift one year, I took him to task for “not knowing me” well enough to realize that I didn’t want to come within a barge-pole’s length of one of those evil little things. (I know, I know— poor guy).
Well, all this has changed now that I’m pregnant with my second child. Unlike the first time, when I basically wouldn’t have known I was expecting for the first 5 months because everything was so easy and I was happily doing 12-mile runs until a few weeks before delivery, these days it’s difficult even to get my head up off the pillow, let alone drag my bulky, queasy self out the door in 20-degree Chicago weather. Ladies who have experienced morning sickness, you know whereof I speak.
Clearly emergency measures were called for. I dug out and dusted off my maligned iPod, downloaded everything available, and guilted myself outside. And you know what? It worked. Of course, it was no miracle cure, but the music got me out there and kept me from losing my breakfast, and I came back from the run feeling a little bit lighter and slightly more prepared to face the day.
Now that I’m just about over the torturous first trimester hump, I have to admit that I am hooked. Even when I don’t need it, I will bring the iPod on my runs from time to time, listening indiscriminately to whatever’s on there: Prince, Bjork, Terrance Simien, Zeppelin, podcasts of Harry Shearer’s Le Show, even Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou belting out the songs from Sweeney Todd— you name it, I’ll use it. You take your inspiration when you need it, I guess, and however you can get it. To paraphrase the immortal words of the rotund Sam Johnson (who clearly never, ever did a crunch or lifted a single weight),
Life [exercise?] is a pill which none of us can bear to swallow without gilding.
Jeanine Casler lives, writes, and runs in Evanston, Illinois. She would love to hear about what YOU have on your iPod.
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November 28th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Crazy and no-so-crazy jazz, old rock (Stones, Queen, Zeppelin, …), U2, Piazzolla (yeah, not quite for running), … most effective and, a virtual killer of your recovery pace - U2 drums!
December 1st, 2008 at 1:16 am
Cavo Paradiso 05 (reminds me of my first summer in Greece), The Best of Blondie (my favorite album of all time), Animotion, Beck, Black Stone Cherry, Blossom Dearie (She is how old? Love her!), Rob Zombie (the perfect compliment to Blossom), The Cars, Cesaria Evora (I don’t know what she is saying and that is half of the beauty), The Cult, Hall & Oates, David Bowie, The Doors, Electric Light Orchestra, The Fixx, Foreigner (Waiting for a Girl Like You), Golden Earing, Grace Jones (give me that bumper Grace), Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, Peter Bjorn and John, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, Scissor Sisters, Shirley Horn (she makes me cry everytime), Simply Red, Talking Heads, Tears For Fears, Van Halen (1984, I am sooo hot for teacher!) and Wolfgang Amadeus.
That is just to name a few.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:50 am
The soundtrack to the British version of Queer as Folk is perfect for running, especially the mixed side with its relentless bass. I also just added ABBA’s Number Ones to my iPod. i find that there ain’t nothing that a “man after midnight” can’t fix.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Thanks, guys. Jamie, I agree that Shirley Horn is the Queen! Will have to check out Blossom now and add her to my mix. . .
December 28th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I’m not pregnant but … Among many others, Teenage Fanclub, Joan As Policewoman (check ‘em out; you might like it), Johnny Cash, Prokofiev, Louis Jordan (good for running, I’ll warrant), Steve Earle. Hope you have a happy pregnancy. I’m enjoying the column.
January 14th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
[…] you’re suited-up, grab the iPOD (loaded with the latest episodes of Le Show and Wait Wait. . . Don’t Tell Me!), and you’re out […]
October 19th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
[…] running for a few miles, lulled into a fitness trance by the restful, soothing voice of John Legend on my iPOD, my response would be suitably mellow; perhaps I’d smile beatifically and wave, or flash the […]