Running without music

I went running without music last night. And heard and saw way more than I ever thought I would.

Surprising sights and sounds!

I participated in the IOA Corporate 5K out at Lake Eola Park in Orlando last night. There were about 18,000 other runners out there and the event was a lot of fun. But there was one drawback to so many people crowded into one place. And no, I’m not talking about the porta potty situation. There were plenty of those. No. It was when we were on the street, in our corrals, that the inevitable happened.

My phone was happily streaming iHeart radio when it went suddenly still. Quiet. I tried rebooting, even as I knew time was ticking toward the starting gun. But nothing. Then we realized that, with so many corporate and plugged-in people in one place, the signals just must have been overloaded! So, pouting, I crammed my phone into it’s case on my running belt and tucked my left earbud into my shirt to join its useless brother.

Then the race started and I bopped along to the music provided by the visiting radio stations until we made the first turn. Then, radio silence. Except for sounds I never heard out running by myself and not even during other races.

My breathing, urging me to keep my cadence even and my pace steady. The whoosh of the fountain and the bracingly lovely breeze through the trees. The pounding of so many other runners’ sneakers it sounded like I was running with the bulls. In a good way.

I felt a part of something last night. Of a herd, maybe. It was surprising and fun and I discovered that running without music isn’t the end of the world.

Still, I missed my Maroon 5, Coldplay and Neon Trees…