Sound of music

Pre-workout eats: Kashi Island Vanilla with sliced banana and 1% milk
Workout: Ran 4.35 miles; average pace, 9:18.

It seemed like such a good idea. For my first solo run in two weeks, I'd bring along my iPod. It would keep me company and help distract me if I felt tired or uninspired. A slower music selection, too, could help keep me at a comfortable pace as to prevent at least the tired part of my worries.

But, oh, the ideas that seem so good - and so easy - to execute never are.

My music was on my old laptop, not the new one (named Dexter, if you care). I spent a chunk of my evening yesterday transferring files, renaming stuff in iTunes and dreaming of a gift card to purchase new songs. I was conscious to make sure my iPod was sufficiently charged so it would be ready to go, as well.

So this morning, when I laced up my sneakers and snapped on my Road ID, I was pumped. I was going to listen to the "Crazy Heart" soundtrack, zone out and run on.

Yeah ... about that ... I uploaded songs to iTunes but never saved them on my computer. No Jeff Bridges for me. It would be Alanis Morisette, AFI, Destiny's Child and Tyrone Wells - talk about an odd mix - for me. But it would work. It would, I say!

I put in my ear buds, started with Tyrone Wells and set off. For a quarter mile. Stop; adjust ear buds. Another quarter mile. Stop; adjust ear buds. Just after the mile mark, I got frustrated and said enough. I took out the ear buds, stuffed the iPod in my pocket and was ready to go.

Until ...

Until I realized that if I disconnected the buds that I could still hear the music. I didn't know iPod nanos had built in speakers but mine does. Score!

The rest of the run was pretty good. I went nearly 2 miles without stopping, which doesn't happen often anymore, and I felt decent enough the whole time. Double score!

Do you take your iPod on runs? What's your favorite music to listen to?