Random thoughts on noise and shoes. Yes, this is related. I am a moving mediator and I enjoy noise on my morning runs or bike rides but I don’t like headphones. Music has a purpose indoors… in a gym… on a treadmill… where it is really boring to spend an hour running and motivation is required.
So, for those of you that enjoy the outdoors you probably already get where I’m going with this. If you are a headphone junkie then what I speak of is the noise of nature. Birds, water, wind, and so much more. Beautiful sounds that you miss while blasting music. I love good workout music, especially if it’s a hair band from the 80’s, but I find that when listening to music outdoors all my other senses become dull. Even the view is not as vibrant. Now, for those of you that need the tunes to stay motivated when out there pounding the pavement, more power to you, keep at it.
But today I found a noise I never noticed before. New shoes, which is very different from shoes that have been broken in and well worn. I was excited to hit the road this weekend with my new shoes as it was far overdue (My shoe of choice is Brooks Adrenaline GTS from Fleet Feet, I like supporting local stores). I should have taken a picture of the missing tread on my old shoes because it was impressive, but that is something serious runners should never see, therefore, in case any of those people are reading this I am sparing them the horror of seeing such a thing. I’m not a serious runner so if you are, cover your ears before reading this… it’s been almost a year since I replaced my shoes! Shameful, I know! So, as I began walking in my very favorite place in Tucson, Sabino Canyon, I quickly noticed the noise the fresh tread on my shoes was making on the pavement. Probably because I had not heard that noise in far too long. It made my gait more and more rhythmic as I listened to it. And I thought about how grateful I was to be able to hear that noise with my ears, that I had capable feet and legs to make that noise. It reminded me of how much I love the sound of the carbon wheels on my bike, a beautiful light buzzing noise, an unmistakable sound that comes only from a carbon wheel and you know what it is when you hear it even before you see it. Yes, sometimes simple things amuse and inspire me. So I took a video to share in the joy of my shoe noise with you.
On a separate note, I’m pretty sure that new shoes make you faster, if even for a day, because I had a PR of 9:26 in mile 6. Full disclosure… it was downhill and I realized mid mile that I was slowly catching two women who were jogging. I had to pass them and then put some distance between us so they would not catch me, so I had extra help and inspiration. Not only did I PR, but I caught someone while running, I often pass people walking (when I’m walking) but while running? That never happens!
So I was pretty proud of myself, and entertained by the sound of my shoes. Oh yeah, and if you listen closely to the video there are also some birds, usually my favorite noise but I was more impressed with my shoes that day.
What are your favorite noises while outdoors? How often do you replace your shoes? I hope you are better at that than me because I should be in runner jail for how long I let that go. If you do use headphones, what are your tunes of choice?
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