My morning started out stressful but turned out pretty great. Let me explain.

I’m in the middle of listening to an interesting book on my iPod titled Special Topics in Calamity Physics (Unabridged) by Marisha Pessl. The title makes it sound like an academic book, but it’s actually fiction and has a compelling storyline (no physics whatsoever). I love listening to audio books when I exercise outside (walking, biking, running, etc.) because I get lost in the story and enjoy the fresh air and I find the combination makes my cardio workout fly by! Depending on how good the story is, I’ve been known to extend my workouts much longer than planned, so having an audio book really helps my fitness.

Now, you can see why I was flummoxed this morning as I was getting ready to head out for a run and realized that Jason accidentally took my iPod to work. We have matching iPods so it gets confusing, and I certainly don’t blame him for the mix up since I’d left mine by his bag. I tried to remedy the situation by digging out my ancient, and by ancient I mean extinct, mp3 player. I thought I might be able to transfer my iTunes files to the old player, but no such luck! After spending way too long trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, I gave up and headed outside for my workout sans audiobook. Bah, humbug!

I was so peeved that I’d wasted so much time tinkering with my old mp3 player that I ended up running at a pretty fast pace, surprisingly energized by the fumes of my annoyance! Once I realized I was moving in a good groove, I decided to take my already unusual workout a step further and run down some roads I’d never explored before. I realized a long time ago that there are random days when the planets align just right and you get in a groove, harmonizing with your workout. When you find yourself having one of these days and you feel unusually light on your feet – just go with it! So, I went with it!

One road led to another, led to another, led to another, and before I knew it I’d stumbled upon a beautiful country road that I’d never seen before! The road wound around a giant lake and the shore was sprinkled with giant houses, more like estates, all along the water. I love finding new roads with cool houses to check out! You can take in more details when you walk or run by a beautiful house than if you drive by it. It’s an intimate experience to observe all the details of someone else’s property; it’s almost voyeuristic. When you exercise outside, you only get one “first time” down a new road, and, to me, it always feels like I’ve discovered a new land, an enchanted world, a Narnia of sorts. The next time I head down the same road I’ll probably be thinking of it in terms of mileage, which takes some of the enchantment away.

I didn’t have my crutch, my audio book, to guide me through my workout today but I ended up having a unique and meaningful experience. My body felt strong and capable, the sun and fresh air were invigorating, and the beauty of the nature around me was intoxicating. Sure, I’m going to make darn sure I get my iPod back before my next workout so I can get back to my book, but I guess if I had to find a moral to this story it would be that sometimes an unsolicited and un-welcomed change in your routine is actually opportunity for growth. Maybe next time I won’t put up such a fight before I give into the opportunity.