Empathy for Orpheus

Got home this afternoon and had time to get some stuff together before it was off to go teach at 5. Got out at 8 and headed to the ARC for a hamster wheel workout.

I didn't bring my iPod so I had to settle for a zen-style workout in a style described on a certain running blog last week. I focused on a set of six cinder blocks in the wall and tried to block out everything save the sound of one hand clapping. Any thoughts drifting into my head were clouds blocking the sun which I would then move along by just blowing them away. There were some sunny patches, but there were some seriously overcast spells as well. The hardest part is refraining from looking at the time and mileage on the machine. The easy way would be to just drape a towel over the machine, but I tested myself to see how long I could avert my gaze. I had 4 looks in 7.5 miles, and then just indulged myself for the last mile watching the odometer turn every hundredth of a mile.

I thought about poor Orpheus who went to get his love Euridyce out of Hades. He was instructed to walk back up to Earth from the Underworld and Euridyce would follow, but if he turned around to check on her he would lose her. Needless to say he looked. After tonight I could see why; I would have lost her four times today.

8 1/2 in 60.24.