Running in the dark

This evening past I went out running and as usual dilly-dallied midway through, stopping for Bodo's soups at the Corner and all, such that my return home (3.5 miles, roughly) was completely in the dark.

I don't know how many times I've told myself to wear a lighted cap when I leave after 4:30 p.m. but it doesn't matter, I never do.

Same holds true for a reflective jacket.

Anyway, it was such a beautiful day here in Podunkville — high of 73°, clear and sunny — that even at 5:30 p.m. or so it was still in the 60s so I was perfectly comfortable in T-shirt and shorts.

Just for a change, seeing as I wasn't cold and sweaty and tired and hungry and miserable — the usual default setting for the loop back home — I decided to try running sans iPod shuffle blasting music at 10/10 volume into my fantastic RHA MA-350 earphones [top], which form such a tight (and comfortable) seal NO ambient sound can be heard.

What a revelation.

Not the ability to actually hear what was going on around me and my foot strikes, though that was different; no, what amazed and delighted me was how much better my vision was without the deafening music occupying whatever neuronal processing is required to make all that volume happen.

I felt far more sure footed and safe on the cracked and uneven sidewalks that are pretty much par for the course around here, and realized that my awareness of traffic was way better.

From now on I'm gonna try not to listen to music when running after dark: I think this practice is far more likely to extend my healthy lifespan than Kurzweil's Singularity and its consequences.

But I could be wrong and end up flattened by a truck tomorrow, having heard every approaching groan and rumble before I slipped and fell under its oncoming tires.

You just never know.