Chicago v 2.0

Hey there faithful reader. How are you? I know, I know, it's been a while, but the Chicago marathon is right around the corner, so I've been running a lot. Welcome back. Oh and you first-time reader in the back of the class? Welcome to you too. I might warn you that I have a tendancy to be a bit non-linear. If I get too tangential for you, just wave something shiny in front of me. Much like a squirrel, shiny things usually seem to grab my attention.

Oh, speaking of squirrels, did I ever tell you how I got a pre-marathon massage about this time last year, and get this... the massage therapist cut the massage five minutes short. She told me I was too "squirrely" to finish the massage. Now, to her credit, she's absolutely right. I totally get all squirrely when people touch me.

*reader frantically waves shiny object in the air to get Mateo back on task*

Oh thanks. Seriously though. I'm a complete spaz tonight. Fine. I'm a bigger spaz than NORMAL tonight. Like I said, the marathon is this weekend - T minus five days and counting - so I have about sixteen bajillion and four random thoughts flying through my head right now. Granted, it certainly doesn't help that I'm listening to trance music to decide what is going to make the "Mateo Chicago Marathon 2005 cut" on my MP3 player. I know what you're thinking, but when it comes to running, my music selection is CRITICAL.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not talking that my music selection is "Holy cats, if I don't pick out the absolutely perfect marathon running songs, I'm going to die" kind of critical... I'm talking more like... "Holy cats, if I don't pick out the absolutely perfect marathon running songs, THE WHOLE WORLD IS GOING TO DIE" kind of critical. That's how much music is a part of my running. For me, running without music is like running without water. I suppose it could be done, but I'm not going to risk it. If you want to try it, knock your bad self out.

Every year, I also pick one song to be THE SONG of the marathon. Typically, it's got a killer driving beat, which just makes me want to run forever. I usually stumble upon it randomly, but I know instantly. Much like a bad head cold, it's one of those songs that you can't shake for weeks, no matter how much orange juice you drink. Now, I know this sounds like crazy talk, but this year, I think I might have actually found not only THE SONG of the marathon, but perhaps THE ALBUM of the marathon.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you... Mateo's 2005 marathon album pick of the year. "The Understanding" by Röyksopp. Weird name, delicious music. You can hear album cuts and even watch the video for the song "49 Percent" at www.royksopp.com. Now let's get one thing perfectly clear, even with the internet downloadfest going on out there, I'm a big believer of always buying the actual album. If you like what you hear, go out and buy the album. You can spare the $15. What does fifteen dollars buy you these days anyway? A gallon and a half of gas? These poor artists are trying to make a living just like you and I are.

Well, now you know I'll be running 26.2 miles to. I'm sure some of you love it, some of you will hate it. Some of you hate it before even giving it a listen. Just like brussel sprouts, I'm just asking that you taste it before you turn up your nose. Maybe it will inspire you to run, too.

Oh, and speaking of inspiration, you know what gets me all fired up about running more than music? Encouraging my friends to start running or exercising, and then seeing them succeed. Oh man. Just yesterday I watched a long-time friend cross the finish line of her very first 5k. She was amazing. Cheering her on brought me right back to when I first started running and crossed my very first finish line. Believe me, after thirty years of inactivity, there's absolutely no other feeling of accomplishment that overwhelms you like crossing a finish line. So go out and run, bike, walk, or cheer on a friend. You might just catch the bug and next time it will be you crossing that finish line.

See you in Chicago.