Changing my diet was tricky, but in comparison to nicotine addiction, a much easier task. Doc essentially told me to eat fewer land animals and more plants. 24 ounce T-bones are out, prepared salads from Trader Joe’s in. Hard to factor Phish into this part, but I do eat a lot more fish now. OK, got it. Next.
Now, I’ve got to find a way to get in shape. There are a few barriers for me here. My life is pretty busy with 3 kids under 8, and a wife who works full time. It’s tough to find time for workouts. My lazy games of horse with the neighborhood guys in the cul-de-sac weren’t going to cut it anymore (although I must admit, a 17 foot one-handed bank shot while walking briskly is not easy). I ended up strapping on the running shoes and starting a jogging routine. The little 2.1 mile loop I had mapped out seemed within my capabilities. I was wrong.
Half a mile in, I’m sucking wind and considering puking, maybe crying. Uh oh, I’m going to have to figure something out here. I needed a distraction, something to get my mind off the fact that my legs felt like tree trunks, and my gut was like running with a bag full of cantaloupes. Enter the IPod, fully loaded with live Phish. The next day, I start my run at 4:21. I queue up the ripping “You Enjoy Myself” from Festival 8 and we’re off. The first mile is mostly uphill, and when I reach the sharpest incline, the boys enter the ultra funky “Boy, Man, God, Shit” part of the song. Perfect, just what I needed. I forgot about the piano I’m dragging behind me, and I’m prancing up the hill like a gazelle. Interesting development here. I realize now that if I numb my brain and pour some Phish in my soul, I can do this. I get to a slightly downhill portion of the course, and we’re into the trampoline section of the song. Once again perfect, a mellow, but infectious few minutes of music that keeps me moving. Here comes another hill, and boom (John Madden would be proud), Trey starts off on a nasty-dirty-filthy guitar section that the whole band rallies around. Next thing you know, I’m at the top of the hill wondering what just happened. I’m barely even breathing hard. Maybe I’m on to something here. When I finish, I start pacing around my garage, cooling down and contemplating how ideal that song was for my workout. I appreciate the fact that it’s mostly coincidence that every sequence of the song fit perfectly into the hills and challenges of the run I just had. But it sure felt like Phish was there with me, just like they were with me when I cleared the final hurdle to quitting smoking.
The next day, I’m sore, but feeling good about myself. Kind of excited to start sifting through all the live Phish I have to create more playlists for my 2.1 mile route. Weeks go by, and I start running my course twice, increasing my run to 4.20 miles (Uh huh, I know). Longer playlists to consider now. This is getting fun. It’s amazing how “Mike’s Song” motivates me into a sub 9 minute mile, and how I feel like I could run forever listening to “Possum.” Don’t even get me started on what “Fluffhead” can do for me.
After a while, I started relying on Phish to get me through the longer runs, and bigger hills. I would respond to the music, and it felt like the music would respond to me. A couple of times I verbally yelled out loud at Trey while running up a big hill, begging for a jam that would get me through it. Every time, he came through, never let me down once.
It’s now been 2 months of running, and the bag of cantaloupes looks more like a carton of strawberries. The piano I’ve been dragging feels more like Page’s keytar. I’m definitely in better shape, and my endurance is as good as it’s been in 10 years. So, what’s next? For some reason, I feel like if I don’t keep pushing the envelope, I’ll get bored and fall back into past habits. Then it hits me. There’s a half marathon coming up in a few months in San Diego…why not? Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT a runner, never have been. My knees and ankles looked up at me as if to say “are you mad?” But with some personal commitment and 13.1 miles of quality playlists, I can do this. It’s on.
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