Roll on summer, roll on

An Aussie long run soundtrack.

There are two types of runners. Those who enjoy listening to music while running and those who believe it spoils the sensory experience.
I am in the former camp although I can appreciate the sounds of trees blowing in the wind and squirrels darting about as much as the next runner (or I would if we had squirrels in New Zealand).

However, I like having a soundtrack to my run – I like how it lifts me and how if the run is tough, music can take me elsewhere. There are certain songs I listened to on my first fairly tough runs after cancer treatment. Now when I hear them, I remember how good it felt being outdoors again even if it was tough. Colbie Caillat’s cover of Here Comes The Sun reminds me of one of my first decent runs after my comeback, running on a trail high above the Arrow River in Central Otago, grinning like the Cheshire Cat because it was summer and I was running in paradise.
Last weekend I enjoyed running to Paul Kelly.

The sweet metal taste of VB
Straight from the ice cold esky
With the fish and chips so hot and salty
Oh, Sally, won't you kiss me again
Roll on summer, roll on

This was the perfect soundtrack to my weekend long run because I was in the land of eskies, although in South Australia rather than VB’s home state.
It was also fitting because it was about 8 deg C and I really wanted summer to roll on. (Mental note - next time we take a winter break, we'll go somewhere warmer than it is at home.)
Of course you could argue that had I not been lost in music on that long run along the Torrens River in Adelaide, I would have noticed I’d selected the incorrect workout on my GPS watch and that instead of counting down 16.09km, it was counting down 17.7km.* It seems I accidentally selected the long run workout I’m due to do in two weeks’ time. So I ran 1.61km longer than I needed to without actually noticing. Ah well, at least I didn’t run short.
* Footnote: Yes, I am aware my long run distances are very, well specific. It is because I am using a programme converted from miles and  I’m too obsessive  to round up or down.