Sunday: 8.01 miles, 1:38:27, it is a really good run, no walking this time. A luna bar and some water before the run seem to help.
5:15 I wake up to call my mom who has just arrived in Beijing. Flight has been delayed but she sounds in a good mood. I wonder if she cried more after we saw her off at the security check. All the Septembers when I was in China, I was the one who departed from home and went to Jinan, later Beijing, then came to LA. But things have changed. Three Septembers earlier, she came to LA to join us and now this September, she is the one leaving. These three years turn out to have been quite an important period.
6:18 I start running. Because of 京燕姐’s post, I try Joni Mitchell station on Pandora first, but I am immediately turned off by the second song, which is a country song sung by someone other than Joni. Sorry, not a country fun. I search for Adele and that keeps me focused for the rest of the run. At around 5 mile, I almost break down and weep at Adele’s song: One and Only. I don’t know if it is the runner’s high or it’s just because Adele is such a talented singer. I remember earlier this year, there was an NPR article about the science behind why Adele’s songs are so tear-jerking. It’s related to something called “appoggiatura”. (Note: An appoggiatura is a type of ornamental note that clashes with the melody just enough to create a dissonant sound.) Don’t the scientists know how to kill the fun!
First run in September, best run for a while. Bravo!
