Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
I was out for an early run today alongside the serious running commuters with their impossible backpacks bobbing around. I had completed about 2 minutes when my iPod froze. Serious freeze, nothing working at all. I stopped and pummeled the thing and eventually, my 10th attempt at reset, started it up again. I reset the run and set off for a second time. Two minutes in, the whole thing reset automatically. I stopped, reprogrammed the run and started again. Two minutes later… This happened five times!
Now, I am at a critical juncture with my Nike Plus and iPod. 5k from completing my 800k challenge with someone from Uruguay on my tail, and 20k from completing 2,000k on Nilke Plus. Big landmarks both. So I was frutstrated and upset that my iPod was playing up and not registering anything at all. No ks added to the grand total.
Then I took stock. Why am I doing this: to run for me, or for my iPod? I suddenly felt a complete victim of the technology, and I had lost sight of what was really important. I had confused means with ends. I had stopped running because my iPod did not work!!
I reset one last time and vowed to enjoy the run and not stop again. And it worked. Not only did I add another 6k to the tally but I iPod recovered to record this fact.
Even so, I learnt a lesson as I head off to Munich this morning: focus on the learning; technology is a means to an end. Don’t forget that.