Before the graphics team starts mocking up black rectangular censor strips to cover my man parts, I should clarify: by “au naturale” I mean “without music in my ears,” not “without pantaloons on mine legs.”

And it was great.

My 8k loop in High Park yesterday was one of the more serene runs I’ve had in months, all made possible by the Nike+ Sportband (the stand-alone, non-iPod dealy).

How? Well, there were birds in the trees, dogs on the grass, and lithe, aggressive people playing tennis in chain-link cages…it was amazing! It was like the stopping-and-smelling-roses of exercise.

Which is crazy, right? Technology is supposed to take us further away from serenity and nature; it’s supposed to make Gaia (the earth mother) weep oil-slick tears…but because the Nike+ Sportband replaced my iPod on this run - and Lil' Wayne wasn't spitting in my ear - I really relaxed.

I’ve never before thought about how I don’t pay attention to the world around me when I run to music. Whether I’m on a treadmill in the gym, a beach in Portugal, or a park in Toronto, I just focus on the tunes, zone out, and put in my kilometers.

And I mean, I’m not going to stop bringing my iPod with me entirely, but I am going to switch things up every once in a while and let my surroundings soothe me.

On those runs, I’ll glance at my wrist occasionally and think: “The Nike+ Sportband: It doesn’t just count your steps, it replenishes your soul.”