September 26, 2007 — Jo Dee Messina, who is in the final stages of training for the Chicago Marathon on October 7, says running helps her deal with the stresses of her career.

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When Jo Dee started running several years ago, "I just wanted to get in shape," she tells the Toledo Blade. But the miles on the road, listening to her iPod, allow her to mentally prepare for the demands, and occasional frustrations, of her career. Jo Dee's next album, Unmistakable, which was originally due in stores on November 6, has now been shelved because of an internal issue at her label. "It's a little frustrating, especially because the people at the label said this is the best stuff I've done," she says. "I'm very anxious to get it released. I've been writing a lot too. I'm hoping to get some other artists to cut some of my stuff. That'd be cool."

Despite the delay in the disc's release, Jo Dee is still going to roll out some of the songs and try them out on the fans. "I'm still as impatient as can be," she says. "I'll be running, and I'll look at the odometer [on my running watch], and think, 'What? That's got to be at least 12 miles.' It doesn't instill patience in me at all."