Forums >General Running>What do you think about when running?
“But really, as I run, I don’t think much of anything worth mentioning”
Haruki Murakami
What do you think about whilst you are running? From your form, to jobs that need doing, to current issues and worries in life, to the potential that the future holds, it is well known that running can be a sort of ‘self assesment’. It is a time to mull over your innermost thoughts. Like a mental diary.
It is this ,that, as an artist (and runner) I am trying to visualise physically. I am creating and collecting ‘running experience maps’; a sort of compilation of conscious thought. It is almost a meditative practice. Can you recall your thoughts from your run?
The Task:
1) Go on a run.
2) As soon as you return, scribble/doodle/draw/paint your recall of the mental process you went through during your run. It by no means has to be make any sense or be in any particular order. (Inspiration: John Fulford The Walk to South School / Jean KlarePassion )
3) Send it to me (post a picture on the forum or message me- happy to give an email too)
It may feel like you are giving me part of your diary- some running thoughts are very personal- so if you wish to omit names etc. that is fine. Please just be as open and honest as possible.
Thank you.
Sorry, no. That I keep just for me.
But I had a good run today, I'll tell you that.
Runners run
I have read that Murakami book and I was surprised that he had the same experience that I have and what a lot of other people say, that there just isn't necessarily a whole lot of thinking going on while running. So, nothing to report, really. On very rare occasions, on my best and most favorite runs (often times long runs), I will have sort of a stream of consciousness of thought and start making lots of connections between things, words, people, ideas, but nothing solid that I can grasp onto. I have written these down once or twice but it's not the norm. And it would be even more rare for me, I think, to work out any practical real world things going on in my life. Those things get worked out when there is time to sit very still for a long period of time.
^ This.
"it is well known that running can be a sort of ‘self assesment’. It is a time to mull over your innermost thoughts. Like a mental diary."
No it isn't. I suppose some people may do this, but I don't think it is well known. For the last few years I have been chatting with runners on a running forum, talking about everything running & non-running. And I can't remember anyone talking about what they were thinking during their run. More often running is an escape from thinking so much.
Dave
old woman w/hobby
What Mikey said minus the run.
steph
jfa
The best runs I have are when I forget I am running.
https://aeon.co/videos/runners-drop-their-guards-and-confess-their-deepest-anxieties-and-greatest-hopes
delicate flower
Ex GF: "Whatcha thinking about??"
My inner monologue: "You shitting me with this?
<3
Interesting concept.
I sort of involuntarily count my steps, up to 180, over and over again, and not much else. (8 x 180 = 1 mile).
That said, I often run on lunch breaks and find that the run works on my brain a lot like sleep does. That is to say, that sorting function that is known to occur in the brain while you sleep also seems to happen when I run. My mind won't actively be working on anything, at least not with words, not that I'm conscious of. But solutions to work-related problems sometimes click into place directly afterwards. As if I've given my subconscious mind some breathing room by turning off all conscious thought, other than the repetitive counting, and that any thought that is happening is beneath my conscious gaze. I'd be wary of trying to probe that. I don't want to disturb that process.
On 11/22 I had one of my best runs of the year; just a short 5k in the dark, up and down my street... not much "thinking" going on... just moving quickly through the night. It was one of those extremely rare runs where I experienced what would best be described as "lost time". Some people might think of lost time as a bad thing... wasteful? I dunno. I do believe that the best runs are those where you think of nothing. I'm sure there's all kinds of subconscious stuff going on... but, mostly I just kinda zone out.
Yesterday I spent most of the run laughing to myself, imagining the ridiculous "malort faces" that people made after finishing the monkey marathon...
Before the run. God, this run is going to totally suck. I am so out of shape, how can it not suck? Maybe it won't suck?
After starting. Wow, this does really suck! Does my ankle hurt? Does it hurt even a little? I think it might hurt.
In the first mile. Just chatting with my running pal, "A". She doesn't seem winded *at all*. Damn her! I feel like I am breathing as hard as a fucking freight train. Ugh.
After a mile. My ankle doesn't hurt! Yay. What is with the rest of me? I feel like crap. God I am so out of shape. "A" must think I am soooo slow. I wonder if "A" will still want to run with me after this? I just saw a deer. Cool. Two glowing red eyes. There are deer out here all of the time. Why do I always think that it is fucking cool. I am such a dork.
"How was work this week, "A"?" "Ok" "Anything new?" blah blah blah. This conversation should take about a half a mile.
After another mile. Smooth and steady. Let's ratchet this down a bit shall we? Hold on to the pace. Stay smooth. No need to go crazy.
After a while. I feel kind of tired. Does my ankle hurt? No it seems ok. The rest of me does not feel ok. Focus on keeping up and feeling strong. Just got to get through the run today. Consistency is key. I will get it back.
After the run. Good run. So glad we got out here today.
And so it goes...on and on. Pretty boring really. Some runs have happier stream of consciousness type thought and some have sad or angry thoughts. As someone already mentioned, some parts of runs have no thoughts at all. I can't say that I have ever really come up with creative stuff on runs. At an easy pace, I can be chatting with someone and having an actual conversation. Mostly the thoughts are more primal and low level, especially when running by myself. Sometimes I count too, like danirizzo.
Good luck with your project.
"Shut up Legs!" Jens Voigt
Sometimes I count my steps to 8 over and over again. Sometimes I think about the upcoming photoshooting and how I'm going to pose the people. But usually it's just...nothing. I sort of let my mind wander and it just goes away somewhere.
http://r.search.yahoo.com/RV=1/RE=1448434534/RB=/RO=8/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.gwax.com%2fcontent%2ftootsiepop.html/RS=^ADAzlS6iCyL9VJQZxN3tTe3yo4SBqI usually think about this while running.
www.gwax.com/content/tootsiepop.html let's try that again. The first post wasn't anything dirty, pinky swear.
Classic Tootsie Roll Commercial - "How Many Licks" - YouTubewww.youtube.com/watch?v=O6rHeD5x2tIHow many licks does it take to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop? Ask Mr. Owl!One last time....