Forums >General Running>What do you do while running?
Canuck
I let my mind go where it wants. This could include: observing nature and whatever else is around me. watching the sun rise. thinking through problems. planning meals or the day's activities. praying. worrying about getting re-injured. keeping an eye on my pace. planning where I would run to if I was attacked. thinking about the other runners I see (not so many others around these days -- it's too cold and dark when I run). thinking about work stuff. deciding on Christmas gifts.
I let my mind go where it wants. This could include:
Pretty much the same thing, except no praying.
PRs: 47:54 (10K); 1:46:36 (HM); 3:50:52 (FM)
Recovering from injured knee (PCL/Lateral Meniscus)
I listen to podcasts. Mostly about running.
Thats rad
Think about anything to do with anything.
Edit: Almost forgot, when it's really cold (as far as coastal NC goes), I like to blow snot rockets.
Currently I look at Christmas lights :-D well for those who are amazing and have them up and on for me. The rest I just scowl at.
5k - 20:56 (09/12), 7k - 28:40 (11/12), 10k trial - 43:08 (03/13), 42:05 (05/13), FM - 3:09:28 (05/13), HM - 1:28:20 (05/14), Failed 10K trial - 6:10/mi for 4mi (08/14), FM - 3:03 (09/14)
Proboscis Colossus
If I haven't had a chance to do so yet that day, it's my prayer time.
And then after that, podcasts/audiobooks if I feel like it. Zoning out if I don't.
"God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people
Let my mind wander. Talk with God. Look for where I'm going to launch myself if that driver isn't paying attention. Wish I could collect the cans on the side of the road; I could buy my next pair of shoes with the change. Look for the animal that I thought made a sound behind that bush. Enjoy that I'm not having to do anything else right now. And so on.
"...You have to have faith, to know that you can do what you want to do." -Joseph Nzau
Some days/nights there is a lot of distracting trail activity...the people, the animals, the eyes you see in the thickets along the trails, and...one time...the fresh coating of reflective glitter in the newly painted center-line lit of the trail like pixie dust.
It's nice to run and just "zone out"....not noticing the minutes and miles going by. But.... then I finish and think back......I don't even remember when the trail crossed the road. Did I look for traffic coming.....or was my mind elsewhere and I ran across without looking?
Much of what I do has already been mentioned (daydream, write, work through problems). I also play the Alphabet Game--look around until I find something that begins with each letter of the alphabet, consecutively. Can't count something that you saw before you got to that letter--if you see a quail when you're still back on K, you can't save it up until you get to Q. 2 points for every item if you haven't used it in a recent game, 1 point if you have, X isn't used so max 50 points per game.
I like to play it when I'm running in an unfamiliar place--it makes me look around and notice things instead of zoning out and possibly getting lost.
yesterday, remembering all the best lines from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. That's just where mind shifted down to, productive stuff like that.
Don't call me Buttercup!
Depends on the day - sometimes every thought is about my running, assessing how I feel, my pace, how far I have still to go, etc, etc. Those are the not so good days. On good days, I think about anything and everything, and nothing at all, and just enjoy forward movement.
Slow and steady wins the.... wait a second! I've been lied to!
Squidward Bike Rider
Try to zone out as much as possible.
For my longer (2+ hour) runs, I like to take podcasts.
Sometimes it is a sports talk show from that day (catch up on things).
Most times I take a running based podcast.
My favorite is irun.ca/podcast A somewhat Canadian (Ottawa/Toronto) based podcast but nothing but great, inspirational interviews with runners from around the world.
I would be interested to know if anyone else had some good running podcasts?
2018 Goals
Figure out the achilles thing...... and THEN try to get running regularly again.
No racing goals
enabler
Once I get into the groove of the run, I think about karate (both the personal aspect and the work aspect), I plan meals, I think about races, training, new running shoes. I think about weather, my kids, my husband, my mom, my dogs. I think about my new job, clothing, toads. I think about Duluth, the seasons, vacation. My thoughts are always random -- there is never a decent segue from one thought to the next. And more often than not, when I get home and try to remember what I reflected on I cannot remember.
During my runs, I am always taking note of my surroundings....puddles, leaves, sticks, litter, animal sounds, vehicle sounds, smells, other people who are walking, running, biking...
Running is a lot of work....mentally as well as physically!
KLO
more miles = more beer