Keeping my mind occupied while running....

lporter229

jdawson002 wrote: »

I'm really struggling to keep my mind occupied whilst running. I listen to music but have tried podcasts and audiobooks but they don't work for me.

Its getting to the point now where after 15 minutes on the treadmill, my mind is telling me to stop and do something else; physically I could keep going.

I wish I knew the answer.

Have you tried running outside? The only way I can tolerate running on the treadmill is if I do intervals and vary my pace at least every two minutes. Otherwise, I have the same issue. Outside is a different story though.

MeanderingMammal

jdawson002 wrote: »

...after 15 minutes on the treadmill

There's your problem!

jdawson002

The issue I have is that running always makes me want to poop!! In the gym that's fine but out on the road is not a good idea!!

Lynzdee18

Music. Running where there's doggie do-do?

melodysf10

I never listen to anything. For one, I like to be aware. Mostly I like the sound of my feet hitting the road, the wind, leaves rustling, birds chirping, and things like that. My mind wanders constantly though. What am I cooking tonight? What kind of tacky seater should I make this year? How should I decorate the table for Thanksgving..my mind is all over the place.

pondee629

jdawson002 wrote: »

I'm really struggling to keep my mind occupied whilst running. I listen to music but have tried podcasts and audiobooks but they don't work for me.

Its getting to the point now where after 15 minutes on the treadmill, my mind is telling me to stop and do something else; physically I could keep going.

I wish I knew the answer.

jdawson002 wrote: »

The issue I have is that running always makes me want to poop!! In the gym that's fine but out on the road is not a good idea!!

What is the issue? An inability to enjoy your run or needing to poop while on a run? Two separate issues, two separate problems.

Re: the first one, you are limited only by your own imagination, creativity and life experiences. Slow down, perhaps you're going too fast to have a clear mind to enjoy the activity.

The second one; make sure you go before you go?

Misssynth

I'm a fairly new runner too and I find I have to make myself focus on things other than my distance. I might give audiobooks a try after reading this but I do like how music helps motivate me to run (I got a ministry of sound running trax album so the timing is great on all the songs). Focus on your goal and what you want to achieve long term rather than the distance directly in front of you, and use it as 'me time'. I like how running takes so much mental effort that you forget all the stresses you have just for a little while. Remember running is mostly a mental excersize! Also try and vary your route, even if you just run it backwards (not literally, you might trip up!)

toscarthearmada

The Zombie RUN! App has been a life saver with long runs!

I also listen to auto books but depending on what you listen too, they can be just as boring and not motivating.

Please feel free to add me as a friend.

curlsintherack

jdawson002 wrote: »

The issue I have is that running always makes me want to poop!! In the gym that's fine but out on the road is not a good idea!!

if you've logged any significant number of miles on the road you'll go through this. On one particular short run over the summer I nearly went code brown.

On my longer runs I actually carry toilet paper inside a ziploc bag in my camelbak because you never know when you need to hop a guard rail and go.

If I ran in a city I would plan public bathrooms into my route or pack along a couple dollars so that you can buy something in a convenience store to use their restroom.

Becca_250

Personally I don't like having headphones in at all (walking or running) so don't listen to anything ever. Having said that, all of my runs are outside and 90% are on trails so from a visual perspective I guess they are much more interesting than a treadmill!

jdawson002

pondee629 wrote: »

jdawson002 wrote: »

I'm really struggling to keep my mind occupied whilst running. I listen to music but have tried podcasts and audiobooks but they don't work for me.

Its getting to the point now where after 15 minutes on the treadmill, my mind is telling me to stop and do something else; physically I could keep going.

I wish I knew the answer.

jdawson002 wrote: »

The issue I have is that running always makes me want to poop!! In the gym that's fine but out on the road is not a good idea!!

What is the issue? An inability to enjoy your run or needing to poop while on a run? Two separate issues, two separate problems.

Re: the first one, you are limited only by your own imagination, creativity and life experiences. Slow down, perhaps you're going too fast to have a clear mind to enjoy the activity.

The second one; make sure you go before you go?

It doesn't matter if I go before I go running, I still get caught with an urgency.....I thinks its the bobbing up and down!! I would love to be able to run outside but because of this I can't

stealthq

jdawson002 wrote: »

pondee629 wrote: »

jdawson002 wrote: »

I'm really struggling to keep my mind occupied whilst running. I listen to music but have tried podcasts and audiobooks but they don't work for me.

Its getting to the point now where after 15 minutes on the treadmill, my mind is telling me to stop and do something else; physically I could keep going.

I wish I knew the answer.

jdawson002 wrote: »

The issue I have is that running always makes me want to poop!! In the gym that's fine but out on the road is not a good idea!!

What is the issue? An inability to enjoy your run or needing to poop while on a run? Two separate issues, two separate problems.

Re: the first one, you are limited only by your own imagination, creativity and life experiences. Slow down, perhaps you're going too fast to have a clear mind to enjoy the activity.

The second one; make sure you go before you go?

It doesn't matter if I go before I go running, I still get caught with an urgency.....I thinks its the bobbing up and down!! I would love to be able to run outside but because of this I can't

You still can if you plan your route to loop by your house or a public restroom. Just don't make the loop too long. You might also pay attention and see if the need to go hits around a certain mileage. If it does, then plan a loop to sync with that, and then you're good to run wherever you'd like.

Also, pay attention to when and what you're eating for a day or so before your run. You might be able to figure out a schedule/diet that helps.

Tacklewasher

I just watch tv while on the treadmill. PVR'd Hockey games are the best as I do 25 mins for the first and third period and rest in the second. One day I'll watch all 3 periods. Come spring I'll start running outside.

april1779

Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement! And as for not being able to occupy my mind while trying to push myself to keep going, I have no shame in that, and don't feel the need to justify. Thanks for the unhelpful comment though, much appreciated.

I may be going too fast, though I don't feel like I am. There's no way I could sing happy birthday, lol. I did actually try the zombie run app for the second time tonight, and I very much enjoyed it! The first time I tried it was AFTER doing my C25K run, I'm at 25 mins but the last two runs I really struggled and had to stop a couple of times. I'd just moved up to 28 mins and couldn't do it. So after the 28 min level, I rested for about five minutes, feeling rather discouraged (I'd not only not been able to make it, but had to stop twice - I know it's fine, but up until now, there hasn't been any stopping during runs). Then I decided to have another go, but tried the zombie app. Ran a full eleven extra minutes So this evening I tried just the zombie app and got up to about 29 minutes (it actually read 30:55 but I was close to two mins in of walking before I started jogging). I wasn't thinking the whole time about how difficult it was at all! I think something that also made a huge difference is that I ran without music. I hadn't figured out how to use my Spotify, so just ran with silence and the app (stretched out past 30 mins so there was a lot of silence in between storyline). I could actually hear myself breathing, and found myself able to control it. No stitch in my side at all. I'm so glad I tried it, I'll be sticking with that for awhile, just have to figure out how to download the next mission, lol. Didn't finish the first, maybe that's why. Anyway, it showed my pace at 6:12 min/km, and I went 4.99 km (damn it, lol). Though the first two mins were walking, not sure if that makes much of a difference in my pace. It showed the first km at 7 mins, then the next kms were at just over 5 mins. Not sure what that says for my pace.

Oh and yes, I am running outside.

PaytraB

You're doing really great. Try slowing down if you feel really tired and winded.

girlinahat

slow down. I repeat, slow down. Honestly, the best thing you can do for yourself is to slow down. if you can't sing happy birthday, then you really are going too fast. Most people don't think they are running too fast but they really are.

When I found myself struggling to meet the time on the app, I slowed down my pace and found I could do it. The greatest endurance runners run most of their runs at a slow pace to allow them to run the distance.

Interesting that you said you were able to hear yourself and control your breathing - I think this is what some of the 'unhelpful' comments were trying to point you at, that monitoring what your body is doing during your run is a good thing and when spotify breaks or your battery dies, you can check in on yourself.

BruinsGal_91

girlinahat wrote: »

I sort of agree with the idea that being able to occupy your mind in that twenty odd minutes shouldn't be hard. It could be concentrating on your breathing, or thinking about your form (actually you SHOULD spend some time checking in on your form, whatever you do), or if you're outside taking time to smell the roses as you run past

But if I'm on a treadmill, that time is interminable. I'm less in control of how my feet fall, and I can't micro-adjust my speed. Earlier this year I was listening to The Archers on podcast as a way through it. Episodes are 12/13 minutes long so a couple of those were just fine. Except the storyline was about domestic abuse, and I found myself getting angry out loud, which isn't the thing to do in a gym so maybe find a bit less intense storyline!!!

@girlinahat - so has the Rob/Helen storyline finally finished then? I know she knifed him, but did she escape a jail sentence? (I moved to the States ten years ago and have slowly got out of the habit of listening to the Archers).

And back to running. I'm another one who likes to run without any distractions other than what's in my own head and what's going on around me.

autumnblade75

peleroja wrote: »

autumnblade75 wrote: »

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

jessiferrrb wrote: »

there's a 5k training app that puts you into a zombie apocalypse, you're part of the story line and when the zombies are coming after you - that's your run interval. i love it.

I tried this ages back and it didn't work on a treadmill, it used GPS So sad.

@MelanieCN77 Sometime between then and now they definitely added "Steady Pace" and "Accelerometer" options, in addition to the GPS.

Yes, I do treadmill workouts with the app all the time using the "steady pace" option (with zombie chases off) but if you wear your phone you can use the "step counting" option and do the chases if you're varying your speed.

That would probably work better if my cadence varied with my speed - but I run to the beat of my carefully curated music, no matter my pace. ***shrug*** I just don't do zombie chases when I'm on the treadmill.

Edited because I didn't really add any useful suggestions.

I actually occupy my thoughts with math related to pace and how many more miles I'll run, and how long it will take me to get there. I watch the little dot go around the treadmill's display and calculate when it will hit the next 0.05 mile marker. I taped little glitter dots to the display because they weren't marked. I sometimes miss hearing what the Zombies, Run! app storyline is because I'm still concentrating on the beat of the previous song by singing it's chorus in my head so I don't screw up my cadence. I've been doing this for 6 years now. I trained for a marathon on that treadmill. I've spent 4 hour blocks of time engaged in that. So, focusing on counting down the rest of the run isn't the end of the world. You do need a particular mindset for it, and I'm not sure how to encourage it - but it can be done.

That's probably not how you want to do things, though. Sorry. I hope you find something that does work for you.

girlinahat

BruinsGal_91 wrote: »

girlinahat wrote: »

I sort of agree with the idea that being able to occupy your mind in that twenty odd minutes shouldn't be hard. It could be concentrating on your breathing, or thinking about your form (actually you SHOULD spend some time checking in on your form, whatever you do), or if you're outside taking time to smell the roses as you run past

But if I'm on a treadmill, that time is interminable. I'm less in control of how my feet fall, and I can't micro-adjust my speed. Earlier this year I was listening to The Archers on podcast as a way through it. Episodes are 12/13 minutes long so a couple of those were just fine. Except the storyline was about domestic abuse, and I found myself getting angry out loud, which isn't the thing to do in a gym so maybe find a bit less intense storyline!!!

@girlinahat - so has the Rob/Helen storyline finally finished then? I know she knifed him, but did she escape a jail sentence? (I moved to the States ten years ago and have slowly got out of the habit of listening to the Archers).

And back to running. I'm another one who likes to run without any distractions other than what's in my own head and what's going on around me.

After a long drawn out process of the audience willing her to speak, Helen finally stood her ground, got into the witness box and told all, including the rapes. She was found not guilty of all charges.

I have no idea what's happened since, I was going to keep listening until Joe Grundy finally died, but gave up a couple of days after the trial finished.

bwaits07

I can't run without music. Also I tend to have conversations with myself to distract me while I'm running. Lol.

april1779

I didn't think I could run without music either! But this Zombie Run app plus listening to my own breathing has made a huge difference in how long I can go. Tonight I passed the 5km mark for the first time. I don't know if I would want to run in complete silence the whole time, I do find the storyline keeps me occupied. I don't even need my playlist during the story, because I found concentrating on my breathing was so helpful Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

Dogmom1978

I read the closed captioning on cnn so I have something to focus on other than looking down at my phone to see when I can walk again.

Marcel182

It's interesting how different things work for different people. Personally, I can't run without music. I custom design my playlist before every run, switching between fast and more moderate tunes. I have some great songs that I can run to in perfect synchronicity. Music keeps me in the zone!