Where does your mind wonder to while running?

ErickM5500

What do you think about during a run or cardio session?

L1zardQueen

Gardening.

Duck_Puddle

Everything. That’s why I run. Today I contemplated sunsets, the nuances of dog barks, why someone puts pink siding on their house (I made up a whole story), also reminded myself 7 times to do something when I got back from my run, re-hashed 6 arguments in my head, talked to the skin suit tailor, wondered why there were 27 people at the track (again), wondered where the Canadian geese went, is that a skunk? Is that a bear? Good tune! Repeat good tune until I’m tired of it. I also thank Runkeeper for padding my ego because I am absolutely certain that I was running a 3:17 mile at that point.

Today was only an hour. Marathon training long runs get a little crazy with the thinking (and the “animal” sightings).

MaltedTea

Nothing. My playlist is on and I run BPM. Totally mindless. Which I love.

RunsOnCoffee_

I make to do lists in my head. I contemplate and work-out life problems. I imagine crossing the finish line of a marathon, my dream that is so close yet far at the same time. Mostly I think about food and what I’ll eat after😂

AliNouveau

How much I absolutely hate running but it's an easy way to burn a lot of calories so shut up and just do it.

Also why are you running this interval so fast? Why is that bunny pacing me? Can I outrun a bunny? I wonder what the price of that house is....

veroniquepoirier

I day dream a lot !! About anything sometime I am the singer of the songs I’m listening (Performing at a huge show in front of my ex). That’s juvenile but hey makes me happy !!

janicemlove

I am a total klutz so I have to pay attention to what I'm doing. If I daydream I always trip over something.

yirara

janicemlove wrote: »

I am a total klutz so I have to pay attention to what I'm doing. If I daydream I always trip over something.

Yes, me too! Plus it depends on the run: if I try to run longer I'm very much concentrating on staying slow (lockdown seems to make me a bit restless), and if running faster I think: just 1 more km, just 800m, yes, just 712m, etc...

KNoceros

My goes all screwy on me and tries to tell me that I should stop / give up if I leave it to its own devices. So I give it an interesting podcast / audiobook to play with and keep it busy to let me get on with my run.

(I don’t always actually pay attention to said podcast, but it draws me back from the negative mindset).

briscogun

I've recently started listening to podcasts so I'm usually listening to that and what they are saying, but I'll have the TV on in front of me too with closed captioning on so sometimes I tune out the podcast and read what they are talking about on TV, then realize I haven't been listening to the podcast and try to figure out what I missed. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Oh and try not to die from exhaustion. (I'm not a runner but I'm trying to...)

swirlybee

I don't run much, but when I do, it's usually "ooh, I only have 29 minutes left. great, now I have 28 minutes left. Yay, I've done 2 miles already. I hope the neighbor's dog doesn't bark at me today. breathe in through the noise, breathe out through the mouth. yay 27 more minutes"....ad nauseam. Same thing when I go cycling.

Talan79

All kinds of crap runs through my head. I think about past situations & how it could have been different. I think about what I need to do that day.
I listen to music so most of the time I focus on that & try to clear my head. But I’m ADD so I get sidetracked really easily.

yirara

Ok, I ran again today, just because. Today I thought: hmm.. not going as well as yesterday (not surprising). Meh, I want to stop. I can't stop because I'm too slow to run short. Then: it's too warm, I wish I'd left my jacket at home. I wish it would rain. Then: Meh, I wish the rain would stop.

littlegreenparrot1

Audio books or podcasts, what's that bird / creature? Is that a nest? Where does that path go, have I got time to see?
Count breathing in and out, listen to the birdsong, meh I want to stop and walk - can I get to that tree first, then the next one....
I'm to hot, shouldn't have worn the warm top - or Its freezing why did I just wear a t-shirt bloody wind etc....

Recently - Where's this idiot going, can't they give me a bit more space.. Grumble grumble repeat....
Fascinating really 😆

Tausi

Anything and everything!

Man this is so hard. Keep going they say it gets easier. I must remember to stretch afterwards this time. Steady breathing Tausi - innnnn ouuuuut x4. Oh I must remember to text mum back. It’s getting warmer. I wonder who invented toilet paper. Must google that. Oooo another jogger . Ok keep left KEEP LEFT. Pretend this is a breeze. Smile. Mmmm he was cute! DO NOT turn back! Did I remove the dough from the freezer? I must cancel my holiday at work. I really don’t fancy rice today. Maybe I should do a mash. Is it really true no two clouds are ever the same? .... and so on and so forth.

Tausi

Talan79 wrote: »

All kinds of crap runs through my head. I think about past situations & how it could have been different. I think about what I need to do that day.
I listen to music so most of the time I focus on that & try to clear my head. But I’m ADD so I get sidetracked really easily.

I have often wondered what “clear my head” means. I hear this from many runners. Is it thinking something through in detail or trying not to think at all?

Tausi

*double post

Talan79

@Tausi When I say clear my head I try not to think about anything. Sometimes I can by just focusing on the road ahead. But again, my ADD brain will think of something.

springlering62

I WISH I could let my mind wander when I run.

I count steps. I am driving myself nuts. If I count to eight 100 times that’s half a mile. So I do it six times. Sometimes I break it into different sets. Sometimes I intentionally miscount, but always to the tune of four or eight.

I’ve had two bad falls since I’ve been running. If I could ever manage to let my mind wander, I’d probably break something. Like the sidewalk. With my face.

moonangel12

springlering62 wrote: »

I WISH I could let my mind wander when I run.

I count steps. I am driving myself nuts. If I count to eight 100 times that’s half a mile. So I do it six times. Sometimes I break it into different sets. Sometimes I intentionally miscount, but always to the tune of four or eight.

I’ve had two bad falls since I’ve been running. If I could ever manage to let my mind wander, I’d probably break something. Like the sidewalk. With my face.

I catch myself counting in threes, because at a local running clinic he counted off in rhythm “one two three, one two three” as we ran down the sidewalk... it can definitely get old!