What do you think about when you Run?

aliakynes

My mind drifts a lot when I'm running. I kind of process through things in my day, week, or life --sort of similar to what I catch myself doing when falling asleep. It can be pretty zen most of the time. I guess you can call that a zone, never thought of it that way before. I kind of assumed that's one of the reasons why runners run.

Those of you who are exhausted or gasping for breath are attempting to run too fast. Slow down your pace. You shouldn't be able to sing but you should be able to talk (without gasping). Speed comes later once your endurance builds up.

Atrocity108

I usually just think about what I am going to write next, or relationship issues. Some times I conduct great stories when I am running/walking and forget how I got there.

carrieous

that's part of why I rarely run outside- unless its on a track. I don't want to get lost or hit by a car. I usually run on a treadmill and I think about what Im going to do this weekend- or I jam out on my tunes and fantasize

carliekitty

I zone out to. In fact I zoned out and ran through a Bush.....I was spitting out dirty Bush for miles! I zone most of the time, I'll look at my garmin and 6 miles will have flown by.

Myhaloslipped

I think about recipes, ways to improve my lifts and sex. I have no idea why I think about this randomness during runs.

greengoddess0123

When I run, my brain feels like a dog that's out for a walk for the first time in days. Going from thought to thought like it's chasing a squirrel. I think about everything, all at the same time. It's brain overload. Then, about 20-30 minutes into it, my brain starts to relax. Then it sort of empties out and all that's left is breathing and moving, breathing and moving. It feels like how some people describe meditation. I love it.

The only problem I run into with this is that I have to watch out for venomous snakes on the trails where I run. In both mental states (crazy then zen), I find it difficult to keep my mind on this task. I don't fear for my life or anything (these are well traveled trails with no fatalities that I know of), but I did make the mistake of mentioning to my mother how many copperheads I've seen in the last few weeks, and now she won't stop bugging me about it. Me and my big mouth. :grumble:

MelisRunning

I mentally write the days blog while I run. Is that zoning?

Froody2

I think "pharrrrgue this hurts, I want to stop, pharrrrque I hate this"'

Then, when I stop "I FEEL GREAT, I LOVE RUNNING, YAY ME!!!".

doctorsookie

Not cleared for running yet but when I'm walking I think of my next 5K and how some day I WILL run one (as opposed to walking).

civilizedworm

owever, I ran 10k last night and my mind was all over the place. I suddenly realised that I'd gotten to half way and couldn't remember how I'd got there. It was odd but pleasant. I guess I just zoned out.

This is what I thought running today:

"I see your serpentine rack fixed against the wall as I run endlessly toward you on the treadmill. Glinting in the sun, your curves beckon me forward, calling me to hang with them, touch them. I can not take my eyes off of you, as your bosom stares back at me, transfixing me with a desire that wishes to be coated with my love. I feel like a deer in the headlights looking at you, but you don't turn away, enjoying my overt advances. I must have you. Get to you. Have you. Coat rack."

beardedwarriortx

Filthy Naughty Stuff

PetulantOne

Every once in awhile I zone completely out, but usually my mind is all over the place.

It's like therapy for me most days. I wish I could just dump my thoughts right out onto a blog because they seem to fall apart as soon as I'm done running.

Forty6and2

I think about breathing because I suck at breathing while running but I also like to live.

Fiercely_Me

I love running to miami/atlanta booty bass music from the 90s. Makes me think I'm in a throwback music video!

If I'm not running with music, I just like to be in the moment, embrace the struggle, and know that with each stride I'm getting stronger.

splashtree2

I listen to music....it helps me not to think about fatigue or when i really feel in shape how much is beautiful to be admired while running.

msbhavesalot

First 2.5 km is always "This sucks" - before I'm warmed up properly, then my mind just drifts off. I use Runkeeper and follow some R4FL program, because otherwise I get bored as I don't challenge myself enough during running - meaning I don't get that much result in speed and such (which has improved so much the last couple of weeks tho) - so basically after those 2.5 km I always think "When's the next interval?". And the usual - "Am I still breathing? How far have I run? Go faster, legs, I know you can do it! What are you staring at? Don't you look at my *kitten*, old man!" and so on... Love running tho. It's my main way to exercise.

redpandora56

Nice sunrise today. I like how the clouds are letting just the right amount of sunlight in.
*starts running*
I think this left shoe is tied a bit too tight.
There's definitely some small rocks in there though. I can feel them occasionally.

What's my pulse now? Ah 160 at this pace? Well, that's okay factoring the humidity, the temperature, the fact that I'm 10 lbs. overweight, and I'm running into a wind which is added resistance, but then it is cooling me off which could lower my heart rate. Sure, that sounds perfect. I guess I'm okay but who even knows.

Oh, here comes another runner. Some girl. I didn't shave yesterday and I barely combed my hair after getting up. She sees me. No doubt, she probably thinks I'm going to rape her. I have to assume that's what all women think after reading the stories on MFP. I hope she doesn't have mace. Not that I would do that but she probably watches too much Law and Order SVU and assumes any male wants her body. Yeah, I'm totally running straight at her but I don't want to run in the grass. I'll glance down at my watch so she knows I'm more interested in running than her.

*Nods while passing*
Phew! Made it past her without getting maced. Now she can worry about someone else and I can stop questioning how long mace lasts. But wait. What if she really does disappear after this? Say she falls off in the river or she gets nabbed by some other person. They'll blame it all on me. I just know they will. Someone will say "I saw that guy out there before she disappeared" and even though I don't know a thing about it they'll bring me in for questioning. Who will feed my dog?

I know. I'll have to submit my GPS data to court to prove that I couldn't have killed her while maintaining this pace. Yeah, that's what I'll do. "Your honor, I couldn't have possibly have killed her while maintaining this pace and as you can see my heart rate didn't even change when she passed by so I wasn't anticipating a kill."

Will they accept that as proof? No doubt they will. I read about a biker using that to prove he was stopped when a car hit him. See, this Garmin was totally worth the money. What's $300 if it proves you're innocent? A lawyer would charge this much per hour. Great investment for sure.

There's definitely some small rocks in the left shoe.

*glances at watch*

Ah, I've gone a half mile already?

:laugh: favourite one so far.

jtm4210

I like to plan how I'm going to spend my hypothetical lottery win, particularly if I'm running through the nice part of town where all the big houses are. The amount I'm planning to win varies - today it was a fairly modest £2 million which still got me a decent house with enough land for a couple of horses, and a ski lodge in the Alps.

I get distracted for longer when I only win around £200k as it's harder to decide whether, once the hypothetical mortgage is sorted out, I really need to splash out on a nice-but-not-too-flash car, or if it's worth saving for private school fees for my hypothetical kids, or if I should use the money to take a break from work and go back to uni etc etc etc

I also wonder when I'm going to find my first body - since murder victims on TV always seem to get discovered by early-morning runners...

runforestrun35

I think about life, what I need to do that day, how I can get rich so I can skip going to work and take a vacation, or I will clear my head ( and forget about a bad day) and listen to music....

MeanderingMammal

Depends on the session.

Sometimes I'll just zone out, sometimes work through issues going on at work, projects, negotiations.

For more intense sessions there's more of a focus on form.