how do you keep you mind motivated while running?

Jellybean1970
Jellybean1970 Posts: 12 Member
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
I have been jogging now for a month on the treadmill. I have gotten up to 30 minutes. My body can do the work but my mind has a hard time. How do you get your mind to follow or even lead? What are your motivating and energizing thoughts to think during run to keep going?
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Replies

  • kylielouttit
    kylielouttit Posts: 512 Member
    A great playlist of music works wonders for me. I always say to myself "I'll run until this song is over" and then another great one comes on and keeps me going.

    Hope that helps!
  • amillionmegs
    amillionmegs Posts: 59 Member
    I always run with an ipod... listen to really upbeat songs you really enjoy and just tell yourself "okay keep running until this song is over" I slow down a bit inbetween songs (but still keep going). Try making a playlist in adnvace to avoid huge pauses. Another thing that helps me is remembering WHY I'm runnning in the first place, knowing that each step is closer to my goal. Also, thinking of anyone who has told you you can't do it (or someone who does believe in you) always gives me a huge boost. Running really is a physical and mental process...I think a lot of people forget that! good luck and keep it up :)
  • Chenoachem
    Chenoachem Posts: 1,758 Member
    To keep motivated I run outside instead of a treadmill. I look around, listen to the birds, listen to my feet. I can't do a treadmill, I get to bored also.
  • cathcakey
    cathcakey Posts: 288 Member
    If I'm gonna run for anything longer than 20 mins it has to be outside, otherwise I just can't manage it, I get too bored
  • delilahthegoddess
    delilahthegoddess Posts: 59
    I zone out. I don't think about the fact that I am running. I listen to music and day dream. (I run inside or out about 7-10km a day)
  • leg8
    leg8 Posts: 49
    Is it possible to run outside? From experience, I feel that running on a treadmill is great mental work, but is physically easier, and running outside is physically harder but much easier mentally. And I feel the same way as you; My body is willing, but my mind stops me. Having my iPod and things to look at outside DEFINITELY help!! Good luck!
  • mirgss
    mirgss Posts: 275 Member
    Music has been a huge help to me. My brain has always gotten in the way of me running - when I can focus on the music it helps me so much. I think they say to listen to a playlist of songs that are about 120 bpm to keep you motivated. I have a techno mix that I use that's like 2 hours long so there are no pauses between songs where I can hear myself breathing - I hate that!! :)
  • cobygrey
    cobygrey Posts: 270 Member
    I agree, A good playlist of music.
  • jerren
    jerren Posts: 196
    i always tell myself that My mind will give up before my body will. Then it just becomes a battle of the mind. My practice of meditation allows me to win that battle on a regular basis.

    I also think of why I'm doing this in the first place. My reasons for wanting to lose weight isn't to get into some jeans I used to wear. its to live for my family. Its to not have to be medicated for the rest of my life.
  • Mom2Emery_Liam
    Mom2Emery_Liam Posts: 149
    Definitely good music. I'm doing a run/walk program outside and music is such a major motivation to me. I make sure to choose songs that are high energy and push me to the end. Also, with the elliptical (or treadmill in your case) I'd go for short, 5 min increments. I'd tell myself, ok let's make it to 10 mins...I'd get there, then push myself another 5, another 5, etc.
  • AbiLuV
    AbiLuV Posts: 47
    Fast music. I put music on my ipod that has a good beat. Black Eyed Peas is a favorite and Shakira. I also like to watch soccer while running. If they can run back and forth on that field almost non stop than i can go for 30min. Sometimes I put a Fitness/Shape magazine in front of me. Not to look threw but just for the motivation to look like the girl on the front.
  • bballgrrl34
    bballgrrl34 Posts: 174 Member
    I do music, but also set little goals. So, like when I hit 5 minutes. I up the incline or change the speed. I have to make some change and focus on short term goals. I am constantly looking at the time lapsing since I am bored. So, I set a goal of not allowed to look until 2 songs have played. Any short term goal is good. Whatever works for you.
  • lilchino4af
    lilchino4af Posts: 1,292 Member
    I'm with Chenoachem and Cathcakey; I can't run on a treadmill because I get a mental block. I can't run for more than 5 mins on a treadmill but I can run for miles outside. If weather's crappy outside then I just do the elliptical. If running outside, I run with other people and we hold conversations; makes the time fly by. When inside, I listen to music or plug in headphones to listen to the TVs they've got going to distract me.
  • cjrss03
    cjrss03 Posts: 22
    I watch DVD box sets while I'm on the elliptical machine as I don't seem to have time to watch them otherwise...I'm finally almost caught up on Soprano's!
  • SimonLondon
    SimonLondon Posts: 350
    I have two ways of keeping me motivated my second option is my most favorite for keeping me motivated...

    1. High energy music. It really keeps me going.

    2. When you walk into the gym go on a treadmill next to the fittest/youngest person you can find. I always do this and try to outlast them. I can run 10k at a time now thanks to doing this and it works a treat. The best thing is if you are a lot older THEY keep going because they don't want to cave in to someone much older so it's a win-win for both of us :laugh:
  • leg8
    leg8 Posts: 49
    I do music, but also set little goals. So, like when I hit 5 minutes. I up the incline or change the speed. I have to make some change and focus on short term goals. I am constantly looking at the time lapsing since I am bored. So, I set a goal of not allowed to look until 2 songs have played. Any short term goal is good. Whatever works for you.

    True... I used to put a towel/shirt over the digital screen.
  • bluiz13
    bluiz13 Posts: 3,550 Member
    i have to run outside to really get a good run completed....it is utterly boring to run on the treadmill...the only thing i can do on the treadmill is walk at a steady pace but only if i have a good show to watch and/or a magazine to read...being inside looking at a wall sucks for me....i did the disney 1/2 marathon and pretty much trained the entire time outside...i did a few runs inside because of the weather and i realized that if i had had to do it inside on the treadmill, i would have quit.....see if you can find a path/trail/route near your home and plan an out and back to get the time in and to be able to enjoy the outdoors....

    i finally have 2 runs a week back on my calendar and i leave my work and run along the intracoastal waterway here in west palm beach and it is awesome....

    sorry for the book but that is my suggestion...
    denise
  • shannahrose
    shannahrose Posts: 585 Member
    posting to read the responses.
  • melissaogdenrhode
    melissaogdenrhode Posts: 66
    When I can't go outside, I usually commit myself to exercising to a tv show. (sprinting or jogging during the commercials) Most shows are either 30 minutes or an hour.
  • RedneckWmn
    RedneckWmn Posts: 3,202 Member
    I always run with an ipod... listen to really upbeat songs you really enjoy and just tell yourself "okay keep running until this song is over" I slow down a bit inbetween songs (but still keep going). Try making a playlist in adnvace to avoid huge pauses. Another thing that helps me is remembering WHY I'm runnning in the first place, knowing that each step is closer to my goal. Also, thinking of anyone who has told you you can't do it (or someone who does believe in you) always gives me a huge boost. Running really is a physical and mental process...I think a lot of people forget that! good luck and keep it up :)

    I agree with this 150%. Definitely mental and physical. I find as well that a great playlist is really helpful. I listen to Pat Benatar's Hit Me WIth Your Best Shot about 9 times while running for 25 minutes I swear! :laugh: We have TV's at the gym so I try and focus on other things. I think about goals. I as well put a towel over the screen so I can't see the time or distance. I get too into my head and if I notice my heartbeat goes over a certain number I get anxiety. Weird I know!
  • ACarp24
    ACarp24 Posts: 90
    I don't know how much you have lost, but for me, I keep a picture of myself at 200 lbs (my starting weight) on my iPod, and every time I want to stop I look at that picture, and think to myself, I NEVER want to look like that again. Very good motivator. Even if you haven't lost much you could still look at that picture of yourself and think, If I keep going, I won't look like I do in this picture anymore in just a few short months.
    hope this helps:flowerforyou:
  • SimonLondon
    SimonLondon Posts: 350
    Just thought of another one.... I have a polar heart rate monitor so it sync's up with the lifefitness machines at the gym. I try to keep my heart beat between 120 and 135. I keep increasing the incline or speed until I hit 135 and then lower it down until I get to 120/5. Then I just keep repeating between incline and speed.

    It takes so much concentration keeping it within a figure that time goes a lot quicker.
  • tairui2009
    tairui2009 Posts: 37 Member
    I *love* a great playlist ~ but sometimes, I can get a little bored listening to the same tracks over and again.. sometimes, I'll add a favorite TV show to listen to... or a movie... or an audiobook. iTunes has SO much available ~ and later, you can play from your iPod over your TV using the AV connector cable (at Radio Shack... maybe $15).
  • tairui2009
    tairui2009 Posts: 37 Member
    OH... *also* there's a really cool running application for your iPhone.. it's called iMapMyRun.. and it will track all of your stats and map you while you're running. It also gives you verbal feedback based on your settings ~ like time/pace etc..

    There's a similar one for bikers (like me) called "B.iCycle"

    Check it out under the apps store... very cool..
  • RedneckWmn
    RedneckWmn Posts: 3,202 Member
    OH... *also* there's a really cool running application for your iPhone.. it's called iMapMyRun.. and it will track all of your stats and map you while you're running. It also gives you verbal feedback based on your settings ~ like time/pace etc..

    There's a similar one for bikers (like me) called "B.iCycle"

    Check it out under the apps store... very cool..

    I just checked out the iMapMyRun ap...that looks awesome! I wil definitely be using this when I start running outside. Thanks!
  • Crunchytxmama
    Crunchytxmama Posts: 169 Member
    Definitely good music. And before I even step on the treadmill I decide how much I'm going to do. I also write out my exercise goals in my planner. I HATE that disappointed feeling when I don't hit goals that I set for myself, so knowing that if I quit before my 30 minutes (or whatever that day's goal is), I will feel disappointed in myself, keeps me going. Sometimes, when I'm just having a day where I feel really fatigued or mentally out of it, I just go in two-minute increments....I'll tell myself that all I have to do is another two minutes, and if I'm just too exhausted to keep going, I'll stop. I almost always find that when I get to that two minutes, I think I can do two more minutes.
  • HOSED49
    HOSED49 Posts: 642 Member
    Depends on my workout for the day. Some workouts I run for 2 minutes then jump off and do 20 push-ups and 20 squats, then back to the run for 2 minutes ,jump off etc etc until I reach 2 miles or if I am feeling really good I will run a 5k doing this. If on a treadmill I have to have a tv on, but I mentally start with a number in my head. I know I am going to run 2 miles , so I shoot for 15 minutes, set the speed and start a countdown as the minutes go by..first minute 14.....13.......8(over halfway)....etc.. I have tunes on also sometimes but I get bored with them. I love mixing up the work though, run 2 minutes add pushups or pullups or situps or squats, maybe all four! Then back on for 2 minutes , like the first one I listed , if I run an 8 minute mile pace I would do 8 intervals of 2 minutes running which also means I did 160 pushups and 160 squats.
    You can decide how many of each exercise you want to do and break them down into how many intervals you think it will take you to run the distance you want. Some will say that you arent truly running 2 miles then since your stopping but I will argue that your doing more work and running 2 miles! Try it and see if you like it, if ya dont, nothing hurt.
  • nadine2unfit2bqueen
    nadine2unfit2bqueen Posts: 153 Member
    Get outside. Death to treadmills... yah its physically harder but the end result is so much better! Fresh air, sunshine, a toner butt from actually having to push yourself up those hills...

    Also an ipod with great tracks + the runkeeperpro app. The app uses the gps device in your phone to track distance, current pace, avg pace and you can look at a map to find new routes. This app has really helped me to keep motivated, because I can set a goal pace/ distance for each run and save my workouts to see my improvement. When I am running I get so wrapped up with staying on pace and reaching that distance in my goal amount of time that I don't get bored. Another awesome feature is being able to create custom training workouts, so if you're on a program like me you can enter in your intervals and the app will tell you through your head phones if you need to be running "slow, steady, or fast" and for how many minutes.

    If your not into doing a pace or distance run, if you just want to run for a certain amount of time, then I suggest hitting the trails. And I don't mean flat running trails where you just get bored; if you have any nearby try running some sgl track mtn bike trails. I love these! They are full of turns, bridges, steep up and downhills, rocks and roots to jump over... endless things to keep you focused on choosing carefully where to place your feet instead of looking at the endless distance ahead. I'd rather stare up at the sky while running than look straight ahead down some long road I am running, and knowing I have to somehow get myself to the other end...
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    I daydream about my future in shape & rockin' body!!!
  • nadine2unfit2bqueen
    nadine2unfit2bqueen Posts: 153 Member
    p.s. I should mention if you have weak ankles perhaps don't follow my suggestion to run mtn bike trails... it is much easier to roll an ankle.
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