What do you think about when you swim / run?

Our pool has music on fpr length swims. Admittedly, I could recount the full track listing of disc one of Now! 83... but better than silence!

I think about random daft stuff.. then realise I am grinning like a loon

Always keep a tally of lengths though!

I either run with a friend at happy, chatty pace (daisy I see your smiley, but just want to say that not all runs should be done at a pace too fast to talk - there is lots of benefit to the steady run (endurance and stamina), fast runs build speed and strength), or I run with The Archers, Woman's Hour or Friday Nighy Comedy (or sometimes all of them if it's a very long run!).

Music puts me off my pace. Or I think about nothing or everything. Any worries always feel better after a run - either because I've put them into perspective, or I've got a kick ass plan of action!

I don't enjoy swimming, but when I couldn't run due to injury I swam to keep my fitness up. I thought about 1) how many lengths I'd done and 2) Monster Munch.

Why not listen to music while you swim? I have a speedo aquabeat and regularly swim for an hour whilst plugged into some energising music. Has revolutionised my swimming and wouldn't be without it now.

wow thats alot, you must be super super fit Tulip:o

When running I listen to music , count reps , make up stories in my head , plan the shopping list, watch the wildlife.
I run about 40-50 miles per week with my longest run taking 2-3 hours. I find varying route between public places and beautiful nature filled places helps. Variation in speed , adding hills etc keeps me from getting bored.

when I'm walking I tend to think quite intensely about the various things that are going on in my life, run through scenarios, conversations I've had or would like to have, come up with various theories about why she/he said/did this that and the other.

When I'm running it's all I can do to make myself keep doing it, there's no room for much stream of consciousness!

With swimming I focus entirely on my movement through the water and how hard my heart and lungs are working. I can't seem to think about anything under these conditions.

I imagine, not I aging. FFS.

When I run I sort things out in my head...often things that have been bothering me come to a head and I kind of luxuriate in dwelling on them for a bit and then they seem to dissolve away, iyswim. I always run in the morning so often think about my do-list for the rest of the day or what Gigantic lunch I'm going to eat later or what I'm going to make for dinner. Sometimes I I aging I'm being chased by coyotes (lots near where I run) and that I have to sprint to get away from them .

Whatever I end up thinking about I always feel that the exercise, endorphins and fresh air have cleared away the mental cobwebs.

I listen to desert island discs sometimes. Or I look at all the houses and decide which one I'd like to live in. Or I spend my imaginary lottery winnings. I definitely need more distraction when running because I find it harder and am more on the verge of stopping with every second that passes.

Swimming is easier for me and more meditative so I just think about my stroke or how I feel as I'm moving through the water. I still can't do a tumble turn but I like pushing off from the side and seeing how far I can go underwater and then looking up to see the light and enjoying that movement (I would say glide but I'm not sure I do anything as elegant as glide). If I'm struggling a bit I'll recite poetry from o'level.

Mercury7 - I'm not sure how many miles a week, but I'm training for my first half. I'm doing 3 x 30 mins runs a week and one longer one which gets gradually longer each week - 90 mins this week.

I am/was (on the injury bench temporarily) doing just under 5k three times a week. I've almost finished C25K. I'm planning on doing a 10K in the summer, I wouldn't have the time to train for a marathon or half at the moment! I've read that you're not supposed to increase your time or distance by more than 10% a week.

I tend to use running in different ways, depending on my mood/situation at the time. Sometimes I zone out and just live in the moment, but other times I like to use it to think exclusively about whatever is bothering me and transfer the angst into physical effort - it's a way of letting it go.

Interesting question! I don't swim that energetically, more to stretch and relax but lately have found that the minute i start swimming all my worries disappear and i think about all the nice places i have swum, holidays etc. Tis v soothing

I do two 5kms a week at the moment. In summer when I can go out after work I do a third. Hate running in the cold and dark. I find it really hard to do anything further than 5/6km, my knees start to ache and I get a bit bored.
I've thought about signing up for a a marathon a few times but get put off by how many hours you need to put in. A half is bad enough.

how many miles are most of you clocking up per week?
I'd like to increase mine a bit but i suspect it's best to increase very slowly to avoid injuries..also past a certain point i'm not sure if the benefits to body composition are really worth the stress to the immune system

or am i just being a wuss:o

Listen to music when running and just think about stuff.
Simeone suggested to me that listening to audio books when running is a good way to make the time go faster because you have to really concentrate but it didn't work for me because I like to think about stuff bothering me.

I find swimming much harder, I stop way too many times to have a look at what is going on because I get bored with it.

I run in stints, so run for x minutes then jog, then run again. my ipod tells me when to run, when to jog when to walk etc. Interval training? Could be wrong.

I invested in some personal training sessions to begin with, he said i should be able to still say yes no, hello, excuse me etc but not a conversation? its a new thing for me, just over a year now. I never thought i would be the type of person who would enjoy running or exercise in any shape or form, but i don't like to go more than a day without some kind of exercise now.

I seem to spend most of my time flicking through tracks trying to find the 'right' music to make the running easy, the 'right' music is very elusive, what works one day is ineffective the next:(

If I'm not listening to music, I find it hard to switch off too. Sometimes I do a sort of mental 'body scan' while I'm running though. A bit like some people do in yoga or meditation. It's quite good because it occupies but relaxes the mind and also flags up any areas of tension or awkward posture etc, so it can help with your running style too. Not that the word 'style' can really be used about my running .

I find it hard to follow long or complex thoughts while running or swimming, I tend to count alot and pay attention to my stride or stroke
I try and tune in to how I'm feeling...if I really push myself today will I have enough in the tank to run and lift weights tomorrow.

There's often an undercurrent of 'oh no this is really hard I dont think I can go the distance' or rarely 'whoa I'm in the zone I feel all tingly and things are flowing'

I listen to podcasts when running but can only really concentrate if it's comedy, mostly I listen to music, that and the effort of running takes up most of my concentration

While running I either try to solve work problems - usually very successfully, and it stops me worrying about things in the middle of the night - or I take a nosy at all the houses and gardens I pass by, to get design inspiration. My favourite time to run is at dusk, when people have their lights on but haven't shut their curtains

I think you can get some sort if wireless ones (am a little clueless )

How about taking up outdoor swimming or trail running?