What goes through your mind when you're running?

Judging by the difference in moving time and elapsed time on Strava tracks, and the number of photos on my phone I usually think about pretty trees and icy puddles.

Sorry I realise that was a bit of a drip feed 😅

Yes there was a terrible murder here (not UK) right at the start of the pandemic. A young Syrian guy was lured to the beach and stabbed to death, there were few witnesses and by the time the police arrived there was no body. The perpetrators fled (about 6 of them) and dumped his body miles away, they weren't caught for months as they managed to cross a border and a different country's police force eventually arrested them.

@PollyCreo reacted laughing then realised I'd misread the final sentence. I have so many questions and I don't want the answers to any of them.

I live near the sea, without sounding all whimsical, the sounds of the sea and sea birds is very calming and grounding. I’m not sure what I’m thinking about half the time!

Edit: When I first started running, thoughts consisted mainly of ‘Has it been 2 minutes yet?’ and ‘I think I’m getting a stitch’

It was a targeted hit though, not a random attack on a solo female runner.

I always imagine potential crime scenes 😂 There are bits I run past where I think bodies have been dumped 🤔 I hate running so much I do anything to make it more interesting 🧐

Although right at the start of the pandemic, a brutal murder did take place on my route.

Keep going, you’re at the hardest bit! I’ve been a runner for yonks and have run marathons, but the most difficult time of my training was when I first started and getting up to 5km. Once you can run that, increasing your distances (should you wish to do so of course, 5km is a perfectly acceptable distance!) is just a case of slowly adding extra time on and doesn’t feel as bad as the stage you’re in.

I need the distraction of something to listen to. I love….

a. a really gripping audiobook that I only listen to on runs. A proper ‘oh my god I can’t stop running as I just have to know what happens next!’ type of book. I struggle to find these so if anyone has any recommendations then gratefully received!

b. Podcasts. I particularly enjoy Adam Buxton, Off Menu, and the Women’s Running one.

c. Music. I not particularly bothered about my times, but notice I always run faster if I’m listening to music. I like something very stirring and emotional and imagine I’m being broadcast to the nation as I win the Olympic gold in the marathon (I overlook the fact that I’m actually plodding slowly around my local park) and everyone’s in their homes cheering on their sofas. I also enjoy listening to musicals and pretending I’m on the Broadway stage, and even mouth along to the lyrics when there’s no one coming towards me.

Good luck with the training, and don’t give up!

How's it going @bunsnroses1 did you finish the c25k? I'm on week 2 so still a fair bit of walking so far on the plan.

I'm an injured runner and I really miss it, can't wait to get back to it.

I can't run to music very well - I don't know why. I can run listening to podcasts though, I think because they feel "chatty".

Mostly, I just run without listening to anything and after a while, my brain just sort of empties. It's the only time my brain is quiet!

I like to listen to Louis Thereux on my runs. Interesting and funny.

Much, much better with music, podcast without too many ads or a good audiobook. Give your brain something nicer to focus on!

Thanks, autocorrect - stationary bike.

Me too! Also "I could stop immediately and nobody would ever know".

So I did. I'm much happier walking and lifting weights and doing a rowing machine and stationery bike at the gym.

Sometimes I listen to a podcast if I’m on my own, otherwise I chat to my dog if they are with me on my run.

Often I set myself a goal and use the time to assess something and make a decision. I’ll tell myself, ok by the time I’ve finished I need to make a decision on this. Some of my runs are up to 2 hours so it is a long time to think about something.

I do find the feeling of fatigue really difficult to deal with. I do find that slowing down temporarily can really help. Or even just promising myself I will slow down at x point

This. It's a mental battle for me too. It's about trusting your body can do it.

The last race I did was 10 miles, halfway through I was fed up so I started building and designing my dream house in my head.

For the first 2km it's I'm so crap, I'm so unfit, why am I doing this. For the last 2km something like this is taking forever, when can I finish.

Anything in between it's a whole load of stuff like what I need to buy from the shop, clothes, bags, shoes, dinner plans, events I have coming up. If I listen to a podcast then it's thoughts related to said podcast. I flit between argh this is taking so long to wow I'm doing great.

I love it when my mind wanders away from what I'm doing, before I know it another km has passed and I'm further to the end.

I plan my life, solve my daily living puzzles, notice the countryside & environment. I'm really good at tolerating my own company, though.

i listen to music, I don’t know how people run without it. I have some very inexpensive bone conduction headphones which have been great. I brought them as race nation events will only allow bone conduction headphones.
I also run through all sorts of things that are on my mind and put the world to rights with myself.

on the whole running isn’t anywhere near as hard as it was during the later stages of C25k. Though 5k in a treadmill still feels like more than 10k out on the road. I spend the whole time on a treadmill thinking surely this must be over soon, why does this feel so hard but my pace is so bad? I do quite enjoy running outdoors now. Did best part of 10 miles at the weekend and it was lovely running down country lanes in the winter sun (apart from the bloody massive hill).

I have a job interview this week so tonight’s run will be mostly thinking through possible interview questions and responses.

A lot achieving runs is down to your mind so I always listen to podcasts when I run on my own as it stops the little chimp in my head that says I can't do it or I need to stop. I just try to focus on the podcast and get the run done (and sometimes I think about what I'm going to have to eat when I get home!).

As a cyclist I can confidently say that - judging by the fuckwit runners who launch themselves in front of my bike without looking - that the only thing that doesn't go through the minds of runners is road safety!

But when I used to run (and now, when I cycle) I solve a lot of the problems the world, and find solutions to things I am struggling with at work at. I find exercise allows my mind to focus in a different way to normal and I see things in a different light, which makes me happy!

I listen to music and day dream. I love it. I'm not particularly fast but that's ok with me.

C25K is hard and you do have to struggle to push yourself to finish sometimes but if you keep at it it does get easier (although everybody has crap days when they aren't feeling in the mood).
Personally I love listening to music, usually Imagine Dragons greatest hits, and having a good daydream.
Also don't be afraid to go slow. I'm not a natural runner and think of my speed as '80 yr old marathon runner'. I won't win any races but I'm getting out there and doing something at over 50 that younger me wouldn't of dreamt of!😁

Keep going. One day out of the blue you will be running and forget you are running. Your mind will be thinking of other things, or nothing or just daydreaming. Then it's fun and a nice peaceful time for you