What goes through your mind when you're running?

[bunsnroses1]

I'm on week 4 of couch to 5K and my internal monologue is very much 'oh god, this is awful, how much longer/further' etc. Does this change? Will I reach a point when I'm not thinking about the physical discomfort?

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Thanks, autocorrect - stationary bike.

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

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

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!

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.

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!

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.

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

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’

@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.

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.

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.