Keep It Interesting

Running is kind of boring, especially when the distance requires an hour or two.  I find myself zoning out fairly often, but eventually I start to think about my feet and ankles, and then my knees, and then all of the sudden I can feel my heart beating and hear the sound of my lungs gasping for breath.  These are great things to focus on while running, right?  Um, no thanks.  Before you know it you feel like you're carrying around 20 pounds of extra weight from the sweat on your drenched shirt and way too aware of the chafing going on in all the wrong places.  It's gross, but we all experience it.

So lets focus on ways to keep the mind busy during a work out.  I know some of my running buddies absolutely have to have music.  The fast beat keeps them moving, they can't hear their bodies begging to stop, and they get lost in the latest Ke$ha or Black Eyed Peas song, most likely on repeat.  You know who you are.  I'm not linking to Ke$ha. pfft...

This approach doesn't work for me.  I'm not all that into music, and I usually end up with a headache after about ten minutes from the constant pounding in my ears.  Combining that with the pounding of my knees as my feet hit the pavement, the pounding of my heart in my chest, and the occasional careless arm movement I don't really need the extra abuse.  But hey, whatever works for you.

Some people like to think about work.  I don't understand this strategy, unless you're visualizing running away from the office for good, never to return.  I try not to think about work while I'm not at work.

Another strategy could be to appreciate nature and observe the world around us.  Sometimes I think we lose our appreciation for the beautiful planet we live on, and noticing the simple things we normally take for granted can make for a very enjoyable run.

Most of the time, as I said above, I completely zone out.  It's like I click the "start" button on my stopwatch and I disappear for a half hour.  I usually snap back into it for the last  half-mile or so, and use that to visualize the upcoming race and how I want to finish.  Holding a mini-celebration at the end of a run never hurts.  What are some of your strategies when it comes keeping your mind occupied during a run?

Today was a bit rough.  4 miles isn't bad, but I think I was still recovering from Saturday.  Plus I had 2 cups of coffee in the morning and didn't drink enough water in the afternoon.  Figures.