[Patchmaxnala]

Hi everyone!

As I am trying to run a half-marathon, I was just curious as to what you all think about when you go out for a really long run?

Personally, I like to listen to music and concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other , but I have a hard time to keep on going after a while... I need to distract myself. Like think about how great I'm going to feel tomorrow or what happened on ****'s Kitchen yesterday

Anyhoo, my question is...what goes through YOUR mind?

[beautifulone]

I don't run (yet!!). I wonder that too though

[WardHog]

My mind wanders all over the place. I ran over 8 miles yesterday, but I can't seem to remember what I was thinking about.

[stillclock]

i swim for about an hour to an hour and a half five times a week.

often i'm coaching myself on form, or arguing with myself about whether or not i can do the next set or if i can go faster or reaffirming my commitment to flip turns, to this life renovation or i am practicing visualization - what i'm going to look like and feel like a year from now.

and then sometimes the dark thoughts come and i spend a lot of time beating myself up. that's awful.

and sometimes i think about school stuff or parenting stuff or home stuff or life stuff.

but most of the time i'm just making myself swim.

i recently invested in a waterproof ipod case with headphones, so i'll have music in the pool for the first time in more than 20 years of lap and lane swimming.

i think it's going to change my world!

isolde

[mamaspank]

I fantasize about hitting homeruns and running into ex-boyfriends. Sometimes I think about what I am going to make for dinner or snack on before bedtime. I oftentimes make up lists of things I need to do or look up online.

[Patchmaxnala]

isolde- Ya, I REALLY try to avoid those negative *who do you think you ARE?* thoughts the second I feel them coming! Too many of my runs (or any other challenges for that matter) end up in me quitting or probably bingeing on food later...*gasp*! I just immediatly concentrate on the reasons why I'm doing what it is I'm doing and on the big picture (and not what others think about me).

Alot of times though I go out for a run at a certain time/place to show off my *awesome running abilities* (which is all totally in my head) to people so they envy my endurance... I just imagine them thinking *WOW! I wish I could run like her....or.....MAN! Nothing can stop her! I wonder who she is?* HAHA! Whatever keeps you going I guess!

Mamaspank- I love making lists to! Being organized really calms me down and prepares me for tomorrow's challenges.

Beautifulone- It's never too late to run! All you have to have is a pair of shoes and motivation. Running is one of the best things I've done for myself (physically and mentally). I swear, it's hard to find a runner who ISN'T happy!

[BlueToBlue]

When I'm doing long, endurance cardio, I'm usually thinking about whatever is going on in my life at the moment. Books I'm reading, problems I'm dealing with, stuff I'm looking forward to. Sometimes I come up with great ideas or solve problems while exercising.

If I'm really on my game, I also think about my pace and my form. This is hit or miss because I'm easily distracted, but I know my form is better if I'm concentrating on it. If there are other people around, I'll frequently challenge myself to go faster than them (sometimes I win, sometimes I don't).

Like Patchmaxnala, I'm also sometime thinking about my fabulous form or how impressed everyone must be with my intensity (also all in my head ). But once those endorphins kick in, I feel really good about myself. It makes me feel like I can do anything and I have remarkably positive thoughts about myself. It's a zen-like state. I never get that effect with weight lifting, but I frequently achieve it with cardio. I imagine it's the way some people feel when they do yoga (which never does anything for me).

[ShutterK]

Well, I don't run (yet) but I like to think about stuff like books and listen to the news. I've had some problems recently and I've found that if I think of those while working out (you know, more thought involved) I'm more likely to trip and get thrown into the wall, heh.

[Jassica]

Originally Posted by mamaspank

I fantasize about hitting homeruns and running into ex-boyfriends.

Mee too lol

[nellibabyy]

I make a playlist of the pace I want to run and run with the beat. My mind seems to go blank...it's weird.

[Thighs Be Gone]

I think about what I need to do that day. I think about any problems I am having in my life. I am thinking how good it feels to be running. I try to enjoy my surroundings too--the way the sky looks when the sun is coming up--there is a certain tree where a bird sits and sings every morning at daybreak--I love hearing that bird--I also look forward to seeing my fellow runners and giving them a G'Morning as we pass--or passing the old Japanese couple that walk every morning--I dunno--I just think.

[shananigans]

I like to listen to podcasts or music while I run. I tend to kind of space out, I don't really recall specifics if I'm thinking anything at all. Unless it's "this hill sucks" or "I kick butt"

[MBN]

I need entertainment / distraction ... I either run with a group and we chat, or I take an ipod or radio to listen to. When I run by myself, sometimes I do drift off and think about whatever problem I'm solving at the time, but I always have something else too. I've tried running with just me, but I'm not that interesting ...