Hi everyone,
I have ventured over from the couch to 5k forum and today I have just completed the 7km run from week 3. I was a little nervous that I wouldn't be able to achieve the distance and I still use Laura's voice to guide me for the first 30 minutes (repeating the graduation C25K run), but what a feeling when I finished today 
Does anyone have advice on how they keep themselves occupied during their runs to stop focusing so much on the time??
Hello and welcome to the bridge !And well do on your 7K.
Do you listen to music while you run ?
Or you could try some of the NRC app guided runs ?
Thank you!! I tend to listen to some random dance Spotify playlist but I’ll check the guided runs out 😊
I listen to spoken word podcasts, usually a mixture of comedy and documentaries. For most of my runs I post a write-up the same day, which usually includes what I listened to.
When I do parkrun, it's always "naked". No headphones and no looking at the watch.
PS. Welcome to The Bridge.
Thank you! I’ve been considering whether podcasts might be more engaging than just music.
Is there a particular reason you do park runs naked? I’ve only done a couple so far but really enjoyed them
Mainly because it's useful to hear what's going on round me. The paths can be narrow in places. Being able to hear the gazelles creeping up on you from behind is helpful. There's also the occasional banter with the marshals.
Most folks at my local parkrun don't listen to anything whilst going round.
Welcome and well done for your 7k! You probably have seen the Magic Plan ( healthunlocked.com/bridgeto... just in case your aiming for 10k.
On my journey to 10k, and I am a very slow runner, I also needed something engaging to listen to. And as I like trying out new things, I’ve tried quite a bit of different things, amongst them :
- running to music, choosing also very different types of playlists on Spotify (app), from Pop, rock, jazz to classical and also sometimes seeking out playlists for a certain cadence (BPM)
- running to Zombies, Run, (app) which is an immersive audio story that unfolds while you run
- running whilst being audio coached by NRC (app) Coach Bennett or Coach Cory. NRC has a great choice of free audio coaches runs, and you can still play your own music if preferred.
- less often have I run with audiobooks and conversational podcasts. I seem to prefer to run to music
- I’ve also run to the podcast “podrunner” where you can chose a certain BPM/cadence to run to.
Hope this helps just a little bit to find your way.
Keep on keeping on! And congratulations for your 7k!!
To keep myself occupied i like to run slower and just enjoy looking at what is around me. If I go faster I feel more tired and become conscious of time.
If I need a distraction I enjoy listening to music and if I need motivation or help to get me through I will use the NRC guided runs.
It doesn't need to be one or the other. Mix it up and have fun. 👍
I like to run listening to the radio which gives a mixture of chat and music. If I can time a run to include Pop Master, On the Ball or Simon Mayo's confessions I consider it a small win 🏆
Welcome Aimeebaby28, I think I'm unusual not to ever listen to anything when I'm running. Once I get going, I just let my mind wander and the kilometres go by really quickly. I'm brought back to reality on hilly bits, when my breathing gets more laboured or if I need to move out of the way for a car or tractor on the lanes. It works ok for me. Perhaps I should try music/podcasts at some point as I don't know what I'm missing.
Same as folk above - I listen to music. I have a Spotify playlist for the cadence that i favour. I also have bone conducting headphones that allow me to hear what's going on around me while still enjoying the music. Win, win!Welcome to the Bridge!!
week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
