I did my penultimate run yesterday yeaaaah!! Bit better than my 2 previous runs which had been done later in the day and nearly killed me! Yesterday's was a fresh 7am run when my energy is there and boy did it feel easier - well a bit easier anyway!! And the muscles in the tops of my legs which were killing me after my 2 later-in-the-day runs, feel really good again.
Anyoldhow, I got distracted on yesterdays run when I passed a friend and we shouted a brief conversation without stopping our runs as we passed each other by. And what I noticed for the first time was that brief distraction actually made me forget (for a few moments) that I was running!! It felt great. I have been totally focussed on and obsessed with running whilst I've been doing this programme - as you do. Anyway just wanted to enquire if anyone's got ideas of how to be distracted whilst running! I cant run with my friend, by the way, as normally we are in different towns and I dont have anyone else to run with (boo hoo). My graduation run is tomorrow morning, all being well woohoo Happy running everyone!
Written by
CressidaB
Graduate
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Make up songs in your head, silly rhymes, give names to the folk you pass ( not necessarily to their faces though), name the trees and bushes, ( I know for a fact that Mummycav named a bush after me, in the park near her:)Make shopping lists in your head, but silly ones.
Also, focusing on one aspect of your running style can be distracting; concentrating on the way you are holding your hands, or relaxing your shoulders, rounding your ankles etc.. The run is over before you know it and you can fee quite sad when it is.
I take in everything around me and have kept a running log diary of virtually every single run I have done since I graduated in 2015 It really is great fun
But, well done you anyway... take it gently, steady and slow and keep your eye on that podium where we will all be waiting to cheer you home
Aw thanks Oldfloss for your good wishes and many thanks for all those suggestions which I am sure I shall be trying. Like the idea of keeping a running log diary too. Many thanks.
Well done 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻I used to use music, audio books and podcasts to distract me. Women’s hour from BBC sounds was a regular. Anything to distract me from my breathing and the pounding of my feet. Now running is easier I quite like running without any distraction and quite like just focusing on the run and the things around me. I think the difference for me was when it all stopped being so hard and I started to enjoy the running itself. If music or podcasts aren’t your thing, you could always try the Zombies 🧟♀️ 🧟♂️ (Zombie Run from your App Store) 😂😂
Hope you find your thing. Good luck for your graduation run 🏃♀️ 😊
Thanks very much Frizzbomb - lots there to think about. Podcasts sound good and also your comment on not needing distractions cos running has got easier - thanks 😀🏃♀️👍
Well done to you. Will you be a tad sad when you leave Laura or just purely excited about meeting your goal?.. I just find her a comfort. When I run , I find myself doing sums .. Simple stuff usually about time or miles, I get distracted and have to start again. Like oldfloss I take in everything around me and look for changes , such as the blackberries are coming through at the moment.
Thanks Mrsrun. I don't want to leave Laura 😱. I thought I would carry on listening to her in the week 9 podcast whilst I do my consolidation runs. I dont want to lose her!! Thanks for the tips. Happy running! 😀🏃♀️👍
I used to give a running commentary on everything I see, feel, hear and smell as I ran, in full florid sentences.
Many people use podcasts or audio books and of course music.
For the most part I run with nothing in my ears and nothing in my head apart from my own thoughts. It is almost meditational and a wonderful opportunity to clear your head and just appreciate being truly alive............back to the senses in my commentary, but not necessarily with the words.
Lots of people here use Nike run club, you can listen to various podcasts, or go on guided (coached) runs. I've just downloaded it today, so can't give any more detail than that, but people speak highly of it. I'm going to give it a go on my next run
Good luck for tomorrow. You could listen to Ted Talks to take your mind off the running. I used to do that, but now my phones battery isn’t that great, so I haven’t done it for a bit.
Well done and all the best for that final run! That’s so exciting. Once I had finished with the Couch25K app I used Nike Run Club app for my coaching and motivation. It’s great and the motivation there is good too. Best of luck 🙂
Woohoo! I'll be doing my last run today too! We'll be graduating together!!! I've been running the same route around my local park and find saying hello to the walkers distracts me, and watching the kids learning tennis, and the teenagers around the basketball hoops. But mostly I listen to podcasts like others have said. I find my mind wanders off a lot but into daydreams but that's just my personality. Anyway well done! We've had our ups and downs but it's all worth it! We saw it through! By the end of the day we'll be graduates!!!! Yay!
Hi again CressidaB - I got a phone call halfway through my run and I chatted which forced me to run at a pace that I could talk at (big tick) and really distracted me ... so maybe try phoning a friend .... sounds weird but I might give it a go with my next run. Looking forward to crossing the bridge together!
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Happy running everyone! 
W2R1 completed with many distractions
A long run, just for the sake of it
We really do run with our heads
What a beautiful day 
A fright and a giggle
