What do you think about on your long run? 🥞

[roseabi]

In fairness, said Forkner, he does occasionally mix it up.

“Sometimes,” he said, “I think about pancakes. With blueberries. Bacon. And a milkshake.”

dumbrunner.com/nutrition-ne...

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Love this!!! My new strategy for when the going gets tough 😅

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Have to say it made me feel rather sick, back to the drawing board!!!

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

Waffles are a bit too much for my stomach! I prefer to think about chips, which is just as well as I can often smell them on my runs 😂

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to roseabi]

I don't think I could think of anything worse 😄

[sTrongFuse Half Marathon 10 Miles in reply to roseabi]

At the moment, with the warmer weather and the easing of restrictions, it's often BBQs I smell when I'm out

[David_G Metric Marathon]

Thanks for the post roseabi 👍 I don’t really know what I think about 🤔 I suppose sometimes I mentally sing along to whatever tune I’ve got on (HUHM half marathon playlist is my current favourite!), other times I’m concentrating on whatever coaching I’ve got on the NRC app😊 I don’t tend to run without something to listen to though. I use Aftershokz headphones so I can hear what’s going on around me, just in case there’s anything interesting happening in Bognor Regis (unlikely!🤣)

[misswobble Marathon in reply to David_G]

I’m sure that’s not true 😁.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to David_G]

I don't listen to music but I'm usually hearing it in my head anyway! Sometimes it's not annoying...

We need to make something happen in Bognor, clearly!! xxx

[GoGo_JoJo Ultramarathon]

🙈🤣🙈 my mind can go to the oddest of places when I'm out running! Food is a favorite. Memories, good and bad. Departed loved ones. Work issues.

I try to either drown it all out with music or once relaxed tune into nature. I'm lucky that a few years back I finally learned (like the male of our species) to think about literally nothing... so that's what I aim for, just looking at the view and hearing the birds, wondering what they're saying to each other. 👍🏻😁

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

You sound a lot like me! xxx

Edit, oh apart from the music 😂

[GoGo_JoJo Ultramarathon in reply to roseabi]

I used to rely on music a lot, barely use it now! 👍🏻😁

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

Well roseabi, now I’ll be thinking about those waffles all day and I’m not even running today. 😋 😋

I usually listen to my playlist, sing along (in my head!), think about how far I have to go, where to add the hills in I’m doing that day ..... nothing very exciting! But if I’m doing a landmark run I’ll think about how jubilant I’ll feel when posting on here about it! You guys all keep me running. ❤️

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

That is so lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😍

[runningdad Marathon]

Oh gosh, profound stuff. 😆 I hadn’t considered it very much before. I suppose I ponder, plan, generate ideas. Enjoy being outdoors, especially when running in a new place and trying to not go the wrong way! I’ll focus on music when it gets really tough. Food is probably there, especially when the energy levels start to drop. An emergency snack helps in those moments. Thanks is for sharing.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to runningdad]

I'm always going the wrong way, but it IS really lovely to be outdoors with our thoughts!! xxx

[Reggiegirl 10 Miles]

Ooh that’s a tough one 🤔. Sometimes I think about work issues, loved ones, what I’ll do when we’re allowed more freedom ( though that was during lockdown). And sometimes I just try to keep the gremlins at bay . Best of all is when I don’t consciously think but just live in the moment- listening to birds, seeing nature around me. ... 😊

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Reggiegirl]

That is the best, isn't it!!??!

[RunWillie Half Marathon]

That’s what I love about running the headspace to think about nothing. I never listen to music on a run just the beep beep of my run / walk intervals and the local wildlife. It’s my happy place ❤️🏃‍♀️

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to RunWillie]

I'm the same, no music xxx

[nowster Metric Marathon]

The spoken word podcasts usually keep my mind from wandering off on other things. I'm usually also looking round, watching people as I run past them, noticing the changing landscape and things like that. If you've ever read one of my epistles here, you'll know the sort of things that I tend to notice.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to nowster]

I am hopeless at listening to podcast, my mind constantly wanders off to other things 😂

Love to people-watch too xxx

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon]

If I have any sort of niggle, that tends to dominate my thinking. Otherwise I run with the music of the countryside in my ears (sometimes the smells as well !) no traffic and often few people to worry about, and my brain quietly teases out problems/issues without my really having to focus on them. A bit like meditation I guess. Today I have pulled together the various strands of an issue which needs resolving; it will mean time on the computer typing away, but I know the shape of it now, so it will largely write itself. At the same time I keep my eyes open for wildlife which is returning as the countryside wakes up from winter. 🙂

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

Yeah, I'm with you on the niggles! But otherwise this all sounds lovely xxx

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

I think I’d feel ill if I thought about food on a long run 🤢 but I do think about a cold beer if it’s hot 🍺 although obviously not for the duration because that might indicate a wee problem 🤣

If I’m running music-free then I think a lot about my body and what’s happening to it, but I also think about life in general, loved ones, etc but these are flitting thoughts. I tend to stay in the here and now and enjoy my surroundings and am constantly looking for photo opportunities 🙂

If I’m running with my epic music then it’s a whole different experience. I role play and imagine I’m everything from a female warrior to saviour of the world..... it never gets boring and the music always gives me an extra spurt when I need it 💪

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

When I listen to Footlose I wish I could do the steps from the film. I imagine that one day I will get a lesson in how to do it 😁☺️ Or it could be more 🤔💭😁

Given I have three left feet I think this idea will only ever exist in my head ☺️

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to misswobble]

Now you’ve got me singing this and tapping my feet 🎶

Talking about music, I know that you have Shakira on your playlist. But did you know that she’s “done” Metallica? 😱 I kid you not.... I found it by accident. It’s not a bad version actually....

youtube.com/watch?v=P0iOz9x...(Not working as expected?)

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

I didn’t know that! I’ll give that a play. Ta. Ole ole ole 🎶🎵

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Ah beer, yes 😍😂 xxx

[LouiseA Half Marathon]

This really made me laugh! My long runs start with talking to myself about what effort I think I’m running and is it right for right now, then I start pondering my arms and hands or my feet, then I might start mentally singing along to whatever song comes on my playlist but then a few km in to any long run this magical thing happens...

It’s as if my brain floats off in a balloon 🎈 that’s lightly tethered and bobbing along with me but there’s not really any thoughts. Just pure daydream. It’s wonderful! My brain only seems to reappear when I’m trying to cross a road or say hello to a passer by and doesn’t fully reappear until I’m ready to stop running.

The same sort of thing used to happen on my paper rounds when I was younger, but was less successful, as rarely did the right newspaper arrive at the correct home. Oops. Safe to say, I didn’t deliver newspapers for very long!

Happy running all! 🏃🏻‍♀️

[misswobble Marathon in reply to LouiseA]

😁. Glad to hear it 😃👍. Running fun. Can’t beat it. It’s better than medicine 🙂

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to LouiseA]

Lol! That's awesome xxx

[Cmoi Marathon]

Given where I live and my complete inability to work out distances correctly, I frequently end up making up routes as I go, thinking "Hey, why don't I run up there?" quite often followed by "Why did I decide to run up here?!" Or "So this is where I end up" or "This is not where I expected to end up!"

I also try to take in my surroundings quite actively, everything from views and forest scents to music or podcasts or birdsong. Have to think about where I'm putting my feet too.

In boring stretches I think about lesson planning and my to-do list! 🤣

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Cmoi]

I’m with you. I can go miles out of my way as I often go off at a tangent if something takes my fancy.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Cmoi]

I have never freestyled a route like that, really would like to give it a go xxx

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Oh roseabi , thank you, 🤗 I love that positive spin on it - "freestyling" sounds so cool! Do give it a go, it's so much fun, though sadly not easily compatible with structured training. xxx

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Cmoi]

I was thinking about you when I sort of tried freestyling on Friday's long run! On a new-to-me route there were no footpaths indicated on either of the online maps I looked at. I ended up being told off for trespassing (very politely, I must point out!) and having to backtrack (so annoying!!), but I finally made it through, and saw some truly lovely sights along the way 😊😊😊

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Delighted you went exploring and had fun roseabi , despite the trespassing and backtracking! 😊

Now could you possibly ship some of your self-discipline my way, please? 🙏 My maratrail plan made me do 15 minutes of speedwork this morning, which I hated and did very badly. I'm just relieved that there are only five speed sessions, including today's, in the whole 16-week plan.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Cmoi]

Well, with only four left to go that makes it easier! 😊😊😊

[Daroo Half Marathon in reply to Cmoi]

Haha!! I thought it was only me who just ran wherever the notion took me!! I get to junctions and just decide then where to go!! And often I end up mikes away from home and have to phone for a lift back 🤪

[misswobble Marathon in reply to roseabi]

I just have to know what’s up/down there.. inveterate nosey Parker I guess ☺️ I found a “woodland walk” today in an area I’ve run lots, but never noticed it til I decided to run the other side of the street. The change of scenery piques your interest and it livens you up 🙂

[misswobble Marathon]

I daydream, I think up alternative song lyrics to the tracks that grate on me 😁. Write my shopping list, silly poems, write shorthand outlines in my mind for the track I’m listening to. Think of my late mum quite a lot. Think about what’s for my next meal. It helps me get through the run when it’s tough. Just having a piece of cake or a potful of chilli or curry waiting for me, plus a lovely bath, when I get home is something I think about a lot 😋💭.

I think about the news of the day. That often makes me run angry but that’s not a bad thing as I find it makes me run faster☺️

Sometimes, I just go mentally AWOL and find that when I “come to” I have no idea how long I was gone for That happens to me on warmer days 🙂

Like IP, I don’t get bored, even on my marathon I can occupy myself quite happily.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

I spend a lot of time debating my lunch choices 😂

[misswobble Marathon in reply to roseabi]

I did my HM today and was nearing home, dead knackered as it was unusually warm, and I remembered that I’d got cake waiting for me 😋🤗🤗🤗🤗. Home made bara brith

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

Yummy!!!!

[Smile23 Half Marathon]

I am with him on the me time. But waffles???more a pancake gal myself. Mmm maple syrup........choices choices

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Smile23]

Yeah, I don't really get waffles.. 😊😊😊

[Langley-Loper Half Marathon]

Simple. Does my route include places for a poomergency. This is a constant problem and sadly the more I think about it, the more I need to find a large tree or dense thicket!!! 🤣

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Langley-Loper]

Oh dear, I am with you there too! 😣 xxx

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Langley-Loper]

😁😁😁. I ran past the scene of one of my embarrassing moments. I laughed out load as there was a load of manure there 😁☺️

[Magellan Marathon]

Ummm....

I am the hero of a thrilling adventure. Sometimes there is a desperate emergency on a spaceship. Sometimes there are evil hordes. I might be rescuing someone from a mountain, and there might be a volcano. Perhaps I am a dashing sea captain fighting pirates, maybe I am like Sarah Connor gearing up to fight killer robots from the future. Sometimes I am a secret agent. Velociraptors may or may not feature in any of the above.

If that is normal, great. If it isn't, I don't think I'd be very good at normal.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Magellan]

You are awesome! 😍😍😍

[Decker Ultramarathon]

My mind wanders aimlessly on a good day so I often go on mental vacations while running getting lost in the mood of a song or the surroundings. Often things catch my eye for photo subjects, especially in the sunrise runs when the light is just beautiful. Sometimes I’m just focused on working out a route connection or concentrating on the terrain if I am running on a trail. I have tripped up more than once. Often I am just trying not to get lost. 😁 Oh and coffee. I look forward to my coffee after a long run on a cool morning.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Decker]

Sunrise/sunset can play tricks with mind, especially when running with no effort. I had such a run in February when the sun went down, hit those sparse clouds, the sky turned red and something just went 'click'. I swear my body was moving on its own, with my head on top being just a happy observer. Lol. Priceless.

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to mrrun]

Yes the light is just magic at these times.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Decker]

Coffee!!!!!!! That's another thing I often smell when I'm out and about in town 😊😊😊

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to roseabi]

My runs down to the lakeshore often have a coffee stop along the way - usually just an espresso shot or two, but yessss coofffffeee 😍😍😍

[Langley-Loper Half Marathon in reply to Decker]

Coffee, how could I forget coffee?

[mrrun Ultramarathon]

I don't. I let my mind free and enjoy the ride. My idea of relaxation is not paying attention to anything and simply letting my mind do its thing. When it works, it's memorable. I had two long runs in February where I was again surprised by what endorphins can do, and why people actually love running for hours. I didn't want to stop.

(Jeez, I'll turn into Forrest......)

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to mrrun]

I wonder where you might end up one day! 😊😊😊

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to roseabi]

One of the great things about the future is that we have no clue what will happen. 😉

[LadyGault Half Marathon]

I think about all and everything, where am I going to run, how fast/slow am I going, whatever I'm listening too, who/what I see. How funny my shadow looks, does anything hurt, what's going on in my life, when I next need to go shopping, how much longer have I got to go😬, could I manage another mile, blimey I'm warm, crikey it's cold and my favourite... what cake, bread or other bakery item I'm going to devour when I get home.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to LadyGault]

I relate to all of that! xxx

[Curlygurly2 Half Marathon]

The longer the run the less I think... after about an hour I often feel a bit gaga!!

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Curlygurly2]

I relate to that too!! xxx

[SkiMonday Ultramarathon]

Hmm, on an out & back route, I might be trying to work out what distance I need to turn back at. On an HM a while back, I worked out that half way was 15k. It wasn't until past 14k that I realised double 15 isn't 21. It's not as if I hadn't had time to work that one out. Good for upping the mileage though!

More generally, I might be thinking about my route, especially if I'm not on a planned course.

Might also think about what I could write about my run when I get back.

Other than that, solving the world's problems and sometimes, as others have said, just cruising around somewhere near my sholders watching the rest of me doing the run.

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to SkiMonday]

Oh gosh me too!! I do a lot of "writing" on the run. And miscalculating 🤣

xxx