What do you think about when you run?

I saw this topic the other day in a running blog, and the author said she thinks about things like what her funeral will be like, or she tells herself jokes.

When you out there alone, mile after mile, what's on your mind?

I tend to give lectures in my head, perhaps telling noone but me some useless bit of historical information. Sometimes it's things I would someday like to put in writing as part of the family history. Sometimes I'm running through an explanation of some of the more fascinating aspect of banking.

I generally focus on trying not to die, and wondering why there are so many cracks in the sidewalk. I do my best to not think much. Sometimes I have songs pop into my head. From my run this morning, I don't even know what all I thought about. I know I thought "go up the hill. go faster. Good job, turn around and go back down it, and do it again". But beyond that, I look at my surroundings, and try to pretend there's always some good looking lady watching me so I focus on good form.

Why are the cops chasing me?

i count

I listen to music to try to keep thoughts out of my head, otherwise my mind will start drifting towards work issues

If I run, I think "Am I going to make it"

I think what I am going to eat later. The further I run the more I can eat. I have 8 scheduled for tomorrow morning and we are going to a Reds game Saturday night. I figure after 8 miles, I can have a couple beers guilt free.

When I was going through very difficult times several years ago, I had so much stress that it never really left my thoughts. Nothing like anger and frustration to help drive you to run 10 miles at a 7 minute a mile pace. The more upset I was the faster I would run. Thankfully I run slower now

I do math.
I look at the pace I am running and figure out how long it would take me to run various distances at that exact pace. Doing this also lets me know where my hydration level is. The easier the math skills come, the better I am doing. When I stuggle to calculate what running a 13.1 mile course at a pace of 10:00 is, I know I am in trouble
That and I try to outrun the Zombies (I listen to the Zombies, Run! app about 75% of the time that I run).

Heart attack ... no-heart attack.

Is this what a stroke feels like.

This.

You know how when you're sitting around talking with people and you confess some quirky thing you do and then everyone says they do it to? I do that sometimes and usually that's the reaction i get. But this one is one where I expected to get the "me, too" reaction, but everyone just looked at me like a lunatic and couldn't relate.

In fact, I predict that no one in this thread relates, and i get thought of as a weirdo.

But when i run i put myself in a bunch of basically movie scenarios. Like, i'm Batman chasing the joker on rooftops, or i'm leading my team out into the super bowl. Or i'm one of the Avengers chasing down Loki.

Sometimes i think of personal stuff like an old high school basketball game. Except in this game we're losing at half time and we come out the second half like space jam or something. We just throw caution to the wind and are full court pressing and throwing alley oops and it's like Space Jam. Greatest comeback ever.

That is awesome SM!!!

I can sort of relate, Stupendous Man. I think up stories and plots and characters. It's not necessarily me in there, but I live the story through the characters' eyes. Not exactly the same, but I don't think you're a weirdo.

The person who is chasing me... cause that is the only reason I would be running!

Too out of shape... not meant to be because running is bad)

You aren't entirely alone, SM. I don't do exactly the same thing, but I tend to just let my imagination wander at will and it comes up with some odd things sometimes - like what running would be like if I was a hobbit.

Many times when running before sunrise, I'm thinking "Is that dog on a chain?"

When I can stop...

Inhale 3...exhale 3....omg...I'm going to die.

Why does this look at easy on TV??

The whole "Zombie Apocolypse Running App" is basically built around this idea! :

As for me. I think about everything from, the state of the planet to "breath in, breath out"!

I sure hope I wake from this dream soon

I'm usually by myself after work running so these are the sad little topics that plague me: (in no particular order)
* Kidnappers
* Murderers
* Crazy drivers that might hit me
* Loose dogs that could bite me
* Human traffickers
* I hope those group of teenage boys don't think I'll be their victim in their "knockout game"
* I hope I don't break my ankle on these stupid "historic" limestone sidewalks/roads.

A little paranoid, but it should make you really fast!
No clowns?

Good thing that you are running for your health

The majority of the time I run with a group and we chat the whole way. Our conversations have a very normal progression:

Groaning - Let's go get this over with, why does it take a half mile to warm up?
B!tching - Typically it's about work first, then spouses, possibly mother in laws, then kids
Gossip - we all live in small towns, this ranges from who did I go on a date with last to who missed church
Running - What is our next long run? Who's doing the race this weekend? When are we doing speed work?
Food - we always end with food. What did we eat that day? Have we burned it off? What are we going to eat after? When is the next group birthday so we can have a cupcake run?

Not that she's OCD or anything.....

I did forget that!
* Pennywise when I run by the storm drains

My stream of consciousness would go something like, "Breathe in, breathe out....breathe in, breathe out...machine head, better than the rest....why don't foreign singers sound like they have accents during their songs?...why do all fictional characters from other worlds sound British?...Legolas is hot...holy carp it's hot out here...d@mn bugs...I wonder if elves could outrun bugs...

As long as you can run in a (semi) straight line, who cares how wonky your stream of thought is! Sounds exhausting though

Meh...that's only if I run outside. Most days I'm on the dreadmill and read whatever book I've got going on the Kindle while I run.

When I started running, it was "oh my gosh I'm going to die, keep going, owwww, keep going, breathe, don't forget to breathe."

In the middle, when I was growing more accustomed to running, it was very stream of consciousness, random thoughts and a lot of working on whatever writing project I'm in the middle of.

Post-knee-surgery, it's "ow, ow, ow, stop being a baby, ow ow ow, ouchhhhhhh, stupid knee, ok walk a block now, breathe, breathe, ok run again, ow ow ow." I can't wait to be able to run more than 1 block at a time. Yes, I am resuming running under strict guidance from doctor, phys therapist, and personal trainer. My brain wants it back in my life, my knee not so much. Soon!

Before I started my new job, I thought a lot about my old boss, and the anger would keep me going. Now im' in a much better situation, and I tend to let my mind wander.

But the times when I'm running and feel like giving up, I start thinking about my grandfather in WWII, weighing 135 pounds and carrying a 20 pound B.A.R. I imagine him running from spot to spot, advancing, with his sergeant yelling at him to run. I know those guys did it because they had to, but it gives me motivation to stop my bit**ing and keep running.

"Big bear chase me" - Chet Ripley (John Candy) in The Great Outdoors

Just make sure you've got your shotgun lamp and you'll be fine. (as long as it's plugged in )

If taking the last doughnut from the box just as the CFO was reaching for it was a good idea.

Well....if you see me running, you better start running too because that means something is chasing me!

My favorite T shirt.

"Bomb Squad, If you see me running, try to keep up."

I think of a Big Mac Attack!!!

I sing songs in my head, usually end up with some stupid song with a repeditive beat, like S-s-s-A-a-a-F-f-f-f-E-e-e-e-e-T-t-t-Y-y-y safe safe safe dance dance dance.

Your welcome for the ear worm

In chronological order, from past to present:

1. The #1 rule in Zombieland: Cardio. Focusing on how pathetic it would be to not be able to make it to the 1-mile marker with a pack of them behind me. How a non-runner like me would be eaten rather than escaping on foot.

2. Then it devolved into laziness, with an intense focus on how much I truly hate running, why am I doing this, I’m causing tremendous strain to ankles and knees, impact jolts to bones, this is the worst human activity ever devised, I'm going to get weird bone symptoms in my shins and feet, why would anyone ever do this, etc.

3. Now I don’t run ever if I can help it, but while doing other forms of exercise, I always give thanks for what I have in my life, both at home and at work.

I listen to music and my mind always wonders around from thought to thought ... usually settling on how poor my lung capacity truly is and why it never gets better

The amount of pain I am in...

On this Sunday's trail run it was:

Horseflies...Spiders...Seed Ticks...OH MY!

I had larger critters today: three dogs, two cats and a big whitetail doe about 15 yards from me.

We has some squirrels that sounded like elephants running through the leaves and an armadillo.

Saw an old Friends episode where phoebe and Rachael were running, and phoebe ran with arms and legs flailing crazy like, then by the end of the show Rachael did too.

I then thought of this thread and tried seeing all of you running like phoebe

In this heat, no one runs,
no one even breaths.
We just sit in pools of sweat hoping no customers see the wet spots on our cloths.

Because I've read here about people who think about their breathing, today I started thinking about it, trying to count step per breath. All of sudden, I couldn't breathe. I had to stop thinking about it and start looking for animals again. Today: one cat, one startled (deaf?) puppy who didn't hear me coming, and one dead skunk in the middle of the road. Yeah, I had that song in my head for the next mile.

Interesting...last night during speed work, my intervals were much faster when I focused on leveling out my breathing instead of taking the short panicked OMG I'M GONNA DIE breaths.

I really only focus on my breathing during races. If I did it other times, I'd probably be better at it. During races it's generally because I've got a side-cramp/pain and have to focus on a 2 second-3 second breathing pattern until the cramp goes away.

This morning's run I thought about work, and why the guy with all the tattoos and jeans halfway down his thighs was trying to "run" with his pit bull. Can't have been comfortable for any of them! The dog was at the end of his/her leash, but every step the guy took, he tripped himself up a bit and cut short his step, resulting in the leash jerking back and pulling the dog. It was just silly.

I'm not coordinated enough to think about breathing and moving my feet at the same time. If I starting thinking about arm movement, I'll get them out of synch with my stride. I start to look like a pacer at the harness races.