I thought about this post on my run this AM.

I thought about other posts too and what I was going to write back.

Agree with the poster who said he/she enjoyed the mental silence.

agree with the audio books and podcast suggestions. It's not dangerous unless you have the volume turned up too far.

Anonymous wrote:Please no earbuds. I am so sick of runners in the neighborhood with their earbuds in just casually running down the middle of the road in front of my car with no awareness of their surroundings.

That's funny, because I'm sick of drivers who don't come to a complete stop at stop signs, crosswalks, or pay attention at lights when pedestrians/runners have the right of way. I run with earbuds, but stay aware of my surroundings and always look where I'm going (and check before I turn). But it's generally the drivers who fail in proper yielding, and run the greater risk of hurting someone or causing an accident.

I've come to love the mental silence I can get from running, and the transition back to everything else when I finish. It's interesting to me to see what thoughts creep back first. A few things that I do to calm/quiet/focus ...

Count things (grey cars, dayglo running hats ... first thing that grabs my attention on the run).
Speed play -- I tend to do this on the portion of the Mt Vernon trail north/south of the airport. Change pace up/down with each passing plane.
99 bottles of beer on the wall -- how far can I get without breaking attention? Back to the beginning when I do.

Many people do earbuds with music / audiobooks / podcasts and do it safely, both for themselves and others. It's worth revisiting every now and again to make sure that you really are aware of your surroundings, but it's hardly a death trap or safety disaster.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please no earbuds. I am so sick of runners in the neighborhood with their earbuds in just casually running down the middle of the road in front of my car with no awareness of their surroundings.

Move.

What? Are you condoning unsafe running behavior?

I compose email messages in my head.

Are you rinning outdoors or on a treadmill OP? Inside, watch TV while on the treadmill. Outside, a route with good scenery like around a public lake, neighborhoods with interesting houses, etc.

No eat buds though if outside. Too easy to zone out and not hear cars, dogs, bikers (and most don't have bike bells), etc. You really do need to be aware if your surroundings especially in intersections and crosswalks.

Anonymous wrote:I'm working on increasing my running mileage, and as I run further and longer, I just get so bored. Does anyone else go through this? How do you entertain yourself?

I run outside and have great access to parks and along the Potomac, but I still get bored. It seems to be almost a bigger challenge than the physical part.

What's the reason for this goal? Are you training for a race/marathon? If so, I'd try to find a group to train with.

If it's simply to up the cardio work out, I'd consider varying your workout with swimming, Ashtanga yoga, whatever to help you find more satisfaction from running.

Find a friend to run with! You may end up running slower since you'll need more breath to talk, but it's the best way to enjoy running!

Anonymous wrote:Please no earbuds. I am so sick of runners in the neighborhood with their earbuds in just casually running down the middle of the road in front of my car with no awareness of their surroundings.

Move.

Run with other people. I used to think that I was totally just a solo runner and even after doing a couple of group runs with a mom's group I was still kind of meh on it. Then, I met up with another mom who I had a ton in common with and she's made getting up at 5am EASY. We talk, we run, time goes by fast.

Audio books, podcasts, music, etc.

There is also something to be said for disciplining oneself to running, at least sometimes, without listening to anything - just being present with yourself, and your breath, and your footfalls, and surroundings. It's hard at first, but ultimately learning to do this, and enjoy it is a real gift to yourself.

Serial?

Please no earbuds. I am so sick of runners in the neighborhood with their earbuds in just casually running down the middle of the road in front of my car with no awareness of their surroundings.

I listen to Audiobooks. The story keeps me occupied for long runs.

I'm working on increasing my running mileage, and as I run further and longer, I just get so bored. Does anyone else go through this? How do you entertain yourself?

I run outside and have great access to parks and along the Potomac, but I still get bored. It seems to be almost a bigger challenge than the physical part.