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I don't run, due to certain minor disabilities, but I'll walk for miles with no entertainment other than nature (if available) or my own imagination and thoughts. You say "how can people exercise w/o getting bored." I say "how can someone not get lost in their thoughts while their body does its job." Just different brain wiring, I guess.
I find it very easy to read on exercise equipment. If the equipment has a flat area in front, I put one of those plastic magazine holders on that, and read magazines. I don't read books on exercise equipment; with a holder, it's too hard to turn book pages w/o tearing them.
I don't notice much difference between the treadmill or outdoor running. Prefer the indoor where there are no cars approaching me, no dogs chasing me and I am also using the AC and the fan. You have to keep yourself amused. Watch crossfit on TV, listen to music, sort out work issues. I am also very number oriented, so keep trying to beat my time/distance etc on the machine whereas I have no clue what I am doing when I am on the roads. I do it for 60 minutes straight. If some interesting people show up around me, even better.
I don't know how people run, period. It just kills me. Even when I was in the service and running daily, my shins and knees would be in agony very quickly. I always envied those whose bodies were built for running, watching them glide so effortlessly whereas I was beating the earth to submission beneath my feet.
I don't know how people run, period. It just kills me. Even when I was in the service and running daily, my shins and knees would be in agony very quickly. I always envied those whose bodies were built for running, watching them glide so effortlessly whereas I was beating the earth to submission beneath my feet.
Chances are you were overdoing it. You get just as good a workout, be it for losing weight, or just cardiovascular health, doing 3.5 mph as you get going 4.8 mph. (I'm talking treadmill here). Few people realize this. You go at a pace that you can maintain, with some sweat, but not gasping for breath (and, btw, you build up to that...like 5 sessions or more). Remember - it's the amount of uninterrupted time you spend that is important - not the speed.
I've been running sprints lately to break up the monotony of running. I'll run half a football field as hard as I can 10 times or so. I get my daily run in, but in half the time and get just as good a workout as I would've running 5 miles. Treadmills are a no-go for me.
I generally don't like running, but when I do run what helps is to break it up into little mini-goals, like "I'm going to make it to that mailbox," then when I get to the mailbox I'll pick another landmark. Or "I'm going to go as fast as I can for 30 seconds," then slow down until I catch my breath and then do it again.
I can run but treadmill I can't. Tried multiple times I rather run circles in a basement. Myself having huge mental block with running can't get over 2 miles after 4 month's. Miss the days head put for a 6 hour run to clear the head bring a bag lunch and camera just hit the trails. Really amazing scenery you can cover in those 6 hour's. Really miss those day's.
Running itself is inherently boring, but developing an ability to withstand boredom is one of the keys to success in life. One of the precepts of the 'Tiger Mom' was that (paraphrase) 'everything is boring until you become good at it.'
Like veuvegirl I run intervals on the treadmill. It's still boring in a way, but it's so challenging that you don't have time to be bored. I also run tempos and a few miles of barefoot running on the treadmill. For a while I did what I call 'TV intervals' where I would run fast during commercial breaks, and run a slow jog during the show content.
I look back at some races that I have participated in, and they were among the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I put in hour upon hour of boredom to reap a few minutes (5K) or hours (marathon) of exhilaration.
I've been running sprints lately to break up the monotony of running. I'll run half a football field as hard as I can 10 times or so. I get my daily run in, but in half the time and get just as good a workout as I would've running 5 miles. Treadmills are a no-go for me.
Same here, I love sprints because they are very efficient. When I first finish a sprinting session it doesn't feel like I did much (other than being a bit winded), but then maybe 15 minutes later my legs start to buckle like I just ran for miles.
If you get bored on treadmills go to a park that has a trail. You'll be forced to keep going even once you get bored/tired.
Also, music helps with the boredom.
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