Now, if this is just me I'm going to look silly but...
I almost always run alone and, if I have enough breath, like to say* things to myself to pass the time. My top three are:
- "Contact!" - when another runner is spotted. Stole it from a friend who likes war films. Don't bother saying with cyclists/walkers (i,e, civilians).
- "I need an exit" - When running along tow paths etc looking for the way back onto the road. Stolen from the Matrix
- "I don't eat invertebrates for fun" - When running up big hills/in torrential rain/very early in the morning. Bit of a stretch this, but originally came from Blackadder. Usually panted out breathlessley, syllable by syllable Helps with bloody mindednes.
Anyone else do this? Even if you don't, any suggestions for random things to say whilst running?
* breath permitting
Comments
if I'm trying really hard I sometimes repeat, in time with my footsteps, the line "you can go hard, or you can go home"......
- This to shall pass (repeat as necessary)
- COME ON! (before a big sprint/increase in pace)
- One step, two step, three step, floor (based on the tequila drinking song)
Also I sing "turning Japanese" to myself as the rhythm is perfect for a good cadence for me.
Generally say its not too late turn back no one will tell but then turns into ive got to bloody get home now ive come this far away oh shit.
Or another one for the Come On run you fucker
"come on"
"dig in"
"this is easy"
"no way back"
"smash through"
"yesterday you said tomorrow"
"Think how nice that beer will taste"
"I think I want to be fat instead"
Stop being a pussy and climb up that fucking hill, usually works for me....
There's a few here that I use too - "go hard or go home" has been a recent one.
When I was coming back from injury I would get paranoid I could feel twinges in my healed foot. I used to stop and check with a 'poke test' but then later I would say 'it's all in your head...it's all in your head" to force myself to carry on running (i'd had the all clear from the dr, by that point that it was all in my head). Must have worked because I haven't had to say that one for a long time.
If I am doing intervals I say 'just one more' and if I start out too fast I have to say 'come on rein it in'. Which seems to make me slow down more than just thinking it (and confused people racing next to me).
To the next lampost
to the next sign post
to the corner
etc
I know how fit/ unfit I am by how soon / late into the run I start saying it to myself
I've heard that this works great! My dad used to do it for staying concentrated on the road. I'll give it a go this weekend
When i'm tired I count 1,2,3,4 in different languages to take my mind off it.
It's funny how people differ. When I'm exhausted, the most I can manage are single word mantras: I feel like any brain activity at all is 'the straw that broke the camel's back' in terms of effort.
Taking a few sips of water on the move, or sorting something that's falling out of my pocket leaves me breathing as hard as knocking 30 secs / mile off my pace.
I always do sums in my head - work out how far I will have gone if I keep up x pace for y minutes etc. At the end I count - trees, doors, houses to keep me going. Will definitely try out 12341234 from now on though. I've read somewhere that Paula Radcliffe counts to 300 and she knows that that's a mile.
I sometimes I chant Mind over matter - as in theory my mind is bettter than my body matter. That's not saying much though.
I used to do the counting to 300 thing on a treadmill. Otherwise I just stared at them time. I also count through intervals otherwise I clock watch too much.
As for mental games to keep occupied, Sometimes when running in fairly quiet parks I try to memorise every person I see so that if I later find out a murder has been committed I can tell the police about everyone that was there! Bit morbid really.
"You will survive this" - Bit dramatic but I feel like death on some runs.
"Go hard or go home" - Interval training mantra.
"Hoo Rah!" - I have watched Generation Kill too many times and have an army background(don't shout it or you look like a nutter.)
"We got it going on" by Bon Jovi because it's a jamming tune and it keeps me pumped up and happy.