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Alright, so I'm open to ideas here. My problem is getting bored while running. When I'm in a good routine, I run on my treadmill indoors. (I can't currently ru

• toolslive 1y ago
  I - load chess problems (look at a diagram before getting out the door) and try to solve it while running. Sometimes, I solve it the first 5min, sometimes I get frustrated because it turns out to be too difficult. - practice polyrhythms. you have a dominant cadence while running, now impose others on top of it.
• Sxubas 1y ago
  Try biking. I can't run due to a hip issue and it has been very fun for me.
  • bityard 1y ago
    I love biking! And I do bike a lot. In fact, I often bike and run on the same day. But where I live, biking is only feasible about 5 months out of the year unless I invest in a bunch of cold weather gear. (And impossible at least 2 months out of the year due to snow/ice/slush/etc.)
    • thorncorona 1y ago
      get an indoor trainer if that’s the case
• johnfn 1y ago
  My solution to getting bored is to run harder. Zone 4 heart rate is really the sweet spot for me. It's intense enough that I don't get bored - it's like all the energy that would typically make my mind look for stimulation gets sucked up and directed towards running instead. But, critically, it isn't that hard to sustain - I can do 30-40 minutes of Zone 4 and, while it isn't exactly a walk in the park, it's infinitely psychologically easier than full-out sprints. Be careful to avoid injury, however. I wouldn't recommend this until you've already got a solid running base of miles to build upon.
  • bityard 1y ago
    Yeah, injury is one of my issues. I have not been a consistent runner all my life and ramping up too quickly has lead me to a torn tendon (twice) which takes MONTHS to heal.
    • johnfn 1y ago
      Very much the same. The best luck I ever had was when I forced myself to do zone 2 for a month or two before really getting into it.
    • Breza 1y ago
      I've found success in spending time walking when I'm not running. I have a treadmill desk, but I also take part in long conference calls while walking around my neighborhood. Training your body to spend hours moving on a regular basis can help get you ready for increased running mileage.
  • mtalantikite 1y ago
    Same. Just looking at my last 8k run from the other day I was in Zone 5 for 22 minutes and Zone 4 for 16. I run very infrequently, but I find it very difficult to just do steady state Zone 2 runs, it feels like going for a walk. I prefer to pick up the tempo and just really focus on my breathing/stride.
    • reducesuffering 1y ago
• shpongled 1y ago
  One possibility is trying a different form of cardio. I personally don't enjoy running at all... but I love cycling. Running for 30 minutes is super boring, but I can go do a 4-hour ride no problem. If you can't go outside at all, then this won't really help you though.
  • josmar 1y ago
    My best cardio is doubtless stair machine while doing Anki with headphones and a small Bluetooth game pad in hand
  • pjerem 1y ago
    Same here : I discovered the fun of rollerblading in skate parks at 34. Never did any sport in my whole life, officially obese, but now I’m taking a collective course in a skatepark every week and I’m having so much fun that I’m forcing myself to do more sessions even when I don’t feel like it. And even if I’m still pretty "bad" at it, it’s just amazingly liberating. I guess you just have to find your thing ?
  • ayewo 1y ago
    > If you can't go outside at all, then this won't really help you though. If going outside is not an option, stationary bicycles are a thing though there wont be any nice outdoor scenery to go with your cycling.
• jermberj 1y ago
  It certainly sounds like you've tried a lot. One approach could be to (and I'm not being facetious) cultivate a mindfulness-in-boredom practice. Seriously. I'm not saying you will initially get onto the treadmill thinking "Boy, I can't wait to be bored." However, over time you might start to crave that time in your head. Alternatively (if that sounds absolutely unappealing), you might try another type of exercise. Running definitely isn't the be all, end all. I wish you luck!
• armonster 1y ago
  Could try informative podcasts that just give you information, instead of wisdom or life practices - such as a history of philosophy, or some other topic. Or just history in general! For audiobooks, something I've been wanting to try is to see if I can listen to an audiobook of a textbook for a topic that I'm interested in. But I'm not sure if it would work well, since often textbooks have diagrams and such.
• hombre_fatal 1y ago
  What about a particularly exciting book in audiobook form? To get back into running I listened to some page turners, but I’d only listen to them when running. Sometimes I’d do an extra lap just to hear more. And I’d look forward to the next run. Once the habit takes, I don’t need as much stimulation. Another idea is political commentary slop or news. Don’t consume any during the day like you normally do (Reddit, twitter, news sites). Instead consume it only through Youtube on your run. It’s usually stimulating enough to compel the run.
• mellosouls 1y ago
  - Audiobooks: I love reading but I have a hard time getting into audiobooks. Same issue with podcasts, I often want to stop and research topics and that would take me away from the treadmill. Sounds like you are only listening to non-fiction? You don't need to research topics to enjoy (say) a genre thriller, so listen to fiction.
• glxxyz 1y ago
  Find a neighbour with an active dog and offer to take them for regular runs.
• jonas21 1y ago
  > half the time I want to stop and take notes because the advice or information being given sounds really useful or seems worth following up on. Like running, keeping notes in your head is something that gets easier if you do it a lot. It's also a really useful skill to have when talking to people in person.
• loeg 1y ago
  Treadmills are boring, yeah. Not sure why you can't run outside but that's probably worth more interrogation than a single parenthetical comment.
• thewebguyd 1y ago
  Have you tried other forms of cardio? Running never did it for me, I just couldn't stick to it, was always miserable and bored, etc. My main focus is strength training, but for my cardio cycling is what brings me joy. I would dread going for a run, but I excitedly look forward to my next bike ride. Cycling, swimming, hiking, rowing, even dance will all get you the same benefits so if you're bored doing one, try something else - the important thing is to get moving, the specifics of the activity doesn't matter. If you really want to get into running, and you have some green spaces or trails near you, give trail running a try. It's the one form of running I sort of enjoy - I get so bored on a treadmill or just in my neighborhood, but I love being out in the woods.
• anthomtb 1y ago
  > I tend to stop running just because I want to work on something more mentally stimulating and tangibly productive Maybe accept that running, or perhaps exercise in general, is not your thing? You clearly have more pressing interests and there are other ways to maintain good health. My grandfather lived well into his eighties with nigh a scrap of fat on him and, near as I can tell, did no formal exercise after his army days ended. My mother is on the same track despite health issue severely limiting her mobility. I say this as a guy who rides an indoor cycling trainer 3-4 times a week during the winter and turns in to a raging jerk if he doesn't get his workouts done. If you're not a "gym guy", "runner guy", "biking guy" or whatever, why waste your extremely limited free time trying to become one?
  • thfuran 1y ago
    >exercise in general, is not your thing? You clearly have more pressing interests and there are other ways to maintain good health. This is profoundly bad advice. Being completely sedentary is absolutely awful when it comes to health. A single anecdote of a person who didn’t exercise but didn’t die young is meaningless. I’m not going to recommend people take up smoking because my grandpa smoked for 60 years and is still alive at 95.
    • anthomtb 1y ago
      Being completely sedentary was not my suggestion. My intention was to re-frame the asker's question from "how can I make this exercise tolerable" to "how can I maintain good health without engaging in this miserable activity". I too once preached the exercise gospel to any that would listen. But I have mellowed out with age (while still riding my stationary bike).
• wiether 1y ago
  If you're on a treadmill, then you should try Zwift
• runjake 1y ago
  Unpopular opinion: Maybe being bored isn't a bad thing. It allows for an escape from constant stimulus and eventually, your mind will learn to wander, introspect, and come up with new ideas. This is how we ran before smartphones, anyway.
  • bityard 1y ago
    You could be right. I'm not actually a heavy smartphone user, there are a few things I check but I mostly just read email, HN, and a handful of low-traffic subreddits. I'm not sure _more_ introspection is what I need, I literally have to read bland fiction just to shut off my brain in order to sleep at night.
    • runjake 1y ago
      > I literally have to read bland fiction just to shut off my brain in order to sleep at night. I'm the same, but running literally allows me to do this while I'm running, instead of while I'm trying to go sleep. Most of my most significant problems were solved during mind-wandering runs.
  • freedomben 1y ago
    > This is how we ran before smartphones, anyway. Interesting, I started running with my Walkman -> eventually Discman (switched back and forth with some headphones that did FM radio when I got tired of CD skips) -> Early mp3 player (could only fit about 5 songs at a time lol) -> classic iPod. I got injured and stopped running around the time I got my first smart phone, so I never experienced running with a phone.
• losvedir 1y ago
  Consider picking up another language! I've found YA audiobooks (right now, Harry Potter) in my secondary language to be wonderful. It's interesting and engaging enough that I enjoy listening, and I don't feel like I need to "do" anything like take notes or whatever, because I know just the exposure is beneficial in and of itself.
• chrisxlucas 1y ago
  this is so real. anytime im running, it seems the only thing i can think about is the fact that im running and i ask myself why im running. ive found segmneting my time on the treadmill (like in barry's classes) + long live EDM youtube shows has been the best combo. The EDM shows are nice (as opposed to just music) since the artists tend to mix up their sounds a bit so the risk of getting sick of their music goes down a bit. extra points for b2b sets so they're more unique
• Breza 1y ago
  I set up my laptop on my treadmill. Over the years, I've built increasingly fancy setups, but I started with a basic stand from Amazon. Playing a computer game for hours on end feels productive when you burn 1,000 calories doing it.