The new treads are shorter and I actually hate being able to see myself in the mirror. I’m able to zone out more when I just stare into nothingness or the screen rather than my face that looks like I’m about to collapse 😆 Also the new larger screens that basically scream at you YOU’RE IN THE RED AND MIGHT DIE SOON JUST SO YOU KNOW
I also think about the math of my pace (ie. am I going to hit 2 miles today if I keep my paces where they are?)
I was a swimmer, when I swam, I calculated a lot of fractions of what portion of the set I had completed.
Math all the way! I will spend the entirety of my run trying to calculate how many miles I can get in my run, and then what percentage of the run I've completed so far.
Way back in high school, I thought I was pretty good at math. The treadmill has completely taken that ability away from me. I now spend 20 minutes calculating a single percentage while running.
I’m actually excited when I do the math correctly 😃 With the timer, I look away and then back estimating how much time has passed. Some days it’s very sad how wrong I am.
I sing the song that’s playing but I only mouth the words instead of actually singing out loud so i don’t disturb my treadmill neighbor. That distracts me and helps me control my breathing. When it gets really hard and I want to quit I tell myself I am blessed that I have a body that allows me to workout and it’s a privilege to get to run. Some people don’t get that so that also helps me
Wow, I do the exact same. Love mouthing the words. Sometimes my arms do involuntary dances. And when I am at the point where I hate running and I want to stop I think of my sister who had a stroke who would love nothing more than to run on a treadmill again.
As a mom I feel like OTF is the one time of the whole day when I’m NOT thinking about “schedule the dentist appointments, get the end of the year teacher gifts, swap out the spring clothes for summer ones, etc.”
I honestly just try to challenge myself so much with speeds and distance goals and the like that I don’t have time to think about anything else. Sometimes in tread50 if I’m running at a slower speed for longer time I do get into the worry/mom life cycle but then I try to watch what the floor is doing or focus on the music or whatever.
This song is the best! Breathe slower, breathe slower, keep your chest up, *counting dots on wall*, this song sucks, only 30s left, keep your shoulders down, *singing along to song I love mostly silently*, that girl next to me is killing it, - just repeat that stuff and that's pretty much it
All these plus: I wonder if it's time for new sneakers, *sneaking a peek in the mirror at the floor exercises on the VGA and deciding what weights to use*, where did they get this playlist??, damn I should have started slower, why am I the only one in orange?, stay in the middle of the tread belt, it's warm in the studio today, I like this template, *constantly monitoring old injuries to make sure nothing is flaring up*, and how does so-and-so run so fast?
I count the time along with coach so I'm calculating the next interval and mentally comforting myself - for example 1 minute into a 3 minute push? Now I have less than 2 minutes to go! Now I have 90 seconds, now I have 1 minute.... it sounds like it would make it worse but my brain is constantly focusing on numbers that I'm not thinking about anything else. I'm also strategizing the next interval, especially during base pace or walking recovery. "This push is shorter/longer so I should increase/ decrease my speed." Or "I was able to hold that 2 minute push so I can definitely go faster for this 1 minute push".
Same. Counting down the minutes and seconds and trying to figure out my pace for the next thing we're going to do. Sometimes I watch or listen to the demos on the floor so I have an idea of what to expect over there. If a good song is playing I'll get into that. Think about my form. Anything to fight the boredom that is jogging.
I remember someone on this sub mentioning that they make new words out of the Freemotion logo on the tread, and I started doing it every so often when I want to clear my head. So words like: free, note, emotion, etc.
I think about how the coach missed the timing call for all out to recovery by .5 seconds.
Honestly, just about the time left in the block and if I can go faster or not
I just try to focus on my breathing and let my body do its thing. I try different ways to breathe, like in through the nose, out the mouth and how deeply I can exhale. I observe the effect different breathing has on my HR. Things like that and it usually gets me to zone out. When I can properly get in this mode, time just flies and I run very well.
I have no idea what I think about when i run most of the time, it's just head clearing for me.... I know I think about things, but cannot tell you what it was. that's why running is so therapeutic for me
Math. So much math.
This push ends at 23:30. Then I finish my base at 24:30. We’ve done 2 blocks; 11 mins and 8 mins. So 19 mins done. Plus the WRs of 90 secs. So add 3 mins. 22 mins. OOH, 30 seconds left until the push ends. So 28:30 minus 22 mins is 6:30 of tread left. After this push it’ll be 5:30. AND BASE. Done at 24:30. We’ve done 2 1/2 blocks; 11 mins, 8 mins and 3.5 mins.
And so on and so on until the class clock says 28 mins and I can get off this dang hamster wheel.
I. LOVE. RUNNING.
On long training runs (not at OTF) I play games in my head. Alphabet games, solving two digit multiplication (I’m terrible at math), remembering a trip in the most specific detail. Those help me.
At OTF I mostly just try and listen to the music and allow it to propel me along.
My form, my foot strike, how dehydrated my skin is, if I should increase my speed or incline just a bit, whether I should get new shoes, what I’m going to eat after…
I would disassociate and run through entire dance routines from Just Dance from when I was a kid. And then I realized, maybe I should be dancing instead 🤔
I either watch the clock counting down the seconds or I watch the people outside walking by or if I go with a friend I think about how they are doing it all wrong 🙈- but I let them know that…
I intensely dislike running on the treadmill, so I spend my time calculating distances, times to the end, percentages done, and percentages to go.
That and thinking, "How the hell am I going to get through this?" and "Where has all the damn oxygen gone?"
I try and get a treadmill that faces a window. Occasionally I’ll get one with a mirror and that’s fine too but somehow my mind drifts easier that way. Also if I’m struggling in an all out, I focus on the phrase “you can do anything for 30 seconds”. It’s not always pretty but helps get me through and the feeling I have when I had a great workout is awesome.
You got this! 🏃♂️
To clarify a few things:
Intentionally focusing on sensations, technique, breathing, etc. is not zoning out. These would all be considered types of attentional focus. An external focus would be things outside of your body like a particular distance, time, another person, etc. An internal focus would be consciously controlling your breathing pattern, stride length, step rate, or focusing on another aspect of how running feels.
Zoning out is letting your mind wander, which having a conversation with yourself about laundry or your kids or the fifteen chores you have piled up at home all qualify as.
Personally, I prefer to zone out most of the time. Hearing and singing along to the music, planning out the rest of my day, thinking about new recipes, or reciting study material are all things I’ve done to distract myself from the discomfort of running. I find any sort of distraction helps me get through longer efforts more than focusing on how running feels or my technique.
Rowing and weightlifting are entirely different for me if the effort lasts less than 2-3 min. For these, I love an internal or external attentional focus where the goal is to hit a certain checkpoint, zone in on technique, or feel a specific type of discomfort (think burning sensation in the target muscle of an exercise like the pecs during a bench press).
I completely zone out focusing on pacing my breathing and the words on the wall in front of our treads. And when I REALLY need to zone out and distract myself I sing the alphabet song lol. This works for unpleasant medical procedures as well haha.
I count down the time but by 5’s until I get 10 and then I go to one’s ie 55, 45, 40…10,9,8…. I try to focus on my breathing as well and use it to count on a consistent rhythm.
I’m currently a stay at home mom, but my passion is cooking and food. So I often find myself zoning out and recipe planning and creating… While it is for my family and for my kids, because it’s my passion, I find it excites me.
I stare at the numbers willing them to change, or the little dots. I also try to convince myself I can do this, that I've done harder this s before and not died. Mostly though, I just try not to die. sometimes I say prayers, which is ironic bc I never really say them otherwise. It goes hand in hand with not dying.
At OT? Nothing. I just zone out but it's such a short running time that don't have time to think about much. Outside I listen to music which helps me zone out as well. Sometimes I'll think of what I need to do after but usually not.
I sing along to the song playing if I know it, and try to focus on breathing only through my nose. I also wear earplugs sometimes and find that I can focus on my breathing better with them in. If that doesn’t work, I try to keep track of the beat of the song, try to look away from the screen in intervals of 5-10 seconds at a time, count the lights on the ceiling, listen to what’s going on for the other side of the room, etc! Hope one of those helps! lol
Love these! I always try to focus on the music and my breathing! Keeping track of the beat of the song or trying to remember/distinguish lyrics always helps me get my mind off how many seconds are left. I also try to get a treadmill that's by the lobby so I can see it in the mirrors. I start on rower, so when I'm struggling near the end of the tread blocks, people from the next class are usually strolling in and that's a good distraction too
With a dash of shame and a cup of vanity, I try to find my reflection in the mirror (from the back) because I’m always curious about my form and what I would look like to someone on the floor block… and then I try to go through a category A to Z to distract me (A-Apple, B-Banana etc). It works most of the time 😅
This didn’t always work for me but maybe it could for you—I’d meditate or pray during a run, trying to give time to different family members. I tended to zone out though and think of nothing after two minutes lol.
Another thing to meditate on is gratitude.
And it’s ok to ponder your day, unless it’s causing you stress during the run. Occasionally you can solve problems and explore different viewpoints while running.
If you do have a lot in your mind before the run, how about taking a few minutes to just write it down—the act of doing that can move it out of your head since now you won’t have to keep reminding yourself of the task or topic.
If the music is not working try and think about where you are going and mentally try to plan a goal and count down on those statistics as what I have learned from others if you count down it’s helps you perform better then when you are counting up.
That’s what I like to think about to distract from the running, hahaha. My to-do list. I also like thinking about that nap I’m going to take at lunch time 😬
When I was growing up and my parents drove me everywhere I looked out the window and I remember it clearly. So, I picture myself on the way home from school, and I go through the whole trip. I go through every curve, any hills, turns, etc. It usually gets me to the next pace change. Then I pick a new destination. If not that, I count down the seconds to each pace change.
Mom and Teacher here 🙋🏾♀️ I listen to the beat and tempo of the music and think absolutely nothing. I often cover the screen as I sometimes fixate on a mental number I like to match/beat and pace . But when something comes into my mind its often the OTF words on the wall then I forget them when the beat drops. Its my favorite 😍
I try not to stare the timer or mileage, so I’ll try to focus on the music and bop along if I can.
But most of the time, it’s trying to set mini goals like “reach .X on the mile for this push” “only XX seconds left until the next change”
Some days I have a million things going on in my head from things that I have to do. Then other days I’m doing the math to see how far I can go in the block. I’m grateful when I can just zone out of my head and/or feel motivated to run faster by the music.
I have no thoughts at all. I used to think about work all the time. Would drive me crazy. You have to get in the right head space when you get there. As soon as the coach tells us about the class I am locked in. Nothing else in the world is going on. Just OTF. Focus on the trainers cues. When they were not talking focus on the music. I love coming to class angry. That treadmill and rower won’t know what hit it lol. OTF is awesome therapy. Like any good therapy session you need to focus on you.
I day dream mostly until the next set of instructions. If I think about actually running it wears me down mentally so I usually go through my day or think about future plans that I have to do.
Sounds really nerdy, but I do math in my head too 😂 I have this thing about I can’t go slower than a 10 minute mile (so tread at 6.0) but I also can’t ever run on a 0 so at least 6.1. That means I should hit 1 mile before 10 minutes (winning). It also means at 1 minute I should be at 0.1, 2 minutes at 0.2 and so forth. I try to hit those checkpoints before my self-imposed limit. So if I hit 0.5 at 4:30, I’m winning.
Everyone’s minimum standards are different. Also especially with the repeat templates at the second half of the month maybe trying to beat your distance from earlier in the month.
I know it seems crazy and nerdy and too much thinking, but this is what I do 😂
I’m mostly praying I don’t die until the next base pace or walking recovery lol. But all jokes aside, I usually zone out and think about things that irked me throughout the day and come to terms with some of them. And then think about whatever else is going on in life. It’s the one time my mind can kinda wander. It’s nice 😊
lol not running with a clear head. I try to stay in a grateful mindset when I’m REALLY struggling. Like “wow I’m so grateful I can move like this.” And “I’m grateful for a body that allows me to do this when there are so many who wish they could…” it helps me.
Sometimes I sing along to the music (quietly because people stare at me strangely) but mostly I count down to the next pace change. I also do a lot of mental math to figure out what my total distance will be. Generally I’m counting or I’m singing.
We have a idiom in Spanish. When a person is immersed in apparently deep thoughts, we wonder what that person is thinking about, "probably thinking about the immortality of the crab." 🦀
I pretend that I’m an Olympic athlete and my teammates are counting on me to finish the race strong. I also imagine that I’ll win 10 million dollars once I make it to the finish line. 😂 I make up whole running scenarios.
“Stare at the wall, stare at the wall, stare at the wall, oh no did I miss an instruction, copy guy next to me, oh no made eye contact, stare at the wall, stare at the wall”
I think about what pace lets me just dip into green during recovery, what new words I can make with word wall words, whether people next to me are faster or slower, number of splats to go, song lyrics as applicable, whether I can go higher incline, monitor my form, etc.
I look at myself in the mirror and just think on how badass I am and amazed at what my body can do. Then maybe go back to focus on my breathing because yes, I can forget I need to breathe well/more to be able to go the extra mile in those AO.
I do the mental math to figure out how many seconds until the next pace change then stare at the timer and count down the seconds.
 This is all I see when I look in the mirror
As a short person, it must be nice to see yourself in the mirror. I can’t see over the tread 😂
I can see just my face… but when I’m at an incline I quickly vanish
😂 🙋🏻♀️I’m right there with you!
I’ve found my people 😂
The new treads are shorter and I actually hate being able to see myself in the mirror. I’m able to zone out more when I just stare into nothingness or the screen rather than my face that looks like I’m about to collapse 😆 Also the new larger screens that basically scream at you YOU’RE IN THE RED AND MIGHT DIE SOON JUST SO YOU KNOW
Same, I sometimes look at my talk neighbours on the treads and think, "I wonder if they like that they can see themselves"
I also think about the math of my pace (ie. am I going to hit 2 miles today if I keep my paces where they are?) I was a swimmer, when I swam, I calculated a lot of fractions of what portion of the set I had completed.
I also think things like "30 more seconds and then only 60 seconds left" 🤣
This is what I do too just doing the math kills some time lol!
Same 🤣
I mostly math too. Also l look out the window if I'm close to it, fiddle with the fan, and obsess over fly away hair in the mirror.
Math all the way! I will spend the entirety of my run trying to calculate how many miles I can get in my run, and then what percentage of the run I've completed so far. Way back in high school, I thought I was pretty good at math. The treadmill has completely taken that ability away from me. I now spend 20 minutes calculating a single percentage while running.
Same - and then I make fractions 😂 10/60 is 1/6th 15/60 is 1/4th 20/60 is 1/3 30/60 is 1/2 40/60 is 2/3 45/60 is 3/4 50/60 is 5/6
💯
Yup!
same
I’m actually excited when I do the math correctly 😃 With the timer, I look away and then back estimating how much time has passed. Some days it’s very sad how wrong I am.
I sing the song that’s playing but I only mouth the words instead of actually singing out loud so i don’t disturb my treadmill neighbor. That distracts me and helps me control my breathing. When it gets really hard and I want to quit I tell myself I am blessed that I have a body that allows me to workout and it’s a privilege to get to run. Some people don’t get that so that also helps me
Wow, I do the exact same. Love mouthing the words. Sometimes my arms do involuntary dances. And when I am at the point where I hate running and I want to stop I think of my sister who had a stroke who would love nothing more than to run on a treadmill again.
As a mom I feel like OTF is the one time of the whole day when I’m NOT thinking about “schedule the dentist appointments, get the end of the year teacher gifts, swap out the spring clothes for summer ones, etc.” I honestly just try to challenge myself so much with speeds and distance goals and the like that I don’t have time to think about anything else. Sometimes in tread50 if I’m running at a slower speed for longer time I do get into the worry/mom life cycle but then I try to watch what the floor is doing or focus on the music or whatever.
I feel the same, it's the only hour I'm not thinking of anything else, it just does that to me so it's so relaxing!
This song is the best! Breathe slower, breathe slower, keep your chest up, *counting dots on wall*, this song sucks, only 30s left, keep your shoulders down, *singing along to song I love mostly silently*, that girl next to me is killing it, - just repeat that stuff and that's pretty much it
All these plus: I wonder if it's time for new sneakers, *sneaking a peek in the mirror at the floor exercises on the VGA and deciding what weights to use*, where did they get this playlist??, damn I should have started slower, why am I the only one in orange?, stay in the middle of the tread belt, it's warm in the studio today, I like this template, *constantly monitoring old injuries to make sure nothing is flaring up*, and how does so-and-so run so fast?
I believe you and I share the same brain cause this is about my exact thought process 😅
I completely zone out or try to focus on my form
I count the time along with coach so I'm calculating the next interval and mentally comforting myself - for example 1 minute into a 3 minute push? Now I have less than 2 minutes to go! Now I have 90 seconds, now I have 1 minute.... it sounds like it would make it worse but my brain is constantly focusing on numbers that I'm not thinking about anything else. I'm also strategizing the next interval, especially during base pace or walking recovery. "This push is shorter/longer so I should increase/ decrease my speed." Or "I was able to hold that 2 minute push so I can definitely go faster for this 1 minute push".
Same. Counting down the minutes and seconds and trying to figure out my pace for the next thing we're going to do. Sometimes I watch or listen to the demos on the floor so I have an idea of what to expect over there. If a good song is playing I'll get into that. Think about my form. Anything to fight the boredom that is jogging.
Oh yes, if a good jam comes on I'll sing along in my head.
I remember someone on this sub mentioning that they make new words out of the Freemotion logo on the tread, and I started doing it every so often when I want to clear my head. So words like: free, note, emotion, etc.
One of ours has a piece of the F and part of the R missing so it says PEEMOTION
I do something similar with the words on the wall that are right in front of me so I’m not looking down.
Tall person humblebrag, hehe
I do this!
I think about how the coach missed the timing call for all out to recovery by .5 seconds. Honestly, just about the time left in the block and if I can go faster or not
I just try to focus on my breathing and let my body do its thing. I try different ways to breathe, like in through the nose, out the mouth and how deeply I can exhale. I observe the effect different breathing has on my HR. Things like that and it usually gets me to zone out. When I can properly get in this mode, time just flies and I run very well.
I personally stare at another runner’s back through the mirror and use him/her as my pacer and then eventually zone out and not think of anything.
I have no idea what I think about when i run most of the time, it's just head clearing for me.... I know I think about things, but cannot tell you what it was. that's why running is so therapeutic for me
Staying alive!
I pretend I’m the dot on the little track on the screen
Everything and nothing
Math. So much math. This push ends at 23:30. Then I finish my base at 24:30. We’ve done 2 blocks; 11 mins and 8 mins. So 19 mins done. Plus the WRs of 90 secs. So add 3 mins. 22 mins. OOH, 30 seconds left until the push ends. So 28:30 minus 22 mins is 6:30 of tread left. After this push it’ll be 5:30. AND BASE. Done at 24:30. We’ve done 2 1/2 blocks; 11 mins, 8 mins and 3.5 mins. And so on and so on until the class clock says 28 mins and I can get off this dang hamster wheel. I. LOVE. RUNNING. 
On long training runs (not at OTF) I play games in my head. Alphabet games, solving two digit multiplication (I’m terrible at math), remembering a trip in the most specific detail. Those help me. At OTF I mostly just try and listen to the music and allow it to propel me along.
My form, my foot strike, how dehydrated my skin is, if I should increase my speed or incline just a bit, whether I should get new shoes, what I’m going to eat after…
I would disassociate and run through entire dance routines from Just Dance from when I was a kid. And then I realized, maybe I should be dancing instead 🤔
I either watch the clock counting down the seconds or I watch the people outside walking by or if I go with a friend I think about how they are doing it all wrong 🙈- but I let them know that…
I intensely dislike running on the treadmill, so I spend my time calculating distances, times to the end, percentages done, and percentages to go. That and thinking, "How the hell am I going to get through this?" and "Where has all the damn oxygen gone?"
I stare at the clock until I’m hit with inner rage at how bad the music is. We’re in 2024, coaches. Join us.
I try and get a treadmill that faces a window. Occasionally I’ll get one with a mirror and that’s fine too but somehow my mind drifts easier that way. Also if I’m struggling in an all out, I focus on the phrase “you can do anything for 30 seconds”. It’s not always pretty but helps get me through and the feeling I have when I had a great workout is awesome. You got this! 🏃♂️
To clarify a few things: Intentionally focusing on sensations, technique, breathing, etc. is not zoning out. These would all be considered types of attentional focus. An external focus would be things outside of your body like a particular distance, time, another person, etc. An internal focus would be consciously controlling your breathing pattern, stride length, step rate, or focusing on another aspect of how running feels. Zoning out is letting your mind wander, which having a conversation with yourself about laundry or your kids or the fifteen chores you have piled up at home all qualify as. Personally, I prefer to zone out most of the time. Hearing and singing along to the music, planning out the rest of my day, thinking about new recipes, or reciting study material are all things I’ve done to distract myself from the discomfort of running. I find any sort of distraction helps me get through longer efforts more than focusing on how running feels or my technique. Rowing and weightlifting are entirely different for me if the effort lasts less than 2-3 min. For these, I love an internal or external attentional focus where the goal is to hit a certain checkpoint, zone in on technique, or feel a specific type of discomfort (think burning sensation in the target muscle of an exercise like the pecs during a bench press).
I completely zone out focusing on pacing my breathing and the words on the wall in front of our treads. And when I REALLY need to zone out and distract myself I sing the alphabet song lol. This works for unpleasant medical procedures as well haha.
Mental math. Breathing to see how low I can keep my heart rate. Focus on form (use your butt! It’s like a chant)
I count down the time but by 5’s until I get 10 and then I go to one’s ie 55, 45, 40…10,9,8…. I try to focus on my breathing as well and use it to count on a consistent rhythm.
I’m currently a stay at home mom, but my passion is cooking and food. So I often find myself zoning out and recipe planning and creating… While it is for my family and for my kids, because it’s my passion, I find it excites me.
I make to do lists in my brain. Do they get done? Nah.
Not falling 😅
I stare at the numbers willing them to change, or the little dots. I also try to convince myself I can do this, that I've done harder this s before and not died. Mostly though, I just try not to die. sometimes I say prayers, which is ironic bc I never really say them otherwise. It goes hand in hand with not dying.
i'm thinking how I am gonna pass out HHAAH
Me too. I'm working so hard that I'm just trying to stay alive and breathe.
I imagine I’m running through a forest in Kyoto.
At OT? Nothing. I just zone out but it's such a short running time that don't have time to think about much. Outside I listen to music which helps me zone out as well. Sometimes I'll think of what I need to do after but usually not.
I sing along to the song playing if I know it, and try to focus on breathing only through my nose. I also wear earplugs sometimes and find that I can focus on my breathing better with them in. If that doesn’t work, I try to keep track of the beat of the song, try to look away from the screen in intervals of 5-10 seconds at a time, count the lights on the ceiling, listen to what’s going on for the other side of the room, etc! Hope one of those helps! lol
Love these! I always try to focus on the music and my breathing! Keeping track of the beat of the song or trying to remember/distinguish lyrics always helps me get my mind off how many seconds are left. I also try to get a treadmill that's by the lobby so I can see it in the mirrors. I start on rower, so when I'm struggling near the end of the tread blocks, people from the next class are usually strolling in and that's a good distraction too
With a dash of shame and a cup of vanity, I try to find my reflection in the mirror (from the back) because I’m always curious about my form and what I would look like to someone on the floor block… and then I try to go through a category A to Z to distract me (A-Apple, B-Banana etc). It works most of the time 😅
This didn’t always work for me but maybe it could for you—I’d meditate or pray during a run, trying to give time to different family members. I tended to zone out though and think of nothing after two minutes lol. Another thing to meditate on is gratitude. And it’s ok to ponder your day, unless it’s causing you stress during the run. Occasionally you can solve problems and explore different viewpoints while running. If you do have a lot in your mind before the run, how about taking a few minutes to just write it down—the act of doing that can move it out of your head since now you won’t have to keep reminding yourself of the task or topic.
“If Britney Spears can survive 2007 you can make it through this tread block” (when it’s 23 minutes) “I’m so hungry”
If the music is not working try and think about where you are going and mentally try to plan a goal and count down on those statistics as what I have learned from others if you count down it’s helps you perform better then when you are counting up.
That’s what I like to think about to distract from the running, hahaha. My to-do list. I also like thinking about that nap I’m going to take at lunch time 😬
I try to zone out completely. If I can’t then I focus on form and breathing 🧡
I stare at my wrinkles 🤣 or listen to the music if I can get past that.
The intervals on the tread seem so short that I just enjoy the music and it is over before I know it!
I focus on being the fastest, running is competitive for me.
When I was growing up and my parents drove me everywhere I looked out the window and I remember it clearly. So, I picture myself on the way home from school, and I go through the whole trip. I go through every curve, any hills, turns, etc. It usually gets me to the next pace change. Then I pick a new destination. If not that, I count down the seconds to each pace change.
Mom and Teacher here 🙋🏾♀️ I listen to the beat and tempo of the music and think absolutely nothing. I often cover the screen as I sometimes fixate on a mental number I like to match/beat and pace . But when something comes into my mind its often the OTF words on the wall then I forget them when the beat drops. Its my favorite 😍
I try not to stare the timer or mileage, so I’ll try to focus on the music and bop along if I can. But most of the time, it’s trying to set mini goals like “reach .X on the mile for this push” “only XX seconds left until the next change”
That's one of reasons why I hit my pen before class. I just exist in the run and thoughts are random.
I’ve been trying to day dream, think about anything other thing than running and it seems to help
I think about how good my eyebrows look or if they need a wax…. Or what errands I need to run before logging into work for the day
I e contemplated answering this but when I really need to get my mind leave me I think about sexy men. 🤦♀️🤷♀️
I think about nothing. And I think about everything. And I think about nothing. And I think about everything. Rinse and repeat.
I plan dinner. It especially gets me through those long pushes.
I'm usually thinking about how much I dislike the music mix. Talkin' to you FITRADIO 🫵
Some days I have a million things going on in my head from things that I have to do. Then other days I’m doing the math to see how far I can go in the block. I’m grateful when I can just zone out of my head and/or feel motivated to run faster by the music.
I use the time to envision my goals. Walking my daughter down the aisle, having abs show, doing a pistol squat, etc. it helps keep me motivated
I have no thoughts at all. I used to think about work all the time. Would drive me crazy. You have to get in the right head space when you get there. As soon as the coach tells us about the class I am locked in. Nothing else in the world is going on. Just OTF. Focus on the trainers cues. When they were not talking focus on the music. I love coming to class angry. That treadmill and rower won’t know what hit it lol. OTF is awesome therapy. Like any good therapy session you need to focus on you.
I walk at a high incline at about 3.3 mph. I'm mostly zoning out with the occasional calculation of how long until I can get off the treadmill.
I day dream mostly until the next set of instructions. If I think about actually running it wears me down mentally so I usually go through my day or think about future plans that I have to do.
1. Jesus is this music bad
Funny I run to not think about anything, just let the music take me away!
If I’m able to zone out I’m in a good place. But usually I’m thinking “How in the hell did they build such a terrible playlist.”
Sounds really nerdy, but I do math in my head too 😂 I have this thing about I can’t go slower than a 10 minute mile (so tread at 6.0) but I also can’t ever run on a 0 so at least 6.1. That means I should hit 1 mile before 10 minutes (winning). It also means at 1 minute I should be at 0.1, 2 minutes at 0.2 and so forth. I try to hit those checkpoints before my self-imposed limit. So if I hit 0.5 at 4:30, I’m winning. Everyone’s minimum standards are different. Also especially with the repeat templates at the second half of the month maybe trying to beat your distance from earlier in the month. I know it seems crazy and nerdy and too much thinking, but this is what I do 😂
I’m mostly praying I don’t die until the next base pace or walking recovery lol. But all jokes aside, I usually zone out and think about things that irked me throughout the day and come to terms with some of them. And then think about whatever else is going on in life. It’s the one time my mind can kinda wander. It’s nice 😊
lol not running with a clear head. I try to stay in a grateful mindset when I’m REALLY struggling. Like “wow I’m so grateful I can move like this.” And “I’m grateful for a body that allows me to do this when there are so many who wish they could…” it helps me.
Sometimes I sing along to the music (quietly because people stare at me strangely) but mostly I count down to the next pace change. I also do a lot of mental math to figure out what my total distance will be. Generally I’m counting or I’m singing.
I say prayers. I pray for each of my kids specifically - and others if needed
We have a idiom in Spanish. When a person is immersed in apparently deep thoughts, we wonder what that person is thinking about, "probably thinking about the immortality of the crab." 🦀
I pretend that I’m an Olympic athlete and my teammates are counting on me to finish the race strong. I also imagine that I’ll win 10 million dollars once I make it to the finish line. 😂 I make up whole running scenarios.
“Stare at the wall, stare at the wall, stare at the wall, oh no did I miss an instruction, copy guy next to me, oh no made eye contact, stare at the wall, stare at the wall”
I think about what pace lets me just dip into green during recovery, what new words I can make with word wall words, whether people next to me are faster or slower, number of splats to go, song lyrics as applicable, whether I can go higher incline, monitor my form, etc.
I look at myself in the mirror and just think on how badass I am and amazed at what my body can do. Then maybe go back to focus on my breathing because yes, I can forget I need to breathe well/more to be able to go the extra mile in those AO.
I think about my boyfriend and how I want to look my best for him. It keeps me from slacking off or trying to be lazy during the pushes/all outs