Trick yourself!

If you've read the book then you know that I'm not a huge fan of running with iPods (etc) as it tends to drown out your brain and distract you from the joy of what you are doing (seeing the scenery, hearing your own steps, feeling your breathing, sensing the ground underneath you). However, today's tip: try a run with your iPod blaring!

See, sometimes people (especially when first starting out or coming back from an injury that is requiring them to re-learn their steps, so-to-speak) get so overly focused on their breathing (etc) that they get lost in the 'work' of it all. If this is you, try running with the iPod - get off that track or circle or normal route, and hit a new run (with great scenery and an open place for the wind to rush over you) while hitting play on your favorite tunes - you will do what we don't always want... distract yourself! You will get caught up in your favorite songs, lifted by the fast beats, and lost in the cool new run and you will forget to focus on that breath count so intently. And.... what you will find is that your body (now that you've already been training it) will automatically fall into the near optimum breath cadence for you, without you! You wont be focused on it, you wont be counting (hard to count steps/breaths against the ever changing beat of a play list!) you'll just be running! and enjoying it - and your body will take over and do what it is supposed to do!