Bored?...What Keeps You Fueled?

I'll be the first one to admit...any run or bike ride longer than an hour, can get boring! While training for my first 100 mile century ride, there were days I would put 3-5 hours on my bike just to log miles. During my training, so many people would ask, how I don't get bored..."What do you do for 4 hours out there all by yourself!?"

Here are just a few things that keep me entertained during hours of logging miles;

1. Music, Music, Music!! - There is nothing better than an amazing playlist of all your favorite songs. I have a specific playlist I made only for running and biking. I try to keep the songs different from each other to add variety. Any other time, I steer away from listening to songs I know are on my running/biking playlist, so they don't get old or annoying. I also make sure to add songs that are not on the radio every 5 minutes.
2. Using the Admiration to Push On - Not many people can go out for a 10 mile run, or a 80 mile road ride. Often, people think it is impossible! While I'm training, I think about everyone else who wishes they could do what I'm doing, and use that as fuel. Sometimes, I'll think about the topic of my next blog, or updating my facebook status. I know what I'm doing is rare, and difficult for the majority of our population, which only drives me to push harder! I feel proud of my accomplishments and it's rarity!

3. Running Partner - Whether your running partner is human or non-human, having a someone by your side is encouraging. I say non-human, because I try to squeeze in a 3-4 mile run once a week with my dog. Her name is Belle. She typically can't run any longer than 4 miles, or I'll be dragging her the whole way. But these short runs with my "best friend" really make them more enjoyable!! For those of you who don't have a dog, try to recruit a friend to start training with you. I advise training with someone who is on your same fitness level.

Me and Belle at a 5K in San Diego

Afternoon 3 miler with my Beastly

4. AudioBooks - I've never done this, but would like to try! Books are my escape from the real world, and I can get completely lost in a good plot. There is potential for a great distraction here, which might take my mind off the pain my body is enduring! Once I try it, I'll let you guys know how it went and my thoughts! Deal!? :)

5. Checkpoints/Mileage Reminders - I am helpless without my GPS! As sad as it is, I rely on GPS tracking to know my average pace, miles completed, and time. I strongly suggest investing in a good GPS watch or if you run with your phone, the Nike+ Running app is the best!! With the Nike+, you can create a profile, and it will keep track of ALL your runs, and your overall average pace. There is so many perks to having a Nike account. You can compete with friends to see who can run the most miles in a certain time frame, which I've done! It's simply amazing! For more info, feel free to send me a comment, and I can tell you exactly what to do :)

I'll leave you all with this;

Cheers to Being Fit N Gorgeous!