When I’m out running I often think about what other runners are thinking about. In What I talk about when I talk about running (WITAWITAR), here’s what Murakami says about what he thinks about:
On cold days I guess I think a little about how cold it is. And about the heat on hot days. When I’m sad I think a little about sadness. When I’m happy I think a little about happiness. As I mentioned before, random memories come to me too ... I just run. I run in a void. Or maybe I should put it the other way. I run in order to provide a void. But as you might expect, the occasional thought will slip into this void. People’s minds can’t be a complete blank. Human beings’ emotions are not strong or consistent enough to sustain a vacuum. What I mean is, the kinds of thoughts and ideas that invade my emotions as I run remain subordinate to that void. Lacking content, they are just random thoughts that gather around that central void.
I suppose my experiences are pretty similar to Murakami’s. I have tried meditation before, but never been able to consistently sustain it and get much benefit from it. Now that I’m running regularly, running is my meditation. It’s time to myself. I can let thoughts come and go. I can stew over ideas. I can dream of what my future might look like. The possibilities are endless.
A long time ago I used to listen to music while running. Occasionally I wear earphones and listen to a podcast. One podcast series I’ve been listening to while running recently that I’ve found supports this meditative experience is The end of the world (with Josh Clark). Josh goes pretty deep into theories for humans’ existence on Earth, life on other planets, and whether or not human life can be sustained into the future. Oddly enough, I find that simultaneously pondering our existence in the universe and pushing myself physically is really enjoyable!
Runners of Steem ... what do you think about while you’re running?