Listening to audiobooks when running

Listening to audiobooks when running.

It's nice to listen to audiobooks because you can take in the information while keeping yourself occupied by another task. It keeps you from feeling tired when you are sedentary, it also helps me feel since I am stimulating my mind regardless of the state of motion of my body.

I've been listening to Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. In the book, McDougall explores the practice of barefoot running and how natural body mechanics like our ankle can help us run longer without hurting ourselves.

And in line with body mechanics I think that McDougall would agree that listening to audiobooks is a better alternative to listening to music. Music feels good to run to because it motivates your mind to push your body. But the problem is that over time, that habit of motivating yourself too run harder than your body is ready for will lead to injury because your body hasn't had time to strengthen joints, tendon, and muscle needed to run sustainably.

Instead I listen to audiobooks which keeps me from getting bored. It keeps me interested in the moment, but it doesn't trick me into push myself harder than my body is ready for.

So I've been running every day (taking a day off every couple days). Alternating between running along Miami Beach, and a route I've been exploring around the golf courses in Coral Gables.

Over 2 months I've gone from 2 miles a day to 7 miles a day. I'm hoping to be doing 12 miles a day in another month. However most important of all is to not injury my body while increasing my mileage so it will be a slow and steady process.