Boredom while running

So I'm toward the end of training for a marathon and I can't believe how boring it is to run. Anyone have any ways to keep yourself distracted while running for three or four hours? Music hasn't worked.

 

Running bores the shit out of me. That's why I ride a bike.

 

Run through a bad neighborhood. Keeps you on your toes AND improves your time.

 

Download some podcasts and/or buy a comedy album?

 

Get hit by a plane?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iirpHqO8nA4ZBeupaFWr_K6H7PmgD9EFTIL02

 

Do a mental project. I write rap songs while running.

 

ouch.

I usually write stories in my head while running, but since you are training for a marathon I guess you want to keep focused on your time.
So try either changing your running routes or visualize the marathon itself.

 

I replay conversations over in my head and try to think of what I could've said to make them better.

 

Take a handful of pennies. Drop them on your route. On the way back see how many you can find and pick up.

Do out and backs where you try to return faster than you went out.

Try negative splitting where you try to run every mile faster than the previous mile.

Run somewhere new.

 

Podcasts are a lifesaver. There are plenty of marathon-oriented ones; I also like to listen to Planet Money and several classes on Podcast University.

 

I really like the Slate culture and political podcasts. They are oozing with oblivious pretension to the point of almost being self-parody at times, but still really entertaining. Plus, they are 40-50 minutes long, which is often an issue with trying to find podcasts because they are so short. I wish I could find just some straight news and news commentary daily podcasts for just this purpose, but they are usually only about five minutes long.

As an aside, I once did this story about high school cross country, and got an earful from an angry coach who thought that I was somehow slamming his sport. Definitely a what-am-I-doing-with-my-life moment.