Two recommendations

[derg]

Cardio: running. You can run inside when the weather is bad or outside when the weather is good. All it takes is shoes.

Muscle tone: get the iMuscle App. You can target what you want to focus on and the application will give you options with equipment, free weights or just basic moves you can do without either.

 

[Maurus]

And how does one make running entertaining? The shear boredom is what gets me every time. Tried TV, Music, Podcasts, ect.

 

[Matt13C]

It all depends on the person. I personally can not stand running. I will do sprints all day, but distance running I simply can't get into.

If your goal is overall fitness, you can accomplish both goals at once. A good, honest high intensity work out using basic weights available in any hotel gym and your own body weight can have great results.

None of this do a set then stand and recover, but doing a circuit, keeping your hear rate up with higher and lower intensity work outs targeting different muscles can actually burn more fat than just running alone.

Not knocking your approach, just giving an alternative.

 

[falconvalley]

I love running and it's good for you in moderate amounts. Up to 30 miles a week is beneficial for your heart. Glad to hear you're running, Doug!

 

[rframe]

Ideas to make running more fun:

1. Go tour some different places. A lot of parks, even small ones, have trail systems... go run them.

2. Get a GPS watch or an app for your phone and just take off through a different part of your town/city and see whats out there. Set the GPS to alert you when you're at your at 1/2 your desired distance, then turn back and try to find another route back home or to your car.

3. Integrate interval workouts in your normal run. You can experiment or get interval sets from books (Daniels' Running Formul) or web sites like Runners World. Basically start with a warm up jog, then you could do pyramid sets based on your run pace or heart rate, You can do sprints for 20 seconds with 1 minute rest, etc..

4. Add calisthenics, after a 10 minute warm up jog, run at a reasonably fast 10k pace and at every 2 minute interval in your run add 10 pushups or burpees or other, then continue.

5. Run with a friend or a running group. Having someone else to talk to on lighter jogs, or to be a little competitive with on faster runs, can make it much more fun.

6. MUSIC. I ran for years with no MP3 player, when I added one it was like a totally different experience.

 

[drunkenbeagle]

And how does one make running entertaining? The shear boredom is what gets me every time. Tried TV, Music, Podcasts, ect.

Running with other people is often best. There are running clubs just about everywhere. Helpful to keep the motivation.

 

[derg]

Running with other people is often best. There are running clubs just about everywhere. Helpful to keep the motivation.

True!

I was in a group of 22,000-plus during Pats Run last year and found it to be a lot of fun.

#protip: pee before you leave

 

[drunkenbeagle]

True!

I was in a group of 22,000-plus during Pats Run last year and found it to be a lot of fun.

I used to be pretty active in various running clubs. Unfortunately, my wife thinks that they are an even worse influence than pilots. Which is probably true.

 

[derg]

I love running and it's good for you in moderate amounts. Up to 30 miles a week is beneficial for your heart. Glad to hear you're running, Doug!

I like to vary it up. If the weather is great, the road around my neighborhood is a 6KM loop with a fairly moderate inclination and a slow declination, meandering sidewalk, wide bike lane, light traffic and only a few intersections so its great. Or I can run the other direction and change it up.

Indoors, I'll distance run for 10 to 12KM and then the next time, I'll do a "Fartlek" series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek to change it up.

 

[rframe]

#protip: pee before you leave

You know you're becoming an elite runner or biker when you can pee on the move. Yes they just wet themselves. True story.

 

[derg]

I used to be pretty active in various running clubs. Unfortunately, my wife thinks that they are an even worse influence than pilots. Which is probably true.

Pilots are tame. We drink beer and talk about boobies. We're harmless.

Now a bunch of fit people, lycra'd out, hopped up on Glu and protein shakes has trouble written all over it.

 

[drunkenbeagle]

Pilots are tame. We drink beer and talk about boobies. We're harmless.

Now a bunch of fit people, lycra'd out, hopped up on Glu and protein shakes has trouble written all over it.

Usually naked chicks boozing actually. Runners are a dangerous bunch.

 

[derg]

And how does one make running entertaining? The shear boredom is what gets me every time. Tried TV, Music, Podcasts, ect.

You probably need to make it more "primal".

Imagine getting chase by a bear. Either a Grizzly or a Haight-Ashbury variety will suffice.

(Wait for it.... Wait for it...)

 

[Maurus]

Perhaps I should move to Austin and get a Wookie to chase me. Could work.

 

[derg]

Perhaps I should move to Austin and get a Wookie to chase me. Could work.

I don't think he's fast enough! Ha!

 

[ComplexHiAv8r]

And how does one make running entertaining? The shear boredom is what gets me every time. Tried TV, Music, Podcasts, ect.

Ask the van driver to drop you off in the meth section of town and run back to the hotel. Bonus if you take the ride blind folded.

I like bike riding to walking.

 

[saria19]

I run every night and can honestly say that for me it is a great way to just clear my head and think about writing or something that I recently read such as points in the plot that I thought were weak and how they could have been improved.

Another thing to consider when you think about exercise is scenery. I prefer to run through parks and by a lake because I love the scenery, it's even better when there are dogs around though I will admit that I'll be distracted by the dogs at first.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

Cardio: running. You can run inside when the weather is bad or outside when the weather is good. All it takes is shoes.

Fine...fine...I'll go running tomorrow.

Jeeesh...

 

[derg]

Fine...fine...I'll go running tomorrow.

Jeeesh...

You'll thank me when you're 30.

 

[Xcaliber]

I haven't tried it myself, but there's an android app called "Zombies, Run!" that uses your gps to simulate a zombie apocalypse, where you have run away to save yourself. It's rated pretty highly, so for those of you who are bored when running, it might be something to try out.