'Don't you get bored?'

Not really. My mind is usually fixed on what I'm doing. I try to imagine what it will be like to run through London, flanked by metal barriers and crowds and hundreds of other runners. I keep telling myself to keep going and not give up. When I start to flag, I grit my teeth and mutter, Come on, under my breath.


I used to listen to audiobooks, back when I first started. They're a nice distraction, a pleasant way to occupy the mind for a few hours. Now that I'm running so long and so far, I need something with a bit more oomph to it. My current playlist is comprised entirely of Iron Maiden's studio albums. 155 tracks. 16 albums. 15 hours. Stick it on shuffle and run!

Run like Eddie is on your heels.

Sometimes the music lines up pretty well and I find myself gunning it to some stone-cold classics. Racing alongside 'Flight of Icarus'. Pounding pavement to 'Charlotte the Harlot'. Trying to run a lap before 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' ends. Getting a second wind just as 'Sign of the Cross' explodes into high gear. And - if I'm really, really lucky - hitting my stride while 'The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner' soars all around me.


No, I don't get bored. There are too many things to think about and too many songs playing to get the chance. It's different in the gym. Much easier to lose your mind and trip over your own feet while staring at a boring, featureless wall. Running outside is a lot better for that.