rolanni: (So There)
[personal profile] rolanni
I am a night person; the whole getting-up-at-dawn thing is completely lost on me. Mind you, I adore a watching a good sunrise just before retiring, but getting up at sunrise seems the height of lunacy.

When I was a freelance, I was, of course, able to largely indulge my personal clock. My best writing time is from about 7 p.m. to about midnight, and I would usually get to bed, eh, one-thirty-ish.

When I first arrived at the day-job, I wasn't sleeping well anyway, and by the time we were contracted for Duainfey, my natural clock was shot all to heck, not to say my nerves. For the last several years, I've been trying to fit the writing rationally around the day-job.

Since I have to be up at an Absurd Time anyway, I tried writing in the morning -- which doesn't work. The brain comes on-line at noon, no matter what time I'm forced to get vertical and put clothes on.

I tried Ignoring the constraints created by full-time employment, and wrote far into the night anydamnway, which actually worked OK for the writing, but didn't do particularly well by the day-job.

I tried coming home, catching a nap and then writing far into the night, which worked slightly better for the purposes of the day-job, but not as well as you might think in terms of the writing.

While all this was going on, I was getting acclimated to actually being awake during the day, so now I come home from work, drink coffee, and write, mostly productively, until my natural creative wake-up time or a little beyond, then have lunch with Steve and try to get to bed before 11 o'clock.

None of this is unique to me, by the way; any writer who holds a full-time job in addition to having a writing career, i.e. most of us, has had to come to terms with finding time to actually write the novel(s) under contract.

Anyway, now that I think I've achieved a mostly workable compromise in terms of working and, err, working, I'm stretching to add exercise back into the mix.

We have, in the basement, a treadmill. Now, I hate the treadmill, which imposes an artificial stride and also? Is boring. However, the treadmill is right here in the basement and! though I can't write at 5:30 in the morning, I can walk at 5:30 in the morning. Which I've been doing the past couple days.

My problem is, as I say, boredom. No television-enabled cable, so I can't watch cartoons. This morning I tried reading while I walked, but that's obviously a skill that's going to take some time to acquire.

So! Taking suggestions: What do you do to keep from dying on boredom on the treadmill?

Date: 2010-01-05 12:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] farwing.livejournal.com
I listen to my iPod. I can also usually egg myself on by saying "just one more song!" (Not that I've been to the gym in ages...yargh.)

Date: 2010-01-05 12:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] growlycub.livejournal.com
Audiobooks work for me.

Date: 2010-01-05 02:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ariaflame.livejournal.com
Audiobooks good. I also have some recordings of radio shows. Serial stuff such as Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe is good. And I also have some British panel comedy stuff like I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue which ages pretty well.

Date: 2010-01-05 12:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] martianmooncrab.livejournal.com
I adore a watching a good sunrise just before retiring

*flap of the cape* *hiss scuttle scuttle*
From: (Anonymous)
Books on tape. Tape being rather out-of-date now, but you know what I mean. If you download books from your computer, put them on cds and slap them in a cd player, or if you have an iPod, you can put them on there as well. Very handy, and if you get a good enough story, you'll exercise more than you normally would because you get caught up in the story.

Good luck!

Date: 2010-01-05 12:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rusty76.livejournal.com
Funny you should mention this...I have my treadmill set up with my computer on a wire rack just in front and a shelf for my keyboard and trackball mouse. I can walk (slow-medium pace) and type, or walk faster and watch downloaded movies or dvds. I used to have my laptop bungee corded to the dash, but liked having the full size keyboard and monitor better.

Date: 2010-01-05 12:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kinzel.livejournal.com
I can prolly get the undead netbook I picked up at Balticon attached to an undead monitor from the office ... or even to the undead but unconnected old tv that sits in front of treadmill. Not having a minion at work right now means the undead netbook is *not* a necessity. Heck, might even get the wifi working.... a keyboard ought to be easy.

Date: 2010-01-05 04:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cailleuch.livejournal.com
If you could set up computer with decent connection then everything that is on Hulu.com is available. Many cartoons there.

I watch Hulu on my notebook when I am cooking. No TV or cable connection in kitchen.

Date: 2010-01-05 12:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nojay.livejournal.com
Language lesson tapes -- Pimsleurs are a bit naff but they're about the best available for my interest in learning Japanese. Repetition is the key, letting the sounds sink into the subconscious and you won't feel embarrassed doing the "Repeat after me..." stuff in the basement as you might be on a bus or train.

Boredom relief

Date: 2010-01-05 01:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] psw456.livejournal.com
We go to a local gym - treadmill is still boring. My husband listens to audiobooks on his smart phone. I read; the Sony Reader allows the type face to be enlarged so it can e read at a considerable distance even by my older eyes!
I like the computer idea.. go for it!

Date: 2010-01-05 01:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kimuro.livejournal.com
My husband listens to his ipod. We used to have a television/vcr down there, but that's been in the shop and anyway, the motor's too loud. He tried listening to Japanese language instruction for a while, but that didn't work out for him.

I don't use the treadmill myself because I hate it. And because it's actually actively detrimental for my knee problems but mostly because I hate it.

I read while on the exercise cycle and let my mind wander while I'm on the rowing machine (sometimes whilst listening to nature tapes of water or ocean sounds), and then go blank doing tai chi. (it is surprising difficult to let the mind go blank but concentrating on movement does slow said movement down and helps to put one 'in the moment').

Good luck with your exercise. And your writing.

Date: 2010-01-05 01:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jhetley.livejournal.com
Exercise-machine boredom is the main reason I risk my life biking the roads around here. Or freeze various portions of my anatomy on cross-country skis. Or walk on sidewalks the city hasn't bothered to clear . . .

I set up the NordicTrack in front of the TV if the weather gets too ornery. Given the general quality of TV fare, this represents a last resort.

A lot of new exercise machines have provision for your iPod.

Date: 2010-01-05 01:33 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Book on a rack.

Date: 2010-01-05 01:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rdmasters.livejournal.com
Bookstand on the treadmill, MP3 player with podcasts/music/audiobooks, or even a small netbook on a non-slip mat on the front of the treadmill.

My own version of this problem involves a recumbent trike on a training stand. This is quite a bit easier to deal with, as a laptop nestles nicely on my lap then...

e-book reader

Date: 2010-01-05 01:55 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Get a Sony Reader (or other ebook device). Much more convenient than paper books.

Date: 2010-01-05 02:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tammy-g.livejournal.com
I use an mp3 player loaded with fast-paced music.

Date: 2010-01-05 02:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jilltanith.livejournal.com
I have found it amazing just how much more willing I am to exercise when I can do it with music, thanks to the iPod. Sometimes I do podcasts - there are an amazing number of free podcasts out there - but music is usually better, because of the rhythm.

Date: 2010-01-05 03:29 pm (UTC)
sraun: portrait (Default)
From: [personal profile] sraun
Yeah - I do music. I have a rowing machine (which needs to get unburied & used) - I can go for quite a while if I close my eyes and listen to the music.

What my friend does

Date: 2010-01-05 03:37 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
I don't have any personal experience to offer but I can tell you what my friend with the elliptical machine does --- dvds of various tv series. Her favorite is anything with Tom Selleck because of the eye candy. They are also short enough that you're not stuck for more than an hour, waiting to see what happens.

Lauretta@ConstellationBooks

PS Ellipticals work the arms too so a computer or book doesn't work for her. Another friend DOES use a book on her treadmill but she says they have to be hardback.

treadmill boredom

Date: 2010-01-05 03:43 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Download a book onto whatever (my nano) and listen while "walking", ha or whatever that silly stride is. ie, books on tape, cd, computer....

Best wishes for the New Year, and hopes for a better world!!! I hate going against my diurnal rythms too.... sigh.
Nanette

Date: 2010-01-05 03:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] adina-atl.livejournal.com
I use the treadmill at the gym, since I don't have one at home. Most of the time I spend daydreaming, working out plot points in my head, or figuring out software problems. I read my Kindle on the recumbent (stationary) bike, but I get a little seasick if I try that on the treadmill.

Date: 2010-01-05 05:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scaleslea.livejournal.com
I've been walking in my neighborhood, but when I do, I listen to podcasts on my iPod. If I actually run out, I can switch over to a music playlist.

It can also be a great time to just think. At one time in the past I would meditate while walking on the treadmill.

Doc

Date: 2010-01-05 05:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] starrcat.livejournal.com
Be careful with the reading on the treadmill. I once got so absorbed in what I was reading, I went right off the back. Ouch!

Date: 2010-01-05 05:28 pm (UTC)
ext_267964: (Default)
From: [identity profile] muehe.livejournal.com
i had the same problem -- i decided to walk for lunch.
2.6 miles -- i try to do it every workday, but i probably average 4 days.

Date: 2010-01-05 05:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brock-tn.livejournal.com
I use an Ipod nano 2G. My feet and ankles are too arthritic to make walking practical, but a stationary bicycle does the same sort of thing, if not quite as efficiently.

I have a whole selection of uptempo music on the nano just for exercising to.

Date: 2010-01-05 05:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] debmats.livejournal.com
I'm yet another person chiming in for audiobooks. I listen to books on my ipod while I walk.

Date: 2010-01-05 06:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kristine-smith.livejournal.com
I iPod. If I didn't have the iPod, I would watch TV--my treadmill is a folding one that I store in the living room--but the iPod works well.

Date: 2010-01-05 06:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kristine-smith.livejournal.com
FWIW, my treadmill actually has a slotty/holder thingie at the top of the dash that I assume can hold a book or magazine. And you can find special treadmill book holders online.

Try the BBC on line

Date: 2010-01-05 06:50 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
BBC Radio 7 has a "Listen Again" feature that lets you hear their various radio serials on your PC. They have a wide variety of Comedy & Drama - my favorite are generally mysteries, but they also sometimes have Doctor Who or Red Dwarf if you enjoy those series. BBC Radio 4 also has "listen again", but don't have mysteries available regularly. I don't use them for exercising (though I should), but I do listen when doing needlework quite often.
Mary

Date: 2010-01-05 08:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] torrilin.livejournal.com
For walking (sidewalks, not treadmill), I use a mix of Librivox audiobooks, podcasts (mine are largely yarn related, but YMMV), and music. Music is best when I need to be fairly aware. Podcasts tend to take somewhat more brains. Audiobooks take the most brains. I swap around depending on the circumstances, since I have to worry about car traffic.

Language learning podcasts can be useful as well, but those take the most brains of all.

Date: 2010-01-05 08:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] star-horse3.livejournal.com
I'm adding a "me too" for audiobooks, on my MP3 player. Our local library "loans" e-audiobooks for download. I also listen to podcasts, but music not so much. My son set up a computer to play through the TV since he uses the dreaded tread too. We can watch TV, DVDs, you tube, Hulu and surf for news. I can even read Live Journal!
Best wishes to you and Kinzel for the New Year!
Lynda

Date: 2010-01-05 08:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kay-gmd.livejournal.com
I bike, so this may not be an issue for you, but I find my tempo is much better listening to music than listening to a book. I was at a gym for a while, and they played the music while I listened to a book, and the background music worked well.

I also tend to daydream.

Commentary Tracks and TV Show DVDs

Date: 2010-01-05 09:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wjb3-reads.livejournal.com
While I recumbent bike, I have a 5 DVD Player with Disc Resume. I can switch disks while on the bike (when finished or just bored). The Disc Resume remembers where I was so I just turn on the player and start exercising.

Currently my favorites are TV Show DVDs (6 -22 episodes per season) and commentary tracks. I actually listened to all 10 commentary tracks on Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings.

I paid $120 for it new.
=FIN

SciFi on DVDs

Date: 2010-01-05 10:09 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
We have our treadmill set up in front of an old TV and cheap DVD player. I've walked through Stargate SG1 and Atlantis, Firefly, Dr Who, etc... A typical hour long show actually runs for about 45 minutes which is a good length. It keeps me entertained and willing to get back on the treadmill to see what's happening in the next episode since I don't let myself watch them unless I'm exercising. Gotta have a carrot to chase you know.

Date: 2010-01-05 10:20 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
I listen to audio books on my MP3 player; I was introduced to the Liaden universe when a friend bought me the MP3 version of 'Local Custom'. I wish all of your books could be in that format.

Music

Date: 2010-01-05 10:30 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
I use an elliptical machine, rather than a treadmill, but the idea is the same. I have playlists in my iPod which give me large selections of (shuffled) fast-moving music. I find 120 to 130 beats per minute is about right.

If you're going to tread the mill, you might find audio books as another good entertainment.

Whatever you do, keep it up and be encouraged.

Date: 2010-01-06 11:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] isabellag.livejournal.com
Music on the MP3 player, audible books (I spent a very enjoyable few hours listening to Local Custom read by *sigh* Michael Shanks) & I love the idea of the old tv & sci-fi dvds - although we both enjoy watching that stuff, so for me it would be the bonnets and petticoats stuff - my husband won't watch anything if he even gets a hint of petticoat rustle.

Date: 2010-01-06 03:46 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Music. My husband and daughter have I-Pods. My son has a walkman that he just puts in the little rack of the treadmill. I just crank up the tunes. Can't stand the treadmill. Hate it. I end up using perky workout vids about half the time.

Treadmill distractions

Date: 2010-01-07 01:26 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Exercising on the treadmill at 5.30 am is truly heroic!
I only began to enjoy (sic) the whole business of running on a treadmill when I accidentally found myself watching a summary of the Oxford v Cambridge boat race on the Thames, complete with Chariots of Fire soundtrack and soundbites of shouted encouragement as the crews sprinted to the finish line. Worked wonders. I don't have any recordings of folk shouting "come on this is your moment, go for it etc etc, but I now have a large number of inspiring and exciting movie soundtracks on my ipod that help hugely to make the time and my legs move more swiftly.
cheers
Morag, London

Date: 2010-01-08 02:46 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ingrid44.livejournal.com
Music. I've lately been introduced to the IPOD. Only took about 4 hours to get my favorite CDs downloaded onto the damn thing - but it's done (9 hrs worth) and so I listen to my own music while exercising. Try it - it should help; plus you can walk to a rhythm.

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