How was your weekend running?

Anyone else listen audio books on the run? Much as I’d love to skip merrily through the tranquil fields, taking in the sound of birdsong and gentle breeze, the reality of most of my runs is more aggressive car honking and background traffic hum. And even the long slow Sunday runs along the river do get a bit tedious once you’ve run the same stretch around 356 times.

For me, it does have to be a specific type of run (easy) and a specific type of book. I’ve always loved audiobooks – for commuting on the tube/ listening in bed as well as running – and have a longstanding Audible subscription. However, the type of books I love to listen to on long walks are most definitely not the kind to listen to while running. Perhaps it’s less oxygen going to my brain, but while I loved Stephen Fry’s reading of every single Sherlock Holmes story (71 hours of it! Now that’s a LOT of miles) the details of the plotting meant I kept realising I’d drifted away and missed a crucial reveal – and I didn’t want to waste them.

There’s something of a comfort, therefore, in listening to stories I know well already. I can listen to anything by Michael Chabon over and over again, ditto one of my all-time favourite books (not because of the name, honest) Carter Beats the Devil – and pretty much anything narrated by Anton Lesser sounds brilliant.

Yesterday’s 90 minutes easy along the Thames was accompanied by An Instance of the Fingerpost, after a warm up at junior parkrun with the kids. Come to think of it, perhaps Roald Dahl on audio might distract the five year old …

So over to you. Audiobook recommendations, and reports of your weekend exploits please, below the line as always

Source: Read Full Article