[kirklancaster]

I used to road run 8 miles per day in one very early morning 4m run, and another evening 4m run, and my route was mainly along deserted country lanes.

Not for me any headphones - no matter how much I love ALL types of music, which I do - because, not only do I regard the practice as potentially dangerous in the event of not hearing vehicles approaching from behind, but I just LOVED the complete solitariness, the silence, the chance to be alone with my thoughts.

I have solved numerous problems which were then troubling me, whilst alone with my thoughts on those runs in the fresh, early morning, country air.

Now I rarely road run at all, and the old 'Life Fitness' treadmill does not afford quite the same opportunities for thought, even if it does kind of provide a similar benefit fitness-wise.

So I accompany my wife when she puts our four little shih tzus into the car, drives out to a local beauty spot, and then walks them for a couple of hours, and I walk ahead with two of the dogs so I get some quiet time to myself and my thoughts, and all is not lost.

It does the dogs good, and it does me good, because I have the same 'buzz' which I get when stepping into the showers at the gym after a session.