Balance March Issue 2018 - 33
SOLE SEARCHING
E XERCISE:
T
he 2014 New York City
Marathon is seared in
the minds of just about
everyone who toed the
starting line that day in
early November. A vicious blast of Arctic air
swept through just in time for race morning
with near freezing winds ripping across the
city at 45mph, offering a unique platform to
observe two very different mindsets.
When I spoke with Mary Wittenberg, the
race director at the time and now CEO of
Virgin Sport, she recalls how the less-thanfavourable weather conditions created these
distinct camps: those who threw their arms
up in triumph and those visibly upset by the
event. While some runners took the weather
in their stride, others became overwrought in
their attempt to battle the wind.
'I'm convinced the runners who were
more anxious about the conditions tensed
up in that wind and fought it the whole
way,' Wittenberg said.
'The others, runners of all paces including
many of the quickest ones, just focused
on relaxing and enjoying a great run. By
staying relaxed, it was as if they weren't
punished by the wind as much.'
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Of course bad weather isn't the only thing
that can cause a runner to tense up and
go hurtling into a spiral of negativity. The
list of worries that take us out of the moment
is seemingly endless; ruminations about the
past, fear of failure, stress associated with
future ambitions among them.
This discontent is driven by a distracted
mind that pulls us away from simply
focusing on putting one foot in front of
the other. We get so caught up in our
push to complete a race, reach a goal, finish
a new workout or just get a run over with
that we miss out on the joyful aspects of the
journey itself.
Mindful running, at its core, is attention
training. It's all about learning to be more
present-focused. Every time you notice your
mind has wandered, you guide it back to the
present moment. Over time and training,
the neural networks that support a presentcentred modus operandi become more robust.
The good news for runners is this
doesn't need to be practiced sitting in the
lotus position; you can apply this type of
mental training to your day, enhancing
enjoyment of your workouts and potentially
performance, too. Better yet, it is a technique
available to any runner, irrespective of their
pace, goals, or training grounds.
All mindful running requires is an
intentional effort to pay attention to the
task at hand; environment, body and
mind. As such, it teaches you to lean into
experiences with more intention and ease,
whether that's brilliant scenery, a big hill,
or bad weather, and offers you insight when
adjustments are necessary.
FATAL DISTRACTIONS
Consider some of the benefits of mindful
running. Pain is an oft-researched subject
in contemplative neuroscience, the field
that examines the impact of mindfulness
training. Studies suggest that the more we
push away suffering, the more intense it
becomes. Think back to that 2014 New York
City Marathon. Runners are often guilty
of looking for ways to distract themselves
so as not to experience the discomfort
associated with physical exertion. Ironically,
disconnecting from those sensations actually
makes them worse.
Mindfulness guides you to tune into
and accept the discomfort of running in
unfavourable weather or pushing in the final
stretch of a race. Research demonstrates that
by doing this, you change your relationship
to pain and discomfort, effectively disarming
it. It's not that you won't feel those things,
>
March 2018 BA LA N CE
T I P S FO R ON
T H E RU N
Environmental Scan
1. Bring awareness to
your surroundings while
lacing up your shoes
(see next page for more).
2. As you start your run,
engage each sense to
get a full picture of
your environment.
Body Scan
(while running)
1. Bring awareness to the
top of your head and
scan down your face,
jaw, neck and shoulders.
2. If you notice tension,
bring your attention to it
and see if you can relax.
3. Bring awareness
to your arms and legs
as they move.
4. Continue scanning
down until you reach
your toes.
Mind Scan
1.Identify the three
thoughts uppermost
in your mind.
2. Take stock of the pace
of your thinking. Is your
mental weather calm
today or hurried?
3. As thoughts pop into
your head, simply label
them 'worrying' or
'planning' and then
redirect your attention to
your breath or footfall.
4. Continue anchoring
your attention this way
for the rest of the run
or as long as you're
comfortable doing so.
33
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance March Issue 2018
Balance March Issue 2018 - 1
Balance March Issue 2018 - 2
Balance March Issue 2018 - 3
Balance March Issue 2018 - 4
Balance March Issue 2018 - 5
Balance March Issue 2018 - 6
Balance March Issue 2018 - 7
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Balance March Issue 2018 - 9
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