What do you think about when you run?
I love it when I can switch off from all the clamour and clutter around and find myself out running, lost in the movement and rhythm – maybe pushing hard and feeling everything driving forward to hold a strong pace; or running at an easier, within-myself pace, taking in the views, letting the mind wander as I enjoy a lightness over the ground and take in my surroundings.
It’s not always like that, though, is it? Sometimes it’s hard to get away from the aches and pains, a niggling tightness or tension in the body that seems to be amplified with each step, rather than stilled. Or maybe worries continually crowd in and distract us, stealing any chance of momentary escape.
And for those starting out or coming back to running after an injury it’s particularly hard to see our runs as anything beyond a weary trudge to get through, hoping they’ll eventually get easier and more satisfying.
Some years ago I was approached by a client who wanted coaching support for a big triathlon, involving running a half marathon. Her opening words were “One thing I have to tell you – I hate running.” That set me thinking about how to help her and others – as well as myself – lose ourselves in the fluency of movement and rhythm or to be absorbed in and energised by the environment we’re running in.
And so the ZigZag Box of Runs was born – a small collection of what some might call mindfulness runs. I’ve been prescribing these for some years now as part of the mix of run training and generally had great responses and results. There’s a mix of theory behind them - including Mihaly Csiksentmihalyi’s Flow and the anatomy of running form. Most of all, though they are based on practice and have proven to have a real benefit in going faster, further and with less apparent effort.
Three Views of a Moment
After 5 minutes easy warm up, focus on and take in something in the environment you are running in, allowing yourself to be absorbed by what you see, hear and experience – for example:
the colours and light of your surroundings, the scenery all around or a point far off in the distance
the sounds around you
the feel of the wind or ground under your feet.
Whatever strikes you in that moment.
Then say to yourself “what else?” to focus more deeply. And again, “what else?”
Over the course of your run see if you can take in and dwell on three separate moments – and then share them afterwards with someone to spread the magic of your run moments.
In the best festive spirit of giving, I want to share the latest addition to the Box: Three Views of a Moment.
Before tying your laces and heading for the door, a few starting points.
First, know your purpose. Within any week I’d aim to have a mix of different types of runs, each calling for a different focus and approach. Three Views of a Moment can work well as part of a gentle recovery run, one where you just need some space for yourself, a steady ‘standard’ run (whatever that might be for you) or possibly as part of your longer, over-distance run. It’s unlikely to help a more full-on, high intensity tempo run or interval session.
Second, if you always run with a fancy gadget that beeps at you to say how far and fast you’re going, try covering it up (even better, leave it at home). Try to limit its use for this run simply to look back afterwards – not to intrude in the run itself.
If you haven’t noticed already – there’s no prescribed distance or pace to be hit. It’s much more about learning to feel what it is like to run freely and fluently.
Of course there is a time for the higher intensity run training - those who are coached by me will testify I can set pretty full on sessions that push at the boundaries of the hard effort we can sustain. Even here though, I think there is a real benefit to being attuned to three key elements which can be practised through mindful running (and are at the heart of my Confidence Centred Coaching):
having a relaxed alertness to great form
being able to read your own effort (rather than relying on a fancy gadget)
and nurturing the fluency of movement, everything in sync and balance.
I’ve also found in myself and runners who have tried the Three Views of a Moment and other similarly themed runs from the Box, that the focus on a connection to the place we are in somehow grounds us and helps us be more attuned to what is happening in our bodies. You might think it’s about being distracted, but there is something deeper than that.
And so to a run. The other weekend my partner, Anne, and I were in very frosty Perthshire, Scotland and headed out for an early morning easy run, to find our legs after a long train journey the day before. At the start we were hesitant and cautious, anxious about slipping on the ice and also feeling the bitter cold despite all the layers of clothing.
The slowly rising sun dazzled through the trees, making us squint and run with a hand up to shield our eyes. Light and shade and long shadows from the slowly rising sun streaked across the frozen ground ahead. What else? Close up the frozen grass by the side of the road, silver with frost, glistened in the light. What else? Closer still and each blade, each frozen leaf had its own unique miniature ice sculptures.
On to a golf course where we could run on the grass without fear of slipping – a crispy creaking with each footfall on frosted grass and crunchiness over leaf mounds. The sounds of woodland birds cawing, cooing and chirruping. A murmuring and rippling, at first distant then louder as we ran over a bridge with an icy stream in its own flowing run below.
And the sights of cold! Rosy, fresh cheeks. The frost forming on our sweaty hats like a dusting of icing sugar. Our breaths puffing in the chilled air as we panted up the last hill home.
Distance: who knows. Duration: long enough to feel energised and short enough to be ready for another run next day.
With many thanks to Anne for her photos capturing some of these moments.
If you would like to know more about the ZigZag Alive Box of Runs, please get in touch. Or for coaching support that works, even for those who start out hating the idea of running (or swimming or other exercise for that matter), follow the links to the Coaching Support available.
And if you have your own way of taking your mind and body into a flow, please share below in the space for Comments.
Taking it all in