Get in the moment and let your mind get you home
When it comes to running, there are as many states of mind as there are types of running shoes.
And, no, not a single one of those states of mind is ‘‘crazy’’, despite the fact that every runner I know will have regularly been accused of being that: ‘‘Are you still running? Oh, you’re crazy.’’ Or: ‘‘You’re going to run where? Oh, you’re crazy.’’
Mostly nowadays, in response, I just laugh that laugh that tries to say, ‘‘I’m just going to pretend you’re joking’’. It probably sounds crazy, to be fair. Anyway, I digress.
The point is that when you’re running there are many, many different ways to approach it, from a state-of-mind point of view.
Sometimes your mind is a blur of busyness, as your brain tries to work through the things you’ve been contemplating that day. I’ve solved all the problems of the world on many runs, getting back home without hardly realising that I’ve even been exercising.
Sometimes it’s possible to think of absolutely nothing. I find that to be the case when I’m out alone in the bush or on a lonely hilltop. The mind enters a contemplative state that matches the surroundings, taking in what’s around me without really thinking about it too much.
Other times, my mind is like I imagine it would be for a labrador. I’m running along getting distracted by everything around me: ‘‘Oh, look, a keruru¯ !’’ Or: ‘‘Shiz, they’re running fast over on that other side of the road.’’
It’s good to be relaxed, to enter a state where you’re giving your mind a break, enjoying the act of running; finding the joy in exerting yourself, in breathing hard (but not too hard) as you climb a hill, in zooming down the other side.
When you’re trying to achieve something in a particular workout or session, it’s good to have a measure of concentration, thinking about the task at hand.
The state of mind I’ve never mastered is the one that’s supposed to come in competition. I’ve always been a terrible competitor. I’ve only ever won one race, years ago, and that was kind of by accident.
It’s been many, many years since it’s been something I’ve worried about, frankly, (I very much run for fun, not for places, these days), but I always managed to psych myself out. I’d over-think things, or convince myself I wasn’t good enough to go for it.
Little did I know that the answer was to relax.
On the Dirt Church Radio podcast this week, co-host Matt Rayment and I spoke with Christchurch runner Vajin Armstrong. He’s won many races during a formidable career going back a decade, topping the podium in New Zealand and around the world.
But he’s also known as someone who takes meditation seriously, as a follower of Sri Chinmoy, an Indian spiritual leader who founded centres around the world offering meditation, music classes – and running events.
Vajin is one of the most humble, deep-thinking runners you’ll come across. But he told us about how that ability to perform at the top is drawn from a calm, present, state of mind.
‘‘Especially if I’m trying to perform to a high level in a race or situation where I’m trying to really give everything, I just try and get really present in the moment,’’ says Vajin.
‘‘I don’t let my mind take me away and think what I’m going to do after the run or worry about things that have already happened. You know, just get really present to that moment. Because it’s in that moment you have access to power.’’
It’s a great lesson to learn; that as much as your legs, lungs and heart are important during a run, the real power may well come from your mind.
And, as a runner, that doesn’t sound crazy at all.
Ability to perform at the top is drawn from a calm, present, state of mind.
Eugene Bingham and Matt Rayment are hosts of a trail running podcast Dirt Church Radio. Learn more at dirtchurch radio.com or get in touch via email dirtchurchradio@ gmail.com