I have been slowly getting back into my running
over the past couple of months after my enforced six
month lay off, as a result of sustaining a stress
fracture in my right leg, whilst training for the London
Marathon.
Just before the injury occurred I was pushing myself
quite hard in my training, spending the majority of my
training with runners who were quite a bit faster than
me. The result of me pushing myself harder,
constantly trying to keep up with faster people, was
a complete breakdown of my ability to run for six
months, and having to almost start from scratch
again.
When I started running again two months ago, I
started out using a heart rate monitor to make sure I
didn’t run too fast, which worked pretty well for me
initially. It stopped me pushing myself too hard,
trying to regain my former level of fitness too
quickly.
However, in the past week I have abandoned my
heart rate monitor and I've discovered that my
enjoyment of running has increased by at least
tenfold. But the key to why it has been so successful
is that while I'm running, I keep asking myself if I’m
running at a pace that I feel I could maintain forever
(not that I actually could, but just so that it feels
like it). If I then need to reduce my pace, I do. In
other words, I'm letting my body be my pacing
monitor.
Although the heart rate monitor served a useful
purpose, particularly to begin with, in my experience
there is no better indicator of what is right for you
than your own body.
And the bonus is that not only has my enjoyment of
my running increased dramatically since ditching the
heart rate monitor, but the after effects on my
feeling of wellbeing for the rest of the day are also
hugely improved. My whole mood, outlook and
attitude become brighter, sunnier and more playful,
even after a morning like this morning
when I ran in consistent rain from start to finish. I
still absolutely loved the experience.
This whole subject of trying too hard, rather than
letting our own natural rhythms determine our pace,
reminds me of one of the stories in Jack Canfield
and Mark Victor Hansen’s "Chicken Soup for the Soul"
(reviewed last month). The story is about a fly that
is burning up the last few minutes of its life
frantically flying again and again into a window that
is in front of it, but closed.
What the fly has failed to realise is that twelve feet
or so away, across the other side of the room, is an
open door that it could easily escape through. All it
needs to do is stop trying so hard. By
frantically hurling itself at the only choice it can see,
it is completely missing any other choices that are
avaiable to it.
So this month's tip is not about taking several steps
back and not bothering. It is not the equivalent of
thinking about running and deciding not to, because
the weather looks a bit cold and wet. It is definitely
about keeping in action, but checking on your
pace – is it sustainable long-term, and is it your own
pace? Not only does it become more enjoyable but
you also get to see more of your journey, including
other choices.
And I know that there are times when it is
appropriate to put in a fast training session, which
can be a lot of fun, while also being hard work. But
for me, the bulk of training will now be done at
my own pace, one that is sustainable and
lets me feel that I can go on forever.
So, where in your life are you trying hard, pushing
yourself to achieve a goal, or maybe trying to
change someone else’s behaviour because it isn’t
what you want, or even furiously trying to change
your own behaviour and beating yourself up because
of your inability to learn your lessons?
Slow down and ask yourself "Is this
sustainable?" If it isn't, take your foot off the
accelerator until you're at a pace that is sustainable.
I'll also bet that the quality of your experience
will increase dramatically. Who knows, slowing down
may also allow you to see more choices?
" by Marianne Williamson. This is a
great book that will give you new ways of looking at,
and dealing with, the type of change that is typical
in our current global environment. This book will
especially appeal to those of you who enjoy looking
at their more spiritual side. Personally I found this
book very inspiring, nearly as good, but not quite, as
her classic - "
" . *****
" by Steven D. Levitt &
Stephen J. Dubner. After 2 people recommended this
book to me in as many weeks, and then one of them
gave me a copy, I couldn't do anything else but find
out what it was all about. Not being an economist, I
found Steven Levitt's style surprisingly easy to read
and highly entertaining in his theories. Such subjects
as "What do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers
Have in Common?" and "How is the Ku Lux Klan Like a
Group of Real-Estate Agents?" were quite fascinating.
****
