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How powerful is the running mind?
The connection between body and mind is an undeniable phenomenon. When working together they can achieve unbelievable things… but what happens when they aren’t fully in sync?
I started working with Tom on my running form after the summer of 2023. After asking myself a lot of questions, I was faced with an uncomfortable truth – I didn’t have all the answers.
A new running challenge: feeling the mind-muscle connection
I have been running for years. I know how to strategize a race. I know when to push hard and sometimes (but not always) I know when to pull back.
I’ve studied countless videos and photos of myself running. I know exactly what it looks like: my right foot is off at an angle; my left arm crosses my body more than my right arm does and my heels rarely touch the ground.
I’m not unaware of what’s happening when I’m running, I just hadn’t been feeling it.
During a drill in my first run form session, Tom surprised me with a simple question: “How did that movement feel when you placed your foot here instead of there?”
The blank look I have him was perhaps all the feedback he needed. I honestly had no idea; I simply wasn’t connecting my mind and body at all.
Progress is never linear
I still go through entire runs where my mind wanders or I chat away to others, and any thoughts about my form goes out of the window. But I have learnt to cue myself and take on more cues from others.
I now feel the left side of my core as I run the bend at track, I relax my shoulder when I get tired, I create impact on the floor with meaning to propel myself up and forward, and (when I remember) I check to see how straight my foot is when I walk.
Running for numbers on a clock or simply for my own mental health has always been on the easier side for me. My journey forging a stronger mind-body connection when I run has become a new challenge – and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
Fun - Honesty - Simplicity - Smash Life - MENTAL TOUGHNESS - Hard Work
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