Mindful June 2017

more present, to listen to their breath, to be kind
to themselves, and not beat themselves up. I tell
them to forget about pace and just start running.”
Learning to run mindfully, particularly for
less-experienced runners, is probably better
done individually than as part of a group. That’s
because one key to success is finding a rhythm
that harmonizes your breath—deep, controlled
belly breathing, as in yoga or meditation—with
the cadence of your feet, and in a group there’s
always the temptation to keep pace with the
leaders. Moreover, some group members may
want to chatter as they go, potentially distracting
others from tuning in to bodily sensations,
taking stock of emotions, checking in on form,
and otherwise cultivating the focus and sense
of presence that this routine can produce.
On the other hand, many find that group runs
can instill a sense of community, camaraderie,
and motivation to keep at it, even when no words
are exchanged. In that way, these sessions can
be very much like group meditation.
Given such potential upside, some runners
have hatched efforts to expand Mindful Mondays
to include group efforts. Among them is
Diana Gorham, who’s general manager of Two
Rivers Treads, a popular running store in the
panhandle of West Virginia. Gorham ran her
first marathon in the fall of 2006 and earned
an impressive age-group 5th place. After that,
she says, running became more about the racing
than the training, as she doggedly pushed
herself to the limit in hopes of recording better
times. In 2011 she graduated to “ultras” (i.e.,
races greater than the traditional 26.2-mile
marathon), her longest a 100-mile trail race in
August of 2014 that had her on the rain-soaked
course for more than 27 hours.
But something changed, she says, on the heels
of that effort: She realized that there’s more to
running than logging endless miles in pursuit
of racing acclaim, and as a result her punishing
training schedule gave way to a yoga practice,
guided meditation, and exploration of her
spiritual side. Her new routine includes about
three short runs a week, all done with a greater
appreciation of her environment and the rest of
the running experience.
Last February, Gorham launched her Mindful
Mondays running (and walking) group in hopes
of fostering a like-minded community. She says
she may someday race again, as she once relished
all the trappings of joining friends in preparing
for competition. But more important to her is a →
The Right Route
One of the great joys of running is the time and space it gives
you to just be with yourself. There’s nothing else to do, or
really, to even think about. Of course, you can load running, like
anything else, with all sorts of goals and other busyness. But to
truly experience mindfulness while running, the most important
thing is to let running itself be the goal without any other needs
attached to it.
There are two fun ways to practice this.
Just…Run!
Truly give yourself over to the
experience of running just for
running’s sake, with no other
agenda. This will mean going
whichever way your desire
tells you to go, listening to
your body to determine your
speed and the distance you
travel, and remaining alert
and curious to all that’s going
on within and outside of you.
TRY THIS
See if you can take note
of things as you run that
perhaps you haven’t noticed
before. How many different
kinds of trees are there? What
about birdsong? Is the sidewalk
more even in some spots
and more cracked in others?
TIP
Make sure you have plenty
of water, an extra layer of
clothing, and maybe a $10
bill tucked into your running
shorts, just in case. Oh, and
you might want a map or cell
phone if you think you might
wander beyond your ability to
find your way home.
Plan Your Run
Set up some basic parameters—a
preplanned route,
a set amount of time—and
within those, fully embrace
the experience without the
worry of having to make any
other decisions. You won’t
need to wonder if you should
turn left or right at the end
of the road, for example,
because your route is already
decided. Instead, tune
inward, to your breath, the
warmth spreading through
your muscles, how the energy
travels up through your legs,
hips, and back with each
step. Let your inner experience
of running come alive
in Technicolor.
TRY THIS
Notice your predominate footstrike
pattern. Do you lead
with your right foot or your
left? Follow this for a while
with your awareness, then,
do the opposite. Intentionally
lead with the other foot, and
see what happens.
TIP
Just like in seated meditation,
try keeping your focus on
one thing at a time. Use the
footstrike method mentioned
above, or the sound and feel
of your breathing. Let the
rhythm still any other noise in
your mind.
June 2017 mindful 49