Tell me, what do you think will happen when you reach your home this evening? Or if you are already at home, what will happen when you reach work tomorrow morning? You have an idea more or less. You have a inclination as to what the mood will be like and what does this have to do with running wait you guessed it the –
Yes, and that is spelt H E I K O German name, but as you can tell if you listenend to any of our podcasts: the accent yes guilty: South African. But South Africans would be lying, so you’re German technically yes, but I grew up in Pretoria. Got worse once I lived in India, or when I was working in Mexico or in Spain dealing with people from different cultures and heritage .It gives you or I am sure if you lived abroad, it helped you pick up on signals. It helped you developed what a mood is like, what the current level of state of combined minds are Especially if maybe like me you lived in a country where you hardly spoke the language you know you struggled Spain with limited Spanish skills you pay attention to what they might be saying and then you are guessing the direction the topic is taking especially if in regards to running you hear the word mas Rapido you don’t need to know what the word vamos means you understand it from the vibe, from the tense look on the runners faces.
Or whilst speaking to someone in India, and the yes is accompanied with the head movement of No.
You understand it And that develops your skill of paying attention. Really not just reading, but observing, being present.
Being present then allows you to picture a possible scenario, and then in our minds they have the ability to project a possible outcome. And that projected possible outcome is what makes you look for more clues, basically like a detective searching for evidence to back up. Case. Reminds me of the series MONK. You remember that oh my goodness that was a clever tv blog. I couldn’t watch it on a regular basis, the role he was playing with that OCD really got to me but the point is. The cases were solved even though the viewer had no idea who it was. Even though it was clear that one of the other persons in the 45 minute blog committed a crime. But Monk That guy paid attention to every detail.
Listen if you weren’t into Monk it might be Agatha Christie for you doesn’t matter at the same point. And if you don’t like Detective stories then let’s just move on
And that by “paying attention” the learning to pay attention you have that skill inside of you. It is there. But you know what? Some runners cannot access it. For their running. It’s like it is buried under thoughts. But it is there that actually you can or runners should focus on developing your own skill of paying more attention to your own thoughts, feelings and how you behave.
Do you wear a fancy run watch? Hey I do, so come on do you? OK. Do you wear some or other smart compression t-shirt, where you don’t remember what the unique selling point was. You remembered the usp long enough to justify the purchase though. Don’t worry We are getting to the running part more and more See I am sure you had such a run-moment. You can recall one. To a runner that has experienced a run where you felt “whow” that just was perfect.
I had a run like that yesterday actually. Just wanted to go on a short run flat out and back, nothing special, legs felt a bit tight, hips even tighter But before going out, I prepared a bit mentally. No nothing special, no sitting in Lotus position and starting to hover, I just went through the run where I wanted to go, and pictured myself running there that trail.
Just a couple of seconds ok maybe a minute, or two and then off I went.
Now, as it usually happens during the first 1 kilometer, (and maybe you can relate to this) the whole setup in my mind changed. Like when you are in the movies remember those and you have been watching ad’s for what feels like hours and then finally is this it ? Might this really be the start of the movie? Yes, that happened.
Relief, because I had envisioned that feeling. I knew it was going to be that type of run. Not that type, but that running. Yes, that’s a better way to put it. I anticipated it would be that kind of a run. Exactly.
Of course numerous factors come into play here It was hot, yellow rapeseed fields, intense blue sky no wait make that it was very hot (for may) and by being focused on the whole setup the strides, the breathing that made the whole run extremely intense and of course pleasurable But that was my run. What about yours?
Listen whatever you do you need to collect and store these types of memories (well that’s step two actually.) Step one is like when you enter a room, and your friends are just having an argument and you can already imagine what’s going to happen. That crime novel you know the person who did it is there RIGHT NOW, and you start guessing.
Start doing that for your run. You need to realize that a great run in perfect weather conditions. Maybe you love running in the rain or early morning whatever your “sweet spot” is. You need to be able to really pick up your state of mind, your thoughts, and observe what behavior this leads to.
And what comes next is again this is something you need to DO to experience any kind of effect. Just reading this blog is not going to help you. DO Take any sheet of paper you have right now. We often think we need a black leather clad notepad. A old oak desk, with a view a dim lit light, perfect setting to write:
Nooooo just grab any sheet of paper.
Draw a horizontal line and vertical line through the middle. There you have 4 squares, correct. Well start top right your strengths running strengths only got three points ? Come on at least 5 ok if you only have three come back to it later. Second square weaknesses write it weaknesses might be the moment of truth is a bit hard to grasp but it shouldn’t be If the first thought that came to mind was weak on trails. Write it down.
Quick next one Opportunities hey this should be overflowing with ideas. New route. New run streak, new distance, new times oh my goodness signing up for a online race, or making your own race
Last one the threats see here I know it immediately. stretching if I don’t pay enough attention and invest in those minutes to really stretch we all know what’s going to happen so there you done? Congratulations
Now the simple part: how can you build your strengths? Expand them further? And ponder on that for some time. Maybe take the sheet of paper with you during the next two days, look at it. Just feel it inside your back pocket that will remind your subconscious mind to come up with an answer.
How can you exploit Opportunities? Which of your opportunities are you going to use NOW within the next few days?
What are you going to project on your weaknesses and threats? Especially if you leave them unattended. Or if you ignore them?
Use the same skill of projecting. The answers to your big questions, the doubts, the negative thoughts you may have or the limiting beliefs. Be it about a race distance or a time. Hey some runners, they are so caught up in the moment that they don’t want to enter a race. The thoughts of what might be that has already been framed in such a way that it is impossible for them to enter the way you might do it. You know, like me, for example, I just signed up. But for some runners that’s not the way to go about it.
If this is you you have an option. You know what I am saying? I mean the things that are stopping you or limiting you can be overcome.
You can just ask yourself take the same sheet of paper 4 Points, or 4 quick questions for you
It’s called or referred to: Open self what do you know about yourself, that is also known by others That’s why it is called open self.
Then what is unknown to you, but is clearly visible to others?
What is it that you have kept from others, basically hidden, others don’t know about it? And the last unknown self is not known by you, and also not known by others?
To dive a big deeper, you know if you want to become a better runner just answer this question: Who am I no not like the bourne identity remember that: who am I wie bin ek lol you might answer, I am a brother or sister father mom, then you get a bit more specific what word do you choose a runner hmm no that doesn’t sound right, a fun runner no a marathoner focus on what you might have overlooked, or where you have perhaps exaggerated?
And training does exactly that. Training is preparing yourself for what you cannot do today but will be doing in a future moment in time.
Now if all this sounds still too complicated for you. Just do this. Go for a run without a watch. Whaaat seriously? Yes, absolutely.
Look, I am sorry I have to share this with you but nobody cares. Honestly. Sorry that I have to tell you this. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Don’t blame me. I didn’t invent social media, or Strava nike adidas, all types of running apps, that supposedly help you connect with other like-minded people aka runners. What did we do before we had apps, and social media?
Was it like we were all running on our own. No running clubs?
Everybody just ran and if you saw another runner it was like woooow. There are two of us lol The oldest running club is in the UK from 1868 btw well before Instagram.
Means again the ability to project and gain confidence is inside of us. But the difference is in how you view yourself. And as a runner, there are so many companies that want your attention. they want your money, your loyalty, but for that they start with getting your attention.
And no, don’t become a digital nomad. Select a smart watch you really like. My favorite one is blue by the way But allow yourself moments where you build your confidence. Those moments are not found in the newest compression socks. Nor in that really awesome looking pair of sunglasses, that I don’t know what I remember they were runners sunglasses that were designed to ensure no sweat comes into your eyes. LOL seriously no sweat and of course THE BEST position. Don’t get lost in that world.
Leave your watch at home. Just take a bit of time before you head out a picture and really see it in your mind’s eye and then go run. If you have some work to do in the area of self awareness it is most likely you are comparing events, times, and are too much in the sensation of the immediate present moment in time.
And this by the way has been researched. An athlete, in our case a runner with a high level of self awareness, perceives experiences very intensely. That and having the ability to self regulate Are more adaptive. Understand what their body is capable of just relying on a feeling.
And feeling good is a feeling I can harness. I can grasp it. I can project it forward into the future and aspire to reach it again.
Timothy Noakes, a fellow South African famous coach MD, the author of Lore, concedes that the chapters that most readers like best are ones that describe the lives of the great runners of the last 200 years, and how they trained. I suspect most readers feel they’ll derive more value by absorbing the wisdom of those great role models, than by rationally understanding the science of VO2Max.
Charts and statistics, yes they have their place. But that’s not what gets us started. That’s not the reason you ran 2 hours on a muddy trail, even though you just wanted to run ½ hour. It’s a great feeling. Actually I can’t wait to go out and get my 30 year old Golf blog mobile right here at a place at the edge of the forest. And you know what I see myself running up there actually yup
See I told you It is the projection, a glimpse of what it will feel like that triggers a series of events. Of course, knowing your strengths and weaknesses is a help. And hey it states in Corinthians Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith
So what are you waiting for to test yourself? Oh and wait tell me do you have a listenable account, or are you on AMAZON? Well do have a look under my name Heiko Stribl if some of the content is of interest to you. Look if you like this blog, this is just the tip of the iceberg. This topic is my passion, coaching runners’ getting procrastinators going, or runners going further than they thought they could. As an endurance coach, I specialize in mental techniques for runners. explained in such a way that you can actually USE the material that is talked about, lol.
And just to go down a rabbit hole that is actually what inspired me that the complexity in which mental techniques here explained ever read a clinical study due to the rules that require clear references, sometimes you need to read a paragraph 10 times because I didn’t get it the first time as the references threw me off guard.
Not only that but also the low level motivation, seems like audiences prefer light hearted information but you kn0w that that’s not going to make you a better stronger and smarter runner. Share this blog, give me a review, if you disagree send me a mail makeeverystep@gmail.com.
Your 365 Day Run Streak, one whole year of running Why who or what would you want to do that?
And if your first thought is “I couldn’t do that” then definitely you should get the book.
Remember what I said in the beginning of the blog, that our minds sometimes cruise around the same negative thoughts Well those 9 points they will help to implement what it says in the bible
Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Today I had a lot on my mind. Thanks for your patience. Thanks for your interest. Do leave me a rating and share the blog to someone who needs to hear it. My name is Heiko thanks for reading.
God Bless You and remember, take it easy.
