I rarely “unplug” and normally have the radio, podcasts or music on when I run alone or work at home in my home office. I don’t often have time alone in silence to think except before I fall asleep. MindBodyGreen had a great post 10 Ways to Embrace the Silence with tips for ways to incorporate silence into your busy days. Another article suggested that solitude was one thing that was needed for “inner peace.” I read these types of tips whenever I see them and file them away – like many other good things to try.
I had a bunch of time yesterday to embrace solitude – about 100 minutes. Kristin and I decided to run the Moraine Run for the Hills Half Marathon at the last minute. It is a small, local race in a beautiful park and the proceeds benefit the education programs and visitor services at Moraine Hills State Park and an annual scholarship program for students of environmental sciences. Given the narrow trails, they have small waives of 25 runners based on estimated pace. There are 10K and half marathon runners combined. Kristin and I were not in the same wave. Being alphabetically preferential, I was in the first wave and she was in wave 2 – 30 seconds back. After less than half a mile, I was alone with very few runners even in sight.
I immediately regretted not bringing my iPod for “company” and wondered how I would amuse myself for the remainder of the 13.1 miles. I feared that I would psych myself out or let doubts creep in. It was extremely humid and the hilly, winding course was unfamiliar to me. And this was my 13th half marathon this year.
I am proud to report that I thought about the articles that I mentioned and decided to enjoy the solitude. I also tried practice some of the techniques I have been reading about for being mentally strong while running, too. I highly recommend Keys to Running with Mental Toughness from Competitor Group. Two especially resonated with me:
2. Build a mentally tough outlook
Direct your focus to what is possible, to what can happen, toward success. Instead of complaining about the weather or criticizing the competition, if you want to be a mentally tough runner, only attend to things you can control: Your thoughts, emotions, training form, and how you perceive each situation. You have a choice in what you believe about yourself. Positive energy makes peak performances possible.4. Create a relaxed focus
To be more mentally tough, work toward maintaining your concentration for longer periods of time. You can tune into what is critical to your performance and tune out what is not. You can easily let go of distractions and take control of your attention. As you focus more on the direct task in front of you (your stride form, how you are feeling, etc.), there will be less room for the negative thoughts to enter your mind. You’ll be mentally strong under any conditions.
So, I decided to forget about the humidity (as much as possible). I focused on enjoying the quiet, staying positive and running my own race (and not chasing Kristin when she easily passed me at mile 4!) I even tuned in to my breath and how I felt at each point.
And you know what? It was kind of awesome. I enjoyed the new park and its many twists and turns. I cheered for the runners that I saw as I passed them when the course overlapped. I made it a point to say something positive to each one and many reciprocated. There was a time where I could not see anyone in front of me or behind. I started to worry that maybe I made a wrong turn, but then decided that in this well marked race, I just had to have faith. At mile 11.5 we hit the final turn around, all of the runners in front of me cheered me on and I cheered them right back. I then ran quietly and deliberately to the end. I ran strong and did not have that pooped out feeling that I have had in the last miles several recent races. The humidity definitely slowed me down, but I felt like I gave it my all.
This ended my 13 in 2013 quest to run 13 half marathons in 2013. This one was not the fastest or the slowest, but was on the slower end. That said, I was happy that I felt strong and in control of my running the whole time. I used the quiet time to think, to focus and to reflect on how awesome the human body is AND the human mind. I am really grateful for this experience.
What do you do when you find yourself in a quiet, unplugged situation? Love it or hate it?
PS. Don’t forget my CEP Compression giveaway and my Garden of Life RAW giveaway, too !