Turn Off, Tune Up, Drop In
- By Competitor Running
- Published Sep. 15, 2010
In those tough running moments, ask yourself: What is the opposite of what Timothy Leary would do in this situation?
Written by: Sage Rountree
How do you cope? Everyone has a personal best psychological strategy for hanging in when the going gets rough during workouts and races. Finding this individually optimal strategy is the trick—especially as it is a moving target. What works well for one style of workout, say hard track intervals, might not be effective during another type, such as a long run. What works under certain conditions—when you’re the hunter, picking off runners in front of you—might not work when you’re the front runner.
Regardless of what works for you, at some point, you’re going to have to buckle down. Here are some strategies to try, which run counter to Timothy Leary’s counterculture mantra, “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out.”
Turn Off
First, turn off any music you might be using. Instead, listen to your breath and your footstrike. A quiet, staccato runner is a quick runner. (Read more about the way your running sounds here. While you’re at it, notice what the internal noise is in your head. Is it full of negative self-talk? Complaints? If so, work to quiet that voice.
Tune Up
Next, bring your attention to your form. How does your stride look right now? Is it slow and heavy, or quick and light? Is it hitchy and plodding, or stiff and springy? Rough or smooth? Take efforts to return to your best form. Often, this means reorienting your spine and pelvis to mountain pose alignment, then finding places you can relax.
Drop In
Dropping in is the ultimate association. It’s bringing your awareness and attention to what you are experiencing in the immediate moment. Do you feel intensity? Where? Go right to that place—drop your focus into it. Is there pain in your body? Can you investigate that and watch it as it shifts, growing stronger or lessening? When you are tempted to quit—to drop out—try instead embracing the experience in all its messy intensity. Drop in.
Try this process—turn off, tune up, drop in—in your next hard workout or race, and let me know how it goes.
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Sage Rountree, Runner’s World’s yoga expert, is author of The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga and The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga. In addition to teaching yoga workshops nationwide, she is an active coach with certifications from USA Triathlon and the RRCA.
FILED UNDER: Features / Training TAGS: Mountain Pose / Sage Rountree / Timothy Leary
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