What I find on the Trail: Flow, Hobbits and Vertical Leaps

I take a class at the gym weekly called, “Functional Training.” At one point, we were doing squat jumps and the instructor walked over to me and said, “Your jumps look great. You must have played Volleyball.”  NOPE. “Basketball?” Not unless you count playing in 8^th grade, uh, like 25 years ago. “Ballet dancer?” Ha! Perish the thought.  I laughed about that for days.  


Pretty sure Lucy and I are kindred spirits when it comes to ballet

I wasn't brave enough to say what was in my head, “No, no...I'm just a runner.”

Who would have guessed that a runner might be good at vertical jumping? Surely, you MUST do something else because running isn't really athletic. To many non-runners, running is what you do to condition yourself for your chosen sport. To others, there isn't really any skill involved so running doesn't improve overall athleticism. Running is just a tad harder than say, walking, right? And, walking is easy, so.... Come on, is it really that simple? Let's consider not only the physical challenge of running, but also the mental aspect that accompanies any type of competitive running.

I've been reading all about the mental side of running the last few months. From “Elite Minds: Creating the Competitive Advantage” by Dr. Stan Beecham to “The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance” by Steven Kotler, I've been taken in by how and why we can use our minds to push our bodies for better performance. Further, one of the most fascinating parts of our mind/mental state is something called Flow.  Not Aunt Flo, you Weirdos. 

What the heck is a “Flow State,” you ask? Simply put, it's an amazing phenomenon that happens when people are deeply focused on a challenging task. In his article “Locking into Flow” in the August 2014 issue of Running Times, Phil Latter, wrote,“in flow, your concentration locks onto the task at hand. You feel invincible, confident that your well-honed abilities will meet any challenge you encounter, even as the energy you expend feels effortless.”

Runners aren't the only people who find themselves tapping into flow. Musicians, artists, writers, computer programmers, surfers, extreme snowboarders, and even rock climbers are often working in a “flow state” when they complete their best work, most challenging tricks, or personal bests.  Think Michael Jordan when he couldn't miss a shot---that's flow.

Laird Hamilton had to tap into flow to tackle this monster wave.

What helps us get to this fabled “Flow State?” Much of that is dependent finding the right challenge for the skill level that you possess at the time. Often our skills are beyond where we generally work because we refuse to challenge ourselves outside the comfort zone.  Most of the time we take the path of least resistance.

I know that I am most definitely guilty of cruising on Easy Street. Hey, it's comfortable for me to slip out my front door, slog out 5-7 miles at an easy pace around my neighborhood. I know that recovery runs are important for my body, and easy runs are also generally when I can think about my day---work, appointments, dinner. We generally don't find ourselves working in flow every time, but when we do, it's magical.

Last Thursday, I ran 11 miles in Forest Park on Wildwood Trail. The rain was furious and unrelenting. My fingers were wrapped around my 18-ounce hand-held water bottle, and all five of them had turned into white water-logged mini prunes. Water rolled off the brim of my hat onto my already soaked clingy long-sleeved t-shirt. The trail was sticky in spots like peanut butter, filled with downed twigs and branches, and scattered with ankle-deep puddles. Maybe, it's something in my subconscience, or the fact that I keep seeing a certain “Lord of the Rings” book lurking around my house, but there is one part of the Wildwood trail where I swear I am going to see Froto and Samwise step out from behind a tree. No joke.

The book that is laying around everywhere.

I knew they were out there hiding behind a tree.

Last Thursday, I breathed in the foggy mist and smiled to myself. I felt happy. Trails help me find myself running in flow since I have to be aware of every foot placement, root, and puddle and can't just daydream or plan my weekly menu. I have to focus and concentrate solely on the moment. Running in a flow state is all together different than just going out for a jog around the neighborhood. Somehow during the process of running in this hyper-focused state, the run itself melts away all the hard choices and messy emotions I may have had floating in my head prior.

I feel blessed to have running to thank for giving me the ability to find flow and move through life differently as a result. Not to mention all that bounding over puddles, rocks, and tree limbs makes me able to jump higher, and then strangers think I must play a “sport” like basketball or volleyball. No way. I am just a runner. But, if you ask me, that in itself is pretty special.