The 10K race is underway. You’re in the zone and feeling optimistic you’ll break the elusive 60-minute barrier! That fades at the 6K mark when fatigue sets in and people start to pass you. Your watch doesn’t lie – you’re slowing down and your body is screaming with effort. And then up pops the critical voice: “This is too hard… I’m not good enough… She’s running the perfect race. I wish I was like her…”
Sound familiar? “This doubt and self-judgement may also crop up when we’re training or even just thinking about running,” says Stuart McLeod, co-founder of RUN:ZEN, pioneers of mindful running. “Fortunately, with mindfulness, help is at hand.” With mindfulness we learn to see clearly what is going on, without filtering or judging our experience. “We begin to notice that when certain thoughts arise, in this case self-critical ones, they can produce an emotional response often creating tension in the body, which can reinforce negative thinking,” adds Stuart. “And, simply put, we get caught in a loop.”