What Else Can You Do While Running?
By: Zen Chan
Tags: Mindfulness, Fitness, Running Tips, Running, Health

What Else Can You Do While Running?

That makes your run more fun and enjoyable.

Photo by Random Institute on Unsplash

Running and me

I enjoy running, no matter if it is in groups or alone. The best time during a run is when I am at optimum speed and with 100% focus. What is in front of me would only be road and road alone. Only can I hear my breathing or the sound from my foot contacting the ground. I guess that should be what people talk about “In the Zone.”

Running is easy to start; you need a pair of running shoes. You can start from any place, from your home, office, or friend’s house. Whenever I was on a business trip, there must be a pair of running shoes in my luggage. I would love to see a new place on foot.

Therefore, every morning I would allocate an hour for a run. I would pick a direction (North, East, South, West) and return at around 30 minutes. I would also take some pictures whenever I stop with my phone.

A cat blocked my way in Bangkok | Copyright by the author

The New Normal

It is not easy nowadays for us to go running with friends together as COVID-19 is still serious. The best we can do is keep running even we are alone. But running alone can be boring sometimes, myself included.

Keeping the same running route may be good for thinking but could also be a habit stopper. It is because our brains like to find patterns and ignore the repeated/previously recognized items.

Humans try to detect patterns in their environment all the time, Konovalov said, because it makes learning easier. For example, if you are given driving directions in an unfamiliar city, you can try to memorize each turn. But if you see a pattern — for example, turn left, then right, then left, then right — it will be easier to remember.

That is why I want to share what I added to my running routine. You can do things I am going to describe below one by one or all together.

1# Listen to Audiobooks/ Podcast

Running on the same path every day has a lot of advantages. With the same distance and elevation every time, our performance could be easily measured or compared. It is a good thing if you are training to increase your pace or with a specific target.

While it is good for practice, the more you repeat running on the same road, the more you are mentally fatigued. Just like you are driving, keep running/ driving on the same path use minimal brainpower.

As a result, you have a reserved mind capacity to learn more! As a “readaholic,” I started using audiobooks for the pure purpose to read more while my body is moving (e.g., on the way home/ going to work). Listening to an audiobook requires headphones/earphones.

My best choice is wireless earphones with transparency settings to be aware of the external environment if I am running on the street with possible vehicle passing-by.

My earphones for running — MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 earbuds | Copyright by the author

2# Nasal Breathing exercise

I previously wrote about the reasons and procedures for nasal breathing during running. Breathing is a reflex action. While running with our mouth shut is not common, you can try it out and see the difference yourself. The critical differences between oral and Nasal Breathing during running are as follows:

Breathing via nose gives pressure to the air going into the lung. It also provides warmth, moisture, and filters out pollutants, irritants, and ROS .

. With the production of NO , Nasal Breathing improves gas exchange efficiency. It would decrease the breath rate with the same energy output. As a result, you can obtain a higher endurance with the same amount of training.

, Nasal Breathing improves gas exchange efficiency. It would decrease the breath rate with the same energy output. As a result, you can obtain a higher endurance with the same amount of training. Improved breathing efficiency would further improve sleep quality and recovery. Breathing through the nose during sleep is also essential for longevity and our immune system. It can be explained by the filtration and protection of air from your nasal airways.

3# Mindful Running — Meditation During Running

Meditation practice gives people the impression of stillness and calmness. It would be arduous to imagine it can be linked to exercises like running. WRONG! If you consider Mindfulness meditation, running is definitely a good way to accompany meditation.

Photo by Roméo A. on Unsplash

In Japanese culture, there is Zen Buddhism in different kinds of activities such as Tea Ceremony, Bonsai, and Archery. In general, those are a special form of mindfulness practice in which it focused on all the little details in each step of a complete routine.

Running, if you think about it, is a routine consist of multiple steps. The biomechanics of running can be broken down into multiple phases in terms of the Gait Cycle.

Running Gait Cycle:

IC, initial contact; TO, toe-off;

StR, stance phase reversal;

SwR, swing phase reversal;

Absorption, from SwR through IC to StR;

Generation, from StR through TO to SwR.

But why is it a great idea to consider adding mindfulness in running practices?

In a recent study, Mindfulness practice may enhance endurance performance and executive functions in athletes. Another study claimed that Mindfulness Training enhances Flow State, i.e., peak performance of athletes. Mindful running could be possible if you can focus on every phase of the Gait Cycle while running at a constant speed.

Meditation App such as Headspace is a great tool for us to bring these two things together. Headspace + Nike” is the partnership integrating voice-guided practice into Nike Training Club and Nike Running Club apps.

I personally use a white noise app to block out background noise to enhance my awareness during running. The “Flow State” experience of mindful running is what I enjoyed most (as mentioned above).

Takeaways

In this article, I mentioned three things that you can try during running.

Listen to podcasts and audiobooks Nasal breathing Mindfulness Practice

Furthermore, you can combine those 3 things in practice. I personally like to do nasal breathing exercises and mindfulness practice together as they are similar in nature. What you need to do is focus on your legs and also your breathing altogether.

Thank you for reading! I hope you find one of the tips refreshed or funny enough for you to try. Running alone is fun, but sometimes it would be great to add some favors to prevent burnout and boredom.

Happy Reading and Running+!