Outdoor running, yoga & mental clarity.

Are you an outdoor runner?

For the longest time, I wasn’t. I was a crappy runner, I got winded very easily, hated every second of my run. I don’t run indoors (hate hate hate treadmills) so I guess you could say I’m only a seasonal runner. That’s probably annoying, I know.

The running and yoga parallel.

One of my long-time passions is yoga, specifically for its stress-relieving capabilities. I recently began teaching one-on-one yoga sessions and it’s allowed me to dive back into all of the mental benefits yoga has to offer. One of the biggest concepts in yoga is the practice of “letting go,” working on your ability to place your mental baggage outside the door, knowing that you are free to pick it back up when your practice is over. During the hour that you practice yoga, your mind is clear, and you’re completely in tune with yourself. When it wanders, acknowledge it, then place those thoughts outside with the rest of them.

This is something I had always had a hard time achieving in a yoga practice. For a long time, mental clarity always seemed like some far-off idea that I could never achieve no matter how hard I tried, and I know that many of you feel the same.

That being said, I have been practicing this concept when I run. I set aside an hour for myself that allows me to mentally press the reset button. I go to the bike trail with my Nike App and my heart rate monitor, and I leave my to-do lists, my worries, plans, and any other baggage in the car. As soon as that car door closes, I’m free, focused on nothing other than my body, my breathing, my heart rate, and the sunshine. My run has turned into a mental health exercise, and I can’t tell you enough how much I crave it.

Actually run better

The Nike App is a godsend (read this.) It syncs with your GPS and monitors your speed and distance. It notifies you when you’ve hit your half-way mark, too, which is cool. Then pro athletes congratulate you for beating your fastest time, or running your longest distance. It’s sweet.

One of the easiest ways to clear your mind when you run (and not keep thinking “I can’t do this anymore, how much longer should I run? When can I turn around?”) is to set your app for a specific distance and then just run intul it tells you to stop. I love running 5k’s because it’s just enough time for me, but that’s just my preference. Start at your own level. Walk some, run some. Do whatever you want, just keep going. The Nike App is monitoring your time and pace, so you don’t have to concern yourself with it. Do what you are able to do.

The second thing you might consider buying is a heart-rate monitor. As the heart gets more fit, you are able to work at the same intensity (i.e. run at the same speed) but your heart rate will be lower (because it’s working more efficiently). This is how you become a better runner, no matter if your goal is speed, endurance, or both.

Keep a log. After you get back to your car, record the date, your distance, time, andaverage heart rate during your run. (heart rate monitors tell you an average heart rate as well as a maximum HR after you stop your workout.) This way, you can see your progress and increase your motivation.

The summary.

1. Find a place outdoors that you like to run.

2. Check your baggage. When your mind wanders during your run, immediately tell yourself that now is not the time to think about whatever it is you’re thinking about. Teach yourself to live in the moment for just that period of time, not the future or the past.

3. Use your Nike App and Heart Rate monitor to get the most out of your run.

4. Log your progress.

Let me know if this works for you guys! I couldn’t be happier with this routine.

xoxo