Michael: Going Long

Acorn woodpeckers,
Red crowned with bold white striped wings,
Rest on the bare tree.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Yesterday I talked briefly about why there may be advantages to running longer or for more days than may be required to gain performance increases.
Today I’m going to list some of those reasons.

1. Getting into the “flow“ -  For some individuals longer runs than what is necessary for optimum running performance may be desirable to enter into a flow experience.  And once your there, why would you want to cut it short if it’s not going to hurt you to run longer?

2. To enter a meditative state - I think of many long trail runs as a meditation; as a way of focusing my mind and keeping it in the present moment. When I’m thinking this way, I’m not particularly concerned about how many miles or hours I’m running.

3. Because it’s a religious experience. I’ve always felt that a long Sunday morning trail run is a far better way to appreciate the spiritual aspects of the world than spending time in church.

4. It’s a ritual. Certain trails or destinations are an often repeated and cherished experience for many runners.

 5. It’s a test. Some see running long as a valuable test of their will power and ability to overcome what they see as significant mental and physical challenges.

6. To see how far the needle can go past empty. I often feel people neglect the experience of the runner’s “low”; running until you’re completely exhausted. Finishing a run, then laying down in exhaustion and immediately closing your eyes within stumbling distance of where you stopped, to fall asleep, is quite an experience and not as easy to do as one would think.

I’m sure this isn’t an exhaustive list of why some people choose to run for longer or for more days than would improve their running performance, but I do think it’s indicative of the many healthy reasons runners choose to lace up and get out the door beyond thinking solely about the numbers of running