Genius Hour Reflection #4

Genius Hour Reflection #4

Hello everyone and welcome back to my fourth and final GH reflection! I hope you have been enjoying following me on my journey. In this reflection my aim is to focus on the mental component of running. This is often not as talked about as training plans, nutrition, hydration etc., but it is truly so important and something I have had to deal with. Running is as much a physical sport as it is a mental sport. I often get crazy looks when I tell people that one of my favourite hobbies is long distance running. Most people cannot seem to understand why I like to exert my body for hours on end. Running is often dreaded by most as the recall elementary school deep tests, or highschool suicides. So why is it that I willingly wake up every Sunday at 7:30am to run 5, 10, 15, 20 km? 

Check out this video of me this past Sunday running 12 km in the snow... Dedication?

Running is a Mental Sport

I can attest to the fact that is takes true discipline, self-motivation and drive to complete those long runs. It is an individual sport which means you are not accountable to anyone. It is up to you and you only to complete the race and give it everything you got. It is often just me and the road ahead. I have often heard the quote "Long Distance Running is 10% physical and 90% mental." This truly resonates with me. I have trained my body to endure long distance. I have upped my stamina and running for two hours is not physically hard for me. What is hard, is my mind telling me to stop, or that i'm tired, or that i'm bored. However, what I try and do when I am out on long runs with my mind telling me to stop is CHANGE my mindset. Our minds are such powerful tools, why not use them to our advantage? I like to fully immerse myself in something called Runner's High.

Runner's High: Euphoria

Whenever I complete a long, hard run I feel on top of the world. I feel unstoppable and like I have all this freedom right at my finger tips. Take a look at this video of me crossing the finish line at my first ever half Marathon. I had just completed 21 km. I was ecstatic to cross the finish line and it is truly a feeling I cannot explain. This is called runner's high or euphoria. My body released endorphins that sent chemicals to my brain to experience true and utter happiness. To me, this feeling right here makes running worth it. 

Going back to running being a mental sport, I want to provide some mental tips that I utilize to improve my run.

1.Visualize- I like to visualize crossing the finish line or the long class of water I will have after I am done running. When I visualize the end, the running becomes easier.

2. Breathing- Focusing on my breath is a great distraction to all the self-talk going on in my mind.

3. Chunking- For longer runs I like to work out in my head the difference distances. I will chunk the distances to make it feel less daunting and more management. For example, when I am out for a 15km run, I tell myself that it is simply 5 kms three times.

4. Distractions- I will often find a way to distract myself to make the run more bearable. I will listen to music or even a podcast. Sometimes I will count all the red cars that pass me. Whatever works for you!

5. Let your mind flow- One of my favourite parts of running is the independence. It is just me, my runners and the road ahead. I can use this time to reflect on my life, think about my upcoming week, plan etc. It is my time with no interruptions.

BATTLE OF THE MIND 

I would like to end with one of my favourite motivational videos. Please watch and enjoy this video called 'Battle of the Mind'. This is why I love this sport.

I would like to thank you on joining me on my Genius Hour journey. Please flip through the below slides to see my reflection on Genius Hour and how I plan to implement it into my future teaching practices.