Train the Mind
7 Principles of Training:
#5) Train the Mind
Training the mind is very simple, but it is not easy to do.
The most effective training of the mind is rooted in staying 100% connected to the present moment.
“A mind in the present moment is meditation,” says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, an Indian spiritual leader.
Marathon great Eliud Kipchoge credits his mind, as much as his legs, to his racing success:
“If you want to break through, your mind should be able to control your body. Your mind should be a part of your fitness.“
So does Kipchoge’s coach, Patrick Sang,
“An athlete can have a poor preparation, but then on the day they run very well. The most important is the mind; preparation can be amazing, but if they don't have a good mind for the race, you know, the preparation doesn't matter and they can run very poorly.”
In general, we have three places, or tenses, our thoughts can dwell: past, present, future.
When we want to make sense of why events transpired, we tend to dwell in the past. When we want to predict, or forecast, events we think about the future. But as many athletes, coaches, sports psychologists, and religious teachers have known, the present is the only moment in which we truly reside. All we can control is what we do, or don’t do, right now. We can’t change the past, nor can we control what happens next. Now is all we have.
In one sect of Japanese Buddhism, the sentiment of the following quote is considered the heart of Buddha’s teachings:
“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
There is an endless variety of methods to enhance your awareness and residence in the present moment. Many think meditation practice only happens while sitting, which is called Zazen. It may be the most common method, but far from the only.
Personally, I prefer Kinhin ( known as walking mediation, or for our purposes here, “Running Meditation”). Kinhin, is essentially, practicing presence of mind while moving. A runner simply turns their attention to their breath, pace, arm swing, leg strike, etc. All you need to do to practice Kinhin is to devote your focus to what you’re doing at that very moment. No wandering of thoughts to past happenings or worrying about future events.
It takes time and frequent repetition to cultivate and see positive effects — a lot like running training.
And like running training, the benefits of a committed mindfulness practice are lasting and life-changing, and a key to realizing one’s best performance on race day.