Recharging – RunningWell

Hi Everyone!

This will be a short one. Hope you’re all having a recharging holiday – whatever that means for you.

That’s what I’ve been thinking about – how do I recharge? For me, it doesn’t really matter where I am. I can bring a mindset with me wherever I go. It’s the feeling of calm focus which eludes us when we’re running around trying to swat balls out of the air that are coming at us unpredictably. For me, recharging doesn’t mean not working – I love what I do. It means more time to read books which inspire my coaching and might help me consider new approaches or philosophies. It means time to reflect on the athletes I coach, and consider what might help them succeed in what they are trying to do. Recharging for me does not mean taking a physical break. In fact it’s the opposite. It’s an open schedule with lots of self-directed movement – whether that’s a x-country ski, nice long run, or even a swim. I find sometimes when I’m not on a schedule I even gain fitness because I enjoy it so much and I’m not “squeezing” anything in. Recharging might be seeing and hanging out with friends and family, or it might mean more time alone. I need a mix of both for sure. And recharging definitely means more sleep.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re home or somewhere else. If you can get outside and get your heart beating and breathe deep lungfuls of air, if you can sit and read and think without running around frantically, if you can hang out with people who fill you up, and if you can get a bit more sleep, you are probably recharging. So when the balls start flying again, you’ll be ready for them.

For this week, here is a fartlek-type workout to do whenever it works for you:

Sets of 3-2-1 min On with 1 min Off, 2 mins easy jog between sets. Just throw it into a run whenever you head out. 3 sets is a great number – 5 sets is the max.

That is all – Happy Holidays everyone!!!

Seanna