Tuesday, November 19, 2024 – Learning to listen

Hi Everyone!

Huge congrats to Pearce who ran AO’s cross country on the weekend and came in 6th overall masters (over 30) and 2nd TRUE master (over 40)! Cross country is so gritty with the hills, mud, grass, weather, … so impressive.

I think this is the time of year, whether training for something big or not, that our bodies start to give us hints that they might be tired. There’s a natural buoyancy that carries us along when it’s light and sunny out. But it’s natural for our bodies to crave some down time, and I often think that the start of winter might be when they are signaled to take it. I was thinking this because I’ve been noticing people developing “signals” from their bodies that they might need to back off. Or they might need a change in their training or lifestyles. These signals aren’t a bad thing if we listen to them, but it’s hard to listen when they don’t align with our goals or our routines.

Signals like a sore body part, or not being able to perform as we are used to in workouts are sometimes a natural part of training. When we go looking for our limits, we often find them. And if we get the balance right, these signals aren’t a bad thing. They tell us we’re working hard and we’re close, we just need to find the equilibrium. If we listen right away, we can address them quickly and get back on track.

Some people are very good at listening, and know when to rest and back off or make an adjustment somewhere else. Other people have become very good at blocking out the noise and pushing through. This is a tough one because this can be a super power in many cases. But I think it also blunts the receptiveness to hearing the signals. If you’re someone who blocks them out and pushes through, it’s hard to pick up on the nuance of which signals are saying what.

Humans are complex, and it’s impossible to separate the mind and the body. As athletes, who use our bodies as our tools, we try to become even more unified in mind and body. We can’t shut off our minds and make our bodies do the work. Experienced athletes do the opposite – they become even more integrated and in tune, and have developed a fine tuned response to various signals. It sounds very ‘woo woo’ to say, but the phrase that pops into my head is to “become one with your body”. Love it. Listen to it. Work with it, not against it. It is constantly speaking to you. Learn to listen vs. blocking it out. You will become better at it. You will start hearing the whispers, so it doesn’t have to yell before you notice. This is part of the athlete’s journey. It should even help us to better navigate the world as regular humans as well.

On to tomorrow’s workout – Lakeshore and Leslie – 6:05 Drills, 6:15 GO!

Something a little peppier to keep us in touch with our speedier sides. This is good for ppl running the Holiday 10K, as well as people doing tempo work on the weekend – so tempo doesn’t feel exceedingly fast.

6 x 600 w 90 – around 5K pace

3-4 min rest

4 x 400 w 1:15 – same pace or a lil faster

3-4 min

4 x 200 w 1:00 as long strides

That is all – see you in the am!

Seanna