There was a fantastic article in today’s New York Times, by Gina Kolata, about overcoming your mind to maximize your performance while running. Now, I am not much of a runner - or I should say, I would like to be more of a runner than I am. I have running shoes, and run about 50-60 times/year, with in these 3 month bursts of found discipline.
Anyway, this article got me thinking in more ways than running…
“All maximum performances are actually pseudo-maximum performances. You are always capable of doing more than you are doing.”
- Dr. Bill Morgan, University of Wisconsin
I am always amazed at how much I can get done in one day, if I just put my mind to it. Forget one day, in 15 mins I can turn my whole week around by making a basic to-do list in 2 mins, and knocking off at least 5 things off in the remaining 13mins. It is really a fantastic feeling, if only I could do it for myself on a more regular basis or do it for longer periods of time I would be set, right?
Over the years I have become quite the collector of processes and actions that get me closer to this state, or a mere few steps away from engaging in it. I carry notebooks with me to write down thoughts and chatter in my head. I bring music that inspires the quiet thinking. I set reminders upon repetitive actions that remind me to take a deep breaths. It is all a form of disassociation, I just had no idea that it was a strategy used by athletes to maximize their performance.
My own ‘Disassociation Strategy’ is about making my mind believe in a positive, proactive state of thinking just long enough to realize that I am doing some great things, and forget that I had self prescribed it only moments before. 15 mins, I find myself having done more than I expected.
Now I just need to try and convince myself that running is something I would like to do more often. I live right next to the largest park in Brooklyn, and by all accounts I should love running, and I think I do when I get in the groove of doing it. Maybe I need to take a cue from the title of Gina’s article and tell myself, “I’m Not Really Running, I’m Not Really Running…”
Prospect Park in the fall, Brooklyn, NY
Jeremy Zilar lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his
I know the path in that photo well.
and regarding paths in general- well, it just has to be a committed decision. this is what I will do to the best of my ability, with all the help I can get from above.
faith without works is dead. its a hard saying but not much gettin around it.
and dont forget to recognize the human side of us, full of flaws-but a yearning desire inside to do better thru grace.
my 2¢