Of STAMINA, running machines and a meditative state

[iain-strachan]

On Monday I put in a stint on the treadmill on the gym doing the STAMINA podcast, after work before going out to a ruinous (for the diet!) meal entertaining business colleagues who were visiting from the Netherlands and wanted to experience traditional British pub food. (Massive and delicious chicken and ham pie at the Barley Mow, Clifton Hampden - if you're feeling like a guilty pleasure!)

Though I'm not much into the music of the NHS C25K+ podcasts, I find that it is very pleasing to run in time with the beat, and observe how your foot strikes the ground in time with the drum - almost as if you were part of it.

I got the sense during the workout that, as I was on a running machine, that I, too had become part of the machine. And this was in a good way! The point is that machines don't think, and that being content to be part of a machine is pretty much like a meditative state . In meditation you attempt to avoid letting thoughts intrude, and focus on something else - usually your breathing. In this case, what I was focussed on was the beat of the drum and the way my feet kept time with it.

It's often said that running and meditation alike are good for one's mental health, and I wonder if this is part of the reason for the mental health benefits of running?

Anyway - I'm intending to do a road run tonight, and to try and extend my distance beyond 5k - only a little to start - I have a route mapped out that is 5.5k. (I like running after dark too)

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Hello Iain, I have never ran on a treadmill and I never did the c25k podcasts as the music drove me nuts. Hope you enjoy your outdoor run. Like you I am now adding on to 5k a little bit at a time just trying to slow the run down now to get further . 😊

[iain-strachan Graduate in reply to Buddy34]

Yeah, I know the music's not great - ghastly soul-less stuff, but it does have a good rhythm to run to.

The night run was great! 5.68 km to a 160 bpm playlist on Spotify. Best ones for running to:

In the Mood

I'm a believer

Paint it black

I saw her standing there

Whoever assembled the playlist had a great sense of humour - the first song was:

Can't run but ... by Paul Simon.

I took the run slowly as you are doing - but the time to 5km was still faster than my first Parkrun this year. 5.68km in total - and I seriously didn't want to stop when got to the end.

I've read somewhere that music to running actually lowers your perceived effort level, and I think it might be true.

[CrimsonMama in reply to iain-strachan]

Haha I've tried to run without music but the sound of my deep air intake certainly makes me feel like I am working three times harder than if I can't hear my own puffing and panting!

Music is part of the pleasure for sure!

[CrimsonMama]

That sounds like a perfect meditative state! I love it when your mind can switch off or go elsewhere like that! On my home treadmill I can only walk as its not electric and you use your own momentum and grip on the handles to push the tread. But sometimes on outdoor runs my body gets this perfect rhythm and it feels wonderful and effortless in a way that makes you think you can go on and on!

I've never tried the podcast you mention but I have tunes I downloaded for running because of the beat - tunes I wouldn't choose to listen to normally.

I hope your run tonight goes well! 5.5 sounds a good target!

[iain-strachan Graduate in reply to CrimsonMama]

The run went fab. See my response to Buddy34 above.

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Thanks for sharing, I’m always looking out for different podcasts. I’ll look this one up 🙏🏻