irunoffroad

Mindfulness to me is running with focus but also relaxation. I recently wrote this as an Instagram post, now I’d like to fully explain what it means to me. Paying attention to both your surroundings and your thoughts helps you “live” in the moment. The scenery and trail make you concentrate which then fills you with positive energy.

These days I enjoy stopping for a moment to take in the beauty of nature or simply absorbing where I’m running rather than concentrating on pace.

Over the years I’ve definitely appreciated my running more because my goals have changed. A good run to me is the feeling of accomplishment when I’ve clocked up a descent amount of miles and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Reflecting on Saturdays run I can pinpoint a number of occasions when I felt 100% engaged in what I was doing. These moments of clear purpose mean that you are processing the task, how to achieve it and finding the solution by listening to both your body and your mind.

A good example of being completely immersed in what I was doing would be the climb up Beacon Hill as I left Exton. There are two routes up Beacon Hill, the first crosses the cow fields and has a number of gates and styles, the second is a winding country lane. On some days I enjoy the technical challenge of the obstacles but on other days the country lane means you aren’t distracted it’s simply you against the hill.

Naturally your stride shortens and in many ways your determination is as important as what’s in your legs. The lane has a couple of corners and the gradient varies with a couple of easier sections but ultimately you are being tested from the the time you leave the pretty village until you reach the trig point.

My metronomic stride had purpose, concentration and belief, it also meant that I was so focused I didn’t hear the cyclist behind me and when he overtook it made me jump like a startled deer when it hears a noise in the forest. Slightly embarrassing on my part and yet his fitting comment of “keep working” only underlined that I was totally aware and yet unaware, both at the same time. You could say I was in the zone.

I do believe that understanding what you are capable of as well as plotting how you’ll reach your target can be quite intense over a short period but once I reached the top of the hill I knew I’d enjoy the rest of my run after this boost in confidence and mindfulness.

Once arriving at the trig point you are rewarded with the view of the valley towards Old Winchester Hill further along the Downs but most of all you know that you’ve got there by noticing every meter of the climb, the gradient, the trees, the vineyard off to the left, the sound of your breathing and even the birds song. In a funny way you were part of the hill and it acknowledged that you’d scaled it without walking.

The next few miles were weaving countryside tracks that due to lockdown I haven’t run for a few months. I’ve run this way many a time before but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful. You can’t take rural settings for granted because they are constantly changing. It would have been Winter the last time I was here and now it’s Spring, the colours have changed, the trees and bushes are slowly starting to fill out and the going underfoot has certainly improved !! These differences seem obvious but making a point of looking for them makes you appreciate that changes happen constantly.

Running through the countryside is an uncomplicated activity, you absorb what you see, you take it in and you smile.

On my return to Exton I had a small diversion in mind that I’ve been looking forward to visiting while cooped up in my living room working from home. The River Meon flows through the village of Exton with its clear water and high levels to the banks. Watching a fast flowing, crystal clear river is almost hypnotic and I have a small opening in the bushes in mind. As an added bonus the daffodils were still out so I paused my watch and I stood there for a few minutes totally transfixed.

During those minutes looking at the stones on the riverbed, the small ripples of waves on the surface and even a random tree branch that was along for the ride I thought to myself, I’m glad I popped by and I’ll come and visit again.

I really enjoy observing what I see on my travels and I believe my mindful running adds to the experience. Whether it’s a hill, the trails or a river take them home with you in your minds eye and reflect on their positive effect to your day.

Thanks for reading

Roger