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Does Running While Distracted Make You A Faster, Stronger Runner?
By Christina | August 7, 2009
Every runner has his or her own routine when it comes to running. Some people prefer running on the treadmill while others are outdoor diehards. Some runners must always listen to their ipods or run with friends. Others view their daily runs as meditative time and prefer running alone with no music.
As long as the kind of runner you are enables you to successfully complete your runs, then you are doing what works for you. An interesting study, however, recently came out about three types of runners and what kind of runner ultimately gets the best results in terms of speed and endurance. One type of runner listened to music or talked to a running partner while they ran. Another type of runner used running as a time for introspection and held an inner dialogue with him or herself. And finally, the last type of runner thought about nothing and focused on the natural distractions that were present during the course of the run. Which type of runner was able to run best?
I approached this test from personal experience. I have a fantastic running partner and we have some of our best conversations when we run. We can make 11 miles pass in what feels like no time by engaging in good conversation. That said, as much as I love running and talking to my friend, I know that talking slows us down and makes us lose focus on our stride and our breathing. One thing I know for sure is the type of runner that is a talker is not the fastest runner.
I have also run alone and tried to view my run as a time for self-reflection. This has also been successful in passing the time while at the same time being therapeutic. I have figured out relationship issues and work related issues on many runs. Even though I feel this is an excellent reason to run, I also know that this is not going to make you fast. The inner dialogue going on in your head is as distracting as having an actual dialogue with a friend.
The final type of runner, one who is thinking about nothing and listening to nothing and talking to no one is not the type of runner I am or believe I ever could be. Running, especially endurance running, can be extremely tedious and taxing when done for long stretches. Personally, for me, I think it would be challenging to successfully complete my runs if all I focused on was how much longer I had to go to finish my run.
Therefore, in light of my experience as a runner I felt for sure that the fastest, strongest runner would be the runner who listens to music. Music provides the perfect combination of distractions and motivations. Because you aren’t talking to anybody while you are running, your breathing isn’t affected. Moreover, music can push you to the finish line long after your brain has told you to quit running immediately. To me then, the results of this study should have been easy to predict.
Interestingly, I could not have been more wrong.
The best type of runner, both in terms of speed and endurance, is the runner who thinks about nothing except the road ahead of him or her. Wow. Don’t get me wrong. I am all for the mind/body connection when it comes to enhancing exercise. But, these results were not about the introspective runner. They were about the runner who was focusing on nothing but the external experience of running.
The basis for the findings was simple yet insightful. Anything that distracts you as a runner and takes you out of the moment will ultimately slow you down and impede your performance. Paying attention to your stride, your breath, and your form is vital to becoming a better runner. By running and focusing inward, you are still mired by the distractions of your daily life which takes your attention away from the task at hand. In addition, by focusing so intently on yourself, you could also be focusing on every ache and pain you are experiencing which will only make you want to quit your run rather than make you faster. What this study is really saying is that the type of runner that is completely present in the moment is the runner that will be the fastest. By using the scenery as a natural distraction, you are still able to focus on your actual running technique which will enable you to get to your destination quicker because your form will not be compromised. This is analogous to yoga. During your yoga practice you are asked to quiet your inner dialogue and inner voice in order to be fully present.
Maybe running is the same thing. Running with the mind clear and your inner voice silenced might really be the true meaning of finding the mind/body connection.
Topics: Marathon Training |
