Whether it’s cross-training, conditioning or simply honing in on the details of your stride and running technique, there are all sorts of ways in which you can improve your running performance and experience. Sometimes, however, one of the best things you can do is to take a break.
Downtime is a fundamental part of running training, particularly if you’ve just completed a longer run or a marathon. Taking time to rest allows the body to repair and recharge and is really good for the mind too. But just because you’re building a rest day or two into your program it doesn’t mean you have to stagnate – there are still a number of things you can do that will have a positive impact on your running abilities without you having to hit the track.
Read on to discover my top tips for making the most of your downtime by exercising your brain.
Engage with nature
For someone who’s highly active, confining yourself to spending the whole day indoors taking a rest can be really hard to do. So, get out there and talk a walk in nature. Yes, I know it’s a cliché to say that, but there really are so many benefits to being outdoors and actually engaging with your surroundings.
If you’re a trail runner like me, you’ve already given in to the call of the wild! But ask yourself this, when was the last time you truly engaged with the environment in which you’re running? It’s not always possible to appreciate the beauty of nature when you’re busy navigating fallen branches, but taking a gentle walk paying attention to the feeling of the grass beneath your feet and the color of the leaves and flowers around you is an instant recharge for body and mind.
Try a mind sport
Speaking of mind, how about getting your strategic ability and processing skills up to the level of your running? Mind sports like poker have become really popular with all sorts of athletes, celebrities and people with high-powered jobs in recent years. Card games have been scientifically proven to improve vital skills like decision making, logical thinking, and patience, as well as having a noticeable impact on short term memory skills.
Plus, the link between running and poker is not as tenuous as you might think; in 2011, poker pro Ashton ‘the ASHMAN03’ Griffin famously ran 70 miles during a 24-hour period. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a long-distance runner or player to get started in the discipline; there are a wide variety of poker rooms online with games suitable for everybody from newbies to high rollers.
Mindfully mindful
Of course, the ultimate happy brain activity that you can do during your downtime is to meditate. Traditional practices of meditation can be tricky to get to grips with, which is why mindfulness meditation has boomed in popularity all over the world over the past half a century or so.
There’s no one person responsible for creating or inventing mindfulness, however, Jon Kabat-Zinn did play a big role in bringing meditative practices from the secular traditions of the east to the west during the 1970s. He founded a number of centers for mindfulness training and practices in the US, devising short and manageable programs that anyone could try to help reduce stress, improve concentration and generally reinforce positive psychology – all the things you need during a particularly intense run.
Nowadays, mindfulness can be practiced anywhere – some say just paying attention to your physical sensations and your surroundings for 10-15 minutes a day can restore your parasympathetic nervous system and calm your mind.