I met Wendy in October 2019, exactly a year ago, and since then she has lost 20 kilos and increased her running speeds and distances way beyond our original goals. So what is mindful running coaching and how does it help?
Firstly we talked about what she wanted to change and where she wanted to be. Then we made some goals that she planned to achieve before the end of the year. This was mainly around being able to run 5 K without stopping to walk.
Once we had some goals, we started to work towards them.
Mindful Eating:
We talked about her diet and nutrition and I introduced her to mindful eating. With two small children and a busy job, food choices were sometimes made at the last minute and based on what was available immediately, like what was left at 2 pm in the work canteen. We have all been there. With some small changes in planning and organisation we ensured that there were healthier choices available at all times.
“I hear your ‘you eat what you buy’ mantra when I’m shopping”
Mindful eating can change how you eat because it makes you more aware of your choices, so you act with a clearer intention. It doesn’t ban any foods. It allows you to enjoy chocolate. If you give your whole focus to a small amount of chocolate you find that you don’t need to eat as much.
“When I see chocolate I see it by pieces not by whole bars - we maybe have 1 or 3 dairy milk cubes if we’re treating ourselves”
These are small and simple changes that bring about a powerful overall change.
“I hardly ever mindlessly eat now - I make sure I eat mindfully, especially the treats”
Mindfulness is about knowing where your focus is and being able to consciously respond to what is going around you whether that is work stress, self doubt, or food cravings. Mindful eating was the start of Wendy making conscious decisions about what she ate. She is a very busy working mum with many friends and a busy social life, but she found that making small shifts in her weekly organisation could enable her to make healthier food choices.
Mindful Running:
We ran together about once every one or two weeks around her work schedule and family commitments. One of the important aspects of this was to manage the pace. Setting off a bit too fast meant running out of steam too early. We went back to basics and ran one mile consistently. Then one and a half and then two until we hit the 5 K goal.
We practiced running past the front door! Sounds simple but it can just help with adding on small distances. And then we went further than 5 K so that the race distance became more manageable.
“I try to run over my target so I know I can achieve it when readying for a distance”
I taught her meditation and how to put it into practice while running. We focussed on checking in on her level of effort to make the pace sustainable. We discussed mindful strategies for the hard times, running hills, running further and running faster. She practiced on her own and checked in with me on her progress.
“Focusing in on my running, my heel tread, my feelings have made a massive difference to running”
Mindful Living
We made the goals realistic and achievable, and made them easy to work around small children and working irregular hours. Everyone gets too ill, too tired or caught up in home or family life. Mindfulness teaches you not to beat yourself up and not to give up. Talking more kindly to yourself can help you to achieve more.
“I don’t beat myself up if I have an off day”
Mindfulness is about being aware of what is going on inside your mind and being able to manage it better. We all struggle with changing old habits, both in our behaviour and our thinking. Small changes in how we think can have a powerful effect on how we act.
This can help with every aspect of life from managing change and stress to improving your health and fitness levels. It is up to you where you choose to apply it, but where you do apply it, you will see an improvement in both your performance and your wellbeing. This is what helps you to realise your potential.
“Consciously making choices in all aspects of my life has been great... understanding what I’m doing and why, and choosing to do it”
The Statistics:
Weight Loss: 20 kilos
Running Faster: 5 k times from 36 minutes to sub 30.
Running Further: From under 5 k to over 15 k.
The Future
The future is physically and mentally stronger and healthier. This healthier mindset is being passed on to the next generation.
“I love how much what we do inspires our children”
Mindful running is learning how to apply mindfulness to your running. One to one sessions allow you to set your own goals. Mindfulness has been scientifically proven to increase your focus and decrease stress and anxiety. Mindfulness will help you to remove self doubt and self judgement. In releasing the pressure, running becomes more fun and more enjoyable. When we enjoy something we tend to do it more often.
Mindful running coaching is beneficial to anyone at any level of ability or experience. The elite athletes are using mindfulness to improve their performance. Beginner runners are using mindfulness to make running more manageable. Whatever your level, or your goal, mindfulness can help you to get more out of running, and out of life.
Mindful running will help you to run further, run faster and run happier.
Contact me for mindful running sessions online and in person