Good Sports

by Budd Glassberg

Reprinted with permission from the Zionsville Times Sentinel on March 21, 2007

Turning Off Your Mind

“It never always gets worse.” – Quote from the Ultralist

There is a senseless chatter that flows through our minds from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep again. Granted, there are times when we need our brains to think, but those times certainly do not make up all of our waking hours. With the remaining time though, thoughts often continue with repetitious judgments, minutia, and babble that often rob us of life experiences. Our thoughts most often are framed by the past and the future, keeping us from fully appreciating the present. At such times, it would be advantageous to have a brain on/off switch. Indeed all of us would benefit from it when we are having trouble falling asleep. While there are times when I cannot locate this mind on/off switch, I have found it on occasion and it has given me a great amount of satisfaction.

Last Sunday the weather cooperated with my plans for a long training run on the Zionsville rail-trail. The first fourteen miles were not difficult and went by uneventfully. Then fatigue began to invade my body. Throughout the two hours of running my mind was racing with thoughts, mostly debris of the past week along with some planning for the coming week. At no time did I feel at all in the present moment. As the weariness of the long run increased, brain activity declined. I was concentrating on my discomfort which brought me back to the present. Just over twenty miles into the run, I added more walking but the tiredness seemed ever greater.

I considered cutting the run short and stopping. That is when I remembered a quote I saw on the Ultralist, an internet forum to which I subscribe about long distance running. Late in an ultramarathon, one runner tried to encourage another who was ready to quit the race. He told the runner, “It never always gets worse.” This statement at first glance, appears self contradictory and nonsensical. Having run a few ultras, I understand its meaning and heartily agree with it. During such events, it is common to have lulls where you feel drained, unenthused, and quitting seems the only cure. It is logical to assume that continuing will only bring more pain and you will even feel worse. At times like this, if you gut it out and continue, you will be surprised that the weariness will dissipate and you may feel energized and ready to carry on for miles. Rather than ending my training run at twenty miles, I counted on it “never always gets worse” and continued.

With my mind activity at a minimum, I reached for the brain off switch and threw my thoughts into neutral. I felt the warming of the sun, really felt it for the first time that day. I heard pleasant bird and frog vocals that had been background noise before I shut off my thoughts. I saw the vibrant colors of the day which were dulled before with mind chatter that clouded the images with petty thoughts. I felt my breathing slow down and become deeper while smelling the fragrances the day had to offer. I was neither reliving last week nor anticipating tomorrow, but was firmly planted in the now of the moment. My pace increased. Weariness left me. The final twelve miles of the run were effortless.

Ultarunning is a different sport from typical distance running. It is filled with self discovery and new frontiers. I have often been asked why I like running such great distances. In the past, I had trouble verbalizing it. I have now discovered why it is so enticing. When running ultra distances, your brain off switch is simple to find. The rest that you get by shutting off your mind is such a positive thing and that vacation from thought is an awakening like no other I have experienced. The joy that results from it is addictive. It always never gets any better.

Budd Glassberg is a resident of Zionsville who is active in the local running community. Visit www.runz.com for reprints of all his columns. You can reach him by email at budd@runz.com.