The overall body workout

This week I started writing my second book and it is so liberating to emerge after a run, put the kettle on with some green tea, crank up some old style U2 and get writing. For me it is vitally important that I have an outlet other than my running for what I do and it is so refreshing to be able to express emotion through the power of the written word. For me the running and training is very much about exercising the body and keeping it strong, but it is only through the exercising of the mind and the spirit through my writing and also through my meditation that I find that my body is truly attaining a thorough workout.

I find that too many runners are merely content to only run and not ensure that their brain and spirit is also trained. Reading ‘Tea with Mr Newton’ recently illustrated some of the huge benefits of concentration that Newton was able to muster and channel into his enormous running talent.

My personal feeling is that this is where the future of all athletic improvement, injury rehab etc lies in the ability to focus the brain more fully into utilising its full potential. After all it is scientifically proven that we only use a minute fraction of the brains full potential on an everyday basis.

I know that I have had some success in rehabbing injury by staying focused and also developing visualization techniques and self talk to cure myself. Having read about some Japanese martial artists who were able to heal their broken hands this way, I am even more convinced.

They quite simply refused to be beaten down.

How did they do it – each night when going to bed they would close their eyes and focus all their breathing and thoughts and channel all their positive energy down towards the broken hand. Such was the concentration and focus that they developed that they could visualise little workmen working away at repairing the bones (right down to the workmens expressions and the little hammers that they used to work). One week of this and their hands were repaired, even though Western medicine had said that in some cases a full recovery would not be possible. How or why we are able to do this is something that I have been studying up more and more. In the meantime keep giving thanks – keep believing – keep achieving.

Running together – Stride for stride on a life changing ride! – Sean Muller