Thursday, October 2, 2008

Relax, Just Do It

As I write this my stomach is starting to cramp.  It's not from anxiety about tonight's vice-presidential debate, the financial meltdown, or even the five slices of pizza I just ate.  No, what it's from is the simple thought of my recent DNF at the Teton 50 from stomach issues.  And while I believe a lot of the problems I had at Teton arose from some sort of mild stomach bug, I also believe that my inability to relax in the days before and during the race certainly didn't help things. To whit, my current psychosomatic gastric cramps.  

So, it's no wonder that I read with relish this morning Gina Kolata's piece in the New York Times on the importance of relaxation in athletics. If nothing else, it helped me realize how little attention I pay to maintaining a quiet mind and relaxed body while running.  I guess it's one more thing to add to the burgeoning list of off-season tasks.  I'll try to remain calm about it.

1 comment:

Brad Mitchell said...

The off season - lets see: yoga class plus home sessions, strength training, injury rehab stretching.... Is it the off season? It's starting to feel as busy as a regular training program.