Dream, Focus

In a long training cycle, when do you dream and when do you focus on the work at hand?

Sometimes I find I am zeroed in on my immediate actions: regulate my breathing, tune my pace, adjust my cadence, up my work level, tweak my tempo, glide, float, focus.

Sometimes I find myself deep in problem solving, dreaming my way through a problem, acting out on a plan, envisioning what I will do, taking in the view around me, tuning out the pain, tuning out the repetitive, anything but the now.

Yesterday, the routine was my first through the medium intensity of weights and jump rope intervals. I was totaly focused on form, posture, rhythm, tuning, and feedback. Today's 5 mile run was all about being somewhere else, distraction, and daydreaming.

In the first instance, I followed what experts describe as the focus of athletes need to get in the "zone" that results in performance gains. Bio-feedback techniques help train athletes to focus their efforts, achieve the zone, and excel by "de-icing" the body from the performance robbing aspects of stress.

Daydreaming or distraction may be considered "useless suffering" in that the athletes focus isn't on improving the performance but instead finding distraction from performance impacting stress. Or just taking in the beautiful scenery.

But experts agree. Daydreaming and not finding the zone negatively impacts your performance.

It sure did for today's 5 mile run. While it was okay, and the beauty of the cold dawn sky and leafless trees was inspiring, daydreaming as distraction from what clearly was not a stress-filled run only led to an "okay" and slower than typical outing. In contrast, yesterday's focused strength effort and accompanying 8 mile bike ride stands out as comparatively effortless and productive. On the other hand, a day dream here and there helps me when the training routine is long. And sight-seeing is another factor in my love for trail running even if it means that my mind is less focused on performance and more on what is around me and calls me there in the first place.

Yesterday's workout: 1hr
Medium Intensity strength workout: 30 minutes with one minute 3 cycles of Lat Pulls, pushups, squat/curl/thrusts with 1.5 min jump ropes between each routine.
Bike: 8.7 miles for 30 minutes @17.4 mph average

Today's workout: 42 min
Run: 5.2 miles @ 7:58 avg pace