Twp Steps to Refocus Attention When the Mind Wanders

Picture you are in a situation that requires you to run quickly. Maybe you need to catch the a subway or bus. Perhaps you are chasing after your kids, grandkids or the dog. You wouldn't think, "Let me first do a few strides or intervals so I can prep my body to run fast."! Those strides will do nothing for you in your current situation- you should have done them before you actually needed that speed. The same goes for our mind. Say we are in a high stress situation or simply have a lot on our plate and need to stay hyper focused. It wouldn't be logical to think, "Ok, today's the day I need to stay focused and reject any external distractions", and believe that just because we want to stay focused we'll truly be able to do just that. Just because you want to run fast doesn't mean you'll immediately be able to run fast. Equally, just because you want to stay focused doesn't mean you'll be able to keep focused attention. You must exercise your mind to be ready to show up for you when you need it.

Lately, there've been a handful of moving parts to my day that require different areas of focus-and I'm not going to lie, I haven't always done a terrific job maintaining that mindset. If you work from home you can most likely relate! Writing a paper..."Doesn't the dishwasher need unloading?". On a conference call..."Was that an email notification?". Reading a story to your kids..."What do I have on my schedule tomorrow?". Dr. Amishi Jha, in a recent episode of The Genius Life, discusses a few strategies to exercise our mindfulness so we can truly be in tune to what matters in the moment.

Before I get into the exercises, I'll preface with saying, if you experience a wandering mind, you're not alone! Our mind typically wanders upwards of 50% in the day. It's normal to have a wandering mind- it'd actually be abnormal to have a mind that never wandered. Our goal isn't to completely eliminate this tendency, but rather to have the awareness when it happens and be able to return back to a place of balance and focus

Exercise #1: STOP

S: Stop

T: Take a Breath

O: Observe Your Surroundings

P: Proceed with the Task

This is a wonderful exercise to train your mind to return to a place of focus when you notice it wandering. I'll actually use an example from just a few minutes ago. Here I am writing this blog and I think, "Hmm I should probably check my email". Do I have an urgent item I'm waiting on in my email? No. As I notice my mind wander away from writing and towards my inbox I should first S: Notice the act of my mind wandering. T:Take a breath to regroup my self. O:Observe where I'm at and what I'm working on, bringing awareness back to my goal. P:Proceed with writing this. In order for me to be successful at doing this in a moment of wandering, it can be helpful to practice throughout the day-during a walk, while sitting at a stop sign (the sign is the perfect reminder), or cooking dinner. Think of this exercise as 4x:20 flat strides at the end of a run in preparation to run a marathon PR; doesn't always seem necessary in the moment you're in, but pays high dividends when you need that sprint finish for your finish line photo.

Breath Focus

This next exercise is another excellent tool at focusing and redirecting your attention. Again, this is something that should ideally be practiced daily, in preparation for key moments of focus. Start small, building a little at a time-and when I say small I mean really small! Even if you think you can do more, it's better to start with a truly attainable amount and be consistent then try to be a hero and burn out.

Sit on a chair with good posture. With eyes closed focus on your breathing. No need to alter your breath's pattern, simply notice it. Then once you notice its pattern, shine a flashlight onto one specific area that you notice your breath going towards. Perhaps you simply feel your chest going up and down or maybe you're aware of it in your fingers. Tune your mind into that one single body part, staying focused there. When your mind wanders (I say when not if, because it will wander) simply notice the wandering and redirect it back to your breath going to that body part. This allows you to practice sustained attention while redirecting your thoughts when they wander. Start with :30-:60 at first and build to 5:00-10:00 minutes. After practicing this technique for a few days, try it out in a real world situation. You're talking with a friend and while they're speaking you notice your mind wander to what you'll make for dinner that night. Notice it wandering and bring it back to be fully present in the conversation.

The goal of sustained focus is not perfection! Rather, it's the ability to notice when we are losing our attention to another priority and refocusing to the task at hand. I'm a huge fan of podcasts and have noticed a common trend among high level performers-being able to tune into one task with solid focus and then seamlessly switching to another when it's appropriate. Did you know it's actually impossible for anyone to multi-task. Instead, all we're really doing is intense task-switching. Some scenarios that can work, but more than not, it leaves 20 tasks 60% done rather than 5 tasks at 100%. So here's to doing our mental exercises and crushing our focus game!

Tips To Make Meal Prep Easy & Sustainable!

Well as much as I’ve been denying that it’s time, the holidays are right around the corner. Raise your hand if you’re also not sure where the time has gone. Holidays are time for connecting with loved ones, gathers, & lots of yummy food. And while it’s important to fully enjoy the change in routine and typical food choices, it’s always quite overwhelming to start from ground zero come January 1st. Maintaining some consistency during this time of year will not only make it easier to get back into your normal routine come the beginning of the year, but also make you feel more energized and better in your skin during the holiday activities.

One key way I maintain some semblance of normalcy during the holidays is through meal prepping-and no I’m not talking about spending your entire weekend prepping for the week ahead. Simple & quick meal prep hacks really go a long way. In fact, you’ll most likely find yourself carrying these ideas into the new year.

Place 1 banana, 1 Cup oats, 2/3 Cup Almond Milk, 1 Tsp baking powder, 1 Tsp cinnamon, 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree, 1 Tsp vanilla in blender. Cook on stove and top with maple syrup & warmed berries. Make a large batch and freeze the remainders for later mornings!

Map It Out

Take a few moments the weekend prior to review your schedule and touch base with other immediate family members on their plans for that week. Jot down which days you’ll be eating out as well as days where you’ll be coming home late and won’t feel like cooking. Once you have a rough idea of your schedule first look to see which ingredients you have on hand. I’m a huge advocate of using what you have (you know you have that random purchase in your fridge you need to use!). From there, see if you have any items you need to use up then jot down 3-4 dinner ideas (making note to prep extra for any lunch leftovers). Keep your meal plan visible throughout the week so everyone knows what’s on tap. Keep it simple! You don’t need to think of a new recipe every week. I personally have 5-10 that I rotate through with just little variations with what I have on hand. From there right out your ingredient list, keeping in mind any breakfast or snack options you want to have on hand.

Using muffin pan prepped eggs. Top English muffin with 1-2 eggs, 1/2 avocado, tomato slices, & optional turkey slices. Wrap in foil and warm in oven for 15-20 minutes.

Wash & Chop for Refrigerator

Now for the prep part. The only time I will completely prep a meal is when I know I’ll be gone until late that evening. In that case I will either throw something in the crock pot or have it 90% of the way prepped. For everything else, just make sure things are ready to go; meaning wash & chop veggies and put into glass containers in the refrigerator-making it easy to throw them into stir frys or tacos come meal time. I also find I use all my produce if I proactively wash and chop it, because man it’s sure easy to forget about that broccoli shoved into the back of the cooler drawer until it’s too late. For more starchy veggies like potatoes and & butternut squashes I will pre-bake. Wrap a few sweet potatoes in foil and place into glass containers once softened or slice and roast butternut squash. Simply throw back into the oven or pan for a few moments to reheat before your meal. Items like that are great to have on hand to throw into salads or wraps come lunch. For your grains, prep a few cups to store in the fridge for your grain bowls or taco salads. Leave out any seasoning so you can mix up the flavors come meal time. I will often use the exact same ingredients but feel like I’m eating something new simply by swapping the seasonings or sauce. For breakfast options I will put a few eggs into muffin tins and bake for roughly 15 minutes. Perfect for snacking or adding to english muffins for breakfast. The key is to have everything prepped and ready to assemble. Making sure I have ingredients ready to eat also makes me more likely to stick to the schedule instead of make that impromptu grocery run or meal out.

Using prepped granola. Blend 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 cup spinach, 1 cup almond milk & 2 scoops ancient nutrition protein powder. Top with Bulgarian probiotic yogurt, berries & granola.

Portion & Assemble for Pantry

While it can be a little bit of an initial investment I’m a big fan of glass containers so you know what you’re working with! It also makes your kitchen more organized which makes eating clean and at home more enjoyable. For meal prepping the pantry, I like to throw a bunch of dry nuts (I mix it up between cashews, almonds, & walnuts) in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. I’ll sprinkle with salt when they are still warm and transfer to a glass container to enjoy for snacks or on top of salads and smoothie bowls. I will also make a batch of granola for the week ahead…sometimes the batch lasts for two weeks. This is perfect for breakfast or snacks.

Who has time, or wants to be spending hours in the kitchen meal prepping over the weekend.

By taking just a few simple steps after my grocery run, I can ensure I’m set up for success for with the upcoming week! Hopefully you’ll find these tips useful too!

Three Post Marathon Recovery Tips

So you’ve trained for the marathon, you've run the race, now what? It can be tempting (depending on how the race went) to jump right back into training for your next race or adventure. Unlike an ultra, where the mind really does crave some downtime, I think a marathon is just short enough that if you didn’t race quite to your potential it can be easy to want to hit the ground running a day or so later.

Throughout the years, I’ve been grateful that I typically recover from races pretty quickly-often the body beats the mind in desire to get back to running. For a few reasons, this post race cycle has been pretty rough-in fact the legs may have even felt worse the few days after the CO marathon than they did Run Rabbit Run (a race 73.8 miles longer). Even though the last 9 miles of the marathon were far slower than expected I really think my body did give everything it had that day. I didn’t have the intense ache in the legs like you’d get after an ultra, but almost slight "tear" feelings in my quads, hamstrings and left calf muscle. I equate most of that to my body trying to overcompensate for the weak achilles during the later stages of the race and the net downhill course structure. All that to say, recovery needs to be a priority if I want to get back to running soon and feeling strong!

Here are a few strategies I’ve been utilizing in the days post race.

Rest

Something I’ve actually not been thrilled about because my desire to run is there! Like I mentioned, my legs feel trashed and its been quite the scene watching me try to navigate the stairs. Instead of trying to force running my recovery miles, I’ve opted for easy hikes, walks, & mobility work. As much as I hate being at 0 miles so far for the week, I can feel slight improvements each day-improvements I may not see if I were trying to grit through a run. A little soreness is fine to run through, but if something is truly painful or uncomfortable you’re doing more harm than good…a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way many times. I also don’t recommend just laying on the couch. Some mobility that keeps the blood flowing can be really beneficial. Think easy walks, hikes, foam rolling, stretching, mobility, yoga, easy biking etc. As far as the time frame, that really depends on how you feel. The rule of thumb is 1 day off per 10 miles run so you’d be looking at 2-3 days for a marathon. You could certainly do more than that if you feel any lingering niggles, but I would shoot for 2-3 minimum regardless. That is unless you are using the marathon as a training run in preparation for a key race, which is a different approach entirely. Also aim to get adequate sleep here (eight-nine hours a night if possible). Your body does some of its best recovery while you sleep so don’t skimp on that here!

Nutrition

Just as proper nutrition is key to training and racing at high levels, adequate fuel is vital for optimal recovery. Think very nutrient dense foods that aid in lowering inflammation and in muscle repair. This is the time to focus on plenty of fruits, veggies, and protein. I don’t count macros or calories but if there were a time to do so I think it’s in the recovery phase to make sure you’re giving the body what it needs to repair and get back to high levels of training injury free. I’ve been enjoying pumpkin protein smoothies, stir fry’s full of cruciferous veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts, bok choy and kale accompanied with tofu or beans, and desserts like berries and green tea steamers. I know post race it can be really difficult to get in adequate calories because you just don’t feel like eating. Depending on the race distance that feeling can last for several days. However, it really is crucial for you to continue getting in those nutrients. If I find myself with a loss of appetite I’ll turn to quick calories like smoothies, soups, and nuts. Preparing a large smoothie in the morning and sipping on it throughout the day helps to keep you properly fueled and recovering. You did work really hard though, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to eat perfect! Heck, you ran a long way so enjoy that ice cream or burger! And just as a quick reminder, just because you’re not running as much during this recovery phase doesn’t mean you don’t need to eat. You need fuel regardless of if you ran that day or not so now’s not the time to restrict.

Think of something other than running

Long distance running can be pretty all consuming, taking much of your energy both physical and mental. To prevent burnout it can be helpful to build in a period of time to think of something other than running. It’s not sustainable to keep a high level of focus 365 days a year and this is the time to shift that focus to something else. Test out a few new recipes, (hey, you can knock out 2 out of 3 recovery steps if you do this one), spend time with friends, or focus on a different hobby like music, art, or writing. Many high level athletes train hard but also recover hard as well, even taking a month or so off in the down season. Not only is this beneficial for the body but really powerful for the mind. Be kind to yourself. You deserve this rest. Take some time to reflect on your race and make plans for upcoming training but don’t forget to carve your mental downtime in as well.

Hopefully within the next few days my body will get on board and I’ll be back to training for my next adventure….anyone have a crazy challenge or race idea??