Run With Mu

Couldn’t scare up the usual cottontail or two (or three) on my 8-mile run through the park yesterday morning … I’m guessing they must have been busy elsewhere. Eight miles on Sunday, twelve and a half on Saturday – I felt that weekend a little. It’s starting to feel more like training again.

Aches and pains are part of training for races. And sitting can be every bit as physically grueling as running an ultra marathon, just in different ways. It’s necessary to keep in shape for both. The additional flexibility regular yoga provides seems especially helpful for sitting, but it’s also good for running. And of course, doing both practices regularly helps build your endurance for them: the longer and more often you sit, the more ready you are for a week-long sesshin. Same with ultras: you have to put in the miles, the long weekend runs of 4-6 hours or longer at peak, to stand a chance of even finishing a race in decent shape. And even the race itself is training — for more racing.

In Zen practice, you’re essentially in training not just when you’re on the mat but all of your waking life, learning how to simply pay attention second by second. There is never a moment of the day that you’re not in training. How do I stay engaged with someone when they’re telling me a story that I don’t have time to hear? Why do I always want to pull out my cell phone and look at my Facebook updates while I’m brushing my teeth? Why am I so worried now about that meeting that’s not until next Tuesday? Why did I just now walk down to the vending machine and buy yet another Diet Coke?

Zen practice is partly about turning our endless pre-programmed responses into actual living. And even when I’m not actually running, my running practice noticeably improves if I get to bed earlier, eat better, and don’t exhaust myself with lots of other self-imposed “busy work.” On the mat and on the trail, full awareness of the task at hand is the key that unlocks all the doors to the future … without really knowing exactly what that future holds.

It’s all training, and it’s always training. Do you feel ready?