Relax to Concentrate

Relax to Concentrate
By Bernard L. Gladieux, Jr.

One of the more charming and to-the-point advertising campaigns of our times is
NIKE‘s “Just Do It.” It is at once simple and profound. Implicit in this admonition is the warning not to think too much, not to agonize, not to worry and fret, not to get hung up in circular rationalizations. When it comes to regular, physical activity or training, the habitual athlete knows what it takes to just do it. “Can it really be all that simple?” you might ask. The answer, of course, is, “Simply, yes; and it’s there for the taking.”

The ancient Eastern philosophy of Zen calls for the individual to break through the mundane and petty barriers that surround us and into a state that transcends self-consciousness. It is when we are freely in that state that we are able to perform at our very highest level, whatever we do. It is just this idea of relaxed concentration that all performance-oriented athletes reach for.

Relaxed concentration is an approach to running and other athletic endeavors that will work for nearly everyone including every fitness jogger, elite, racing cyclist or senior
walker alive. Here are some thoughts about how to develop that mind-over-matter
technique.

Static: Know it when you hear it. A lot of us assume that the ambient clamor and confusion in our lives is just part of the life drill, as normal as apple pie and bulging mid sections. It isn’t so. Running or walking or swimming or cycling or whatever you do, at their best, are, or should be, quiet times, away from all of that. Protect these times as such. Remember that static exists mainly in your own mind and only you can control what goes on in there. Teach yourself to block the static out at will. You will be amazed at how it will free you. And when you come back to deal with it, you will be refreshed and strengthened.

Interference: It is, for many of us, a constant challenge to get over and around the barriers that act to keep us from our regular training. The pouring rain, the bitter cold, early morning meetings, late nights out, sick kids, chores, jobs. Name it; everyone’s hassled and conflicted. But such conflicts often arise from our own blurred sense of what is truly important to us. So, rather than wail about a life over filled with competing demands on your time and energies, stand back and take stock of your inner values and goals so that you can make some order of your true priorities. Once these have come clear to you, you will find it easier to make the right choices and easier, then, to “Just do it.”

Habit: Thank goodness for habits. Once you have established a pattern that is comfortable and sustainable, a lot of your life will easily flow of its own vitality and momentum. Habit is just rhythm over time. Once you are in that beat, its own force will add to your inner strength. You own it; use it.

Balance: The best athlete is the person who is happily centered, not pulled by every whim or blown off stride by every gust. It helps to like yourself where you are at the
moment, to like what you do day to day, to feel some comfort from where you have been or what you have survived and to be able to look forward with enthusiasm and optimism.

Quality: It helps, finally, to work on your form, your speed, your pace, your endurance and the techniques that will take you there. Get a coach or a mentor or companions if you can, or read and practice what you learn. Any such efforts will enhance your overall experience as you sharpen your technical skills. These measures may or may not make you stronger or faster, but if you are not too greedy or impatient, they will make your training more enjoyable, and less difficult and will bring you closer to that state of relaxed concentration where the best there is begins to happen.

By Bernard L. Gladieux, Jr.
President, The Pressure Positive Company