LUCA TURRINI
  • HOME
  • RUNNING ADVENTURES
    • 2022 Noosa Ultra Trail
    • 2021 Blackall 100
    • 2021 Glasshouse Mountain
    • 2020 Australian Track Invitational 24h
    • 2019 Uganda 500km
    • 2018 Spartathlon
    • 2018 Canberra 24h
    • 2018 Narrabeen All Nighter
    • 2017 Birthday Run
    • World Record 24h
    • Centennial Park Ultra
    • 2016 Birthday Run
    • 2015 Birthday Run
    • Soft Sand Marathon
    • 24h on Treadmill #1
    • 2014 Birthday Run
    • Grand Canyon R2R2R
    • Caballo Blanco Ultra
    • 20 Marathons in Italy
  • SERVICES
    • CORPORATE SPEAKING
    • 1-1 COACHING
    • TRAINING PLANS
    • 5IN5
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT
  • MEDIA
  • CONTACT
  • HOME
  • RUNNING ADVENTURES
    • 2022 Noosa Ultra Trail
    • 2021 Blackall 100
    • 2021 Glasshouse Mountain
    • 2020 Australian Track Invitational 24h
    • 2019 Uganda 500km
    • 2018 Spartathlon
    • 2018 Canberra 24h
    • 2018 Narrabeen All Nighter
    • 2017 Birthday Run
    • World Record 24h
    • Centennial Park Ultra
    • 2016 Birthday Run
    • 2015 Birthday Run
    • Soft Sand Marathon
    • 24h on Treadmill #1
    • 2014 Birthday Run
    • Grand Canyon R2R2R
    • Caballo Blanco Ultra
    • 20 Marathons in Italy
  • SERVICES
    • CORPORATE SPEAKING
    • 1-1 COACHING
    • TRAINING PLANS
    • 5IN5
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT
  • MEDIA
  • CONTACT
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

3/7/2018

On changing physiology

PictureBonked
For the last 5 years, once a week, I have been attending a core strength class for runners from my friends at The Body Mechanic. It is a key workout of my week and when I miss the class, I do the exercises at home.
I know they help me physically.
And they make me FEEL strong.

The physical benefits of this routine are evident just by looking at my health insurance statement. In my first few years of running, I was troubled by constant injuries. Now I’m running longer and faster than ever before and I get away with general body maintenance & massage - touching wood.
Another result of the physical improvement shows in my form. My race finishing photos were the last thing you would want to put up on a wall on display. They showed my lack of coordination, my knees were falling in, shoulders dropping, head tilted on a side, totally out of whack. I looked in pain, even when I wasn’t. I am still very far from having a composed style, but at least, I don’t ask the race directors to remove my photos from their site anymore!

I am diverging from the topic… I came to realise that the second benefit of “feeling strong” is the main reason which has kept me so committed over the years. I associate the exercises, stretches and movements, to a feeling of building strength and having strength. Just by re-enacting these movements, I can almost instantaneously enter that mental state.

In other words, by changing my physiology I trigger a change in my state of mind.

This has translated in different habits and routines, I incorporate in my warm-up and at the start of a new day.
I do a few push-ups in the shower, stretch my back, 30 seconds of lunges and groin stretch. Before a race, I do step ups and squat at the start line. While running, I often do few butt kicks, extend my arms above my head, do some chest rotations. When I stop at checkpoints I may do a "Richard Simmons" for a few seconds and maintain a squat. 

These movements last only few moments and don’t make any physical difference.

But the mental uplift is real. And to me, it’s all that matters. 

There is an endless list of changes in physical states which I found create positive feelings. Feelings of energy, strength, readiness and self-belief. I now invoke these changes on purpose, when I need to prime myself for the day, for a hard training session, for a race or I need a pick-up. 
  • I correct my posture and run tall - to feel fast and in control,
  • I focus my eye-gaze to a distant point - to feel on a mission,
  • I change my breathing rate and depth - to feel ready for battle,
  • I drop my shoulders - to feel relax,
  • I twist my tongue - for full concentration,
  • I smile and relax my forehead - to feel capable of anything,
  • I extend my arms to a V-shape - to feel victorious
  • I exaggerate my arm swing - to feel extra fast.

The opposite is also true. More powerful and scary! 
​

Just try to go out one morning and run looking 50 centimetres ahead, hunched and with a sad face. It will ruin your run and probably your day! 
Maybe, like most, this is exactly how you run when you bonk. No amount of caffeine and pep-talks will get you out of that near-death feeling, if not coupled and supported with a change of physical state. 

My point being that it is a self perpetuating circle. By changing our physical state, we influence our mind state. Which in turn will affect our physical state.
 
The body-mind connection is undeniably real and we are in control of most settings. 
When all the dials are tuned to the best, we have a perfect run.

How do you put yourself in the best possibly physical state? 

New York Ebony link
28/11/2022 15:14:01

Great post, thanks for sharing it.


Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All 5in5 Dailyblog Mental Strength Meraki Merakiproject Mindset Personal Spartathlon Sydney Marathon Tasmania Trail Training Ultra Ultrarunning


    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017


    I will be sharing here a bit of my journey and it's not all about running!
    My journey is about following passions, changing paths and a belief that there is a great potential out there and within me to explore.

    Cheers
    Luca ​​

    RSS Feed

KEEN FOR A RUN AND A CHAT? 

Follow me on Strava
PO BOX 110 Tewantin QLD 4565 AUSTRALIA - ultraturrini@gmail.com