When I first started training for my first IRONMAN Triathlon with its 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run, the distances seemed overwhelming. One of the best pieces of advice that I ever received was to do a continuous check-in with my body and my surroundings during the race: How is my pace—do I need to slow down or speed up? Do I need to drink or eat? What am I thinking about? Do I pass the athlete ahead of me? Am I hold tension in my shoulders? If so, relax. Do I need to stand up on my bike to stretch my back? Etc.
What I realized is that the continuous check-in (an exercise in awareness) helped me through the race by keeping me focused on the race. Rather than fret about the overwhelming distances I would have to swim, bike, and run, I could simply focus on the sensations in my body and notice what was going on around me. In other words, the continuous check-in kept me in the present moment, and helped me get through the race without being overwhelmed.
Even if you’re not racing an IRONMAN, you can use the same concept of a check-in to increase awareness of the present moment in whatever you’re doing. One version of this I like to practice while I’m walking is to progressively move through each of the five senses and ask myself questions like:
- Sight: What do I see? What shapes are around me? What colors do I notice?
- Sound: What sounds do I notice? Being present. Listening.
- Touch: What do my feet feel as they touch the ground?
- Smell: What smells do I notice? Are they pleasant or unpleasant?
- Taste: What can I taste in my mouth?
Kindly,
David