Sound Mind, Sound Body

here is a strong stillness in you. Your mind is composed. Your heart beats loud. Your body feels robust. Your feet are grounded. Your mind, your heart, your body work as one, a sense of spiritual connectedness to community, grounded in nature.

I feel this sense of calm bliss when I have a sound mind and body.

It’s a structural feeling that you can take on the world. Sometimes it happens on a run. Sometimes when you’re playing with a child. Maybe it’s when you’re coaching. Perhaps writing. Whatever your passion in life, you know when your mind, your heart and body are not only working in alignment, but when they are in a resilient, adaptable, sustainable place.

How do you find your sound mind? Your sound body?

How do you get the mind-body-spirit connection to connect?

Here’s what we know from the research. Fifteen minutes. That’s right, just fifteen minutes of physical activity can make you feel better. It may not fix all your problems, but it will be a step in the right direction.

Here’s what else we know—nature is healing. No, not looking at nature on your phone—although that can help. Stepping outside, leaving your screens behind, and connecting with like minded-people. Stopping to smell the roses. Looking up to get a dose of daylight.

What can you do to achieve a sound mind and body?

First, practice self-compassion and self-kindness when things don’t go to plan. Continue to practice emotional selfregulation—how you’ll show up when things get tough. Set yourself up for success playing to your strengths.

Then the controllables. Nourish yourself. Sleep soundly. Connect with your community. Ground yourself in nature, practicing some form of physical activity.

In the spirit of what we all love to do—continue to run. Find your mind-body-spirit connection to align, finding a sense of freedom as you step out the door and float away from the rest of the world: feeling your heart pump and your feet on the ground.

Anima Sana in Corpore Sano (ASICS) or “a sound mind in a sound body. Enjoy.”

10ayem Title

Climbing the Wall, by Forerunners forerunners.ca

How do I get over the dreaded Wall?

This is something that Cam Levins has mastered. Want to tame the Wall? It comes down to two things: Preparation and Pace Execution. I always tell our athletes: train to a level and then race to a plan. The Marathon—98% aerobic; 2% anaerobic—is an interesting beast. Anaerobic threshold is such that when trained, you can almost maintain that pace indefinitely. Or certainly for a number of hours, depending upon neuro-muscular development (ie. practicing for 2-4 hours of easy running). Keep it within the threshold and optimal performance will occur. Prepare to maximize AT and improvement will occur. To maximize anaerobic thresholds (AT) one must do two things: build aerobic fitness by building the general volume of aerobic running (over ideally a 4-5 month period and by practicing 5-10% of the time at or near the AT Threshold; especially in the period of six weeks before the big race goal.) But remember the majority (at least 90%) of running should be at aerobic speeds (30 seconds to a minute slower than marathon goal pace) to establish the biggest aerobic base possible. For our business to survive 37 years and more, it’s the same principles as getting over the Wall: preparation and pace execution. We built a solid business plan and then steered it, through execution and monitoring, much like training and racing marathons.”

Sasha Gollish is a registered professional engineering, chartered professional coach and PhD graduate. She works in the Mental Health and Physical Research Centre (MPARC) in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto. Part-time she works for Team Unbreakable, a free program focused on exercise and its reciprocal relationship to mental health. She is a 11-time Team Canada member. She has raced everything from the 1500 metres to marathon; a couple of notable honours include a bronze medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games in the 1500 metres despite losing her shoe and holding the Masters World Record for the Indoor Mile for the 40 to 44 year age bracket.

Shoes 101, by BlackToe Running

What advice would you give a runner when shopping for a new pair of shoes?

Your shoes are the only thing separating your feet from the pavement, so buying a new pair is a big deal! But how do you know whether you need a neutral or stability shoe? Or how much cushioning you need underfoot? Or when to add a carbon-fibre shoe into your rotation? (Pssst: you should already be using a carbon shoe for speed work and races!). Visit your local specialty running store (ahem, like BlackToe Running!) for a professional stride assessment before choosing a new pair of shoes. It’s important to get fitted properly for running shoes that will support blacktoerunning.com your body mechanics (such as a neutral stride vs. needing a stability shoe for overpronation), foot shape, and goals. We also suggest considering both your immediate and longer-term goals whenever you decide to buy a new pair of shoes. Whether you are hoping to get faster, be able to run longer distances, come back from an injury, or get through a season with “one shoe to rule them all,” there are different options available to meet your needs. There is a lot of information (and misinformation) out there, so leaning on a team of Shoe Experts who have your best interest at heart is always the perfect place to start your shoebuying journey!