The Weekly Wind Down: Run, Reflect, Radiate
Sharing the narratives that have stopped me in my tracks, the inspiration that keeps me going, and the nuggets of wisdom gleaned along the way.
Last week, I built out another chapter in my Mental Skills Training (MST) curriculum that was focused on attention, concentration, and focus. And, because the Universe is the Universe, I also happened to stumble upon a podcast episode with Brad Stuhlberg and Steve Magness talking about the same thing. Before it was said out loud, it reminded me of the book 4,000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. There’s a whole chapter within this book that is focused on attention. And in that chapter he talks about a distinction between two types of attention: Top-down and Bottom-up.
I was shocked by the timing of this. And the way the Universe sort of just…drops things in front of you sometimes. But this is a quick breakdown of what I learned and a mash-up of what I listened to.
Bottom-Up:
Bottom-Up attention is involuntary. It’s the type of attention that is driven by external stimuli - It’s what many of our devices do, with our countless notifications throughout the day - we don’t have control over it. But, we do notice it.
This isn’t inherently bad. According to Burkeman, Bottom-Up attention also leads us to beautiful sunsets, a piece of artwork, or catching the eye of a dog you JUST know you have to adopt RIGHT NOW. These are all ways in which Bottom-Up attention gets activated.
However, it’s also something we are over-indexing on in the modern world and it’s often at the expense of Top-Down attention.
Top-Down:
This is sustained, controlled, focused. This happens when you’re directing your focus and concentration on one thing at a time. Top-Down attention is voluntary. Which means it requires practice. Because if we don’t practice this skill, then we’re at risk for losing the ability to what we pay attention to. If we can’t direct our attention to what we’re doing, then we’re missing out on our lives as they’re unfolding.
Again, focus is a skill. And just like any skill, it can be trained. But how?
Meditation. Focusing your awareness on your breath coming in/going out. And if you’re human, you will get distracted. Quickly. The goal of this is to come back to your breath. This is a literal way of training your concentration or your ability to exercise your Top-Down attention.
Routine: Establishing routines can help athletes set a mental 'zone'. This might include specific warm-up exercises, listening to particular music, or a series of stretches. Routines signal to the brain that it's time to focus and perform, helping us transition into a concentrated state necessary for training.
Visualization: This is a powerful tool for athletes. It involves mentally rehearsing a race or event, focusing on specific details like the course, your fueling strategy, and even visualizing overcoming difficult parts of the race. This mental rehearsal can help improve focus by creating a familiar mental landscape during actual performance, which, research says, help reduce anxiety and improve concentration.
My challenge for you all this week, is to notice what kind of attention you’re using. Is it Top-Down? Or Bottom-Up? And, if it is Bottom-Up, what can you do to flip it?
What I’m Buying All of My Runner Friends:
Brendan Leonard, AKA Semi-Rad’s new book, is live. Learn about it here. Order it here.
Who (and What) I’m Watching:
“Zegama is Zegama,” and it’s coming in hottttt. FreeTrail breaks down the who’s who of the who’s that.
Oh, and my favorite track meet of all time is happening — The Prefontaine Classic.
Why I’m Getting the Popcorn Ready:
Anti-doping efforts in ultra running are FINALLY here.
…Speaking of Popcorn:
The next chapter in the Spring Energy Awesome Sauce fiasco. And the full translation of the video from the German lab test results. TL;DR They’re efffffffed.
What Made Me Stop and Think:
This is one of the most thoughtful discussions I’ve seen in regard to the “Man or Bear” debate so far. It’s long, but it’s 100% worth your time. My ask? After you finish reading it, sit with it. Lean into the discomfort. Start asking questions. Practice compassion. And don’t be one of “those” men.
I mentioned the Universe in the first bit above. And I just want to take a second. Because some things are too strong and too strange to be coincidences. Early this week, I was stopped at a red light in Tucson when I noticed the back driver-side door of the car two spots ahead of me opened. There was an arm. A hand. A puppy. Being held by the scruff of its neck. The puppy was dropped. The arm retracted. The car drove off.
TL;DR We have a new puppy. He’s five months old. His name is Oliver. Like Oliver Twist, who was also an orphaned street kid. And he’s really freaking cute. The first photo was taken about an hour after I scooped his shaking body out of oncoming traffic, had a vet check him for all the things except a microchip, and after I locked eyes with a woman and recognized myself and my sadness and loss of faith inside them.
She’d brought her 14-year-old soul dog, who was dying of Lymphoma, into the vet—this vet. At this exact time—to say goodbye. And while I felt a lump of a sob in the back of my throat, I did not cry. I held her gaze. I held her hand. And then, I heard it. A howl.
Her son had gone to their car to get the dog and before I turned to look, I already knew. This dog, Blue, looked a lot like Jazz. And when I looked over at the scrawny, but fluffy dog the Universe had put in front of me at the intersection a few moments before this, I thought of River. I thought of the beach in Oregon where I spread their ashes together this time last year. I thought of the old dog limping across the sand by my hotel and the small, lively puppy bouncing alongside him, trying to play. I thought of my friend Grae telling me, “Your ghosts have finally become your angels,” when I recounted that moment for her on the phone last year.
And then, I went back to the car, and I held this sweet little abandoned dog in my arms, and I sobbed.
After 30 minutes, I looked at the clouds, took a deep breath, and said, “ok."
Ok, Jazz. Ok, River.
We got this.
Then I drove to PetSmart, bought shampoo and conditioner, flea treatment, treats, a bag of food, a few toys, a new bed, a leash, and a collar. And then, I brought him home.
Today, after a week of chaos, he’s been groomed and pampered and played with and…loved. With everything we’ve got.
Because some things are just too strange and too strong to only be coincidences.
Whatever and whomever you’re loving on and leaning into this week, I’m wishing you more of it.
-Kristen