I found flow! Not the
obnoxiously chipper Flo of the Progressive Insurance commercials, but the
hyper-focused state that drives athletes to their best, and ordinary people to extraordinary levels. I thought that I’d
been there before, but this was markedly different. In past runs and races, particularly on
technical downhills, I’ve felt the laser focus and smooth breathing. But today I drew back further from all of that,
felt removed from myself (think third-person video game view), saw a brightened landscape and
enhanced color, noticed my gaze moving further down the path in front of me,
and overall just felt euphoric - all
while flying along on a technical trail that should have required my constant attention to each step. Even as I write this down, it
sounds pretty out there or sensational, and I know I’ll risk over-simplifying
or pigeonholing it, but it was worth sharing.
I was at a familiar trail with an employee and friend of mine. He’s a mountain biker, and I’ve always
wondered how I would pace along with him as a trail runner; I figured he’d fly
ahead on the straightaways and downhills, while I’d catch him on the uphills
and more technical sections. I was
wrong, mainly because I underestimated how good of a mountain biker he is
(kudos to you Will). Flying at a 7
minute pace on trails is more-or-less an endurance sprint, and I was cashed
after 2 miles, also having crashed to the ground for the first time in at least
two years. We split ways so he could do
a bit more distance, in hopes that we’d meet up at roughly the same time at the
cars. I cut my pace, and not a minute
later nearly ran into a deer, coming within a few feet. With my heart racing I brought the pace back
up, shortened and quickened my steps, and felt light. My focus drew out, down the trail, and the
light and colors in the woods sharpened.
Breathing was easy, and I felt amazingly calm, almost euphoric. It was unreal and completely out-of-body,
while being 100% present and in the moment.
A few minutes later I turned a sharp
corner into a series of small hills and it faded away quietly. How’d I get there? Adrenaline
from mild fall and deer + clean body / system (no alcohol, and extremely
healthy eating last 10 days) + pushing pace heavily and then backing away =
Flow? I know it’s too easy to simplify
it like that, but I keep trying; it feels like I got a brief taste of the best dish of my life
and now I can’t figure out how it was made!
Guess I’ll just keep running!
P.S. For an exciting, scientific look into the state of flow, check out Steven Kotler's The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance. Game changer.
