THREADS OF PRACTICE

 

Threads of Practice for runners, walkers and yoga folks

These are not really “tips.” 

They are observations gathered over years of movement training, yoga, running, walking, strength work, stillness, injury, experimentation and paying attention. They also mirror, as B K S Iyengar (Light on Yoga) states, eastern minds and western thoughts. Studying the Sutra's, the Gita and other yoga texts combined with anatomical readings and the usual  podcast chats with a good nod to some very good reading. There is a strong point though and there is one word, one word that trumps it all, and that is 'observation', observe yourself, listen carefully to you. Do not take anyone's word for it, practice. Practice will tell you, practice speaks from the inside not from the outside. Over time your experience becomes your teacher. There are a lot of guru's around, but, you are also a guru. In fact everyone is a guru. You do not need to travel to some spiritual place, hang out with 'cool dudes', you just need to stop, pay attention and listen to that still small voice that has always been present.  These thoughts and observations have come to me over a good while, maybe 50 years, maybe a few years. 

Some arrived quietly while running trails by the sea.
Some through yoga and breath.
Some through fatigue, mistakes and overreaching.

Some through listening and observing to the thousands of folks I have coached over the years. Those stories focused on journey's, awareness, practice and training. What worked and what did not work. 
Some through simply getting older and learning to listen more carefully.

Over time I realised that movement is not separate from life.

How we run, walk, breathe, recover, rest, pay attention, force, soften, compete, compare, observe and relate — all of it threads together.

These small threads are therefore less about performance and more about relationship.

Relationship with the body.
Relationship with attention.
Relationship with effort.
Relationship with nature, breath, stillness and awareness.

Some may seem simple.
Walk more.
Feel the wind.
Relax the jaw.
Run without the watch sometimes.
Strengthen the feet.

But often the simplest practices are the ones we overlook.

Yoga, for me, was never something confined to the mat. Practice slowly began appearing everywhere — in walking, in running, in recovery, in silence, in how I responded to difficulty, and in how I learned to listen inward rather than constantly outward.

So these are not instructions.
Not commandments.
Not hacks.

Just threads of practice.

Take what is useful.
Leave what is not.
Experiment gently.
Observe carefully.

The body is always listening to what we repeatedly ask of it. My fundamental stress and point is  practice more of what gives you peace. 

1.1 setting the intention creates the direction of energy and action 

This is primal of course, bad things could kill us, we needed to learn quickly; fire burns, this animal kills, etc, Iccha in sanskrit is the intention, desire or will, tapas is the fire of discipline, then we move Karma, how we do, move, speak, walk, run then to Karma-phala, results of action. Intention setting is important, what was important for me years ago is not important anymore. Times are immaterial, 'value what we measure or measure what we value'  is a killer quote. What is good, why are you doing what you are doing, spend some time listing these qualities and maybe construct a sentence that distils the essence of your reason, your drive, your will, your actions. 

You are what your deep driving desire is, as your desire is, so is your intention. As your intention is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is so is your character. As your character is, so is your destiny. 

1.2 lengthen your spine, your energy connects here

 A neutral spine is fundamental, 'to relax does not mean to collapse but let of stress and tension' Vanda Scaravelli, the spine is central to the organisation of the balancing body, endurance running is a balancing activity, head balanced, 'floaty' ribs and pelvis in line (you need a class for this, words don't cut it I am afraid). Glute strength allows the pelvis to be supported, when you run your glutes fire up and they support your balancing leg. Poise is a better word than posture, poise is responsive, poised and ready, posture feels a bit static and fixed.

Exhale feel the lift through the crown of the head, inhale feel the inner connection to the centre (just below your naval). There is a lot here,  this is body sensing, body awareness, feeling, responding not reacting. I could go on:)By doing this you can then let go and relax down through your entire body, but this does not mean relax, really do body scan this relaxed feeling. You are trying to run as tension free as possible (quote from Erich Schiffman), Feel the face soften , jaw relaxed, shoulders drop, belly soften, easy breathing, let of hips and relax lower legs. These areas of tension are real but you can focus and become practised in the art of 'tension free running'

1.3 focus, a steady mind is a practised mind

this works but difficult to keep going which is interesting, 1 hour of continual focus is a lot but the idea of moving in this manner does create a subtle shift in energy, so worth giving it a go for sure.

Pick a point in the mid-distance—something just far enough ahead—and run towards it.

Don’t just look at it.
Feel a quiet pull towards it.
Almost as if you’re falling gently forward into the run.

When you reach it, choose another point. Then another.
This creates a rolling sense of intention—always moving forward, never collapsing inward.

Your gaze lifts.
Your posture follows.

Your body organises itself around that forward movement.

It’s simple, but it changes everything.

Instead of thinking about the whole run, break it into segments.
Run to the next tree, the next corner, the next marker.

Elite cyclists in the Tour de France don’t hold the entire stage in their mind—they ride from point to point, moment to moment.

You can do the same.

Run the point in front of you.
Then the next.

1.4 lines of energy 

You might begin to note these little threads are  connecting, a key sutra in yoga is 'sthira sukham asanam' your yoga practice needs to have the two qualities of openness and lightness and yet stable without tension. There is a also a sense of intention and direction to your movement. I see running as just that, entirely natural, and as a practice that is an extension of any physical movement practice.

Feel a long bungee cord connected to your sternum, gently drawing you up and forward, like being carried by a ski lift or a kite caught in a steady breeze. Keep the chin level and soften the jaw.

Connect with that subtle pull up and along. It links closely to — moving towards a point rather than pushing towards it.

When the centre lifts, the rest of the body can relax without collapsing. The shoulders soften, the breath settles, and the legs are freed to swing more naturally. The lower legs begin to feel lighter, almost floating beneath you rather than driving into the ground.

1.5 No Garmin, feel the movement

Once a week, run without looking at your Garmin or watch.

Notice how many times you want to look.

There is no issue with tracking performance, training for races, or using data intelligently. Modern tools are incredible. Pace, heart rate, recovery, cadence, load — all useful information.

But sometimes we lose the ability to feel the run itself.

One thing I stress is learning your pace from the inside out. Internalise it. Learn the rhythm of easy effort, steady movement, and tempo through breath, posture, and feel.

If I run very easily, I roughly cover around 6.5 miles per hour. A little more tempo and that changes naturally. On flatter terrain with some trail mixed in, I know roughly what a comfortable two-hour effort feels like in the body.

Not because I constantly check the watch.

Because over years, the body learns.

Breath tells you.
Posture tells you.
Tension tells you.
Nature tells you.

You begin to sense pace rather than chase it.

Tracking has value. Science matters. Data matters. But awareness matters too.

Always ask:

Why am I doing this run?

Recovery?
Stillness?
Fitness?
Performance?
Headspace?
Habit?
Connection?
Joy?

The purpose changes the practice.

Sometimes the best thing a runner can do is remove the constant feedback and rediscover rhythm without interruption.

Don’t just measure the run.

Feel the run.

1.6:- Become aware of your breath.

(Yes… we are entering the breathing zone.)

This is a hugely connected area and it is easy to disappear into endless techniques and theories, but the bottom line is simple: a short, ragged breath is neither efficient nor calming. Physiologically it places the body under stress and emotionally it often links to the fight-or-flight response. You are not running in a relaxed, efficient, or balanced way.

The aim is not complicated breathing. The breath should feel light, easy, quiet, and natural.

There are many sources exploring this area — Oxygen Advantage, the Maffetone Method, James Nestor’s Breath, and of course the Eastern practices of Prāṇāyāma. All point, in different ways, towards awareness, efficiency, and calmness.

Practice breathing everywhere :).
While walking, working, sitting, talking, resting, and especially during easy runs.

One run each week, make the breath the sole focus. Slow down enough to observe it. Notice when it becomes forced, shallow, or noisy. Over time you may notice the calmness and rhythm of that run begin to thread into your other runs, your walks, your conversations, and even the state of your mind.

I have met many people who breathe perfectly well in everyday life, but the very moment they begin to run — and I mean the very moment — the breath becomes short and ragged. Often this is simply a deeply learned habit and pattern. It can take time and patience to unwind, but doing so can completely change the feeling of running.

One yoga specific focus, the exhale is longer than the inhale, the pause after the exhale is longer than the pause after the inhale (not all the time), this sets the scene for the 'inner connection' the deep link to the heart centre. Breathing in yoga is not all about physiological benefits but also about the mind/body connection and returning to our inner most Self. (Atman) 

Some overview thoughts for you 

• The breath is often the bridge between effort and stillness.
• In yoga, breath reflects the state of the mind;  a disturbed breath often mirrors disturbed attention.
• Runners frequently try to “push fitness” through tension, when efficiency actually arrives through relaxation and rhythm.

1.7 Get into the Rhythm of the movement 

The Kenyans have a great expression:
“Run with your hips and elbows.”

Try running without your arms — either above your head or locked stiff by your side, 
Very awkward. Very difficult. It feels uncoordinated, it is! 

The arms are not separate from the run.
They help organise the whole movement pattern.
Hips, spine, shoulders, elbows, breath, stride — all moving together in rhythm.

Take your focus to the points of the elbows.
Arms relaxed at around 90 degrees (ish).
Then simply feel the rhythm:

tap tap
tap tap
tap tap

Not forced.
Not mechanical.
Just a gentle, repeating pulse.

The beautiful thing about rhythm is that it quietens noise.
When attention settles into rhythm, the mind has less space to wander into tension, worry, distraction, or overthinking.
The body begins to organise itself naturally.

This is where running starts to become more than effort.
You are no longer dragging the body forward through willpower alone.
You begin moving with the movement itself.

In yoga there is an interesting connection here between Dhāraṇā (focused concentration) and Dhyāna (meditative flow).

First, there is conscious placement of attention:
the elbows, the rhythm, the breath, the stride.
This is Dhāraṇā — choosing a point of focus.

Then, if the focus becomes steady and uninterrupted, something softer appears.
The rhythm almost runs itself.
Attention flows without strain.
This begins to resemble Dhyāna — a meditative continuity of awareness.

So rhythm is not “just rhythm.”
It is coordination.
Efficiency.
Breath.
Relaxation.
Focus.
Meditation in motion.

The runner who finds rhythm often finds ease.
And ease, paradoxically, often leads to better movement, better breathing, and better running.

1.8 connect with the ground, float

Don’t think time ON the ground, think timing OFF the ground.

We can become too obsessed with striking the ground.
For me, there is no “strike.” Good runners are quiet. You almost can’t hear them.

I hear runners a lot — the heavy slapping on the ground, the pounding, the collapse into each step. Often this creates the feeling that we need bigger and bigger cushioned shoes because the body is absorbing impact inefficiently.

Instead, think lightness.
Quick contact.
Balanced placement.

Place the foot underneath the hips, feel the balance point, then lift away again. The movement is cyclical, elastic, almost like a wheel turning beneath you.

It is less of a reaching forward action and more of a swing back underneath the body. When this begins to happen naturally, the glutes and hip flexors wake up, posture improves, and running starts to feel smoother and quieter.

Running drills, strength work, balance, and mobility all help develop this feeling. Off-road terrain helps too. Trails, grass, mud, uneven ground — they teach awareness. The whole body has to participate. Balance becomes alive and reactive.

The body learns where it is in space.

I never really liked the phrase foot strike.
It sounds aggressive.
For me it is more about placement, balance, rhythm, and release.

Almost like the ground is hot,
Touch… and go.

1.9 quality is better than quantity

If you are training for a distance never attempted before, be really miserly with the extra distance each week. As Danny Dreyer said, if you finish your long run and think, “God, that was awful,” keep the distance the same for another week… or even step back a little. If you finish feeling strong, light, and with energy still left in the tank, then perhaps it is time to gently upgrade — and even then, only by the usual 10% or so.

Never worry about pegging things back. Training plans are useful, but we are subtle animals, not machines. The body whispers long before it screams. Patience matters. Adaptation takes time. Fitness grows in recovery as much as effort.

There is also something deeply yogic here. Yoga rarely forces; it refines. The process is less about conquering distance and more about learning relationship — relationship with effort, breath, fatigue, ego, and awareness. Too much too soon usually comes from grasping, from wanting to arrive before the body is ready.

Steady progression develops trust. You begin to sense the difference between healthy challenge and depletion. That awareness is part of practice. In many ways, the real skill is not pushing harder, but knowing when to hold steady.

“Patience, Shifu.” 

1.10 we are made of water, hydrate 

I once asked a dancer about preparation before a performance. They said simply, “hydrate.”

Not during.
Before.

That stayed with me.

If I’m going long — and by long I mean 2 to 2.5 hours, not ultra or marathon training — I hydrate properly the evening before, then again around 90 minutes before running. Usually a litre of matcha tea (“mission tea” ). By the time I head out I feel properly “sponged up.”

Unless it’s extremely hot, I often carry nothing at all. No gels, no bottles, nothing. Running light changes the whole feeling of the run.

As fitness improves, something interesting happens:
easy running becomes more efficient.

At genuinely easy aerobic effort the body becomes very good at using fat as fuel. The by-products are mainly carbon dioxide and water — much of which simply leaves through the breath. You begin wasting less energy, less fluid, and less movement.

This is why easy running matters so much.

There is also a difference between:
running because you are under-fuelled
and
running because your body has adapted.

For most easy runs under 2 hours, good preparation beforehand is often enough.

Beyond that? Different conversation entirely, 
Longer duration, heat, intensity, carbs, electrolytes, fluids — all become more important.

But for everyday running this is a nice reminder:
don’t just think about drinking during the run.
Think about preparing the body before the run.

Basic?
Yes.

But important.

1.11 off road is nature

Once a week, find a nature trail and make it yours. Learn its rhythms. Love it. Notice everything about it — the changing seasons, the wildlife, the plants, the texture of the ground beneath your feet, even the subtle changes in your stride and posture as the terrain shifts.

Maybe add a few jumps for fun. Maybe there are inclines, dunes, ramps, roots, rocks or viewing points. Stop occasionally. Look around. Walk if you need to. There is no rush.

This change in terrain and texture is incredibly good for the joints, feet and nervous system. The body seems to wake up differently on natural ground. Small stabilising muscles switch on, awareness sharpens and the mind becomes more attentive.

The main reason I run on sand and dunes is joint health, not intensity or effort. I love the sea views, the wildlife and the feeling of moving through a living landscape. Interestingly, I rarely see runners leave the main path and head over the dunes 

Running off road changes the relationship we have with movement. We stop trying to dominate the ground and instead begin responding to it. There is a conversation happening between body, breath and environment.

In many ways, this is yoga too — attention, awareness, adaptation and connection with nature. The trail becomes less about performance and more about relationship.

1.12 practice mind is Zen mind, beginner’s mind, Shoshin.

Every day you go out, it is a brand new experience, not the same old same old. Nothing remains the same.

The weather shifts.
The body shifts.
The breath shifts.
The mind shifts.
Even the trail beneath your feet slowly changes.

“No one steps into the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and they are not the same person.”

The problem is not repetition. The problem is thinking we already know.

The experienced runner who believes they have “seen it all” can easily stop noticing. Stop listening. Stop learning. But beginner’s mind stays open, curious, soft, attentive.

A simple easy run can suddenly become deeply interesting again. Rhythm feels different. Breath feels different. Light through the trees catches your attention. A small adjustment in posture changes everything.

This is why practice stays alive.

In yoga, we could say this is awareness free from clutter and projection. Meeting the moment as it actually is, not as memory says it should be.

Some days the run flows effortlessly. Some days it does not. Both are part of practice. Both teach.

A practice mind is a steady mind

tips all in one place

Over my time as a chi running coach (ex), yoga teacher, sports teacher (circa 1989) and movement nerd I have visited/ spoke/coached to a lot of folks (varied levels and experiences from UK ultra runners to recreational) about running and movement, here are some of my tips (no particular order) based on these conversations/observations and coaching experience over a few years. Oh one thing 'common things occur commonly' :) You can look elsewhere of course, but the bottom line if it feels good keep it. Also feel it don't overthink it. You should aim to enjoy the movement of running as a movement, not just as an exercise that does you 'good', we are hardwired to run/walk/balance and move, aim for an integrated approach to your movement practices.  

tip 1:- wash your mind in positive thoughts, Mantra means to protect the mind, we could spend a whole evening around a camp fire talking about mantra's and sport/yoga etc, a very good way to consider how the mind treats positive versus negative is lifted from a book called Buddha Brain by Rick Hanson (buy it is a well structured informative read), bottom line positive thoughts slip away like Teflon while negative thoughts and experiences hang around like Velcro. The ancient mind needed to keep bad experiences close to hand, useful learning tool but this primal mind also attaches itself to smaller less important negative experiences and amplifies them to the point where they can overcome our mind. Positive Mantra's drill in the plough and furrow of positive mindset but, just like the plough you need to work at tilling the mind in a positive way. There are many Mantra's they do work, been used for thousands of years in Yoga and other eastern practices.

tip 2:- pick a point in the mid distance as you are running, feel yourself being pulled towards it, feel a strong attraction 'let go and fall towards it'. We can internalise and have 'those conversations' in our heads that can really deflate our time outside. Using distractions or foci more precisely is a very eastern way to keep the mind from drifting away. You can also refine that pull; pull from the heart centre, or the naval and keep the eyes steady and strong fixed to the object. Now, of course uneven ground does not help but there have been times when even for a few minutes up in the fells this focus calms the mind and senses. It is a good one for sure.

tip 3:- lengthen that spine, feel the energy lifting through the crown of the head keep your chin level. Our relationship with our upper body and lower body is through the spine. You see runners and walkers bending at the waist, this creates a heavy foot strike, energy up, lifts the entire body. Big point but this bipedal position that we evolved is a very subtle and sensitive position in relation to gravity of course. Our lives are spent hunched, therefore practice 'energy up' walking. standing, sitting and of course, running.

tip 4:- feel a long bunge cord connected to your sternum pulling up diagonally into the clouds :) just like a ski lift, Chin level, feel that pull up and along. This connects well to tip 2. The key point is that this line gives you the athletic lean position, falling forward but not compromising with the overall structure of your body. It is also a strong position, I watch runners after I have coached them and holding this position does take 'core strength'. You will feel like you are collapsing and tip 3 takes over!

tip 5:) the biggie, run without looking at your Garmin/watch for one run a week. I am not against data, but the externalisation of your movement, the rationalisation and value we give to measures can mean we lose the feel and sense of inner value to ask why we do what we do. The best quote I have come across 'do you value what you measure or measure what you value'. Yes, mileage matters, speed can matter, but I have met good runners and I do mean quick (sub 17 min 5K) who are not happy or more precisely not content with their running. They are turning up to club sessions, doing it and then moving in. Mojo has been lost. Hence 1 run a week, run with a pal, dog, nature trail, take pictures, find a new route, you get the idea! Be present in the moment, sense and enjoy the movement that running can bring.

tip 6, become aware of your breath, ( i know we are entering the breathing zone) this is a hugely entangled and connected area but the bottom line is a short and ragged breath is physiologically not good nor efficient and also links emotionally to the flight/fright response. You are not running in a relaxed and efficient way. Sources such as 'Oxygen advantage' and 'Breath'/Maffetone method compare to the eastern sources such as a Pranayama practice. You can practice your breathing everywhere:). I would suggest find a class to help here but you can visit Youtube and away you go. Once you get your breath under control, aim for a smooth easy breath, when running real easy. For the Yoga students reading this similar to a gentle asana practice, keep the breath under control, but it takes time and too much effort in trying to control your breath can have a negative impact.

An observation worth sharing is that I have met folks who breathe completely fine away from running but as soon as they begin run, I do mean as soon as, the breath becomes ragged and short. That is a learnt behaviour and a very strong habit to break for sure.

tip 7:- rhythm the Kenyans have a great expression 'run with your hips and elbows' try running without using your arms either above your head or locked by your side....urrgh very tricky and difficult. Take your focus to the points of your elbows and tap tap, (arms at around 90 degrees (ish) ) rhythm, tap tap and elbow points:)

tip 8:- hot ground, don't think time ON the ground think timing OFF the ground. We can be too obsessed with striking the ground, you can't hear good runners:)

tip 9:- quality time on feet, if you are training for a distance never attempted before, be really miserly with the extra distance/week. Danny Dreyer said 'if you finish your long run for the week and you feel 'god that was awful, keep that distance or go back a little' if you finish and say 'I feel good, lots of energy left' time to upgrade but only the usual advice of 10% extra. never be worried about pegging back, following plans is good but we are subtle animals! take your time, patience shifu!

tip 10:- basic but..... I once asked a dancer about preparation before a show, they said 'hydrate' the day before and also an hour or so before they went out on stage. If I go long and I mean 2 hours or 2hours 30minute so not ultra training/marathon at all I hydrate the evening before, then 1 litre of macha tea (mission tea) about 90 minutes before so I am pretty much 'sponged up', unless it is super hot (and I run right next to the sea with toilets and drinking fountains) I won't take anything with me, zero, big difference for sure, basic yes but....important!

tip 11:- go off road, once a week, find a nature trail, own it:) love it, notice everything about it, the change in seasons, wildlife, plants, the nature of the trail, the small changes in your stride. Maybe add some jumps for fun, it might have some inclines/ramps viewing points but this change in terrain and texture of ground is so good for our joints. Stop, enjoy the view, walk if you have to! The main reason I run on sand/dunes is because of joint health NOT because of 'intensity or effort'. I love the wildlife and sea views so close to the main path but I have yet to see a runner running over the dunes!

tip 12:- practice mind is zen mind is beginners mind is shoshin, every day you go out, it is a brand new experience, not the same old same old, nothing remains the same, 'no one steps into the same

river twice, for it is not the same river, and they are not the same person'. Ask a musician/artists/professional creative/mathematician etc. If you approached a task with an attitude of 'same old same old' the creative, exploratory nature would never happen. Artists and musicians in particular play the same piece of music over and over again BUT the sense of beginner's mind means the practice is always approached in a fresh and energetic way. You will always having something to learn. Tip 12 is mighty big:)

tip 13!! another yes, 'right size a 'bad run' ' you ran, well done... Buddhists (I am not a buddhist) talk about the two arrows of suffering the first is the act, something bad happens, and bad things happen, however the second is our response to the bad thing. You can definitely practice your mind set with your running, bad run, give yourself a pat on the back, well done you went out, no need to beat yourself up anymore, no-one was watching anyway:) all the best folks, two tips today

 tip 14:-REST he says in bold and capitals:) these tips are in no order, but a great quote from a top end runner who trained with the Kenyans 'if there was a gold medal for sleeping, the Kenyans would win' not phone rest, chat rest, active recovery but rest, and this links to the quality of sleep as well another big change in my life. All the best folks..

tip 15:- I love this tip :- Do not compare yourself unfavourably to other runners. You are what you are and where you are. You may improve or you may not, just enjoy what you and your body can do in the moment. Treat yourself kindly.

tip 16:- one from Elizabeth Calton Chalmers I love this tip :- Do not compare yourself unfavourably to other runners. You are what you are and where you are. You may improve or you may not, just enjoy what you and your body can do in the moment. Treat yourself kindly. Be compassionate with yourself!

tip 17:- a more refined approach to trails in nature. Note the sound, the soundscape as you run through nature. You can only do this if you are really attentive on it, not the watch or outcome. Where I live thinking through my local route I encounter hedgerow birds, water flowing, wind through the leaves, the different sounds paths make. The sea and waves and seabirds to the place I finish where there is a soft flowing outflow of seawater at low tide. Soundscape:) listen attentively.

tip 18:- airscape:- we swim in air, and move in air, I love my local trail, quiet calm places, next to the stream, the change in air as I run towards the sea. Someties, very rarely though, you detect different air masses changing, a subtle shift in the wind direction, a storm is coming:). The tide turns, the air changes, wind moves again. I try not to fight running into the wind, lean gently against it, keep the rhythm of my feet going and know I will be changing direction sometime! Feel the air around you!

tip 19:- body scan, when running and walking, some of you practice yoga and quite often at the end of practice there is the body scan/Yoga Nidra, you can take that with you in your running/walking. Here are a few key scanning areas:) relax and soften your face and jaw. Shoulders dropped, relax lower legs, easy breathing, doing this while running real easy and I do mean real easy!!

tip 20:- Avoid doing a hard session the day after a long drive. Every time I try it feels awful. Go for a walk, easy yoga only. I mean I’ve been on holiday and walked 6 miles a day. On return felt great !! But driving one day. Oh no no. All the best

tip:-21 downloaded your training plan, it says 'do this' you step outside and begin, 10 minutes later it just feels 'not right', change, stop do something that feels right, walk, slow down, strength, something OR something I have done is simply stop and walk and/or rest, you are not going to lose anything by changing or stopping. I noted a while ago Paula Radcliffe said the same thing, 'if after 10 minutes it feels wrong, change/stop' listen to yourself more than a training plan. I know Garmins have HRV and sleep monitors but we are refined enough to know as well.

tip 22:- one run a week, take your garmin off your wrist or silent it, and run your regular route without looking at your watch at all:). Run purely by feel, slow down when you think 'slow down', speed up when you feel 'speed up', (fartlek if you like), feel what it feels like to move inwards away from external distractions.

For the yogi's here Pratyahara BUT there are 4 different versions I read! Maybe with this type of run we hit all 4 

indriya-pratyahara—control of the senses; karma-pratyahara—control of action; prana-pratyahara—control of prana; and mano-pratyahara—withdrawal of mind from the senses.

tip 23:- walk around everywhere you can in your bare feet, climb the stairs, wash the floors, do the gardening, even some gentle barefoot walking and running somewhere safe. I don't do barefoot running on concrete etc where I live there is glass and small shards are incredibly painful if under the skin. There is a quote 'grow from the feet up' and also feet die first. I have been observing my legs for a few years now, when I ramped up barefoot interval training on my local beach I noticed the muscles and shape of the legs began to change. Mysterious I thought I was not changing anything BUT my body was:) elastic return and fascia connection have all been amplified the system of movement (kinetic chain) can be nulled, dampened by shoes I am afraid, yes it is still there but not in the refined way. Those Kenyan lean legs are a result of many factors but one of the main ones is walking to school in their bare-feet for years:)

OH, ONE MORE THING, THE WHOLE POINT. If you do this you will not need any form coaching, your body will find its perfect stride, it will, mine changes as soon I take my shoes off and tootle down the beach, I can tell my fast buddy can tell, he sees it and tells me:) it is all there you just need to change the environment to allow your body to do what it does, keep it nice and simple.

tip 24:- when running with someone, run together not apart:) seems easy but there is a cultural difference between East African training and the west we tend to run solo, even as a group you can see individuals running not the group compared to the pack of hyena's coming at you on trails and dirt roads of Kenya/Ethiopia, and they do look amazing running together. I try to run 'in lock step' close, elbow to elbow get into the rhythm of your running buddy. You also see this in the tour de-france, teams working together the closeness of the group pulls you along, not as much for running over here. One run a week 'lock step, rhythm and together' and I do mean close less than a 1m apart. be hyena's not lone warriors fighting yourself and the environment, even if you LOVE solo running and I do I think the element of community and support and also team is another element that can add something more to the experience.

tip 25:- commit to some form of change or new habit that has meaning for you. This form of commitment in yoga is called 'Tapas' there are three forms of tapas, the focus could be on body, speech or minding the mind! Here is an example, when I used to pick up my son from his first school I would walk to the beach and run a little barefoot before collecting him, that was a while ago! Or commit to some silent time during the day etc we could have a three hour discussion here by the way:), but the overall point is that these changes or commitments will make some noticeable improvements in your life. Always tricky but I do believe in the domino effect/butterfly effect tiny but meaningful changes regularly applied create the framework for small but noticeable improvements in body and mind (also consider relationships, your view on yourself and the environment)

tip 26:- listen:) small little niggles can blow up to sustained injuries that can take ages to heal. I once tore a calf muscle, my fault, two back to back hard interval sessions, being a nerdy chap I decided to time how long it would heal until I felt NO pain at all, 12 weeks in total. This tip, the one where runners think they will lose all of their fitness in 48 hours because they decided to walk/easy run is important and of course not true you will not lose all your running fitness if you decide to rest/easy/walk for a couple of days and allow things to gently heal. I promise you:)

tip 27:-Our inner dialogue can be incessant, none stop, practising a 'comma in your commentary' just focuses the mind on pause.... before responding. A few gentle breaths and pauuuusssse:) I used to use this with children in school who were looking for an argument, rather than join in the verbal assault and some teachers did just that by the way, I would place a comma in the commentary and pause. For a lot of children it gave space to calm down, reflect and reassess, it did not fuel the verbal conflict they were constantly experiencing at home . Taking a pause before any tricky dialogue, or any dialogue means you are listening as well 'we sometimes listen with the intention to speak' is also a good quote that grounds me easy to practice when running/walking take a pause, focus on your mind on....object, sound, air, breath, body you get the idea:)

tip 28:- change a word, changes everything 'I have to go for my run now' change to 'I get to go for my run now'....... regardless of time/output a positive intention is important.

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