By Hoang Long,
During last year's marathon race, I had a particularly vivid experience. At the 20km mark, the clouds parted, revealing bright rays of light that shone brilliantly on the surroundings, my body, and the smiling faces of other runners. I was completely absorbed by the moment. I felt the cold breeze from the morning wind embrace my body, and the rhythm of my breath resonated with the sound of my feet hitting the ground. It was more than just happiness; it was contentment. I felt alive!
Later, I read Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book and learned about the concept of flow. Flow is the optimal experience of "being completely absorbed in a task or activity". It occurs when a person pays complete attention and functions at their full capacity. With this knowledge, I can analyze my own experiences of flow while running and create some guidance for myself on how to achieve it.
The flow experience is likely to occur during my running sessions because they often meet the conditions for a flow state. It includes:
(1) Clear Goals: The running goal is relatively straightforward, such as running at a certain speed and distance.
(2) Instant feedback: A smartwatch can provide precise feedback on heart rate, distance, and speed. Additionally, a running buddy can give feedback on running posture and remind me to distribute my energy properly to avoid starting the race too fast.
(3) Balance between challenges and skills: The 42km race I chose to compete in was physically challenging, but I had enough training to finish it.
(4) Focus: Running with my buddy helps me forget negative thoughts and focus on the experience.
(5) Autotelic personality - doing for its own sake: People who pursue activities for their own sake, or have an "autotelic personality," are more likely to experience flow for longer periods of time due to their persistence and endurance in seeking opportunities. This aligns with my reason for running, which I find rewarding in and of itself. Running has helped me improve my physical fitness and mental clarity, as well as forge close relationships with fellow peers at the university.
Csikszentmihalyi and Carli suggest using the eight-channel model to find flow by balancing challenge and skill. This can help me achieve peak performance. But flow isn't the only way to improve. Some running should be relaxing for recovery, while other runs should be challenging to push me to my limit. However, if I want to achieve flow, here are my general suggestions:
(1) When I feel worried and anxious, it usually happens in a situation where the challenge is high (such as when the training is too intense) and my skill level is low (such as when I lack endurance). To ease my anxiety, I find ways to break down the task into smaller steps that are just slightly above my current ability level.
(2) On the other hand, when I feel relaxed, I know that I am in my comfort zone and can actively engage in more challenging training. For example, I may run faster for the same distance.