COACH’S CORNER WITH ROB DONKERSLOOT: IMPERMANENCE AND EQUANIMITY – COPING WITH CHANGE AS AN ULTRA RUNNER

IMPERMANENCE AND EQUANIMITY: COPING WITH CHANGE AS AN ULTRA RUNNER

ONLY A FEW SHORT MONTHS AGO, MEMBERS OF MY MIND FOCUSED RUNNING run coaching community received the alarming news that a critical accommodation provider for an interstate race had been unexpectedly shut for the foreseeable future due to sustained and unmanageable growth in supply costs. The closure of this venue put the race at real risk of being cancelled, and with it, the dreams, financial investment and countless hours of training of many Australian and international athletes looking forward to the race of a lifetime in serious jeopardy.

As ultra runners, having to deal with unexpected situations and challenges comes with the territory when participating in a race – it’s often one of the very reasons so many people are attracted to the sport. For many, the thrill of overcoming obstacles and pushing past perceived limits is an incredibly enriching experience that can translate to other areas of their lives.

The time, personal sacrifice and commitment required to undertake the many lonely – and often gruelling – months of training is not to be underestimated by runners or the people who celebrate their magnificent feats of endurance from the sidelines. But it seems that these days, there are more and more stories emerging of disappointed runners missing out on the opportunity to toe the start line and do what they love than ever before.

So, when a situation prevents an athlete from undertaking their training or taking their place at the start line when all the hard work has been done in the months preceding race day, it’s only natural for myriad emotions to arise.

For me, running is a metaphor for life. As I progress on my own personal spiritual journey, I am so often reminded of the many facets of core Buddhist teachings that can be harnessed to tackle the challenges that are inextricably linked with the sport of ultra running.

In times of challenge and uncertainty – particularly when it comes to unexpected changes in circumstances that put preparations for a big race in doubt – Buddhist philosophies can help ease the suffering for runners who are forced to accept new, and sometimes unsettling, realities.

Two core teachings in Buddhism that can help runners navigate the complex emotions when a race is changed or cancelled are impermanence – the idea that all things change and nothing lasts forever, and suffering – how desire and attachment lead to anguish. These principles seem more relevant today than ever before with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing frequency, impact, and disruption climate change is having on communities around the globe.

The spread of COVID-19 has made illness and reduced performance a new reality for athletes to accept. In the past few years, several Mind Focused Running athletes have had their race plans derailed by COVID-19.

Kevin “Big Kev” Matthews had entered into the event of a lifetime, a 37-day run across Scotland and England called Run Britannia in June 2023. Only four days into the race, he contracted COVID-19 and had to drop out. Another runner, Nick, flew from Perth to San Francisco in July 2023 to run over 500 kilometres across Tennessee in an event called The Annual Vol State Race. Again, COVID-19 reared its ugly head when he contracted the virus after two days of being on US soil and only a week before the start of the race. For runner Chailee, COVID-19 didn’t get the better of her mindset when she contracted COVID-19 twice before two big races.

As an ultra runner prepares for key events, there is a good chance of contracting COVID-19. Time off for isolation and recovery can jeopardise training plans and goals. The impermanent nature of health and physical fitness highlights the need to understand that setbacks will happen, and one day we will slow down or hang up our running shoes for good.

For ultra runners, understanding impermanence and developing equanimity with any situations that may arise can provide the appropriate perspective and coping strategies needed to deal with changes and setbacks in training and competition.

Maintaining calm and balance in the face of difficulties – otherwise known as equanimity – is vital. As Chailee’s reflections on missing out on her recent race show, regular meditation and reflection can help increase equanimity and reframe short-term disappointments with a long-term, balanced view:

“Yes, it’s disappointing not to put all my hard work training into practice, but missing out on one race is just a blip on the radar, really,” she said. “I’ve got many more years of running ahead of me and many more races to enjoy. I won’t linger on the ‘what if’s’ but focus on what I can take from my training and apply to my next adventure.”

Climate change has also emerged as an unpredictable adversary for event organisers, with an ever-increasing number of extreme weather events leading to last-minute race changes or cancellations. Some races, like the 2022 Irrational 200-Miler, have been cancelled even after the starting gun had sounded because of severe storms and rain.

The inability to compete because of dangerous climate conditions can be mentally and emotionally challenging. Clinging to expectations and fixed outcomes – signs of attachment and desire – makes these changes even harder to accept for runners who trained for months.

Mind Focused Runner Jodie was part of the support crew for her friend Louise who entered the inaugural 100-kilometre Ultra Kosciuszko ultramarathon in December 2022. Unseasonal snow created chaos for event owners, forcing them to make last-minute changes to the course. Despite the confusion and last-minute panic for everyone involved, Louise finished the 100-kilometre race. Two months later, Jodie was due to run the Tarawera Ultramarathon, but heavy rain again forced last-minute changes. Bush fire at last year’s Delirious 200 Miler turned the race from a point to point to an out and back, disappointing for many as they missed seeing some of the best coastal scenery that had been promised.

While as athletes we constantly strive to improve, impermanence reminds us that performance is fleeting, and factors outside our control like illness or race disruptions will inevitably arise.

And as many of the runners in our community have begun to learn in our teachings at Mind Focused Running, acknowledging the very transient nature of health and the environment and accepting each moment as it comes is a step in the right direction to understanding the true nature of peace.

With this in mind, runners should anticipate disruptions in their training and race preparations in the lead-up to any race and be willing to adapt their approach to find meaning in the process rather than solely focus on achieving a performance goal. With an attitude of equanimity, we can learn to hold performance outcomes at arm’s length. We can minimise suffering by finding stability in the face of change and approaching obstacles to success with patience and grace.

Jaqui found this stability during the Covid lockdowns, she commented: “Every race was cancelled in Victoria for a number of years thanks to the world’s longest lockdown. Not knowing if and when a race would be announced in the future I had fellow runners share their “devastation” with me and stop running with nothing to train for. Thanks to the meditation and mindfulness that Mind Focused Running taught me, I found it easy to let go of the disappointment and really enjoyed my running not because I was “training” but because I was enjoying each moment for what it was. Being grateful for every step – I have since carried that mindset out of lockdown and generally into life as well.”

Meditation and reflection can provide the mental and emotional framework to cope with illness, cancelled or adapted events, and shifts in performance or goals. They can bring to our attention that change may be the only constant in life, but peace of mind can prevail. And when understood and practised regularly, can truly transform how one approaches running and life with more balance, calm and wisdom.

In the face of impermanence, equanimity is strength.

And for the ultra runner, peace of mind is power.

Rob Donkersloot
Mind Focused Running Founder and Coach, Trail Runner At Heart

mindfocusedrunning.com/