“A Simple Antidote To This Feeling Is To Try Something New”
It’s the time of year when we tend to spend a lot more time indoors, often at home, and it’s easy to feel like the world is becoming a smaller place. There’s a coziness and comfort to this, but it can also begin to feel stagnant and mundane. A simple antidote to this feeling can be practiced in any location and in near-infinite forms: trying something new. It may be a new form of training (cross-country skiing, yoga, etc) or it could be a new hobby or practice that you’ve been curious about trying.
I am admittedly very much a creature of habit, but have recently been trying explore some new activities. My kids are 8 and 10 years old, and have gotten into rock climbing over the last couple of years. Until quite recently, I have dutifully delivered them to the gym for their camps, clubs, and practices, and spent the time on my laptop, grading assignments, reading articles, writing training programs, or (most Thursdays) working on this newsletter.
A few weeks ago, they wanted to climb on a day that they didn’t have any practice or instruction, so I took them to the gym. They asked me to join them, and, not having an imminent deadline, I said sure. While I am in my mid-40s and rarely do any non-running exercise, I still have a mental image of myself as a relatively athletic individual. I was shocked to discover the maneuvers that look so easy from my spot on the sidelines do not come naturally to this old endurance athlete.
There was, admittedly, a humbling element to the experience. But also, the feeling of accomplishing something new — even if it’s climbing a route that your 8 year old makes look easy — was so refreshing that I have since come back to climb with them a few more times. An added joy in this case is having my kids teach me something. It’s empowering for them and has already given us meaningful experiences that are qualitatively different than simply watching them do their thing.
In the running world, I am used to being an old-timer or “expert” for lack of a better word. I enjoy having that accumulated knowledge, and sharing it as a teacher and coach. But it’s also fun to be a true novice. I tend to be pretty competitive in most pursuits in life, so it’s very different to have no expectation of being good at an activity. Ironically, being new actually has different rewards in that you experience what weight lifters refer to as “beginner gains” or a rapid period of improvement. I’m not a good rock climber, nor am I a good guitar player (yep, started that a few months ago too…), but man is it fun to get better at something.
There may be some transferable benefit of rock climbing to running, in the strength, balance, and agility that are required. But I don’t think that’s the main point of doing something new. The real benefit is to find enjoyment in another activity, to stimulate your brain and body to attune to a new pursuit, and to deviate from the same old path you have trod a hundred times before. When you return to the old path, after venturing elsewhere, it looks a little different than it used to.
Chris Lundstrom is the head coach of Minnesota Distance Elite – formerly Team USA Minnesota – which includes some of the top distance runners in the USA, including Annie Frisbie and Dakota Lindwurm.
