Zone 2 Training
In the past month, I traveled to Colorado to see Trevor Hall, then over to Oregon for a retreat with Wild Within. Afterward, I spent time out in the wilderness, taking cold plunges, enjoying the sauna, and re-sourcing myself.
In the past, not sharing with you would make me anxious and feel like I wasn't living up to my commitment. I don't feel that this time around.
As summer arrives, I feel called to slow down, explore new experiences, and be ok not doing. As someone who gleans self-worth from productivity, it's a stretch to allow my creativity to unfold naturally.
Luckily, I've found inspiration in an exercise regiment called zone 2 training.
Zone 2 training requires you to track your heart rate while running and keep it below a certain number. (Think running at a pace where you're not breathing heavy and can still hold a conversation.)
While I can go faster, zone 2 training forces me to slow down once my heart rate exceeds 148bpm. After 6-12 months of practice, the intention is that I'll be able to run longer distances at faster speeds. It's counter-intuitive. I'll save the sciencey explanation, but in essence, I can sum up zone two training in five words:
Slowing down to speed up.
When I'm in zone 2 training, other runners consistently pass me. I have the steam to run faster, but it would get my heart rate up too high, thus taking me out of zone 2. The training forces me to resist the urge to compete.
Interestingly, 90% of the time, I catch up to the person who sped by as they stop and gasp for air.
You see the metaphor, right?
We think we need to go faster and harder, often sprinting through life and burning ourselves out. We constantly compare ourselves to others, as if life is a competition.
What zone 2 training teaches us is that it's not only ok to slow down, it gives us more stamina. As a result, we have the energy to show up in more significant ways and for longer periods.
Sure, others might be more [insert area of life you feel less than]. But if we walk our path intentionally and trust the timing, our life will blossom just as it should. It's not a competition.
Life is both short and long. I know I can muster the energy and share with you weekly, but I'm also preparing to write that book in 20 years.
I'm here for the long game, and I hope you are as well.
Questions for self-reflection...
- Where do I feel like I have to prove myself with productivity?
- Where am I straining, forcing or constricting?
- Where can I slow down to speed up?
I love hearing how this lands with you, so feel free to drop me an email.
SONG: Help It by Aaron Wolf