Finding flow

Setting intentions for optimal running experiences.

It’s difficult to talk about the flow state without sounding like a college freshman who just saw The Wizard of Oz synched up with Dark Side of the Moon for the first time. Like, wow, man. Far out. 

Entering a flow state is about engaging with the present moment with such clear focus that you not only lose track of time, you lose track of yourself. It’s a conscious act of unconsciousness, or maybe it’s the other way around. An unconscious state of pure consciousness. 

So yes, attaining a flow state can feel weird and mystical – where did that come from – or it can feel so normal that you’re not even aware you experienced it until after the fact. Like meditation or other concentration disciples, the harder you try to attain flow, the further away it becomes. 

Yet, it’s not a passive experience. There’s an element of work involved before one gets to flow. Consistent deliberate practice over time leads to mastery of skill, which allows flow the opportunity to exist in a challenging environment. It doesn’t just conjure itself out of thin air.  

When it happens, a flow state offers an immersive experience without interruption or distraction. We mostly see it in athletes, musicians, craftspeople, and other artists, but it can be applied to just about any active task, no matter how mundane it seems. 

Running lends itself naturally to the flow state as the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who popularized the term in the 70s, wrote in his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience: 

“When a normal physical activity, like running, is performed in a socially-directed, goal-directed setting that offers challenges and requires skills, it turns into a flow activity.” 

The more you study running flow, the more you realize it’s not a cosmic accident, nor is it reserved for the chosen few. It can be an attainable goal for any runner, so long as you set the right intentions and framework. 

Finding flow in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.

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The whole exploration of flow is fascinating, and I highly recommend Csikszentmihalyi’s book. His term – optimal experience – is a fitting phrase because flow states can induce feelings of clarity, serenity, even ecstasy. 

Flow is a wonderful place to be, so wonderful that it feels like it came from another universe. Yet, the phenomenon is very real and grounded in multiple components. Not all need to be present at once, but some combination of factors contribute to its effects. They include: 

• Intense concentration on the present moment

• Merging of action and awareness

• Loss of reflective self-conscious

• A sense of control or agency

• An altered sense of time

• Experience is intrinsically rewarding

Let’s take this list from the bottom up because it strikes me that feeling like your run has value is an essential first step. Not only to experience flow, but to enjoy the act of running itself. This may seem obvious, but it can be hard to remember why you’re running when you’re stressed about any number of things. Anxiety, along with boredom and apathy, are like Kyrptonite to flow.

Before your run, take a moment to remember that you’re doing something positive for yourself. Sure, you may not feel great at the moment, but you usually feel better once you get started. Give yourself the space to get comfortable and try not to force your pace or effort if it’s not there. Let it come to you. 

Maybe it takes a mile or two, but eventually things start to settle down. Your pre-run nerves dissipate and you lose track of where you are. After looking at your watch, you’re pleasantly surprised when you realize you’ve gone further than you suspected.  

You're starting to feel like you’re in control of your run, like it’s not too much to handle. Your goals – be they pace, distance, heart rate, effort – seem attainable. You know exactly what you have to do and how to do it. 

Before long, you stop thinking about your run and simply experience it. There’s no internal debate about when to speed up or slow down, or whether you should eat or drink. It may feel like you’re not even running at all, but rather, riding a wave of pure energy. 

Stay with that sensation. Don’t stop to analyze it or explain it because there’s nothing to understand. This is you and you are there, locked into the present moment feeling everything and reacting to nothing. 

It’s pretty freaking cool. 

As a runner, when I first began experiencing flow it felt fleeting and ethereal. Lacking the vocabulary or the framework to make heads or tails of it, I chalked it up to an otherworldly combination of luck and fate.

For a time, I chased flow and became frustrated and disenchanted when it didn’t happen. I had to learn to let go of the pursuit in order to feel it again.

Nowadays, I experience some element of flow on most of my runs. Sometimes it’s only for a few beats, but it can last for several miles when conditions are right. During a recent long run, I remained in flow for more than three hours. 

While this was a challenging run at the end of an arduous training cycle, I never felt overwhelmed or incapable. My mind and body were linked as one, following a game plan I laid out the day before with no disruption or distraction. I didn’t have to tell my body what to do or coax it into action. It knew, and I knew that it knew, so all I had to do was stay out of my own way. 

This was the result of dozens of productive runs throughout the past few months. Whether they were easy or hard, long or short, fast or slow; each successful outing built upon itself so that, piece by piece, the conditions were right for a flow state experience. 

There’s a line of thought that certain people are particularly drawn to flow experiences. Csikszentmihalyi theorized that those with autotelic personality traits – curiosity, persistence, low egotism, and a high propensity to perform activities for intrinsic reasons – are more likely to enter flow states. 

That sounds delightful. Who wouldn’t want to be one of those people? When I look at that list of traits, I see a vision of what I’d consider to be my best self, even when my current self doesn’t check all those boxes. 

When I think about my running journey, I not only see a physical transformation, but a mental one, as well. My interest in running back in my road running days was primarily stoked by stubbornness, a healthy ego, and a desire for validation. 

I’m not saying those were necessarily bad qualities to have as a runner. After all, they got me out the door and kept me motivated for quite a while. Yet, they didn’t offer as much fulfillment as the path I’m on now. 

It’s not a coincidence that my performance and skill level began to rise once I made an effort to uncouple myself from those ego-driven traits. Experiencing flow is not only the reward for all that work, it’s the reason for the work itself.   

How about you guys: Have you had any memorable experiences in the flow state or do you think it’s a bunch of hooey?