The Shakeout

When was the last time that you felt butterflies before you had to do something? I'm not talking about the cute nausea-inflicted by your crush. No, I'm talking about those butterflies that swarm your entire being. They fill your stomach and your head; they shudder your hands and your knees. When was the last time that anticipation felt like an activity in and of itself?

For one reason or another, our nerves become hyper-sensitive when we are in a state of anticipation. It is probably a fight or flight reflex (but clearly, we've lowered the stakes and have not adapted yet). Maybe the anticipation is fear of embarrassment or failure, or the desire to win or be seen, or the history of tradition. Whatever the reason, our body and thoughts are signaling that it should be now (not never).

Most of the time, our bodies and thoughts are not on the same page in a tough moment. Our mind might be focused, but our muscles are tight. Or we are all loose and can't hold on to our next move, our next thought. What if I told you that a prescription exists?

Let me introduce you to the shakeout.

A shakeout run is a shorter, slower run a few hours before an intense workout or race. It is the calm before the storm. It would be the prequel to your story if your story were all about one workout.

It's a little teaser for your legs and mind. This run is a run that sets the intention for your whole being. Shakeouts are supposed to be fun and lighthearted so that later in the day, you can dig deep. Shakeouts are not part of the typical routine, either. The pre-hard-thing-run is a signal that you're about to tackle a goal - a Goliath.

To be clear, I'm not saying that you should go on a light run before every challenging task (even though that would be pretty cool). I'm suggesting that we all take a page from the running playbook here and shake it out in other aspects of our lives. Let's align our thoughts and actions with an accessible introduction to the task, followed by some serious effort a few hours later. Here are just a few examples of how I've been applying the shakeout to my life:

• A few miles into a run, I'll start going through a list of friends and family I haven't talked to in a while. I'll repeat someone's name a few times to make sure they stick with me. After my run, I'll text that person and chat for a little while, and set up a time to meet to see how they are doing.

• When I'm working on a project that feels stuck, like a song, I'll pause all serious thoughts, play easy chords, and make up nonsensical phrases. Later on, I'll revisit that song and consider what made my brain choose those earlier themes. Typically, this helps me identify how I'm feeling.

• During worship, in meditation, or in times of doubt, I'll enter that moment and acknowledge that there are both good and bad emotions around. Later on, when I have the tools and environment I need, I'll enter into that deep reflection and connection.

• When difficult or scary conversations arise, I acknowledge the feelings right away. I allow myself to play with the thoughts but not cling to them. If thoughts were puppets, these would marionettes, not the kind that you put on your hand. After setting up space for this conversation, I can be respectful and intentional with how I respond.

• On days where there is a challenging workout, I'll have a cookie or small, sweet treat in the morning. Most meals are nutritionally perfect, which is often not what my soul craves. So, I'll remind my body and brain that sugary goodness does still exist.

Shakeouts do two things for us. They 1) Allow us to enjoy something that might be hard or unpleasant later, and 2) prepare our entire being to be at the starting line. 

We frequently attempt (and do hard things). So, shakeouts teach us restraint. They are your reminder to enjoy easy moments, too. The challenges already exist for us. When you take a shakeout, you're saying, "I decide how I will approach this difficult moment."

Before you show up, shake out. Fortune favors the shakeout.