Mile 5: Phenomenology of Training

Mile 5 – Phenomenology of Training

What if training wasn’t just about building a faster, stronger body—but about sculpting a deeper, more attuned self? 

In this episode, we step into the lived world of training as more than physical sweat or mental grit. We unpack how intentional, disciplined effort—whether alone or with a partner—becomes a phenomenological practice of being fully alive.

From the solitary runner negotiating every breath and stride in an existential dialogue with their body, to the subtle synchrony of training partners whose hearts, strides, and even moods align, we explore the overlooked layers of endurance. 

Drawing from cutting-edge research in physiological synchrony, emotional contagion, and somatic intelligence, we ask: how does repetition teach resilience? Can training together foster empathy—not just fitness? Why do long runs with a buddy often feel timeless?

Blending science, philosophy, and real-life narratives, this conversation journeys through Merleau-Ponty’s intercorporeality, Thomas Csordas’s Somatic Modes of Attention, and recent findings on how our bodies literally “tune” to each other in motion.

Latest research (beyond the book):

Physiological Synchrony & Dyadic Training ​Flory, S., Guglielmini, S., Scholkmann, F., Marcar, V. L., & Wolf, M. (2023). How our hearts beat together: a study on physiological synchronization based on a self‑paced joint motor task. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 11987. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-39083-9  

Boukarras, S., Placidi, V., Rossano, F., Era, V., Aglioti, S. M., & Candidi, M. (2025). Interpersonal physiological synchrony during dyadic joint action is increased by task novelty and reduced by social anxiety. Psychophysiology, 62(3), e70031. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.70031 

Emotional Contagion & Mood Dynamics West, T., & Mendes, W. B. (2023). Affect contagion: Physiologic covariation and linkage offer insight into socially shared thoughts, emotions, and experiences. In B. Gawronski (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 67, pp. 73–129). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aesp.2022.11.002 

Coutinho, J., Pereira, A., & Behrens, F. F. (2025). Synchronous smiles and hearts: Dyadic meditation enhances affective and physiological synchrony. Mindfulness, 16(2), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02588-7