Train Your Brain to Run Your Best

September 2, 2014

In less than 7 weeks, I will return to the starting line where my marathon journey first began – the Chicago Marathon. Four years and a half dozen marathons later, I am looking to run this race an hour faster than my first attempt.

Although I feel confident in my training up to this point, I’ve admittedly had a few moments of self-doubt. Last Monday – during an 8-mile training run with a friend who has the same pace goal as me for her fall marathon – I said, “Can I ask you a question that’s going to sound negative?”

“Do you ever wonder if we can really run a XX:XX pace for 26 miles?”

Don’t get me wrong; I believe more than anything that I’m fully capable of running the time I want to run in Chicago. But it won’t be easy. It will be really, really hard. I know believing in myself is just as important as all the speed workouts, tempo runs and long Saturday morning runs I’ve been logging. But on those hot summer days when an easy run that’s a minute slower than marathon pace feels like death, it can be hard to imagine.

I’ve started trying to push those negative thoughts out of my mind and focus on my brain as much as I work on my lungs and legs.

Train Your Brain to Run Your Best on runladylike.com

Here are 5 good articles from across the Web to remind us how important strengthening our mental training is for those moments when self-doubt creeps in.

  1. How to Think Like an Elite Runner from Runner’s World
  2. 7 Traits of Mentally Tough Runners from Competitor
  3. 10 Inspiring Tips to Race Like a Champion from Chris Narborne
  4. Positive Perspectives: Mental Training for Runners: A guest post from Tere Zacher on runladylike.com
  5. 80 Quotes on Mental Toughness from My DNA Experiment

What techniques do you use to strengthen the mental aspects of your training? When self-doubt creeps in, what do you do to push it away?

Comments

kristin @ W [H] A T C H

self-doubt is so real. sometimes i have to remind myself that it really does not matter — like in the cosmic sense. sometimes i just get so wound up about something (running) that in the end is just a gift. all i can do is go out and do my best, the rest is completely out of my control.

Angie @ A Mother's Pace

I’ve been working on this a lot lately! I’m currently reading “Mind Gym” and finding that it is helping so much. I’ve read the article from Runner’s World that you mentioned but I haven’t read the others yet. I’ll check them out soon!

Denny

I’m a complete mental midget when it comes to my training, especially if I’m doing my long runs by myself. I’m so quick to give up and either cut a run short, slow my pace, or do both and it’s really frustrating.

And then when it’s race time, I’ve got the mental fortitude to push, but my body doesn’t know how to respond.

*sigh*

Leslie @ Triathlete Treats

Mental toughness is huge! I often struggle with it while I am running. I try and do a lot of visualization. That seems to help. I try and have a song in my head so when it is getting tough I can sing!! I also try and focus on my breathing because I have a hard time “thinking” when I am focused on my breath! 🙂 (BTW: You are totally going to kill Chicago!!!)

Gabrielle from Austria

I use what we call “salami tactics”. (You know salami, the famous italian sausage, right?)
So you divide the rest of the run, race or whatever into small, managable pieces, like slicing a salami. E.g. run to the next tree, the next lamp post, the next mile marker, and keep going until the next small minigoal.
Repeat until you are at the end of your training run or at the finish line of your race.

Good luck, Jesica, you will be strong!

Laura @ This Runner's Recipes

Great article, Jesica! I really enjoyed the articles you posted!
When running gets tough, I try to distract myself just enough – not enough where I drop my pace or am not aware of my surroundings, but enough where pain is not the first thing on my mind. Tim Noakes talked about this technique in his Lore of Running – he called it disassociation.
I also remind myself that even the elites have difficult runs, doubts, and fears. The realization that this happens to everyone has helped me increase my mental toughness.
You are going to do so great in Chicago! I look forward to reading more about your training and the race!

Allie

I REALLY struggled with this in a recent race. I’m usually on top of my mental game but, in the heat and humidity of this race, I fell apart and it was horrible! Thanks for all the reminders and I have zero doubt you will reach your marathon goal!

rUnladylike

We all struggle with this Allie, even ROCK STAR athletes like you. You are such an inspiration, so keep it up girl!

kari

How fun to return to where it all began for you! While I’ve never run the Chicago Marathon (though I did run a now-defunct Chicago spring marathon called the “Lakeshore Marathon”), the Chicago Marathon is where I was first decided I wanted to run a marathon. For several years our college cross-country team volunteered at the finish line, and I couldn’t help but be inspired by not only the record-breakers but also the runners who finished hours later, so overcome with emotion at what they’d just accomplished. I hope your return to Chicago is immensely satisfying for you and that you reach, and perhaps even exceed, your goals. Wishing you all the best.

rUnladylike

Thank you so much for your kind well-wishes Kari. I really appreciate your support. xoxo

Sarah @RunFarGirl

The mental game is HUGE! I think visualization is a huge thing for me. Before the marathon in the moments before I fell asleep I’d visualize the marathon…not just crossing the finish line triumphant. No. I visualized the hard parts I visualized my body feeling tired and then picking up the pace and being strong despite being tired. And that’s exactly what happened during the race. I think you have to visualize yourself overcoming, not just winning.

rUnladylike

I love, love, love what you say about visualizing not just crossing the finish line and achieving your goal, but pushing through and overcoming the hard parts during the journey. I’m going to keep channeling that and thinking about that during my last 5 weeks of training. xo

Judith

My mental game is pretty sad, and this cycle I’m trying to back off pressuring myself because when I have, I just fall apart. I know my body can do it, but come race time I forget.

I recently read the book Elite Minds by Stan Beecham and thought it was awesome. Now if I can just remember what he wrote when I line up race day…

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