How to believe you can do it?

mzbek24

I have absolutely minimal self belief with my running, and it's starting to make training for a Marathon a bit stressful, and I don't think it's going to be positive for race day. For instance, before I ran a Half Marathon last year, I could not believe I could do it, even though I ran 16km in training and it went fine... I literally did not actually sleep the night before the event. I had to be on the bus at 4am, and I was laying there stressing over how important sleep was, and not being able to sleep because I was stressing about not sleeping. It sounds ridiculous, but yes I ran it on no sleep. I don't think I have ever done anything on no sleep before, I've never stayed up all night, but I had a lot of nerves and adrenalin (and some Caffeine) and crazily, got through it somehow without crashing until later that afternoon.

So, right now I keep having moments like that, where my brain is not believing I can do it, even though training suggests things are doing alright. I have just completed another Half Marathon, beat my first time, and I'm increasing my distance from there and bouncing back well from it. It shocks me when I don't feel sore the day after a 23km run. I realise that logically, having run close to the distance in the past months, my muscles must have adjusted to that distance, and that that's why it's easier, but It still really shocks me, I keep wondering why I am not sore.

My longest run on my training plan will be 32km, and I am absolutely afraid of not making the cut off time of 6:30, though my estimates of recent times put me to finish it in about 4-5 hours...and I think if I cant sleep this time, it might actually make things worse. That's a long time to be zombie-running, if you know what I mean.

How can you try to get yourself to believe you can achieve a race, if your training doesn't go that distance and you never have run that far? And how can you try to stop worrying so much and get enough sleep before a race?

SchweddyGirl

Believe it or not, pretty much every one goes through this with their first race at a distance. Anxiety before a race is completely natural. You just have to employ whatever stress relievers work for you. The night before my marathon I took a long hot bubble bath. I literally stayed in that tub for like an hour relaxing, thinking about my training and going over my race plan in my head.

You ultimately have to trust your training. You have to have faith that your body can bridge the remaining 10 km. This part is actually part of the marathon experience.

Trust your training, trust your race plan, and trust your feet.

litsy3

Do your longest run (32km) slowly enough that it takes you the same amount of time you expect to do the marathon in, or nearly. Then you'll know that even if you haven't run that far before, you've spent that same amount of time running.

arussell134

I'd also add - start replacing some of your negative statements with positive ones, even you don't entirely feel them. Have some of these mantras ready to go and say them during your training runs and moments before the race. Some of my favorites:

"I've got this."
"I'm strong."
"I can do this."
"Let's go."

Since most of this sounds like it's a mental game and not a training issue, I'd focus on reinforcing positive messages and maybe even visualize yourself running the course and finishing strong. Good luck.

jennalink807

Like arussell134 said- grab onto a mantra and every time a negative thought enters your head, say the mantra out loud. In other words- fake it 'till you make it. Some of my favorites to say out loud during training are:
- "Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try"
- "Can't stop, won't stop"
- "I am in control here. I make the decisions. I will do this."
- "This is hard. It's uncomfortable. I'm going to do it anyway."

It also has helped me to visualize the moment I will cross the finish line having met my goal. I like to pretend the last half mile of my long runs in training is the last half mile of the marathon, and when I finish the training run, allow myself to experience the sense of accomplishment I might feel on race day. Shut down the negativity whenever possible, and if you can't shut it down, drown it out by saying positive things out loud to yourself.

All of us here believe you can do it, and most of us have been where you are before. So don't let yourself get too anxious about the fact that you're anxious. A little bit of anxiety won't hurt you.

lporter229

I agree with SchweddyGirl. Everyone goes through this, even if it is not your first marathon. It's a tough task, so it would not make much sense to approach it as if it were easy.

I like to use those moments of self doubt during a training run to motivate myself. If I am struggling, I tell myself "If you can't make yourself do this (whatever THIS happens to be that day), you will never be able to push yourself through a marathon." That helps me to push myself through the unpleasant task at hand and also helps to build my confidence in myself for the race. You've heard the advice "trust in your training". Knowing that I have pushed myself through some tough moments in training helps to build that trust. May not work for everyone, but it works for me.

kristinegift

The night before my first marathon, after two weeks of nagging ITBS problems, I slept off and on for maybe 4-5 hours. I could barely eat my pre-run dinner. I felt like I was going to puke on the train to the race. But then the race started, and my knee didn't bother me at all, and it was great! I cruised for the first 10 miles, struggled from mile 14-20 (my mental wall comes way earlier than it does for most folks) and then cruised (much more slowly) for the last 10k.

Just know that it's not really the night before, but the night BEFORE the night before that matters sleep-wise. I almost never sleep well the night before really long runs or big races, but I still manage to do them without extra fatigue. I think what helps bolster my confidence on race day is having a plan; a hydration plan, a fuelling plan, etc. This makes me feel way more prepared when I get into my start corral, and those pestering doubts fade to the background. Just remember all the great training runs and take your confidence from those

Edit: And I second the mantra suggestion! Mine usually includes profanity because swearing can help relieve stress (because it comes from a primal part of your brain or something, idk, I read it on the internet somewhere and it's science). But I also read Bill Rodger's book last summer, and he has this repeating theme about being a kid chasing butterflies and how that inspired him in his running as an adult, so when I feel bogged down and my form suffers, I think, "Butterflies!" It sounds dumb, but it helps me remember to keep my form and to try to be lighter on my feet rather than plod along when I start to tire.

plateaued

Sleep is overrated. Next time stay up on purpose. You will see.

mzbek24

Thanks for your suggestions guys I like the idea of maybe trying to run the 32k over a longer time, yeah I'll definitely think about it and see how I could possibly pace it. I normally plan out all of my food and every detail about race day and carb loading and everything, it still didn't calm me lol, guess I'm just bound to be anxious for it and some extent of that happens to most people.

I liked the mantra idea, but I don't think it works for me, as I'm generally not a good mantra person- I need to really connect with or believe what I'm saying, and I kind of have a lot of self doubt, so I can't actually really believe it lol... like for instance, I do know, logically, there is evidence that I can do things, and I'm training fairly well, but still I can't even get myself to believe I can do it, even knowing that stuff. It's like it's all in separate compartments in my brain perhaps I just need to write it down on paper, all of the things that prove I have the capacity to do this, and read it out every day.

Also I never thought about it, but maybe actually running a Marathon will increase my inner belief that I can accomplish things I set out to do, because I have quite few accomplishments in life at all, particularly with fitness, to sort of give me that impression at this present moment.

snowflakesav

Trust your training. Trust all the encouragement you will get. The emotional part of the marathon and these feelings are part of the process...this is normal.

kristinegift

mzbek24 wrote: »

Also I never thought about it, but maybe actually running a Marathon will increase my inner belief that I can accomplish things I set out to do, because I have quite few accomplishments in life at all, particularly with fitness, to sort of give me that impression at this present moment.

I certainly found this to be true. Completing a marathon gave me so much more confidence in other aspects of my life in addition to running/fitness. But start that self-belief process now! Don't sell yourself short!

OldNoobJohn

That all sounds normal to me. I'm a good sleeper so that doesn't add to my nervousness but I think pre-race jitters probably help get your body into fight or flight mode. Time to fly!

I haven't tried the mantra thing but one way I find to keep going when some part of my brain is screaming to stop is to carefully analyze why I want to stop. Taken as a sum it's a BODY-HURTS-GASPING-FOR-BREATH-I-AM-SO-SLOW-RUNNING-SUCKS overwhelming thing. If I narrow it down to just my left middle toe seems to be hitting the end of my shoe slightly or right calf feels a little funky these smaller problems are no big deal. If I'm truly gasping for breath I slow down. etc.... Just keep moving forward and you'll get there!

STrooper

When I trained for my first marathon (in 2013), I followed a plan (26 weeks) that had a minimum of 3 days per week of running. Two days of of short workouts (ramped up to 45 minutes to an hour max), usually Tuesday and Thursday, and then one day of a longer slow run that also gradually ramped up.

The plan wasn't designed for speed, but it was designed to finish and finish comfortably (or as comfortably as one can be doing your first marathon). The remarkable thing was (and quite a few disagree with this approach) the plan took you beyond the 32k distance by including one at 37k three weeks later and a 42 k three weeks after that. Completion of that distance had a two fold purpose; to demonstrate that at a slow training pace that you could actually go the distance in something close to the course time limit; and, to extend the endurance building of the various muscles.

At the completion of that last full distance run you began a three week taper where you continued to do the two short runs during the week and stepped down on the long weekend runs to roughly half the distance (22k) the next weekend and 11k, the last weekend before the marathon.

I didn't sleep all that much the night before knowing I had to get up early, arrive early and then to have about a five hour run in front of me at a faster pace than I had trained with. Except for one misstep, everything went fine.

As was said above, trust your plan, trust your training, and if you did most of what you were supposed to do, you will be ready to go and you have earned the right to be in that group of runners.

The only thing beyond that is to NOT go out too fast on race day.

Roxiegirl2008

I think everyone goes through this when training for their first marathon. I know I did. A friend of mine once said "just remember when you want to stop running there are people who wished they could walk." I hear that every time I want to give up. I also have been known to tell my legs to shut up and the voice in my head that she is a lying "B" when I want to give up.

I was really worried the week before that I could not do it. I had to tell myself that I was strong, trained hard and could finish the race. I finally had to get out of my own head and just do it like nike says. I found myself enjoying the race. I mean the entire 26.2 miles I smiled and sang songs in my head.

Another piece of advise I got from my husband "plan your race and race your plan." Basically don't get off of what you have be training. For example it is really easy to go out hard and fast when the race starts and everyone is excited. I just had to keep telling myself you have 26.2 miles to go this is not a 5k. Race your plan.

Enjoy and let us know how it went! There are days when I still don't believe that I finished it.

CarsonRuns

If you keep telling yourself that you have a lot of self doubt, you'll start to believe yourself after a while.

valentine4

Such a good thread! Some really fantastic replies.

I'm like you and would be plagued with doubts especially coming up to my first ( and so far only) marathon.

To me a marathon isn't a race as much as an endurance test and about as mentally challenging as physically.

Knowing I was going to doubt myself I got lots of advice here and from experienced runners in my club.

Sometimes you have to just let go and trust - trust the training that you have put in, trust yourself, your legs and your heart, a higher power... My mantra was the word 'dig' then when the going got tough on the last few miles it changed to a very rude word, one I really hate and when I said it I thought of all the things that made me mad - my auntie had just passed away from cancer aged 49, my boss was a $$$..you get me. Anger is an emotion and sometimes you can turn it into a positive one for me better to be a bit angry than full of despair and that is where my head would take me. I know a bit nuts lol but I got over the line ( thats my profile pic)

A lovely lady runner told me once the training is done then once you have it in your heart and your head your legs will follow. I wrote head on my arm and heart on the other and again when I struggled I glanced at them and did a mental check going yep still have it in my heart/head.

Please please do let us all know how you get on, trust me you can do it. Best of luck x

lporter229

CarsonRuns wrote: »

If you keep telling yourself that you have a lot of self doubt, you'll start to believe yourself after a while.

Very true. And to expand on what everyone has said about trusting in your training, that's easier to do if you pick a training plan that is appropriate to your level. If you pick one that is too aggressive, you may have trouble finishing runs and that will shatter your confidence regarding the race. On the other hand, if you pick one that is too easy and you don't challenge yourself, you may have missed out on a critical part of that confidence building that you need. It's all part of the bigger picture that is the strategy of the marathon. Believe in yourself! You can do it!!

yusaku02

mzbek24 wrote: »

How can you try to get yourself to believe you can achieve a race, if your training doesn't go that distance and you never have run that far?

I had suffered a knee injury about 4 weeks before my marathon and was terrified my knee would just give out at some point during the race. During a few of my runs leading up to the marathon I came up with a little mantra that I just kept reciting in my head while I ran. "My knee is strong because I am strong." Kinda lame but I honestly think it helped (mentally, obviously it didn't help my knee). I must have recited that in my head at least a thousand times during the actual race too. So maybe try developing an encouraging mantra of your own?