Runners: What is your mantra?

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  • christinehetz80
    christinehetz80 Posts: 490 Member
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    Feel it, Fight it, Finish It
    The body achieves what the mind believes
    If you can dream it you can do it
    Just one more mile...one more mile
    DAGSSSS I got more jiggle in my bootay than jello wigglers..better keep running
  • bluepacific71
    bluepacific71 Posts: 14
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    "If it were easy everyone would do it"
  • BlondeToast
    BlondeToast Posts: 38
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    So many good replies!! If I feel like slowing to a walk, I always ask myself why . . . "mind, legs, or lungs?", if I can't answer myself, I tell myself to stop being lazy and keep going . . . if I can, I take a minute breather, then keep going. I also tell myself over and over that my body is a machine, this is what it is built for . . . that helps me to both keep going and kick it up a notch.

    Well said! I always say to myself it's mind over matter. If I start thinking too much about my legs I notice them more and it's tempting to stop (sounds silly but it's true).
  • skinnyjeanssss
    skinnyjeanssss Posts: 8
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    i don't really have a mantra. i just change the song on my iPod, tell myself i can walk when it's over, and switch songs right before it ends and repeat.
  • kuregisto
    kuregisto Posts: 124 Member
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    I haven't got a very good pace, so for running events in general (every 5k, 10k, Half/Full marathon) I always use the mantra, "I'll finish. I won't finish well, but I'll finish."

    When I find myself mentally ticked at myself when seeing children / grandparents / parents pushing the racing strollers (seriously? I hate seeing those on the course during an event - I've been clipped by them twice) pass me by, I always have to remind myself, "I'm not racing *them*, I'm racing *me*."

    But back to the original topic of the thread, when I'm digging deep to keep going, I pick out arbitrary waypoints on my path as individual goals: "OK, just make it to that next mailbox / lamp post / oil stain on the road / whatever."
  • LoggingForLife
    LoggingForLife Posts: 504 Member
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    There is a sign in front of the treadmill that says "push panic button in case of emergency". I tend to find myself staring at the word panic....but then I focus on the word "push" and just keep repeating it.

    And I swear a lot, very quietly.
  • Faintgreeneyes
    Faintgreeneyes Posts: 730 Member
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    I more or less will say to myself- run till the end of the street, see how you feel. Which keeps me moving. or "you can;t stop now, you have to get your *kitten* home".

    The toughest part for me is the end of my run, when I am close and things hurt and I want to stop then I go " It doesn't matter how you started or what you did in the middle, its how you finish- your gonna F*ckin finish this, and finish it strong!!"

    During easy runs I just let me mind wander, and always check out for creepy people- on tough ones I will concentrate on my breathing or my form, and make adjustments as necessary.
  • TraceyR68
    TraceyR68 Posts: 41 Member
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    "I don't quit when I'm tired .... I quit when I'm done."
  • Heaven71
    Heaven71 Posts: 706 Member
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    "I can run until...whatever goal I pick, then...wow I feel good, I bet I can run until...next goal chosen"
  • misticache
    misticache Posts: 364 Member
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    I didn't realize almost everyone does this stuff.. if I'm outside I also look to the next - tree, rock, house, street, etc.- if im inside on the treadmill I look at the time or distance and say, just til the next quarter mile, or for 2 more minutes. I also zone out, focus on a spot on the wall, or concentrate on my breathing.

    Haha, I do this when I'm on the treadmill too. I'll be like you only ran 2 minutes, for crying out loud at least go 5 minutes, then near 5 minute mark I start to get in groove and realize i've done a half mile and I talk myself into making it 3/4 a mile, and when I get there okay just another quarter to go. Before I know it I've ran 15 minutes and feel great and run another 5 - 10 minutes, then walk a mile for my cool down.
    :laugh:
  • zippo32
    zippo32 Posts: 1,419 Member
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    Small, achievable goals. Someone said landmarks, fence posts, hills, intersections, etc.
    Recently, I found myself saying, "I can do this for another minute".......................................When it really gets tough then, "I can do this for 20 seconds".
    .....................................I also luv the burger motivation.
  • sdrawkcabynot
    sdrawkcabynot Posts: 466 Member
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    When it's going fine I'm happy just to do a head clear- empty my mind of all those niggling thoughts etc. when it's tough, I tell myself 'run to the next post', 'run to the bridge' etc.


    ^^^ THIS! ^^^ I do the same exact thing... or if on the treadmill at the gym... "Do at least one more "lap"... and if I haven't passed out and my heart rate is still in the zone but not to elevated - i keep going!
  • danger_kitteh
    danger_kitteh Posts: 301 Member
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    I use my bootcamp chant

    "When do we quit? We don't quit"
    "How far do we go? All the way and then some!"
    "Attitude Check? HUA!"
  • mznisaelaine
    mznisaelaine Posts: 2,262 Member
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    Well when I do run I actually picture myself running at a track meet (I ran track since I wad 6-18 years old) and then my mantra was "Nisa you are almost there, you can do it" ...... Now that I'm getting back into running, I definitely do the same thing and say the same thing now. It seems like I just push even harder when I imagine myself during my athletic days. :)
  • sdrawkcabynot
    sdrawkcabynot Posts: 466 Member
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    I didn't realize almost everyone does this stuff.. if I'm outside I also look to the next - tree, rock, house, street, etc.- if im inside on the treadmill I look at the time or distance and say, just til the next quarter mile, or for 2 more minutes. I also zone out, focus on a spot on the wall, or concentrate on my breathing.

    Haha, I do this when I'm on the treadmill too. I'll be like you only ran 2 minutes, for crying out loud at least go 5 minutes, then near 5 minute mark I start to get in groove and realize i've done a half mile and I talk myself into making it 3/4 a mile, and when I get there okay just another quarter to go. Before I know it I've ran 15 minutes and feel great and run another 5 - 10 minutes, then walk a mile for my cool down.
    :laugh:

    Is it just me or are the first 10 mins the toughest? It seems like once you get past the first 10 mins - your heart rate calms down, your breathing becomes more even, and the running doesn't seem to be as hard on the body. That's my experience anyways.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Oh, I do that sometimes too. I count every time my left foot lands. I know exactly how far 1/4 mile is by what number I'm on! :)

    I'm a bass player, I can only count to 4.......:happy:
  • Il_DaniD_lI
    Il_DaniD_lI Posts: 1,593 Member
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    I didn't realize almost everyone does this stuff.. if I'm outside I also look to the next - tree, rock, house, street, etc.- if im inside on the treadmill I look at the time or distance and say, just til the next quarter mile, or for 2 more minutes. I also zone out, focus on a spot on the wall, or concentrate on my breathing.

    Haha, I do this when I'm on the treadmill too. I'll be like you only ran 2 minutes, for crying out loud at least go 5 minutes, then near 5 minute mark I start to get in groove and realize i've done a half mile and I talk myself into making it 3/4 a mile, and when I get there okay just another quarter to go. Before I know it I've ran 15 minutes and feel great and run another 5 - 10 minutes, then walk a mile for my cool down.
    :laugh:

    Is it just me or are the first 10 mins the toughest? It seems like once you get past the first 10 mins - your heart rate calms down, your breathing becomes more even, and the running doesn't seem to be as hard on the body. That's my experience anyways.

    For me it's the first 17 minutes that are the hardest for some reason lol..and the last 5.
  • sixisCHANGEDjk
    sixisCHANGEDjk Posts: 243
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    I am a precisional instrument of speed and aeromatics. Did I say that right?

    Don't really have one I suppose. Might have to pick up a few here.
  • LoveleeB
    LoveleeB Posts: 560 Member
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    I like to chant "bikini bottoms". lol
  • Faintgreeneyes
    Faintgreeneyes Posts: 730 Member
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    I didn't realize almost everyone does this stuff.. if I'm outside I also look to the next - tree, rock, house, street, etc.- if im inside on the treadmill I look at the time or distance and say, just til the next quarter mile, or for 2 more minutes. I also zone out, focus on a spot on the wall, or concentrate on my breathing.

    Haha, I do this when I'm on the treadmill too. I'll be like you only ran 2 minutes, for crying out loud at least go 5 minutes, then near 5 minute mark I start to get in groove and realize i've done a half mile and I talk myself into making it 3/4 a mile, and when I get there okay just another quarter to go. Before I know it I've ran 15 minutes and feel great and run another 5 - 10 minutes, then walk a mile for my cool down.
    :laugh:

    Is it just me or are the first 10 mins the toughest? It seems like once you get past the first 10 mins - your heart rate calms down, your breathing becomes more even, and the running doesn't seem to be as hard on the body. That's my experience anyways.

    For me the first mile pretty much sucks- everything after that is cake until the last 3 tenths when I am rounding the corner to get home.

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