Running - the mind blocks

Shannon023
Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
edited September 18 in Fitness and Exercise
ARGH!!! :explode:

I KNOW I can make it up this one stupid hill, but my brain stops me every dern time!!! It's not the longest, it's not the steepest...but I always walk the last 20 yards regardless!!! :explode:

I want to do a 1/2 marathon in August, but my brain tells me a 10k that that's all I can do. :explode:

I need to rent a rabid doberman to nip at my butt on these runs!!!!!!! :mad:

How do ya'll overcome the self doubt when training???

Replies

  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    ARGH!!! :explode:

    I KNOW I can make it up this one stupid hill, but my brain stops me every dern time!!! It's not the longest, it's not the steepest...but I always walk the last 20 yards regardless!!! :explode:

    I want to do a 1/2 marathon in August, but my brain tells me a 10k that that's all I can do. :explode:

    I need to rent a rabid doberman to nip at my butt on these runs!!!!!!! :mad:

    How do ya'll overcome the self doubt when training???
  • beep
    beep Posts: 1,242 Member
    Mkeithly has voices in her head telling her to run or she's going to get a knife in her back....:laugh: seriously, she's a great runner, check out her posts.
  • ali106
    ali106 Posts: 3,754 Member
    you know what I do....lol oh this is gonna show how Shallow I am...but okay I run out on the street...and there is always traffic and I make myself think...omg all these people are gonna say...omg well she's outta shape if I give up on this hill! AND if I make it they'll be really impressed....:frown: :ohwell: I can't believe I just typed this out loud!!! lol but whatever works right!

    I actually don't use that trick now, that was before when I was super self conscious about running...doesn't work on me now so I just say do it! do it! do it!...its not that hard girl!...you can totally do this!...its almost over!...you're gonna be soooo proud of yourself!!! and then I say...and if you just do it this ONE time I won't make you do it again!!!.........of course I lie! :bigsmile:

    hugs and good luck!
    Ali
  • Deargan
    Deargan Posts: 18
    I have to agree with Ali, I don't want people to see me walking. I don't think it's shallow, it's a self concious thing with me. And I also try to concentrate on how awesome I'm going to feel when I do it. I'm also trying to train for a half marathon in August, but it's really not going well. I'm just not ready to give up yet.
  • mkeithley
    mkeithley Posts: 399
    you know what I do....lol oh this is gonna show how Shallow I am...but okay I run out on the street...and there is always traffic and I make myself think...omg all these people are gonna say...omg well she's outta shape if I give up on this hill! AND if I make it they'll be really impressed....:frown: :ohwell: I can't believe I just typed this out loud!!! lol but whatever works right!

    hugs and good luck!
    Ali
    OMG-I am the same way!!!! Where I run is close to my kids school and there is a trail that runs by my work. So people honk at me all of the time, the trail is full of other moms i know and my coworkers sometimes walk it in the morning while they are smoking:sick:. My co workers constantly give me a hard time about my healthy eating habits, how much I run, biking to work, etc. There is no way in h*ll I'm walking.
    For me the first mile/mile and a half is the hardest. That's when my negaitive tapes in my head say "I can't, I'm too tired, Why Lord, why am I doing this" So I have to do jedi mind tricks with myself almost the entire time. I say I'm just running to 1.5 and then I'm going back. Then I say ok I'll do 2 and then go back and so on. Then I'm at mile 4/5/6 and I am so pumped saying to myself "Damn girl, you are tough, 2 more miles-ain't no thang":laugh:
    Then on the way back home I have to say ok, just run to the end of this street and if you are that tired you can walk, except I don't, i tell myself to go 2 more, then I can walk, but I don't b/c I'm like well I only have 4 more blocks, so I might as well run and it will be over sooner:tongue:
    Before I get to a hill I switch my ipod to a really hard/fast/amped up song , then I just pump my arms harder which makes me go faster(trick from my track days:smile: ) and then I just dig my legs in the hill, in my mind I'm saying "pump, pump, dig, dig" then when I'm at the top I slow my pace down quite a bit to allow myself to recover, then it's Run Forest, Run again:laugh:
    That's what this old bird does anyway.
    Kudos for having the guts run a race. Watch out they are addicting. My running friends and I now search for the 5ks with the best prizes-awful I know. :tongue: :blushing:
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    OMG-I am the same way!!!! Where I run is close to my kids school and there is a trail that runs by my work. So people honk at me all of the time, the trail is full of other moms i know and my coworkers sometimes walk it in the morning while they are smoking:sick:. My co workers constantly give me a hard time about my healthy eating habits, how much I run, biking to work, etc. There is no way in h*ll I'm walking.
    For me the first mile/mile and a half is the hardest. That's when my negaitive tapes in my head say "I can't, I'm too tired, Why Lord, why am I doing this" So I have to do jedi mind tricks with myself almost the entire time. I say I'm just running to 1.5 and then I'm going back. Then I say ok I'll do 2 and then go back and so on. Then I'm at mile 4/5/6 and I am so pumped saying to myself "Damn girl, you are tough, 2 more miles-ain't no thang":laugh:
    Then on the way back home I have to say ok, just run to the end of this street and if you are that tired you can walk, except I don't, i tell myself to go 2 more, then I can walk, but I don't b/c I'm like well I only have 4 more blocks, so I might as well run and it will be over sooner:tongue:
    Before I get to a hill I switch my ipod to a really hard/fast/amped up song , then I just pump my arms harder which makes me go faster(trick from my track days:smile: ) and then I just dig my legs in the hill, in my mind I'm saying "pump, pump, dig, dig" then when I'm at the top I slow my pace down quite a bit to allow myself to recover, then it's Run Forest, Run again:laugh:
    That's what this old bird does anyway.
    Kudos for having the guts run a race. Watch out they are addicting. My running friends and I now search for the 5ks with the best prizes-awful I know. :tongue: :blushing:

    "Run Forest, Run!" - ROFL!! :laugh: I'll have to remember that one.

    I love the organized runs too. I seem to run harder/walk less in those. Maybe because I like to focus on a hunky guy & try to keep pace with him. :bigsmile:
  • Mireille
    Mireille Posts: 5,134 Member
    lol
    I don't like hills very much either. I always chant "fit to fight, to have a good life" from Billy Blanks over and over in my head when I get to a tuff hill. Sometimes it feels like I can walk it faster but I don't let myself stop.
    On most runs I set one ultimate goal but I also set mini goal in between. So, I'll be running and there is a steep hill, I say to myself "I just need to make it up that hill and if I really need to stop after the hill, I can stop". But once I've made it up, I really don't want to stop anymore.
    We also have these "take forever to get to the top" kind of hills in my neighborhood. They aren't steep but take like 10 minutes to get to the top. My legs burn so much after those hills!!
  • julie737
    julie737 Posts: 406 Member
    Thanks for those posts--they give me inspiration to push myself harder. I think my running workouts have gotten into somewhat of a rut. When my kids get out of school in a WEEK AND A HALF [what?:noway:] I'll be able to run outside more often instead of the good ol' treadmill. Sure as shootin' I'll be doing some of those jedi mind tricks! :laugh:

    I'd love to hear more workout mantras you use to push yourself--not just running! For now, mine just revolves around burning more calories so I can eat more that day. Pathetic, I know...:blushing:
  • mhsrnmz
    mhsrnmz Posts: 86 Member
    There is one big hill about 1 1/2 mi into my usual nieghborhood route. What helped me was burning a music CD that helped me pace better before the hill. For the hill I have a song with a slower steady beat that I could concentrate on, instead of my huffing and puffing, LOL! At first when I really struggled I would focus on the song and if my mind wandered I would think about the 1/2 mile flat recovery comming up. HTH!
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
    With me I usually turn on a rage song like "about you" by souldium there is a part of the song (omg the guys voice I think is sexy lol) he screams and it's like a build up where that is when I usually sprint...

    And I also picture something that pissed me off that day or week and just PUSH it out!!!

    You will get it we have faith in you girl just your motivation to want do a marathon inspires me:happy:
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