When I am running my milnd tells me to stop

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  • Fabnover40Kat
    Fabnover40Kat Posts: 300 Member
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    This helped me at the beginning and I still refer to it when I want to give up!

    Now if you going to win any battle you have to do one thing.
    You have to make the mind run the body.
    Never let the body tell the mind what to do.
    The body will always give up.
    Its always tired morning noon and night.
    But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.
    When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night , and the body was never tired.
    You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going.

    George S Patton 1912 Olympian US Army General
  • jldaley09
    jldaley09 Posts: 219 Member
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    Im starting week 3 Day 1 of the C210K app. So im not running to long. But Sometimes i wonder if I should just run as long as I can and then walk for a little time and then run as long as I can.

    This is what I do. I started running a year and a half ago and it really helped me to just push myself at my own pace. I didn't use the app, I just did run/walk intervals. It is a very mental game .. this running stuff. I know my body is capable of much more than my mind thinks it is.
  • klynnshuck
    klynnshuck Posts: 33 Member
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    When I run, sometimes for the first mile, I suck nutcrackers. I am pathetic. Maybe around 1.5 miles in, I hit what I call the zone.

    Maybe you just need to find that place where your body has adjusted and you've hit the right "happy place."

    Exactly this. My first 1.5 miles I want to quit and call it good. But once I pass 1.5 I can go until my run is over.
  • stargazer008
    stargazer008 Posts: 531
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    Just push yourself and say that you can do this. Your body is truly capable of accomplishing great things. The mind just needs a bit of work and eventually the mind will agree with your body.
  • tinajean141
    tinajean141 Posts: 59
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    This may be weird, but I tell my mind right back "Okay, I'll stop," but then I just keep going. And whenever I think, "I want to stop" I tell myself, "Okay, go ahead and stop" and I tell myself and I can quit, but I just keep going. And I imagine myself sitting down and not running anymore and relaxing, but I still keep on running.

    It's almost like I mentally psych myself out of psyching myself out, if that makes sense.
  • BigBigBertha
    BigBigBertha Posts: 208 Member
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    You just gotta say no and keep going. I know that sounds pretty cut and dry, but it's pretty much all you can do. Try listening to music or running with a partner. Or set up goals that you wanna make. Like when I run outside I set up goals or "checkpoints" to get to.. like "Oh I'll sprint to that stop sign then walk to that tree, then jog this block etc etc".

    This is exactly. Set small goals about distance or time

    I do this when I'm flagging, and mostly I find that when I reach the 'checkpoint' I made the negative thoughts have gone and I'm happy to keep going! Good luck OP, I'm doing C25K too, and finding that mentality is half the battle.
  • iloveplaid
    iloveplaid Posts: 1
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    I tend to do the treadmill, only because I live in a heavily populated area with mucho traffic. I hate running in general, but I find I keep a more constant pace on the treadmill. It probably defeats the purpose, but on a treadmill, if I get to the point where I *HAVE* to stop, I can just stop. Whereas, if I'm out running, (as previously mentioned) I still have to come back. Sadly, my voice in my head says "you don't HAVE to RUN back," so I can't use that.

    Before I moved, there was a trail/path that I would run on, and I feel like I accomplish a better run when I go outside. It just seems to feel better. And like someone else, that first mile always takes the wind out of my sail, but once I get going, I'm fine.

    Wow, this made me realize I need my outdoor runs! I hope the weather gets nice soon!
  • mthr2
    mthr2 Posts: 158 Member
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    I'm also the crazy person that runs outside singing with my music.

    I do this! (And we have the same ticker thingy.) :)
  • r524reed
    r524reed Posts: 74 Member
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    If you feel you need to stop set small goals first like say ok I will stop when I hit one 1/2 mile. Then when you get to that point say ok I can do .25 more. Then keep doing that until you have to slow down. Then next time you run say oh I ran 1 mile yesterday so today I can do that. Once you hit that mark try doing a little more. Those small goals have me back to 3.5 miles. It is a mind game but it works for me.
  • r524reed
    r524reed Posts: 74 Member
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    This may be weird, but I tell my mind right back "Okay, I'll stop," but then I just keep going. And whenever I think, "I want to stop" I tell myself, "Okay, go ahead and stop" and I tell myself and I can quit, but I just keep going. And I imagine myself sitting down and not running anymore and relaxing, but I still keep on running.

    It's almost like I mentally psych myself out of psyching myself out, if that makes sense.


    Exactly the same thing I do !!!! Lol !!!!
  • swarla
    swarla Posts: 105 Member
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    This might sound strange but I start explaining the scientific/evolutionary reason for why my mind is feeling tired. I tell myself that the mind tells the body to give up way before the body actually gives out to protect it from overuse. This gets me focused on something else and helps me put things in perspective.
  • beckyboop712
    beckyboop712 Posts: 383 Member
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    Something that worked for me in high school was singing the most annoying song I could think of. Mostly children's songs. For example, "This is the song that doesn't end" or Barney's song. Not only did that make my runs feel like they were going faster but it made me run faster because I wouldn't let myself stop singing it until I was done! Anything to stop singing faster was good enough :-)
  • Melissaol
    Melissaol Posts: 952 Member
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    I do think I need new running shoes. That will help some. I went out with some friend tonight and I didn't drink. I had a pop. But I have decided that I'm not having a beer until after my 5 k.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    I went on the treadmill at the gym last night. There's so many stats being displayed I found it easy to keep going by telling myself - I'll just complete this lap, I'll just get to the end of this song, I'll just get the time up to a nice round number, I'll just get those calories burned up to the next 10..


    Another thing I find running is good for is writing. I know, sounds daft! But if you have anything to write - a letter, a report, a blog, a thread on MFP - let the words bounce around in your head while you run. They'll settle into a nice coherent order.
  • Clement1ne
    Clement1ne Posts: 82
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    "My mind's telling me no, But my body, my body's telling me yes "

    ..cough...sorry.

    Your mind will always make a million excuses, everyday, every workout, every meal. Your mind will make up some crap. This is because of the stories we tell ourselves. We tell ourselves something isn't going to be good, we tell ourselves something is going to be tiring, or hard. So our mind starts looking for escapes.

    You must realize that your body is FAR more powerful than your mind will ever allow you to realize, and your mind will quit long long before your body will.

    You just have to flip a mental switch and get after it.

    GREAT POST!
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    You know, I tried running for the first time in a very very long time the other day. After about half way around the block, my lungs started to hurt and i had this very recognizable taste of blood in my mouth and throat.

    Why does this happen?! I always got this back in high school. When it happens...I start to panic so I stop thinking something it wrong with me and Im going to die if I push myself any more.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    So ignore your mind. Mine tells me "I'm only doing 3km then that's enough" I get to 5km & once again it goes "only 6km then enough" I get to 10km & tell my mind....enough time to go home now.
  • slimster1970
    slimster1970 Posts: 65 Member
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    I've never been a runner till recently, but I love long distance walking and hill walking. I started running after seeing some of my other friends here achieve amazing things and mentally still prefer the walking, which was at a good pace.

    When I'm road running all I can do is focus on getting to the next lamp post, again and again and again. Eventually the run is over concentrating on these short gaps.
  • Froggyh
    Froggyh Posts: 81 Member
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    I count down from 100 when I have this problem, only counting on the inhales. This works really well for me because the more tired I am, the faster I'm breathing, so I also end up counting faster. When I'm not that tired, by the time I get to one it's been five minutes and whatever was making me want to stop before has become irrelevant (probably because my mind's now focussed on the counting rather than my sore calves or whatever).
  • Ben_1960
    Ben_1960 Posts: 97 Member
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    Every runner experiences this. I am just beginning to start running again and every time I do a 10k or 5k powerwalk/jog on the treadmill I go through this. Its just another contest you can win!

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