The Mental Game in Running

4legsRbetterthan2
4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
in Motivation and Support
I am trying to become a runner and I hit walls big time with the mental part of it. I love the idea of being a runner and all the awesome health benefits that come with it. I can get myself out the door, I just have a really hard time really pushing it and breaking through those berriers to keep improving once I am out there. Is anyone in the same boat or remember when they were and can give me some advice or tips.

Thanks :)

Replies

  • smarionette
    smarionette Posts: 260 Member
    I know where you are coming from. It is hard to get out there and push further or faster with your running. Honestly running can get boring. Your workout mix gets stale. The scenery is lost.

    When I feel myself getting this way I'll do what I can to change it up, like a different route, or doing intervals. Change the playlist, maybe listen to a podcast instead. Put away the sneakers and hop on my bike instead of a run. Just allowing that bit of change helps me.
  • beabria
    beabria Posts: 541 Member
    I'm a beginner in much the same place as you are, so I don't know how useful my advice will be. But, I had a minor breakthrough on running for increasing durations yesterday. I use an app on my phone that tells me when to stop and start running, so I don't really need to check time. But I do it anyway. I figured that this was good motivation (i.e. only two more minutes, etc.). But yesterday, I found that if I stopped doing this, my performance improved and I enjoyed it a little more. When I was checking time, I found that I was bracing myself - physically - for the exertion that I was going to need. This had the effect of making me physically and mentally more tired. But, when I stopped checking, I was able to loosen my muscles and the increased distance didn't seem so impossible. I don't know how helpful that is for you, but I thought I'd give it a shot. :)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    If its only mental and not pain/injuries, keep at it young lady.

    Music helps me go longer distances as well as running through a beautiful trail, beach, state park etc...

    Once you discover what is your slow speed is, run slower than that.

    Stay consistent with your distance and add 10% or what ever you can do a week.

    Perhaps run with a friend.

    It doesn't happen overnight, but you will break through sooner than you think. It took me about a little more than a month to actually relax and enjoy.

    PM if you have any questions or just need to talk about more specific advice.

    Goodluck!! :)
  • dwh77tx
    dwh77tx Posts: 513 Member
    That's so funny because I really think most of running is mental. Me personally, I've never been a runner. I have always been an exerciser though and consider myself in good shape. I ran my first 10K a few weeks ago and did great. Today, I also ran a 10K. I set out this am to only do 5 miles, then I said to myself, how about 5.5, then I said, well, you are almost done, just do 6.2.
    For me, there are a few key things that help me have a great run-
    1. a yummy pre-run snack ( I run first thing in the am)
    2. a great playlist with a few new songs each time
    3. I like to run EARLY- when it's practically still night out. Then by the time I'm finished the sun is coming out.
    4. Make sure you have proper running shoes- this has made a HUGE difference for me.
    5. during the run, just keep telling yourself YOU CAN DO IT!
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Hate to break it to you, but you will always have to battle with the mental game. The battle eventually gets easier to combat, but those feelings of "Oh, I want to sleep in," or "I am too sore for this today," always creep up. So here is what I do, I have personal mantras that I have trained myself to think of when I feel that mental wall start to close in. Things like, "Look how far you have come," or "You can do this," things like that. Mentally, my mind immediately brings them up if I feel myself starting to slip into a wall. I don't have to really think about those anymore, my mind will just pop them in my head.

    Another thing I use, and this is sort of another mantra, I remember how awesome I feel after I get done with my run. I remember how "b*tchy" I made myself out to be, complaining about the run and how I ached, how I wanted to sleep in, etc... And then I look at how tall and how strong I feel once I have completed it. And the later feelings always out weigh the ones I had in the begining.

    Even when that run ends up sucking (and yes some of my runs suck hard core), I still see them as good runs because I pushed through and completed them.
  • LearnFromTheRed
    LearnFromTheRed Posts: 294 Member
    When I ran 3km, a colleague of mine told me to never, ever do less than that because now I knew I could do it. Something in that really got to me. I've now gone much further distances but have never gone less than 3km since - and often done far more than I think I will simply because 'now I know I can do it'.
  • AdobeTree
    AdobeTree Posts: 49 Member
    I've been running since April (Thanks to C25K). I just finished my second 5k and I run 9 miles a week regularly....that's still so weird to say. I'm currently reading "Zen and the Art of Running" and I recommend it. At first my running was pretty dependent of the music and having fresh scenery, but it is slowly changing to be an exercise in meditation. My best advice is to push a little every time, and keep going. Even if it feels like failure, persistence will turn it into an adventure and something you never imagined.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    If you don't have a heart rate monitor, get one. And use this website to help you set your target heart rate and miles. That helped me tremendously, because I had a written out plan and I found out I didn't have to run as hard as I thought I did to get fit. Led me to my PRs. Good luck!

    http://www.coolrunning.com/
  • RachelFrost1
    RachelFrost1 Posts: 46 Member
    I went from hating running to doing a 5K and then deciding to do a half marathon, so it was very new to me. I got a training plan from runnersworld.com and decided that if I wanted to be able to complete the race, I had to stick to the training plan or else I was going to be very disappointed in myself come race day. Whenever I felt like I needed to stop or I didn't feel like running I just reminded myself that if I didn't do it, I wasn't going to be able to complete the half marathon. Finding a new route is also helpful. The same old route gets quite boring. I find that when I don't have a race to train for, it's very hard to run consistently.
  • anna_louise90
    anna_louise90 Posts: 86 Member
    Er my technique is a bit weird, but it makes me run faster and I enjoy it a lot more!

    If I see another runner, I like to pretend I am chasing them lol! (Don't actually follow them home though or get super close or you may be labelled as a stalker) Seriously, it makes the time fly by, just pick someone at a suitable distance (so you won't ever catch up to them unless they stop) but are in your line of sight.
  • tabbydog
    tabbydog Posts: 4,925 Member
    Sign up for a race, depending on your current fitness level a 5K or 10K, download a training program online, and stick to it. I like the structure of a program, and having an event to train for will make you stick with it. Good luck!
  • hidbee
    hidbee Posts: 52 Member
    Stick with it!

    I have reached a point in my running where I don't even realize I am running anymore. I get lost in my head and while it's silly, I literally feel like I am blacking out. Then all of a sudden--bam--six miles. I recently started boxing and it's quiet literally the most intense workout that I have ever had, but one thing my coach says that sticks with me in EVERY SINGLE WORKOUT I do is to push through it, get your second wind, and keep going.

    Your body is strong, and it CAN keep running, so don't let your brain convince you that you need to stop. Unless you are in excruciating pain, that is. With that being said, I ran a 5k this summer with two broken toes so even then, you are stronger than you think.

    What helps me:
    1) CONSTANTLY switching up my playlist. I am in a facebook group called "what's in your mix" and we are constantly giving each other updates on the songs that keep us motivated and quite frankly, are super fun to run to.
    2) Try using an app: I prefer the Nike Run app. There is a facebook link that will post when you begin a run, and if anyone likes or comments on the post, you can hear clapping and cheering while you're out there. It helps!!
    3) Eat a yummy pre/post snack! I like fruit (usually bananas), coconut water and turkey (CRAVE IT) after a good run
    4) Run with a buddy! Even if you're too winded to chat, it's helpful to have someone to run with you. Depending on where you live, there are some Nike Training Centers (in Chicago, one on Mich Av, and one in Lincoln Park) that do group runs. WAY FUN and completely free!
    5) Cute workout clothes can always help
    6) Don't be discourage/push yourself/compare yourself to other people. You are still out there getting a great work out in, and that is all that matters.
    7) Change your route. I used to stick with the same old boring route. Because I knew the miles, I knew the terrain.BORING. Find trails, or a new neighborhood to run through. My favorite (when all the Lance Armstrong wanna-be's are at home) is the lake path in Hyde Park (if it's not obvious----I live in Chicago).

    Feel free to add me! And if anyone in Chicago wants a buddy...I am always up for a good run!
  • beabria
    beabria Posts: 541 Member
    Hahaha, this is hilarious! I could never manage to chase other runners at the speeds I'm going right now, but I'll keep it in mind for when I'm faster!
    Er my technique is a bit weird, but it makes me run faster and I enjoy it a lot more!

    If I see another runner, I like to pretend I am chasing them lol! (Don't actually follow them home though or get super close or you may be labelled as a stalker) Seriously, it makes the time fly by, just pick someone at a suitable distance (so you won't ever catch up to them unless they stop) but are in your line of sight.
  • AdobeTree
    AdobeTree Posts: 49 Member
    I did this during my first 5k. I tried to catch up to the stroller pushers that were walking and jogging faster than me to assuage the embarrassment.... I passed some of them.....
  • JKDLady
    JKDLady Posts: 131 Member
    I'm a counter. I normally don't have a problem, but there are days that I could easily just turn around and go home. On those days, I choose something to count. Fire hydrants. Blue doors. Christmas trees. Yellow cars. You get the picture. It's enough to take my mind off of the running because I'm looking for whatever I'm counting.

    Things will get easier. I had a fantastic run yesterday, and I really appreciated it. I ran faster than normal, I think, because I was really enjoying it.

    Good luck to you and keep it up!

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