Have you ever heard someone say that running is 99% mental? OK, yes, I've said it before too... it's probably not totally true... but I would say it's at least 50% mental. I do believe you have to put in the miles to reap the rewards, but the head can be a powerful barrier.Before I popped out a triumverate of munchkins, I was an engineer... which means my mind is prone to logic only. It means that for me, I really thought it all revolved around the physical training. And I sort of winced at people who touted "it's all mental". Yeah, whatever... if it were just mental, I would be running Badwater! I had heard people talking about "visualizing" the race, which to me, honestly, sounded really ridiculous.
It took a lot of running for me to understand the mental game... both how tough it can be and how absolutely crucial it is to a good race... how a positive attitude can literally turn a so-so race into a triumph. Also, how saying "I can't" can take every single ounce of fight out of a person for the entire rest of the race... all of a sudden everything seems insurmountable.
But what I really wanted to talk about is how training contributes to the ultimate mental game. Have you ever asked or been asked - when does running get easier? I don't know that it ever gets "easier" per se. I still have bad days, good days, and so-so days. It's always a push, even if I'm not in misery like on the bad days. So why train... if it's just going to hurt, why put yourself through it time and time again before the race. To me, the absolute most powerful tool to have in your mental toolbox is the "I know I can."
At this point in my running, if someone asks me to get up on any given day and run 12 miles, I wouldn't even flinch or question if I could do it. I'd just gladly accept and get out there. The truth is, I might struggle just as much through that 12 miles as a beginner doing it for the first time. The difference is that "I Know I Can." The I-Know-I-Can is very powerful in the mental battle. If you've done 26.2, what's that last couple miles in a half? If you've done 13.1, what's that last mile in a 10k. You *know* you can conquer the distance. You've done it before. And no matter how much it hurts or is uncomfortable, there's something in your mind that keeps repeating back all the occassions you have pushed for this long (or even much longer) before. I might not be able to do it at the pace I want, but on any given day, I know I have the stamina and mental capability of going a certain distance. This is crucial for me... and fortunately, I feel confident in it. The "I can't"s only start to creep in when I hit new distances... I try to tune them out, but I'm human... it happens... but I have amazed myself at my ability to endure some pretty dreadful runs because I-Know-I-Can.Do you know you can?
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19 comments:
99% mental, and the other 50% is physical.
hmmm ... you must teach math :)
I agree totally with you. The time in my training when I do the best is when I stop thinking and start just being present while doing.
I once did some double blind research and found that running is 42.783645% mental on average.
Yeah, you need physical strength to run, but I believe the mind is always ultimately stronger than the body.
What a great post. It reallly hit home today. Sometimes my mind plays with me.
The mental game is a huge part of it, especially in hill climbing as a cyclist. We cyclists also have a saying regarding if it ever gets easier ...... "It never gets easier, just faster!"
Truer words have never been shared. I learned mighty early on that running is very much a mental battle.
I totally agree with the main point, that "I Can" or "I Can't" makes a huge difference....I still think it's more than 50% mental :)
And I would love to be able to get out of bed on any given day and run 12 miles!
It's so much mental for me! I just need to get up and over the walls I put up for myself!
This is a GREAT post! It's so true and I tell myself the same thing a lot. And if I know I can because I have before, I know I can push myself just a little bit more :) You explained it in a great way.
Love this!! You are awesome!! Love the last paragraph!
Funny, going into marathon day, I had the hardest time understanding how I would go out there and run that last 6.2 miles having never trained that far. When I was at mile 18 I was shocked at how (relatively) good I felt. When I hit 20, I couldn't believe I was still going strong. 22? Still riding the high. It wasn't until mile 23 that my thirst overtook my desire to push my running. But, I never doubted that I could finish. I just knew it would take more time. Thankful I didn't have to battle my mind and convince it it could finish. Can't wait to do it again!
How many marathons have you done?? Is this just the 1st timer marathon crazy high or does it hit every time??
Great post! In gymnastics, I never understood how people could be "afraid" or experience fear while doing a sport where accidently killing yourself wasn't one of the legit concerns. Like in basketball. I had a real fear of smacking my head on the balance beam. It wasn't until I started running and running fast that I started to get "fear" or "stressed" about getting a certain time or distance goal. I wasn't going to "die" or have major bodily injury if I messed up, but I would be upset.
I am going to be putting your "I Know I Can" to the test next weekend. I am doing my first race where I travel far and need a hotel. It is a half Ironman. I did one locally already just to have that "I know I can" feeling before hauling my family far away and spending a TON of money and get rid of the "fear" of the DNF since I did a month ago, I CAN do it again this weekend.
Crazy how most marathon plans don't have you run more than 20-22 miles. It made those last 6.2 miles nervewracking that first time, since it was uncharted territory for the mind and body!
Great post! I agree that doing a longer distance is totally easier if you've done it before, even if it's double digits. I haven't done double digits since you helped me train for my first HM, but knowing that I could will make the goal less intimidating when I do start to train again.
I love this post leslie. Running will always be hard for me no matter how great of shape I'm in. It's not an easy sport and if it was everyone would do it! I love when people say running is boring. My followup to that is always "You don't stop running because you're bored, you stop because it's too hard for you." That usually shuts people right up.
My coach in college was a world class runner and I remember crying one day that even the warmup was hard for me and she said "It's hard for me too, when it gets too easy, its time to quit." I like that. Because you can always push yourself even more : )
Great post!!! Obviously the physical part of being able to run (especially distance) is huge, but I have definitely found that the mental part is huge too. Mentally, when I stay positive, i have a better race. When I am confident, I run better. When I am ok with being "uncomfortable" because I am running hard, I am faster. And that mental drive and determination is what gets me up every morning and keeps me running. Great post!
Great post and I know I can! And even though I haven't done my first marathon yet, I know I can because for me, I tell myself I must succeed, I will succeed. That is my mental game or pre-run prep.
I have noticed my husband has a completely different game and I am not letting it get to me anymore. He is in the process of training for his first half and I am keeping my advice quiet unless he asks for it. But I have noted that prior to each run he goes through a lot of negative self-talk. I picked the wrong course, I may just walk back, etc. I have concluded he needs to give himself permission to fail before running. I tell myself failure is not an option and go out a run!
Thanks for this posts Lesley! I'm laughing at Andrew and Patrick.
You are so right on the mental aspect...wish there was speedwork for that! ha! Oh, and tomorrow in my WIAW I am giving you a shout out...snap peas may or may not be present! :)
THANK YOU FOR THIS POST! I love it!!!!!
I can totally relate to what you are saying from Marathon training, but sometimes I just need to hear it again........and again.
I know my attitude directly effects my run - even when I don't feel well physically, I can push through in my mind and I always have a better run.
Thanks, again! This has given me such a pep talk for this afternoon - I just might go out and run when I originally had 10 thousand excuses why it would not go my way today!!!!! :)
I've been using this while doing Insanity. I tell myself I can do anything for 3 1/2 minutes (the interval lengths) and then I give everything I can. I tell myself I can easily get up for a 3.5 morning run even when I am tired because once I start running I end up getting all my miles in. I tell myself I have to start but after 10 minutes I can stop if I still want to...I never do.
It's all mental!
This whole thinking is what got me to the Seattle start line! I mean I had been doing FIVE miles TOTAL per week leading up to it because it was too painful to run. I got to that start line, began with a smile, finished with a smile - no pain. And now I can tell myself I've done it four times!
This is a great post! Sometimes the biggest battle I have is with myself and the negativity that tries to pop into my head.
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