Train the mind to mind the train!
Running isn’t just about putting one foot in front of the other. So much of this is mental, and I don’t mean that it’s nuts! When it comes to long distance running, be it a training stint or marathon runs, mental toughness becomes one of those important prerequisites.
Not many around discuss the mental challenge associated with marathons and marathon training. Unfortunately, it happens to be ‘vital’ if not ‘the most vital’ part of it! If you are not in the right headspace, you have lost it even before it’s begun. Whether you are steering yourself to the first marathon, or your 25th, the age-old adage about running being 90% mental, holds good. Irrespective of whether you are an elite runner pushing through the last miles of a marathon, or the weekend warrior trying to get out of your bed to complete one of those long runs, sharpening your mental fortitude takes the front seat.
Why is it so?
Your Mental Makeup Impacts Your Physical Prowess
The brain, our Central Governor, has the ability to allow or limit endurance performance more than the body. Scientifically proven to the boot, this Tim Noakes theory stresses on how the brain, holds us back from not letting us explore the body’s true potential. To put it in colloquial terms – your mind gives up far before your body will!
The Brain is the Boss!
The brain rules the roost when it comes to body functionality. It orders the body what to do and what not to do. Once you learn to coax the brain out of cowering under physical stress, you will find yourself having a little more stamina, ability to run a little faster and push yourself a little harder!
Eventually, it all boils down to tricking your brain to give more leeway to the body, invariably granting it the consensus to go harder than the perceived level of physical exertion.
So, how do we do it?
Distract! Divert! Detract!
If you can’t convince it, confuse it! This popular axiom with a tinge of humour fits our cause to the hilt. Confuse the brain with imaginary, yet realistic scenarios; give it something it likes, something that would prompt it to send happy, encouraging and motivational signals to the body. Elite runners often have their way of shelving distractions. I have drafted a list of my own that will help keep your head in the game during training stints and also on the D-Day.
The Tricks up My Sleeve
Engage in Positive Self-Talk
More often than not, the inner voice determines how good or bad we approach anything in life. Hence, a motivational and inspiring mind voice can trigger a positive reaction of the body. Positive self-talk is a very pragmatic mental strategy for endurance training and long distance running. Think and say a few things that can inspire your brain to send out the right signals. Avoid negativity totally, direct your thoughts on how you want to be…you can say things like…
– Keep running… you are just there…
– Completing this run will boost my confidence levels
– I am going to treat myself after this run
– If it was easy, everyone would be doing it…. you are special, push more
– You can do this; it’s a doable thing
Visualise
Envisioning yourself doing or experiencing something positive, ignites the mind; fires up the same neurons that are triggered when you are actually experiencing it, thereby invoking a positive response from the body. However, it’s pertinent to visualise realistic stuff, not fantasies, as the brain is smart enough to identify the difference between the two. Like the prior discussed point, it is important that the visualisation radiates positivity. Some insiders on the things you can visualise….
– Spectators cheering for you
– How the finishing line will look like, how a podium finish will make you feel
– Crossing the finishing line with the clock displaying the time you’re shooting for
– Your friends and family standing near the finishing line
– An awesome run that felt so easy
– Running with minimal effort and in a relaxed mental state
Set Small Goals
Breaking up your runs into smaller goals is another way to trick the mind into euphoria, which pumps a little more adrenaline, adding that extra spring to your feet! Having small manageable chunks makes it easier to complete a run, focus on the set that you are in, not the total mileage for the day. The main idea is not to think too far ahead – never think of the 42 kms or the 3 hrs of the long run; no matter how positive a mind frame, such numbers if flashed, may cause an adverse reaction and mental fatigue can kick in even before you know it. Be in the zone always, in the moment, at the present, set goals that are in front of your eyes, reachable, yet at a fair distance, like…
– A lamppost in the front.
– Chunking the long runs into 15 minute tasks.
– One fuel station to the next.
– One milestone to the next.
– If listening to songs on your playlist, one song at a time.
However, it is important to keep setting these small goals on the move. If you frequent the running route, then you can probably get into this mindset even before you kick-start your run.
Making it a Routine (or) Making it an Anticipated Ritual
When running becomes a daily routine, the body fine tunes itself to combat demotivating signals from the brain. An unquestioning devotion to your running schedule is the key to living the double life of a runner and mere mortal! Inculcate running into your lifestyle to experience the best results. When I say routine, it is not just about the running, going through the motions and rituals too matters. I’ve listed a few here…
– Keep your running shoes ready in a place where you see it first thing in the morning.
– Sleeping in your running gear so that you don’t have to change.
– Stepping out of the door once the sneakers are on.
– Organising your fluids for the run.
Insider Tip: Putting your running routine on the front end of the day is perfect. This way you avoid problems, excuses or distractions. It kind of becomes the first thing you do when you get up, day in and day out.
Murmur a Mantra / affirmation
You needn’t be a Sanskrit scholar to do this! By Mantra, I mean anything that keeps your spirits high. It can be a quote, a slogan, an inspirational message that will fire up your engine. What you choose must be able to keep the flame ablaze, to get you out of your bed, to push you to clock those miles, to inspire you not to give up when you feel that your cylinders have run out of gas! Just to get you going, I am giving you some examples of mantras that have helped runners both beginners and stalwarts alike…
– I run like the wind.
– I always finish strong.
– I am light and fast.
– I am a born runner.
– I am getting better and stronger with every step.
– Pain is Temporary; Pride is forever!
Get Someone Else to Create a Music Playlist
Nothing inspires like good music! Irrespective of whether you are a music lover or not, a fast beat, a favourite tune, a peppy number can get you going on a run. Music sends happy signals to the brain, pumping more adrenaline into your system. To make it more interesting, let someone else create your playlist for you. The sudden surprise of listening to a number that you haven’t heard in a while or something fresh that spikes up your senses can be the right stimulus for your brain. Some hit numbers that serve as inspiration…
– “Eye of the tiger” by Survivor
– “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
– “Numb” by Linkin Park
– “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson
– “November Rain” by Guns N Roses
Insider Tip: Now that you have your list ready, don’t turn it on the moment you step out, save it for the time you actually will need it – say for the last hour of the run, once you cross the 21 kms mark, etc. Use it as a Brahmastra, when it’s absolutely necessary!
Smile for More Miles
A smile has the power to vanquish all your fears, worries and fatigue. Apart from bringing cheer to you, it can add a little cheer to others as you run past them. The ploy is to make the brain believe that you are having fun. The more you smile, the happier you feel. Happy emotions kindle the synapses in our brain thereby triggering energy boost.
Train the Mind to Mind the Train!
A podium finish or crossing the finishing line precisely the time you have set your mind at, is the dream of every marathoner. There could be days and events where your dream will be realised. However, you need to embrace the fact that not every day or run is going to be a great one. On days when adversity decides to tango with you and your mental prowess is put to the test, is when you grow as a runner. Remember, Practice makes perfect! Do not wait for the day to stare adversity in the face, start today, train your mind to embrace it, trick your brain to overcome it, and suddenly you will find that the insurmountable becomes possible!
On your next run, when you feel that all odds are stacked against you, stay positive, find your inspiration, focus your mind and get those additional miles in. Once, you know how to train the mind, the mind will train to take you further than you thought was possible.
Jayanth Murali is based at Chennai, India. One fine day, he decided to substitute smoking with running. Now an avid runner, he has never looked back since then. He has done a bunch of marathons and half marathons over the years. When he is not working, he is usually running or helping people discover the endorphins of endurance.
