Running is beautiful. Running sucks. It's amazing and terrible. It challenges you and comforts you. Running tests you and resets you. It gets you high and calms you down. It's both bliss and blisters.
You love it and hate it. You want it to be over, and then you can't wait to sign up again. Never again. Perhaps tomorrow.
If any of that makes sense to you, you know that running is so much more than moving your legs down the road; More than training your cardiovascular system. To run your best, you also need to train your mental muscle, but it takes practice.
Here are seven strategies you can use to train your brain—your mental muscle—to run stronger.
USE POSITIVE SELF-TALK
Positive self-talk is a vehicle to quiet the inner negative talk. I remind myself I am strong and capable. Eliminating negative thoughts may not possible, so I acknowledge them and set aside. "I see you there, but I can't deal with you right now, I've got work to do."
I remind myself of my past achievements as a reminder that I am capable of more than I think.
Be kind to yourself. We often sling horrible words at ourselves than we would never dream of saying to another person, let alone someone we loved. When you’re too hard on yourself, stop and ask, “Would I talk this way to my best friend, my spouse, or anyone I loved?” What if someone talked that way about someone you loved? How would you defend them? Then use that same language to defend yourself against your inner critic.
You are good enough. You can do it. You are capable. You are stronger than you think.
be kind to yourself
USE MANTRAS
One way to reinforce a positive thought is to repeat a mantra during your run. It can be simple, silly, or meaningful. A mantra can drown out negative thoughts. A good mantra will emphasize how you want to feel. The key is to keep it short and sync your breathing and steps to your mantra. A mantra can help you focus or push through tough times.
You can do it; you rock
Strong legs; run with heart
Smooth stride; fast finish
You've trained for this!
You're fast; you're strong, you love to run long!
One, two, three, four, I am runner hear me roar!
There's no such thing as a silly mantra—It’s about what works for you. Experiment with a few and see what resonates with you out there on the run.
ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE
No one ever said running would be easy. Once you accept that there will be struggles along the way, you’ll be less shocked and surprised when it gets hard. Spoiler alert: It will get hard.
Remember that you willingly accepted this challenge. Think about how proud you will feel once you accomplish your goals. It's not supposed to be easy. If it were, it wouldn't be rewarding. You're in it for the challenge, that's half the fun.
Change your perspective, instead of getting frustrated when things get hard, "Oh, this is the hard part I was expecting. Now, I need to stay strong and pull through. I can do this."
BELIEVE YOU CAN
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right." —Henry Ford
You must believe in your ability to succeed, even when present circumstances try to convince you otherwise. Unrelenting belief in yourself to figure out how to move forward may be the single most productive mental skill you can develop. It prevents you from giving up, and people that don't give up succeed.
Thoughts can be self-fulfilling prophecies, so choose them wisely. Limiting beliefs can limit your performance. Our brains try to protect us even when we don’t need protecting. We may be fearful to attempt a difficult task and put self-imposed limits on our performances based on fear.
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
It doesn’t mean you should partake in risky behaviors or attempt more than you’re capable, but instead, dream big, start small, then connect the dots with consistent effort. You’ll be amazed by what you can achieve when you don’t quit.
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
BE FLEXIBLE
You may not succeed in the manner or timeline you envisioned, but the willingness to make changes to your strategy, goal date, or even the goal itself will keep your mind healthy and strong. We may experience setbacks, but a flexible mind will view problems as opportunities and search for solutions to continue to move forward. View failure as feedback, adjust and keep going.
DEVELOP A GROWTH MINDSET
A person with a fixed mindset says, "I'll never be that fast, or I could never run that far or lift that heavy." A growth mindset says I can't run that fast, run that far, lift that heavy—yet, but with hard work and time, I can get there. A person with a growth mindset can envision a future improved version of themselves and is willing to do the work to get there.
Focus on hard work, consistent action, and a belief in your abilities to figure it out, rather than specific outcomes. You can't control the result, but you can focus on your actions and thoughts.
USE REFLECTION
A period of reflection after a good or bad race or workout can help you make the connection between your training, your behaviors, your mindset, and your results.
Even a bad race is not all negative. Maybe you didn't perform as well as you hoped, perhaps you also had a DNF (did not finish). But attempt to take the emotion out of it and seek out the positives. When did it feel right? When did it fall apart? Was any of it out of your control, like the weather? Or did the problems stem from training or nutrition choices?
Reflect on what can be controlled and improved, like consistent training, sleep, nutrition, and rest. Let everything else go.
Objective reflection can help you decide how to make changes in your training or lifestyle for a better outcome in the future.
GOT IT? GOOD. NOW PUT IT INTO ACTION
Does your mind ever get in the way of your performance? Or you do work to maximize your training by getting your brain on track? What's the hardest part?
For me, it's my emotions. I'll get frustrated, and those negative vibes will inhibit my ability to think clearly and push through. I have to remind myself that not every run, or every race, or every workout will be my best. I have to remember not to compare myself to anyone else but myself. Some days it’s hard, and that’s ok.
We have to learn to take the successful days with the crushing ones and use negative experiences to help us grow as athletes and as people. It's hard, but it's achievable when we train our mental muscles.
Which of these mental strategies can you try to improve on first? Choose one and put it into action today. You’ll be amazed at how much your mindset impacts your performance.
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Questions? I’d love to help.
