I knew from the beginning of mywarm-upthis past Tuesday that my run wasnt going to go well.
As I slowly jogged toward Chicagos Lakefront Trail, I was overcome with doubts.
I knew Id be tempted to stop when the going got tough.
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Not shockingly, that prediction came true.
The body is a bit like a car, and the mind is a bit like the driver.
I figured other runners preparing formarathons,5Ks, or any other distance this fall might find themselves facing similar challenges.
So, I called up Ross and two other experts for help.
Heres what I learned.
(Shes also a speedy runner herselfshe won the 2012 Omaha Marathon with a time of 3:05.)
Whats different about them is how they view these experiences.
The greatest performers in the worldespecially inendurance sportsexperience a ton of discomfort, Ross says.
The beautiful thing, Ross says?
All of us can learn those exact same skills, if were willing.
You cant expect grit, toughness, and resilience to magically appear on a random Sunday in October.
You cant change what you dont understand.
Be aware of what youre thinking about when youre running, Kamphoff says.
On runs like last Tuesdays, my internal dialogue is unproductive at best and often downright harsh.
I think: Im not good enough or fast enough.
I know this because it just happenedbut also because Ive preserved it in my training log.
Every day, we each have thousands of thoughts.
“How many times have I hit snooze already?
Which member of Daenerys Targaryens advisory board is responsible for hair-braiding?”
Most of them pass without much fanfare.
Those that involve self-doubt, however, tend to be a little stickier.
Knowing this gives us another option: disregarding those thoughts and moving on.
You dont have to believe them.
Catch it and address it, she says.
Or it’s possible for you to say, Stop, Cindra, you are prepared for this.
Youve done so many 20-milers, you’re able to get through this next mile.
Another option is to simply let the thought go as if it were a cloud in the sky.
Try noticing and being curious about thoughts, but not attaching any weight to them, Swoap says.
Saying, Oh, thats interesting, Ive got this negative thought, and then letting that go.
But what theyve found so far has been promising.
The study was admittedly smallthere were only seven participants, all pro cyclists on the USA BMX Cycling Team.
But researchers were encouraged by the results.
Swoap suggests practicing mindfulness throughout the day.
Whatever youre doingworking, cooking, crafting the perfect Instagram storytry to stay fully in that current moment.
(you could find plenty of ways to starthere.)
When they repeated the test, the trained athletes endured an average of three minutes longer.
One key aspect of the study: Athletes chose their own positive statements.
The message has to feel authentic for your self-talk to be convincing.
Mentally rehearsing your race is another technique with some research support.
For the most part, these sessions should involve triumphantly crossing the finish line well ahead of your goal.
All of us run for a reasontorelieve stress, improve health, raise money for a charity.
Whatever your deeper why, commit that reason to memory, Swoap says.
I love runningI really dobut my struggle-fest of a workout was not what I would call enjoyable.
“For me, mental skills training isnt just about the performanceits more holistic in nature, she says.
Sounds like winning to me.
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