So much of running is mental. We’ve all had those moments in a run when we know our body could keep going, if we were just strong enough mentally to MAKE it keep going.
It’s hard to stay motivated during a training run. No one is watching, no finish line is waiting with race volunteers ready to post your time all over the internet. There’s no immediate payoff for pushing yourself to complete that interval, or keep the pace up on your tempo run. The pay-off won’t come for weeks, when you finally get to the start line of whatever event you’re training for.
My old (unsuccessful) strategy: I used to try to pretend someone I wanted to impress was watching me and would be unimpressed if I took a walking break, but I’m not stupid. I knew no one was watching. That tactic made me annoyed with myself for trying to trick me, and pretty much guaranteed a stop.
Picture yourself storing energy for when you’ll need it most: So I’ve switched it up – now I visualize myself at mile 11 of my next half marathon. I picture myself tired, but with 11 solid miles behind me, really happy with my pace, but about to crash and do poorly with only two miles left in the race. I imagine that my running self now is charging the batteries of my running self then. Every effort I make to finish what I’m attempting, every moment longer that I push, is going straight to her legs and propelling her forward towards the finish line.
My cynical, you-can’t-fool-me-into-continuing side can’t squash this imagery, because it has an element of truth to it. Every time I push myself during my training, I am giving my legs a better chance at mile 11 of my next half marathon. It’s true enough to work… and so I ignore the burning and push myself forward, thinking “here, here, here, here, here… this is for you!!! Take this energy, take this speed, take this effort, it’s yours, you only have two miles left!!!! WE GOT THIS!”
Not training for a race? That’s ok. You’re doing this for a reason, too. What’s your primary motivation? Maybe you picture your heart getting healthier, yourself having more energy in the coming week when you need it most, you nailing a presentation at work because you pushed through this and gave yourself the positive exercise endorphins and confidence rush you needed. Find your why, and focus on it when the going gets tough.
Picture a direct energy transfer of the effort you’re exerting now, into positive energy stored for that moment when you’ll need it most.
If you’ve been running long enough… you’ll know it’s not so far from the truth.
Happy running 🙂