This is a weekly post for runners on LoseIt of all levels. If you are just starting out or experienced, you are welcome to comment and join in. We have people who are just thinking about starting running here or are just starting C25K (Couch to 5K), too.
This was originally a weekly post by /u/ificandoit. He's been a busy new papa and I've been filling in. It might be time to just say I'm taking over this one. I'm just not as good at this as he was.
Running is mostly a mental challenge
Oh sure, there are physical challenges to overcome. There's cardio endurance that needs to be built. There's physical capacity to withstand the impact to you body. That fortitude comes from adaptation to training. There's strength needed to go up steep hills. There's mobility and flexibility to have good/efficient running form. But it is dwarfed by the mental ability to endure the suffering of running.
Why? Because without some capacity to deal with how hard running is when starting out you'll never be able build the physical capacities needed to run.
Wait, hold on here, what about easy runs?
Easy runs are a result of setting new levels of enduring running and it's physical challenges and then going out well below those levels.
You know what makes 1 mile of running easy? Running 2 miles. What gets you to 2 miles, though.
This is the thing. You need to push beyond your comfort zone to reach comfortable running. Sessions spent enduring the hard effort pay off with easy sessions that feel great and easy.
How do you tackle the mental challenge?
Distraction works well. Listen to music or podcasts. Daydream about something. Meditation. Anything to tune out the body saying, "stop, damn you, stop!"
Mantras. You can power through by gritting down and telling yourself something encouraging or motivating. Suck. It. Up. Run. Now. Rest. Later. Be. The. You. You. Know. You. Are. Make. Tomorrow. Today.
Little doses. You can suffer for just part of your training. At the end of a run. For 5 minutes or 400m. Then go to a relaxing pace.
Planning. Much like pre-logging food calories. Having a plan to run a certain distance or running workout works wonders. It's already on the schedule. You need to do it now. Doing a training plan for a race distance can be a real easy way to do this.
Group runs. These rock as the ultimate distraction. You want to PR a distance run? Run slowly along with a group. It will surprise you how seeing others and talking along a run makes miles fly by.
What are mental tools to get through those hard runs?
Runners of LoseIt, how have you mentally worked through running? Favorite podcasts? Mantras? Group run experiences? Workouts? Feel free to share.
Weekly Check In
How is you training going? Have a race recently? Did you just finish a week of C25K? Let us know how it is going!
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