3 Ways to Build and Practice Mental Toughness as a Runner
Have you ever been in a race and thought, well this stinks. I think I am just going to walk. Or maybe you’ve been in a tough workout and called it quits early. I get it – we’ve all been there, as runners. However, the more I run and train and learn about running (life long leaner over here!) I’m realizing that running is about an 80% mental sport (maybe even more than that) and the way we think/visualize and anticipate our workouts/races significantly impacts our running/racing results!
“We win in our minds before we ever win on the battlefield.” Navy Seals saying.
Isn’t it amazing how even the Seals see the importance of mindset? I found that fascinating as I explored the topic of mental toughness and how it directly impacts our running. So often we, as runners, give up because it feels like we can’t go on, where in reality, it is our MINDS fatiguing NOT our body.
So, how do we grow in our mental toughness and stop sabotaging our racing?
- Practice visualization > Instead of focusing on what could go wrong or how terrible it may end up going (either a race or a workout) think about EXACTLY how you WANT it to go. Picture the time on the clock or your paces on your Garmin. Think about how good you will feel afterwards and what you will do after you finish. Think about who will be cheering you on at the race or who you will go home to after your workout. Think about the exact things you need to do in order to hit that goal. I was amazed at how effective this strategy was for me in my latest half marathon. I had never walked into a race with a strategy and visualized every detail of the race. But this last half, I did and I came in 1 full minute under the number that I visualized on the clock. The mind is a POWERFUL thing people > fill it with good stuff and think about the exact goal you want to achieve and HOW you want to get there!
- Practice affirmations/have a mantra! Another thing I started doing this last training cycle, was practicing affirmations when I felt like giving up. Phrases like “You can do this” < which apparently when said this way the brain takes as a direct command. Mind = blown. Other phrases like “You were born for this” “This is your time” or having a manta like “Run strong and brave” or “Fearless” or “Determined and focused.” This half marathon, I wrote a Bible verse on my hand which said “For by You, I can run.” I took that phrase with me, latched onto it, and repeated it when I started to feel tired. It is amazing how powerful words are!
- Prepare to feel pain and get excited about managing it! This sounds strange and slightly weird, but having the right expectations is everything! There have been races that I’ve gone into thinking, “This race will be a breeze,” and usually those are my toughest races because I haven’t prepared myself mentally for the actual struggle that I will face. BUT, when I’ve gone into a hard workout or a hard race and prepared my mind for the pain and hard struggle that will come, I am MUCH more prepared on how to handle/manage the pain without freaking out than if I hadn’t thought about it. Instead of blindly assuming every race or workout will feel amazing and will go perfectly and you won’t ever want to stop > think about how hard it will be and YET how strong you will be to overcome those challenges/obstacles. When you are prepared for struggle/adversity you are more much likely to succeed and thrive in the midst of the pain!
Yes, running is a such a physical sport and it takes lots of practice and workouts and muscles to get faster/stronger, but we also need to equip our other muscle (or mind) to mentally handle the beautiful struggle that running is!
I hope you all have an awesome rest of your Tuesday!
Questions of the Day
- How do you prepare for a hard workout or race?
- Have you ever practiced affirmations?
- What do you do when you hit a hard patch in a race?