Practical Ways to Build Mental Toughness and Why it is SO Important for Runners
As a runner, I know it is important to have strong legs, core, glutes, etc. but one aspect that I left out of my training for YEARS is the mental side. Which is sadly ironic, because I believe (and studies have shown) that running is really a mentally tough sport and the best of the best rely on their mental toughness they’ve built to pull them through hard races and break through barriers.
If you’ve ever gone for a long run, you know how it goes. You start running, you feel great and then BAM > a few miles into it you consider stopping. So you do, you stop early or pause your watch, grab some water, stretch out a little and either continue going or call it quits. Sometimes, you really do need to stop, but often times (most of the time) it is our minds that give up, way before our bodies. The question that comes to my mind then is, ‘What would happen if I my mind could overcome that feeling of wanting to quit. What plateous and barriers could I break through in my own personal running? How much more could I do? How much faster and further could I run?’
These are all valid questions and exciting. Think of it. If you and I could train our minds to overcome that ‘I need to stop right now feeling,’ and replace it with excitement about the pain or distraction tactics or gratitude or mantras or something, what kind of runners would we become?
And as I wrestled with this questioned, researched, and practiced it in my own running, pretty crazy things happened.
- I realized that I could do a lot more and I really didn’t need to stop. (Most of the time I want to stop and stretch or stop and drink water or whatever, my brain is just tired, it isn’t my actual muscles fatiguing) I could go so much farther and practice growing my mental toughness if I simply didn’t stop running.
- There are practical, simple ways to grow in mental toughness as a runner > I will share some below.
- The best of the best athletes think about running/pain/and challenges SO MUCH DIFFERENT than the ‘typical,’ runner.
After realizing point number 3, the thought struck me, ” What would happen if I practiced like an elite. What would happen if I started trying to think and use my mind like Deena Kastor, like Molly Huddle, like Sara Hall…”
I think, I know amazing things would happen. I mean, I probably wouldn’t go elite, but I could grow a lot as a runner, and that’s what we all want to do right?
These are a few of the things that you and I can practice. The thing I love about mental training is that the tips are simple and easy to implement into your current training. Next time you feel the urge to stop running or give up or you start having negative thoughts like, “I am going so slow.” “This run feels horrible.” “I am going to just stop really quick and have a break.” “I am so tired,” practice one or all of these ‘brain tricks,’ and see what works for you. We are all created differently, so different methods may work better for different people!
- Distraction tactic – Distractions work super well when I feel tired or like I want to stop. Recently, on a run, I felt like I wanted to stop at the stop sign and just ‘stretch,’ instead I willed myself to find the next tree and then I would stop. Once I found the tree, I told myself to find the next tree and then I could stop and over and over again. Finding ways to either distract yourself or trick yourself into running longer/faster/without stopping works really well for me!
- Gratitude – Something that I practice when I feel tired or crummy during a run, is simply choosing gratitude. It is such a gift to be able to run and not everyone can. I believe God has given me this gift of running and I want to glorify Him through it and with it. Simply choosing gratitude can totally turn a run around.
- Mantras – Something I started doing 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.” Last half marathon (my PR half marathon), I wrote one of my favorite verses 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!
- Make it a game – I am reading Deena Kastor’s book right now, Run with Your Mind, and something that stuck me about the way she views/viewed her workouts/races was how playful she was in them. Obviously, she was working really hard, but the way she thought about running/racing was almost like a game. Things like pretending she was a gazelle and running over the mountains, or a soldier charging up a hill, or “lassoing” a car and having it pull her, or making it a game a surging to overtake her competitors. I was stunned at how serious and playful she approached her running and it definitely has inspired me to try it out with my own running too.
- Embrace the pain > seek the positive – 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!
If you can win the battle and the game in the mind, you win the workout. I am so excited to hear how your training and running changes with these simple tips, once you start implementing them! Stay hungry, stay humble, and run with endurance.
Questions of the Day
- How do you distract yourself in a run?
- Do you practice any of these tips already?
- How often do you feel like you want to quit in a run/workout?