Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

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thereyet?
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 5:07 am

Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

Post by thereyet? »

I thought I'd share a couple of tips that worked for me and ask for others. My running buddy keeps telling me to look straight ahead (just not down) and smile. I tend to hunch over and "wallow" in my suffering! Periodically we shake out our arms. They get tight.

I have a weak mind and feel I have to fight hard to believe in myself. Any tips and tricks to help push through those mind games? I listen to music...the peppy songs help.
Toadie
Posts: 99
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:15 pm

Re: Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

Post by Toadie »

Oh, good tips! One thing I try to do is separate my body from my mind - it's hard to explain, but I try to think, 'Of course my legs can do this, they're healthy human legs, I just need to shut up and let them do their thing.' I have to remember that my brain freaking out and thinking 'I can't do it! It's too hard!' has nothing to do with the actual physical capability of my muscles - my muscles can keep running for a few more minutes, for goodness' sake, as long as I let them, because that's what they're there to do.

Good music really helps, too, especially when it's turned up loud, I think mostly because it helps me take my mind off the fact that I'm actually running...
Mikeb
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:29 pm

Re: Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

Post by Mikeb »

Good music and keep waiting for the next song and thinking it will be a good one. I've been streaming pandora lately which is nice
ausgirlscouchto5ks
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 3:48 am

Re: Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

Post by ausgirlscouchto5ks »

I have collated all the little things I learned along the way, both psychological and physical. I hope they can help you too. There is heaps of things I wish someone told me before...too many to write in here!
:D
http://ausgirlscouchto5ks.blogspot.com. ... -tips.html
thereyet?
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 5:07 am

Re: Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

Post by thereyet? »

Toadie, I totally know what you mean. I fight my mind a lot because it tells me I'm suffering SO very much, but then I think "Everything is working just fine! Lungs, heart, legs. All good. GO!!" If there is (nominal) pain, I tell myself it will work itself out and i just have to run through it. I also think:
"Wait for the 'click'. Don't think about the whole run. Just make it to the point when everything clicks into place and you're home free." It's too easy to get overwhelmed by the entire run. I also imagine my friends cheering me on. Hey, it's a little delusional but I'm willing to indulge in that if it works. And it's not like they *wouldn't*. :)
Toadie
Posts: 99
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:15 pm

Re: Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

Post by Toadie »

These are all great tips!

And ausgirl, I love your blog and all the tips you have on it - especially the tips on motivation and on completing time goals before tackling pace and distance. I'm a bit disheartened by my pace at the moment but I know it's something to work on later. One thing at a time!

Finished week 1 yesterday, woo!
lbswfc87
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:20 pm

Re: Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

Post by lbswfc87 »

When your struggling try and think why your doing the running, is it to lose weight, get fitter, feel healthier, I know it's hard when your struggling and you can't think of anything apart from stopping, but it gets you threw.
ausgirlscouchto5ks
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 3:48 am

Re: Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

Post by ausgirlscouchto5ks »

Toadie wrote:
And ausgirl, I love your blog and all the tips you have on it - especially the tips on motivation and on completing time goals before tackling pace and distance. I'm a bit disheartened by my pace at the moment but I know it's something to work on later. One thing at a time!

Finished week 1 yesterday, woo!
Thanks Toadie, I really appreciate it. I couldn't find anything on the internet that would truly help me, so I complied my own tips after each run, to help me through. Hopefully they will help you too, as well as comparing my runs to yours.

Don't worry about pace at all, cause that will keep you going after the 9 week program. I still haven't conquered the 5kms in 30 min mark, even though I got up to jogging 6km (before winter came....), my fastest 5ks was 31:48. This summer I will get to it!

I am looking forward to seeing your progress. I am starting up again, and even though I have had a few months off, I can still jog for a good amount of time!
starknut
Posts: 341
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:22 pm
Location: Lexington Park, Maryland
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Re: Good tips? Especially to win the mental battles?

Post by starknut »

thereyet? wrote:Any tips and tricks to help push through those mind games? I listen to music...the peppy songs help.
When I'm having a particularly difficult run, sometimes the only thing that gets me through is saying "I will run for one more minute, then I can stop." And I just keep doing that and never actually stop. :lol: Sometimes viewing the runs as two shorter ones helps: telling yourself you only have to run for ten/fifteen minutes is much easier to tolerate than thinking "I have to run for twenty/thirty minutes!" Or break it down into five minute increments: "I can run for five minutes! Okay, I can run for another five!"
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