It never gets easier. You just get stronger. ~Unknown

We’ve all heard the assertion that long-distance running can be as challenging mentally as it is physically. Some of us may even go as far as saying it is 75 percent mental and only 25 percent physical. I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately on my journey to achieve my fall race goals. How is my training going? What’s working? What isn’t? What do I need to focus on more? How am I feeling? Where have I grown? Where do I need to continue to grow? Where is my head at?

While there are certainly things I need to do in the next 5 weeks leading up to my half Ironman (like spend more time on the bike) and 9 weeks to my fifth marathon, I’ve come to an important realization: I’ve never felt this good mentally. My head is probably in one of the best places it has ever been.

Why? I believe this is because I’m focusing on the right things and not worrying about the things that either don’t matter or that I can’t control. I’m focusing on what’s right for me, not what’s working for everyone else. I’m not worrying about failing. I’m not second-guessing myself. Sure, my training hasn’t been perfect. There have been missed workouts. Not enough strength and yoga. A few poor pre-workout food choices. A LOT of hot days. But when I look back at everything overall, I’m training smart, I’m trying hard and I’m still living my life.

Unfortunately, I know that there are probably many of you (or people you know), who are struggling with those internal demons – battling with the last days of summer heat, bonking more than usual. I have several close running friends who are in a mental rut they just can’t seem to break out of. Very capable and strong runners who are actually questioning themselves as to whether they can actually “do it.”

It got me thinking: how do we spar with the voices in our head? The voices that try to tell us we’re weak. That we’re not strong enough. That it’s too hard. How do we bust out of a mental rut?

Here are a few ideas for overcoming the voices in your head:

• Don’t put pressure on yourself that doesn’t really exist. While it’s clearly important to have training and race goals, if those goals are unrealistic – or if you’re putting so much pressure on yourself to achieve those goals that it’s making you miserable – just stop. Stop right now. If you ran a killer 10K or half-marathon time in the spring and now think everyone is expecting you to crush your marathon PR, just stop. Of course I hope that happens, but if it doesn’t, it’s ok. No one is going to be disappointed. People are going to be proud and inspired simply by the fact that you’re out there trying. That you cross the finish line. If you’re in a mental rut because you’re too worried about hitting a specific time, then maybe you should think about adjusting your “A goal” to just finishing strong.
• Stop competing with everyone around you. Stop worrying about how fast the fastest girl in your training group is going. Stop killing yourself to keep up with your speedy friends, only to die out during the last half of your run. Don’t compare your performance to other people’s norms (especially if others have run 20+ marathons over the course of many years and you’re still counting your races on 1 hand). Instead, celebrate others’ successes, and don’t forget to celebrate your own. There are many different versions of success. Focus on what is working well for YOU and harness that.
• Train smart to race stronger. This is my 2012 mantra. “Train smart. Race stronger. Train smart. Race stronger. Train smart. Race stronger.” I repeat this to myself constantly. Training smart means everything from backing off your pace on super-hot days, incorporating slow recovery days and not pushing yourself so much that it could cause injury. (I’m a huge fan of using the McMillan Running Calculator as a pacing guide.) You can’t and shouldn’t run race-pace every run. And you can’t expect every run to be fast, magical and perfect. It just isn’t realistic. What makes you successful at the end of the day is how well you can bounce back from the crappy workouts. What do you gain by dwelling on them? Take a small lesson from those bad days and channel what you learn into a great run moving forward.
• Be your own cheerleader. While support from friends, family and fellow runners is key to being successful in endurance sports, you have to believe in yourself. You have to see the positive things you’re doing. You can’t only be proud of a great or strong run; you also have to recognize that you’re simply getting out there and trying. That you wake up at 5 a.m. to go running on Saturday morning. That you put in a 10-hour work day and then hit the treadmill instead of the couch. That you’re doing things other people make excuses to avoid. Pat yourself on the back for that. So what if your miles are 15-30 seconds slower than you would have liked yesterday? So what if you had to walk for 2 minutes last weekend? You did it. You’re doing it. Go get some pom poms and shake them in your face!
• If it isn’t fun, don’t do it. My running coach shared this simple, yet important suggestion with our group earlier this week. Try to think back to why you started running. What do you love about it? Why have you kept doing it? What makes it enjoyable? (I hope you can remember). If it causes you more misery than joy, perhaps it’s time for a break. Perhaps you need to drop down from the full marathon to the half. Perhaps you need to wait until next year to run a race. I know that can be a little hard to accept, but maybe a break is all you need to bust through your mental rut. A different priority to focus on. Something that will renew your joy. 
  

  

You can do it! If you need a reminder, all you have to do is ask. I’ll be happy to remind you on a daily basis how awesome you are. Just hit me up:

• On Facebook: facebook.com/runladylike
• On Twitter: @rUnladylike
• On Daily Mile: dailymile/people/jesica
• On Pinterest: pinterest.com/jesicad

How do you get through challenging mental moments during your training season? How have you overcome a major mental rut? What tips would you add?