Train your mind for the tough miles
10 mental strategies that work for the Olympics and your next 5k
25km into my first solo marathon in 2021, my mind started unravelling. My body was “fine” but the doubts grew louder and louder until I could hear nothing else. I finished - with the heavy realisation that I’d spent countless hours training my body, but very few training my mind. Since then, I’ve become endlessly curious about the mental tools and techniques that Olympians and park runners alike turn to when the going gets tough. What follows is a selection of their wisdoms!
What is clear is that there’s no one size fits all for every person or even part of a race. Instead, see these strategies as a toolbox that you can turn to and experiment with what works for you. The science is clear - the more we practice, the more our brain adapts!
1/ PRESERVE ENERGY: ZONE OUT AND FIND YOUR FLOW
“Zone out to be in the moment, and zone back in when you feel that your mind is wandering to another point in time” (Phily Bowden). This is all about preserving mental energy wherever possible and finding a state of flow. The strategies should live in your toolbox so you can reach in when the negative thoughts creep. Right now - stay present, focus on the backs in front of you or a focal point in the distance, and find a rhythm.
2/ RECOGNISE YOUR CHIMP
Dr Steve Peters describes the emotional part of our brain as the “chimp”. The innate, primal part of us that is hardwired to keep us alive. It’s job is to tell us to stop, to slow down, to keep us safe. If we ignore it, it’ll shout louder. So, when the chimp starts speaking it’s important to recognise that’s what it is. To calm the chimp, we can reassure, rationalise and redirect with the following strategies..!
When your chimp is trying to get your attention, the first step is to acknowledge that it’s experiencing fear or doubt. It’s a reasonable response - you’re putting your body through something hard - but it’s not rational, you can do it! You can reassure them - “we are ok”, “this is just a long run”, “I’m choosing to do this”, “I don’t need you right now”. Thank you though.
Dr Steve discusses this and other ways to manage your chimp on Paula’s Run Pod.
3/ SELF-TALK: COACH YOURSELF
Self-talk can be motivational; “you are in control”, “trust your training”, or it can be informational - “focus on your form”, “one parkrun left”. It can be helpful to channel how you’d speak to someone if you were pacing them. Calm. Confident. Capable. Nick Bester (2.19 marathoner and coach) has written more about this here.
4/ “CHECKPOINT TO CHECKPOINT” (Greta Truscott, coach & runner)
Focus on the micro-goals versus the big picture. Whether that’s focusing on running to the corner, to the next aid station, or to the next gel. Run the section you’re in. One step in front of the other. When you complete it, you can acknowledge it - “BANK!”
5/ MANTRAS & AFFIRMATIONS
Words that have meaning to the individual can help runners stay focused in the present, boost confidence, and reframe negative thoughts. It can also be helpful to tie them to certain points; e.g. going up hills, or at a certain point of a race. Some examples shared by athletes - “strong, fit, healthy” - Sally Wood, Physio & Ironman Champion, “of course you can” - Beggy Briggs, “patience, discipline, courage, joy” Jo Hall - a race plan mantra.
6/ COUNTING!
Hard patches aren’t linear - they come and go. Counting can help you ride the wave. You can count to 100 then start over, count to 20 five times, or something else that works for you. As Paula Radcliffe says, “it helps me stay in the moment - one foot in front of the other. The only thing I was thinking about was what number came next, not how far I had to go”. By the time the cycle is up, you’re in a new section.
7/ TUNE IN
Meditation practices can be hugely beneficial alongside marathon training. The practice of learning to tune into your breath and redirect your focus can help runners. “If I’m feeling resistance or my body is tiring in one area, I’ll bring awareness and grounding to other areas. E.g. opening and closing hands slowly in time with each breath. Feeling each finger on the thumb” (Miette, runner and yoga teacher “Focus on whatever is coping best - if my legs feel strong, I focus on that” (Megan A)
8/ RUN INTO THE DISCOMFORT
Kipchoge encourages runners not to fear pain. He sees it as part of the journey - part of the success. We can train our brains to respond; when the pain kicks in we can remind ourselves that this is the part we’ve trained for. It is not something to fear. I think of the third quarter as the “champion miles”! This is where you can make your difference. (Note - reframing pain is within reason! Obviously if you’ve incurred a serious injury or you are at risk of passing out, that’s not good pain)
9/ POWER FOR YOUR PEOPLE
Conjure up the community of people who are cheering you on. Some like to dedicate a 1km to individuals, and others will do a power 10. Draw strength from what they’d be saying to you to cheer you on, and what you love about them. You are loved - do it for them!
10/ REMEMBER YOUR WHY
Sometimes the most powerful thing can be remembering what it’s all for and why you’re there in the first place. Whether you’re running in memory of someone you love, proving to yourself that you’re capable, or embracing a bucket list opportunity - something has got you to that start line. Don’t forget it!
PS. SMILE - “THE RACE IS THE VICTORY LAP”
As tough as it can get, the hard parts are a fraction of the overall experience and the pride that you take from it. Smile, soak up the environment, and remember this is the result of all your training. There’s also science to show that smiling can actually provide feedback to our brain (or to the chimp!) that we are ok. It’s a form of facial feedback. “When we make a facial expression, we may experience the emotional state we associate with the expression,” says Noel Brick, professor in exercise physiology and sports Psychology (link)
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Freya is a Psychotherapist and founder of Reframe Sessions; talking therapy for injured athletes and active humans.
