#themisfitz

I think that pushing past mental barriers is the most difficult aspect of distance running. If you follow a training program and slowly build up your miles through easy runs, hard runs and long runs, your body will respond and learn to adapt to new and longer distances. The mind however, is not as easily trained. Here are a few tricks I use, to get myself through those long training runs.

I run with music. I try to strategically place songs that are a hype for me through out my playlist. The right song when you are struggling, can really give you a second wind, and keep you from giving up.

I make my inner monologue positive (which can be tough). I say things like "you've got this", "you're amazing", "you can do this", "you are a beast, a monster" etc.

When I'm really hurting, sometimes I will repeat mantras over and over in my head to distract myself. I find my self returning to "Just keep going. One foot in front of the other until it's done."

It can be helpful to really pay attention to your surroundings. It's easy to tune out and only focus on the pain. Pay attention to the scenery, smile at the people who pass you, count your footsteps. Anything to keep your mind occupied.

Distraction won't always work. You will absolutely have days where your body feels great, but you'll quit after a mile because your mind just doesn't want to play. The trick is to let the bad runs go. Get out there the next day and try again. The more you do it the easier it will get.

The beautiful thing about distance running is that as your body gets stronger, your mind slowly starts to realize, hey, maybe I can do this. Some days it will just click. You will feel confident and strong and can run 10 plus miles with what feels like minimum effort. Just know that it is normal to struggle mentally, but you will find a way to overcome it.