Mental Toughness

So much of running is what goes on between the ears. Racing was 90 percent mental, only ten percent of it was physical? At the time I really didn't want to believe it, but I also didn't want to do anything that hurt. that was a questionable thought for me. I was perfectly content just as long as I was on varsity, I didn't really want any pressure from other people to do well. Back then, I would rather give up than be leading a race. I was so freaked out to be in front, so scared that someone would catch me and pass me, that I would actually stop and walk. Things have definitely changed since then, but the mental toughness is something that can still be a struggle when things aren't going so great.

Mental preparation has been an essential component for Olympic level athletes for many years. In fact, elite marathoners report that mental preparation account 95% for their performance outcome. Most elite athlete claims that when all other factors are equal, mental toughness is the factor that separate one performance from another. No wonder, some athletes like Kara Goucher ( a young marathoner, now standing same level with Paula Radcliffe posted PRs at 10K (30:55), 10 miles (53:16) and marathon (2:25:53) in the latter half of 2008,) admitting to have a very low mental toughness, have her own sport psychologist to rebuild it.

“I try to think about positive things -- how great my form is, how my arms are swinging, my breathing, how loud people are cheering. My sports psychologist taught me there are a million things telling you you can't keep going, but if you find the things that say you can, you're golden.” Kara goucher

Longer runs build mental toughness, discipline, and confidence. You set a goal and you start plugging away until you reach it. In the sport of running, often times it's not about physical ability, but guts.

So, here are a couple long run routines that you can do on your weekends. They are listed from easy to hard, but you always want to mix things up so you always keep your body "on its toes."

First Routine: Run twice as long as your average run. For example, if your average run is 5 miles during the week, your weekend long run will be 10 miles. This should be a slow and easy run. The emphasis here is not the amount of miles you can run in a certain amount of time, but to get you mentally trained to spend long amounts of time on your feet.

Second Routine: Run ten miles at your marathon pace. At this stage, you should be experienced enough to hold a slightly faster pace, and this routine is designed to do exactly that.

Third Routine: Complete 75% of your long run at an easy pace, then complete the last 25% at your 5k race pace. For example, a 16 mile long run would consist of the first 12 miles being easy, and the last 4 miles being hard. The ideal here is to finish strong after you've taxed your body for several miles.

“Being a distance runner is about handling pain. If you can't manage pain, you probably won't end up as a distance runner. " Kara Goucher