Monday: 6m easy 9:40/pace, 15 min myrtls 

Tuesday: 30 min trx legs/shoulders

Wednesday: 9m tempo (2m warm up, 4 x 1.5m @ 6:49/pace, 1/2m cool down)

I’ve mentioned plenty of times that i feel like my mental game has been spot on the last couple training cycles. I think it comes with age, experience, lots of advice from other runners & of course, practice. I’m not perfect at mental training, but i’ve come so far and recent breakthroughs have made me a much happier runner.

Let’s start by all the things i used to do wrong. If i stopped running to take a walk break I would get discouraged and have an internal, negative self-talk. If i was “slow” I would tell myself I’ll never hit ____ goal. If i even hinted at being tired or hurting during a race I would kind of give up. I’d tell myself I couldn’t make it the whole distance at the pace and again battled negativity. I was too slow, not good enough, etc until I crossed the finish line. I gave up before even attempting giving it my all. I was already writing the “I didn’t PR” blog post in my head..as i was still running mid-race. Sad, but those negative feelings have crossed my mind way too often.

Except over the last year. I finally defeated that negative jerk. Here’s how:

Being positive. It seems so simple, but it does take a lot of motivational, happy self-talk to run positive. Always remember, running should be fun! Fake a smile and remember why you’re doing your training run. For me, even though my time goal is daunting, reminding myself i’m shooting for the stars, makes me smile a little. A nervous smile, sure, but a smile goes a long way with running. Seriously, try smiling. It relaxes me and makes me feel so happy.

I’ve learned to take the good runs with the bad. You can’t be a great runner without the challenge of a run that doesn’t go well. When i’m having a “bad run” I determine what’s bad about the run and adjust. I don’t let the tired legs or weather or hills consume me anymore. I greet it as a challenge. I welcome it as a training partner.  I’ve been so much more flexible on pace, listening to my body and not stressing out when things don’t go perfect. When the watch isn’t reflecting my effort I hide it and focus on effort and running strong. Being adaptable was a huge difference this cycle than previous years.

Envision the race. During many tough runs i’ve pictured the finish line, crossing it, smiling, jumping, seeing friends at the end. It’s super motivating not only to visualize meeting your goals, but having a fun race and crossing the line a very happy runner!

Practice gratitude. I do this often, on sunny days when running is easy and when its tough and my body is tired. I take a few deep breaths and remind myself how grateful I am to be able to run. How extremely grateful and lucky i am to have all of my limbs and be healthy.

When your mind is screaming at you to stop, try focusing on body parts that feel good. Shoulders? Back? Calves? I don’t care what random part feels good just focus, it will distract you from the racing pain because it forces you to focus on a positive thing.

And when focusing on the body doesn’t help it’s time to call in your motivational mantras! Mantras are so important for endurance sports. There will be many times where it gets tough and you’ll want to quit, use your mantras to stay alert and focused on the task at hand. I have three i’ve been using during this training cycle. “Relax & Breathe” This one helps me check in with breathing and form (relax the shoulders, run tall, arms swinging forward, not across the chest). “I am a Machine” – Something about the word machine, helps me feel strong and rhythmic. And lastly, this has been an oldie but a goodie, “I’m a Big Brave Dog” Yes it’s from Rugrats, yes it’s a little goofy, but it works like a charm every time, making me feel like a fearless little kid.

I read this quote recently and it hits home. I’m not meant to be in harbor. I’m meant to deal with the changes in tide, the unpredictable weather. I am a ship. I am a machine. I am a big brave dog.

Be patient with the process. Be patient with your goals. Be patient with your body.

And most importantly, be patient with yourself.