Amazed at impact of the mind on running

Can't be of any help myself, but also currently struggling so eager to see the responses!

I haven't been running for a long time, so view my thoughts accordingly, but IMHO experience is how to train the mind for long periods of running.  When I've ran through that stitch, kept the legs going when they've been aching, and generally ignored the demons in my head telling me to stop, thats all money in the bank as far as the mental part of running is concerned.  The more long runs you do, the more you will take them in your stride, the main thing is to run slow enough to not put too much pressure on your body and get injured.

Personaly, I find what and when I last ate has a big impact on my running.  Have you considered this?

Did you allow yourself enough recovery time between the two runs ? If you've trainined  all week It may be that you were just tired.

A positive frame of  mind is important.

I believe that the mind has more power than we think. If you are feeling optmistic and believe you can do it, then your body will follow.

I have just run my first marathon (edinburgh) and i was ok. I told myself that i am going to do it and I am going to enjoy it!

I deleted from my mind concepts like "the wall".......(is only in your mind), and tiredness and all that, and decided the enjoy the scenery, and concentrate in feeling good and a slow steady run/jog,

I made it to the finish line (5:18:43), feeling good.

Of course I was tired, one is human, but nothing mayor,

So i tell myself is all in the mind. If you are positive about it all, you'll enjoy it and you'll do it.

This something I struggle with, and I find that breaking it down helps a lot.  I count up the miles to halfway through my run and then count down how many I have left to the end.  I often break it down into small sections that than though, sometimes maybe even such small steps as 'I'll just get to that tree/lamppost/road junction, then I'll have a little walk' or whatever.  Then just before I get to the target I move it along one so I never reach the place I will take my little walk!  I also like to listen to the radio while I'm out as I find the chat of the dj will keep me occupied rather than just having music, for example, Vernon Kay's maths question on his Saturday morning show has kept me going for ages while I try and work it all out in my head!  Never got it right yet, but I have a bit of fun trying to remember the question whilst working out the answer! 

Something else that helps is the routes I run.  I'm not sure where you are, but I'm lucky enough that I can get out to the countryside for my runs, although I still find I have some routes that I favour over others because I think they are prettier.  Doesn't matter how often I run them, or what time of year it is, but I always look forward to running them as it cheers me up going past the pretty church or the chocolate box cottages on the route.  One thing I never do is the same route two runs in a row though.

I think everyone has their own way of adapting though and you have to try different things and see what works for you. 

same!! I posted on here the other day and had some great tips from other runners.  I tend to struggle with zoning out and then all of a sudden I'll have the angel on one shoulder telling me I am doing great and on the other shoulder telling me otherwise....have a look at my post and see if there is anything on there that may be of help. http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/training/psychological-hurdle/193699.html

A good book that deals with 'mind' in running is 'Running Within' by Jerry Lynch Warren Scott; I'm sure it'll be available from Amazon, but it deals with the limitations we put on ourselves by our thinking and lots of other stuff.  It's worth a read; some of it I find a bit cheesy, but it's well worth a read.

And when we're running, it's not really our bodies that we're struggling with, it's our minds.

Some great tips here - i hope they keep coming. Rachel I will check out your thread in a mo. I think the reason I was feeling a bit rough on this run was because I was running down a country road that I have never even driven down and I had no idea where it was going. I had my gps set to tell me to turn around half way through my run plan for that session. As it turns out the road popped out in to an area I know well and from then on in the run was much easier - but it definitely got me to thinking that the mind plays a massive role in our ability to run distance.

Two-stroke - I also avoid running the same route twice in a row. What's that about? I just do it because I know I will feel better doing that but I don't know why

I found a similar impact on recovery before a race. I had a race on Saturday, an olympic triathlon, that would normally take me 3 or 4 days to recover from. That wasn't an option though as I had another sprint triathlon the next day! On Saturday, even though I had Sundays race in mind, I did well recording a PB. I felt great after the race but expected the worse once the adrenaline wore off. No problems though. I got up Sunday and did well in Sundays race. Of course I was fairly juiced after the second race! 

Obviously recovery time is crucial, but I think just knowing that I had another race the next day helped me to stay fit and focused after the first race. That or I was just lucky As they say, if you believe you can, you're half way there!

I just find enjoying it helps... If I am enjoying my running no session is a grind no matter how hard I push myself. Be flexible with your training sessions too. If you really are run down then just go for an easy run and enjoy it, rest is just as important as the tough sessions.

If I don't even feel like going out the door then I just remind myself someone I could racing shortly is probably training. If I miss a session and play xbox instead thats an advantage to them!

I always remember - if i run badly and give up then I have to live with that for the rest of the day but if I can keep going through the pain then later I will be so pleased wit h myself.

Amir I have looked at another post in which you said as of today you have only been running one month.

You want to run a marathon next year and a HM and 10k in between and you want to find out how you create the right "mental attitude" to cope with the running.

Well to be honest you have to be honest about why you are running.Often the original reasons can be extrinsic. Reasons that have their basis in external forces. If they stay extrinsic we are never in the right frame of mind. We are always seeing our runs in terms that we have not set. When they become instrisic, when the goal we set are personal when the the reason for running is to run and get better, while we may struggle the struggle is ours and ours alone.

At the moment you want to run a marathon , a HM and a 10k yet I think you have yet to fully decide if running is for you. The way to do this is not to race but to run. Feel free to look at my profile and times. I have done  one 10k and one HM in over 3 years of running, and my times are respectable and while I would like to do more I feel no rush. As for doing a marathon, well why? I do a 5k every couple of months to see if im improving but the reason I run is I like the effort. I like that feeling of running at speed over distance and I can get that just from training. I enjoying running.

So I would advise you to forget races,( I was running for over 2-3 years before I did anykind of race) just see if running "fits" you first. I say give it a year. Get a few miles in your legs and see.