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You describe how I am exactly when I run . . . I just change when there's an endless road in front of me. I suppose a few more races, and the added motivation of my running watch (stupid not to use one before), should be enough to get me past the 90 mins barrier. Cheers for the reply.

The entire "Songs for the deaf" album by Queens of the Stoneage is my best musical motivator when out running. I ran a 10K race on that back in May and I'm sure it gave my a great kick up the arse!

The key motivator for me is having a goal. For me it's the next half marathon but then I need a training plan to really get motivated and training well. But to motivate me on the run itself I find a watch is brilliant. Previously if I'd been on a threshold run then I'd find as I zoned out mentally I'd start slowly down but with a watch I just occasionally check my speed and I stay on track despite the fact I still like to zone out. I use the manual settings, so I have to check it myself rather than hear an alarm, and it allows me to then just keep pushing myself further (as someone said if you set a certain speed it may actually slow you down when you could go faster). But everyone is different so you have to work out what works for you best . . . good luck.

Morning,

I'm a new member so apologies in advance if I'm repeating a thread that someone else has done but I couldn't find one like it . . . let me set the scene before I ask away. I've been running all my life but have only taken it more seriously in the last 12 months or so. I'm now 38. I put myself down to run the Reading Half Marathon in April just gone and my training was as good as my life allowed (which is pretty damn good). My goal was to do it in 1 hour 30 minutes or under which I was told was a nuts target for a beginner but I did it in 1 hour 32 minutes which isn't bad for a first race as an adult. That said I was gutted.

The reason I'm gutted is because I didn't beat the 1 hour 30 min mark because of my head rather than due to lack of stamina or anything else physical.

Anyone who knows the Reading route will know that the last 3 - 3.5 miles is down the A33, a straight road with nothing of interest the entire way with the finish line (the MadStad) in the distance taunting you from the hill it's sited on. Then at the end there's a horrendous 0.8 mile loop to add to the nastiness of it all. Before the A33 I was on track for probably a 1 hour 27 or 28 min race (that's a guess because I didn't use a GPS system at the time - I do now) but the straightness of the road, the lack of anything at all to really aim for other than the very final goal just did me in as you just suddenly feel like you're not getting anywhere. When I hit the final little loop, which is almost next to the stadium, mentally I had enough and I walked twice for about 60 seconds each time. The walk definitely stopped me beating the goal I'd set.

I just can't handle straight roads - something about them does me in mentally. I've run 15 miles at almost my half marathon target speed before without a problem but that was on lots of different roads.

So are there any suggestions for overcoming such a stupid mental block when running on uninteresting roads?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Steve