The Mind of a Marathoner

I've got about five weeks until the marathon, and I'm a bit nervous. I was going to run my long 20 miler today, but had such a struggle with it that I'm going to retry tomorrow. What went wrong? My insteps were blistering, and I was stuck on the "bad" treadmill with a choice of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Space Patrol Delta" or the Breeders' Cup. This is because I found I can only concentrate on the TVs right in front of me -- if I veer off course, I tend to run sideways, causing my legs and feet a lot of pain. So, I ran six miles, and felt so awful that I felt that perhaps running tomorrow during the steelers' game will help. This means I'm going to run 20 miles, then turn around and do a hard workout in XC class the next day!

Eventhough I've done 26 miles four times before, running long takes, well, forever! I am convinced its' longer on a treadmill. However, I know from experience that unless the weather is over freezing, I just don't do well on long runs, because my body overheats, then underheats. In addition to the failure of my body to retain a constant temperature, I also am not so good at running on slick surfaces. So running 5 miles outside is generally no problem, but 20 miles would be pushing it.

In any case, my problem currently has to do with a side of marathon that is often overlooked-- the mental marathon. The experts say that if you are mentally prepared and focused during your race, your body will follow. From personal experience, this is true -- my best race was Columbus, where for some reason I was very happy. I believe this was due to the fact that I had groupies running with me. The groupies were all first-timers that saw me as the "marathon veteran". Noone wants to let down groupies, do they? I remember cheering at each mile as I pressed my little stopwatch and seeing the numbers in the 9-ish minutes. Anyways, it was like a dream until about mile 18 when it finally got hard. Luckily, I saw Dad turn the corner at mile 23 ahead of me, and we ran/walked the rest of the race together.

Most of the sports psychologist websites I have seen talk about two types of mental focus in races -- Association and Dissociation. Association, or internal focus, is when a runner constantly monitors pace, stride, form, and body sensations. During this strategy, a runner feels "in the moment". Dissociation is the complete opposite strategy. For dissociation, one focuses their mind externally, distracting the mind from the current body situation. TV, music, chatting with others, or just enjoying the scenery are all ways to employ a dissociative strategy.

So which ones are best? Well, for first timers, using a dissociative strategy tend to work best. However, there is good research showing that dissociation is also linked to reduced performance and increased injury, since the runner is not paying attention to the body. On the other hand, internal focus could really bum a runner out due to the fact that this can accent pain and fatigue that a runner is experiencing.

My suggestion is to try both techniques, and make sure you know how to use them, and in either strategy, be as positive and as flexible as possible. If one strategy is not working, you will need to be able to flip your mind as necessary to keep moving. For example, at mile 18 if you are enjoying the beautiful scenery and suddenly your legs feel really tired, sometimes repeating "My legs are telling me they are working hard, but I feel great!" sounds cheezy, but truly can help you get through the pain. I like to do a mental check (association) every few miles and say out loud if necessary "I feel great!", then go back to my music or book (dissociation).

So make sure, especially in the last month before your marathon, to do some work internally on preparing yourself mentally for the marathon. Believe me, I will be working a LOT on this on my way to Las Vegas! Here are some good sources for additional information:
--GR Sports Center -- The Marathon Mental Game: What You Think Matters
--Marathon Guide -- The Mental Marathon
--eHow: How to use Mental Focus in your Marathon Race

Happy Running!