Mental toughness

Long distance running is all about the mental state you are in while running. I know for me, if I question whether a long run is going to be good or bad, it will be bad. I've heard that running is 90% mental and 10% physical. I don't think the percentages are that lopsided, but I definitely know that having the right mental attitude can get you through the later miles much easier.

Today was my long run. All day yesterday I flip-flopped on whether I was going to do a treadmill or an outside run. I get tired of wind and cold and thought that I'd give myself a break and run indoors. But my conscience was telling me to go outside. I know that in two weeks I'm running a half, and that marathon is going to come quicker than I expect, so I better hit the actual road if I want to be well trained. Then at 3am, I awoke with a cramp in the arch of my right foot, it went away quickly, but it kept me up cause I was thinking of what injury I may have (I'm a hypochondriac by the way). Anyway, I got up at 6:30am, forced myself outside and started the run. Slight wind and 33F, not bad.

I wanted to keep an 8:00m/m pace, and run easy. I wanted to be able to finish the run and not be exhausted. But my mind kept thinking of the upcoming vacation (We are going to Disney tomorrow), all the things I needed to do, and how I really did not want to be on the road. As I finished the 12 mile run, I kept pace really well, but was more tired that I thought I should be. My hands and face were freezing and I just did not enjoy the run. On the good side, I kept pace and I really did not have any aches and pains.

I think the only way to get past a bad run is to learn from it and look toward tomorrow. I know that my mental state plays a big part in how I run. As I move forward in my training, I know I will have good runs and bad runs. Tomorrow will be a good run, and a good day!