Mentally Power Through The Run

On one of my recent runs, I jumped on the treadmill and set out for a 5 mile run. About 2 miles into the run, right about the time my legs were pleading their case as to why we should stop, it happend.

The cry of our 2 month old. Now my wife is pretty good about keeping our baby happy, but this time he was just not feeling well. He had come down with a cold. And was just felling icky! (Did I just say icky?)

And for you parents out there, you know the difference between a fussy cry and a painful cry. This was a painful cry. It hurt me!

From then on that run became more of a mental battle than a physical. As hard as I tried to tune it out, I just couldn't  Our baby's cry that day just cut through me. It made it so hard to keep going. I felt my protective father instinct kick in. I felt like I needed to get off the treadmill and go try and help my baby.

No quite sure if I should stop, I yelled "Do you need me, honey?" My wife came in the room and told me that I should keep running and that she had it all under control, (which she did). She could do more to clam him in just a few minutes than I could do in an hour. Something about that mother's bond I guess. (My marathon training would be impossible with out her. She constantly makes scarifies for me to run. She puts up with me being gone for hours at a time while im out on my long runs. She has done more than her share to take care of our baby to help me train. I love her!)

So with the go ahead to keep running I continued, and was able to shift mental gears and focus on the run. In that moment I learned that running is a mental game. I learned that if I can easily be drained by a distraction, then maybe the same could be true in reverse. If I can keep myself entertained while I run, I could mentally power though my runs. - My mind held the power to push my body to run hard or to wimp out.

Power Through The Run

Run Somewhere New - I have found that what works for me is to run new places. I live in a rural area, and there are lots of trails. Sometimes I can run the same trail a few times, but after that I get bored. If I run the same place enough times, my desire to run diminishes.

Keep the Mind Occupied - Running for me has been a place for me to talk to God. There is just something peaceful about being alone in activity with my God. It is a time for me to meditate, and think on things. In fact some of my best ideas and preaching sermons have come from being out on a run.  - Is your mind stuck? Got a problem on your heart? Go for a run.

Run to music - I dont usually run to music, but for some people it really helps them keep their mind focused.

Stuck inside? Watch Something (treadmill) - I have a huge collection of preaching services collected from various podcasts. I enjoy running to preaching. But recently I have also enjoyed watching recording of Marathons (Boston, Roderdam, LA, ect), it has been fun to run while they run. Its almost like I am running with the elite athletes. Usually the race will be over in about 2 hours or less if the commercials are edited out, which allows me to run the entire time they run. I have also liked watching videos of other people's races via youtube. Its amazing how many people are running with cameras and video recorders!

Stare at the wall (treadmill) - This has been one of my most powerful running tools. If you can force yourself to run an hour staring at a wall on a treadmill you are developing powerful self-will. You are training your mind to handle the bordom, the tiredness, the toughness, and keep going. - Think of it this way, if you can endure running staring at a wall during training, imagine how your mind and body will react when there is entertainment.

There are so many things that you can do to keep your mind occupied. Don't let your mind fool you into thinking you are weaker than you are! Find what works for you and then, power through your run.

What do you do to keep your mind occupied when you run? What helps mentally power you though your run?