Running Essentials Thursday: When the Voices in Your Head Won’t Shut-Up
It’s a hot summer morning, you wake up knowing you have a long run on the schedule. After getting dressed and fueling accordingly you jog to Central Park to begin your run. All is well and good as you notice your legs feel tight and a little tired from all the training. You begin to think you’re crazy for having signed up for this race and start immediately debating on turning your ten mile run into a two miler.
You plod on, telling yourself you’ll feel better when it’s over yet the nagging voice in your head won’t subside. Three miles in you realize your fail-proof mantra isn’t fail-proof after all. What’s a frustrated runner to do in times like these?
STOP thinking about the run and START thinking about something else. When the voices in your head refuse to shut-up, the best thing to do is distract your brain with other things. Focusing on the run and what lies ahead doesn’t always serve you.
When the going gets tough here are some things to think about on your run:
- Plan a dinner party. Think about who would be on the invite list, what dishes you would make and what wine would go best with the meal. Plan the food shopping. Even plan what you would wear that night.
- Plan your future. The best ideas don’t always come in the shower they come when you’re alone with your thoughts. Thinking about a new career path? This is a great time to think about the pros and cons and figuring out what it will take to get you where you want to go.
- Focus on non-fitness related goals. Make a plan similar to a training plan on how you will achieve each goal.
- Write it out. Write that blog or journal post about your deepest feelings on a burning subject while on the run. Follow your thoughts down every path and you may find the perfect words to express what you’ve been needing to say.
There’s something amazing about freeing your mind from the torture of the action and letting it go that will most likely allow your legs to fall into stride without so much struggle.
love this. my thoughts get the best of me sometimes when I’m running and these are great ideas to help take your mind off of it!
LOVE this! I do this a lot when I run and doubt starts to creep in – I usually plan out blog posts or something in my head, or dream about my next vacation and what I want to do while I’m away. Before I know it, I’m so lost in thought, the miles just go right on by!
Excellent advice, and interesting because all those things you list, are things I naturally do while running, which is why I LOVE TO RUN! It’s that alone time with my thoughts. And the endorphins.
I needed this today. I had to sleep this morning and missed my 3.5 miler due to 2 mile speedwork yesterday that decimated me. I only signed up for this half a few days ago and I’ve been starting to be doubtful that I can do it. This will help to distract me, thanks!
I forgot, which 1/2 did you end up signing up for?
Divas Half Marathon on Long Island – timing worked out best.
I do a lot of random math in my head when I’m running, is that weird?
Not weird at all. Sometimes I count to 100 over and over again. I guess if I could do math I’d do that instead. =)
oh my god, I used to have the same habit of counting to 100 over and over again while I ran, it drove me nuts when I’d lose count and then think, why the hell am I counting anyway? I finally broke the habit by doing math. How many miles I’ve run, how many I’d need to run to make 100 for the month, how many days until my next vacation… endless, pointless math!
And I did it today as soon as I started running! lol
Great tips! That happens to me a lot when I start running. I’m always negotiating the run in my mind. Time to start using the run as dinner-party-planning time!
Sometimes I use this time to listen to a podcast or Audiobook! It helps pass the time
hahaha As I read the first paragraph of this post I was thinking “yep, this all sounds too familiar!”
It’s really good advice though, now I just need to learn to apply it…
Great advice! I often think about my future when I’m running or my goals pertaining to the run.
It’s so funny how similar all of our personal doubt can be. I feel music can distract me nicely too. The other thing is not expecting to feel it or love every workout. Having said all this I have turned more than my share of 10 mile runs into 6 mile runs and justified it along the way.
It is interesting that pretty much everyone feels the same way at one time or another. I don’t listen to music 99.9% of the time. I just can’t really run with stuff (as in I can barely handle wearing my Garmin).
I battle with myself during most of my long runs. The internal debate and babying of myself that goes on has to be reigned in somehow and tuning out seems to work for me.
One of my closest friends and marathon runner always says “Get out of your head” and by that she means, don’t psych yourself out of doing the distance. It is her way of really saying, “Get into your thoughts.” Such good advice! Especially for those like me who can easily turn just a 6 mile run into a 3 miler…running is not my strongest point!
I love your friends quote!
Great suggestions! I used to say that I hate running but I do it cause I like the results & challenge. Then my feet got bad & exercise in general – all exercise & walking was painful. Then I found my Hoka shoes & I was so happy to be running again! Course I don’t do marathons!
You’re great, Jess!
Aw, thanks Kate! And thanks for stopping by!
WRITE IT OUT! I totally do that
I write blog posts…and when I was young and out running I would write short stories…love stories of course 
Great post!