1) Train for the tough stuff: Cold weather, icy trails, slippery footing. The down side of northern running right? Wrong! Your secret weapon! Running in tough conditions makes you stronger. Dealing with challenges such as weather, poor footing, and inappropriate clothing choices are all ways to train yourself to overcome issues that may arise during a race. Sure, those people who train in shorts and t-shirts all year long have better tans than us, but we are tougher- that's a fact. And just think of how much faster you'll be on smooth pavement without 5 extra pounds of clothing weighing you down!
2) Talk yourself up: One of my favorite parts of running is the time alone with my thoughts. But sometimes when the running gets tough, the thoughts turn ugly. If the negative chatter takes over your thoughts may turn to "I'm tired", "This hurts", "I should just walk", "No one will know if I cut this run short", " The couch is calling and it is time I answered". It has been shown in studies that the brain actually triggers the body to shut down, rather than vice versa. This means that while your mind is saying stop, your body is still willling to go- but in fact you convince yourself to be tired and to stop. Most people never realize their physical potential, because they give up mentally long before their body can get there.
When I started running I felt heavy, slow, uncoordinated and pained. And the thoughts going through my head were generally reinforced that feeling and amplified the experience. The negative thoughts resulted in a negative experience of running, and I knew I wanted to change this. So I thought about what I wanted to feel like and look like while running. I thought about the women I saw who looked strong, relaxed and light when running, and I came up with a mantra- Longer, Stronger, Lighter, Tighter, Joy and Ease, Joy and Ease. This rythmic chant filled my head with a positive image and replaced the negative chatter that had previously consumed my thoughts. It worked, and it still does.
A mantra can be as simple as "I can, I will" as it was for Alan Hobson as he trained to climb Mount Everest after recovering from cancer.
Think about what "power words" you would use to transform your mind and your thoughts into a cheerleader to support and assist your body in reaching its true full potential.
3) Be flexible: Just like in life- it's important to have a plan, and then be prepared to throw it out the window. Planning and preparation are a part of training, but you also have to be willing to let go of your expectations and desires and just go with the flow. The great part about running is anything can happen. If you are too fixated on how it should be, you may miss out on an even greater experience than you anticipated.
4) Get uncomfortable: There is a rule in strength training: Development follows demand. The same is true for running. If you want to run further, faster and/or stronger, you must push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Run with someone a bit faster than you, start a training run a bit faster than you should, or run an extra kilometer or two after you want to quit. All of this will help push the boundaries of what you think you are capable, and as previously explained, this is the integral first step to physically realizing those expanded capabilities.
5) Daydream: Visualize yourself running. Ok, now visualize yourself running the way you want to feel and look. That is the image you want to focus on. There is power in visualization that goes beyond what you might think. Sure, the more you visualize yourself running (and racing) the more confident and prepared you will feel when it comes time to race. But in addition to that, it has been shown that actual physical change occurs as a result of just mental imagery without actual physical engagement. So that means that lying in bed picturing yourself running is actually a form of training! (although I wouldn't reccomend it as a sole training method considering the physical changes are about 0.04% of what you would experience by peeling the mattress off your back and getting outside to run).
6) Embrace the fickle nature of the sport: Some days you feel like a rock star, other days you feel like a black hole. The truth is, there will always be good runs and tough runs, but any day running is better than a day sitting on the couch. And the tough runs make you appreciate those great runs even more!
So there you have it, now you can get to work training that muscle between your ears.
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