The marathon is probably 5 percent physical and 95 percent psychological.
If you think you can, you can.
BY JERRY LYNCH, PH.D.
I really don't like being in the position of having someone, at mile 23 or
24, running strongly in front of me. I tend to give them permission to lead
the rest of the way... as if I can't or shouldn't pass them. Mentally, I back
down and give it away. I need to change this."
And change she did. For four months before running the Los Angeles Marathon
in 1987, Nancy Ditz diligently worked with the powerful mental tool called
affirmation to alter her negative mind-set. Over and over, each day prior to
the race, she repeated the words: "I deserve to win; I can pass anyone on
any given day."
On marathon race day, at mile 24, Ditz was running strongly, and surged
past front-runner Sylvia Mosqueda to capture her second-straight L.A. victory.
Those mental conditioning techniques had worked, and they have continued to
work in the following years, including 1988, when they helped her achieve a
place on the U.S. Olympic Marathon team.
Whether you're an elite runner or a recreational athlete, you probably
encounter mental blocks that can and often do inhibit your race performances.
The marathon is the most psychologically demanding of all running events
because it requires that the mind withstand enormous stress, fatigue, tension
and pain. And no one is excused from its clutches.
I have worked closely with Olympic marathoners at the U.S. Olympic Training
Center as well as hundreds of runners whose goal is simply to finish a
marathon, and both types of runners have similar mental and physical reactions
to "the wall," for example.
Let me help you recall a common experience among those of us who run
marathons. You pass mile 21 and noticeably begin to slow down. No matter how
hard you try, your legs become heavier, your turnover is sluggish, and you
want the race to be over. You remember that you had these same feelings the
last time you ran a marathon. Oh, how you suffered. "Not again. Please,
please don't let it happen," you think. You have worked too hard to drop
out.
This fear results from the mind's images of impending doom. Whether or not
you really are doomed doesn't matter because the mind does not distinguish
between real or imagined possibilities; the image borne out of fear brings on
debilitating physical responses. Blood flow shifts away from your extremities;
muscles go into spasm; flexor muscles contract; extensors become inhibited;
concentration is impeded; and you begin to feel fatigued.
At the first signs of increased fatigue, your worst fears are confirmed:
You've hit the wall. You panic and become even more fearful, which again feeds
your negative physical response. You become even more fatigued. Finally, when
your mind says, "Stop," your body stops.
You can help inhibit this chain reaction by working directly with what is
responsible for this anxiety, tension and fear--the mind. After all, in a
marathon there are so many miles, so much time... to think. Although a good
mind-set won't guarantee results, it will increase your chances of a
successful run by helping you cope with the onset of normal anxiety and pain.
If you want to improve your performance in the marathon, you may want to
consider learning and implementing some basic mental techniques. I have had
much success in using the following strategies with world-class runners as
well as with those who simply want to finish a marathon or improve upon
previous performances.
Prerace Preparation
As you set up a schedule to train your body to run a marathon, set up a
training schedule for your mind as well. On a daily basis, you can practice
several mental exercises that will help you develop a powerful, positive
mind-set. You'll arrive at the race thinking strong, feeling strong, and
you'll get off to a strong start. By beginning with a good attitude, you'll be
better prepared to avoid mental potholes along the course.
Simulation. World-renowned coach Bill Squires firmly believes runners
should simulate race tactics and race situations during some of their training
runs. For example, athletes he has worked with have actually practiced surging
or charging a hill or sprinting toward a designated "finish line."
In addition to physical simulation, you can mentally simulate the various
problems you might encounter during a race and how you would solve them.
Imagine certain adverse situations such as intolerable weather conditions,
pain from fatigue or unbearable hill climbs; see and feel yourself responding
in a positive, constructive fashion, overcoming those situations. You will
race as you have trained, so imagine yourself running the way you want to over
and over again.
Expectation. Rather than going into a marathon with just one goal, such as
to finish in a very specific time, develop a range of goals so that you
increase your chances of success and reduce the possibility of disappointment.
For example, choose a time range (say, 2:51 to 2:59) that you can expect to
fall within rather than put all your hopes on one magical number. Other goals
you might set for yourself include running negative splits or even-paced
miles, finishing at a certain percentile of all entrants and completing the
run injury-free.
The key is to select a few goals, one or two of which you know you can
achieve. You will then go into the race confident and more relaxed, knowing
that the outcome will be positive--that you are likely to achieve one or two
good results.
Ritual. One of the ways in which you might gain a psychological edge is by
establishing a personal ritual before your race. Some athletes follow a
particular diet a week before the marathon. Others listen to certain types of
music to raise or lower their excitement level. A specific warmup routine can
be beneficial in signaling that you are ready. Use whatever you choose as a
mental aid to give you a little extra confidence before the race.
Visualization. Because your central nervous system does not distinguish
between a real or imagined event, your images about a situation often affect
the outcome. If you imagine a successful race with a successful result, you
are more likely to achieve that result. Visualization is the process of
positively rehearsing an event in your mind before its occurrence. It builds
confidence and helps you relax.
Through visualization, you will become less fearful. This in turn builds a
positive expectancy, which reduces fear even further. As a result, you begin
to act in ways consistent with achieving the desired outcome.
Race-Day Reactions
Perhaps the major concern of most runners during a marathon is the onset of
pain and fatigue. When either occurs, the mind tells the body to stop. Of
course, this is wise advice if the pain indicates injury. But in most
situations, pain is simply the normal response to having run hard for a number
of miles.
How do elite runners respond when they begin to feel fatigue and pain? I
asked this question of world-class marathoners at the Olympic Training Center.
As I suspected, their feelings and thoughts about fatigue are very similar to
those experienced by all runners. They react to fatigue by losing confidence,
becoming distracted and feeling frustrated.
You can help to ward off the debilitating effects of this pain and fatigue
by establishing certain mind-sets. The following strategies have been compiled
from training seminars, research on fatigue and informal talks with elite and
recreational runners.
Cooperate with fatigue. Fighting fatigue is futile; what you resist will
persist. The effort to combat fatigue will only expend more energy, increase
anxiety and lead to greater fatigue. Instead of fighting it, cooperate with
it. Try to think of it as a familiar friend coming along for a run. Talk back
to it: "Oh, it's you again. You always seem to visit me at this stage of
the race. Fine, you can come along if you wish, but I'm not slowing down, so
speed up and join me." By conducting such an imaginary conversation, you
are refusing to grant power to this nuisance and reducing your anxiety.
Redefine pain. Try reinterpreting the meaning of pain and fatigue. We are
stressed and fatigued less by situations than by our view of them, so if you
change your beliefs about pain, you will change the pain. For example, you may
want to define it as a feeling you get when your muscles are working hard--a
necessary step in the exploration of your potential.
Take it one mile at a time. When the outcome looks dismal, many of us reach
our mental breaking point. Fears of slowing, not finishing or being passed in
the late stages of the race are demoralizing. The brain throws in the towel
with messages to the body such as "let those runners go;" "it's
not important;" "I'd rather be at the picnic;" or "it's
too much farther to continue." When you find yourself in such turmoil,
consider the advice of a 56-year-old client of mine who has turned such
moments around.
In his first attempt at the marathon, he arrived at mile 17 and thought to
himself, "I'll never make it." He then remembered that the way he
responds to exhausting projects at work is to ask, "What can be done
now?" He chose not to focus on what remained of the marathon because that
would be psychologically devastating. So, he decided to run to mile 20 and
then reevaluate, taking one mile at a time. He did this, and, by mile 23, he
not only felt better, but he realized that the finish was only 3 downhill
miles away. He knew he could handle that.
Focus on form and pace. Concentrating on form and pace diverts your
attention from pain and fatigue. Jon Sinclair, one of the top U.S. runners for
the past decade, suggests that you ask yourself, "Am I going too fast at
this point? How is my stride? Should I adjust my knee lift?" Many runners
do this during races. By paying attention to their bodies, they can correct
for error and reduce fatigue that may be related to an inefficient running
style. They simply choose to concentrate on the mechanics instead of becoming
anxious over discomfort. This sort of task-centered approach will allow you to
remain focused on the race and prevent you from being distracted by pain.
Talk yourself through it. Many of my clients who are recreational runners
have told me that they literally talk themselves through times of fatigue.
Some things runners say to themselves: "everyone hurts as much as I
do;" "if I'm hurting, they must be in real trouble; .... if he can
do it, so can I; .... another few minutes and it's all over;" or "it
could be worse."
Make a deal. Bargain with your body. Tell it you will rest, nourish and
replenish it as soon as possible. Tell yourself that what you are doing is
important and that it is worth tolerating the situation until you accomplish
your goal. Contemplate how wonderful it will be to experience the endorphin
"rush" following the race.
Focus on the finish. Pain and fatigue usually don't set in until the later
miles of the race. Concentrate on how close you are to the finish. If you have
3 miles to go, think about how easy it is to run a 3-mile loop in your
neighborhood. Focus on how manageable that distance is, and you'll begin to
believe you can do it.
Take charge of fatigue. You have many alternatives for coping with fatigue.
Whatever technique you choose, remember that fatigue may not completely
vanish. But as you become absorbed in the strategies to counter it, it will
fade into the background of your mind. I suggest you try all these techniques
to see what works best for you. Before each race or run, mentally prepare the
strategies you will use. Knowing that you are in control will stall the
anxiety and lessen fatigue. At the first hint of pain, put your strategies to
work. Keep in mind that you can take charge of fatigue. You need not suffer
through it. You're in control, and if for some reason things do get out of
hand, you can always stop.
Naturally, you'd want to take care of your immediate physical concerns:
Walk around, replace lost fluids and relax. But you'll have several emotional
needs that require attention as well: ecstasy, joy and gratification for those
who reach established goals; disappointment, depression and frustration for
those who don't. The latter need to be attended to immediately (see "From
Failure to Opportunity in Six Easy Steps", below).
Talk it over. I strongly suggest talking these feelings out with someone
you know who understands the situation. You'll discover that others experience
similar feelings of discontent, and this will help release anxiety and
tension.
Learn from it. Try to view the situation as a learning experience. What did
the race teach you? Did you go out too fast? Did you neglect to stop at enough
aid stations and become dehydrated? Did you surge too much? Do you need to do
more long rims in training? Apply whatever you come up with to your race
strategies. Ask yourself, "What have I learned from this experience that
will help me to grow as a runner?"
Record results. Once you've reviewed your performance and learned from it,
make notes in your running log. Remember that the hallmark of elite runners is
not how fast they rim; it's their ability to learn from trial and error and,
as a result, improve performance. Good athletes have an extremely high
tolerance for setback. None ever made it to the top without disappointment.
Error and failure are natural, helpful components of an exciting, expanded
life; they are not enemies to overcome. Appreciate their value and make peace
with them.
We all know that fulfilling one's potential in the marathon depends on
proper diet and training as well as a healthy, supportive environment. We can
expand our potential even more if we continue to explore the mental component
of competition and tap the enormous capacities of the mind.
Jerry Lynch, Ph.D., is the author of The Total Runner (New York:
Prentice Hall, 1987). He works with professional, Olympic and recreational
athletes.
FROM FAILURE TO OPPORTUNITY IN SIX EASY STEPS
The following is a cognitive restructuring technique that can be used by all
runners who experience disappointment as a result of a poor performance.
STEP 1: Record objective facts about the race.
Example: "I dropped out at mile 24."
STEP 2: Record your subjective judgments and interpretations.
Example: "I'm a terrible runner. I'm awful for not finishing."
STEP 3: Record your emotional response to these judgments.
Example: "I'm depressed I'm devastated."
STEP 4: Ask yourself if there is any objective data to support the
validity of the self-judgments in step 2.
Example: "Those thoughts resulted from my emotional interpretation.
There is no objective data."
STEP 5: Record what you have learned from the setback.
Example: "I need to pace myself at the start, hydrate more regularly
and change my training runs."
STEP 6: Based on your new interpretation of the race (step 5), write
down how you feel now.
Example: "I'm still disappointed, but I'm okay. All in all, I'll
benefit from the experience. I'm a better runner because of it, and look
forward to the next opportunity to perform.
