I journal off and on about life, but my running journals have always been facts and just the facts. The when, where, how far and how fast. Recently while reading Running Within, I am beginning to focus on the mental aspect of running. In the later miles of my marathons, I begin to lose focus and the race is no longer a physical pursuit, but a mental one. I realize that to ever really succeed at longer races I need to train my mental endurance. I am now adding that information to my running log. The question remains. How do I continue to retrain my mind to the positive? How to I hold that positive mental state when I am pushing myself? How do I convince myself that I am able to do more than I think I can?
Amanda over at Runninghood opened my eyes to an entirely different type of running journal. This post in particular got me thinking. I love the creativity of adding that brain training to my journal. Increasing the positive flow so that every time I open it I remember why I run and what I want from my running. Finally, today I began my own journal. I had a Title Nine catalogue and used photos that I believed showed strength. This is not to focus on how I want to look, but how I want to be--strong and balanced. Here goes to a new adventure in running!
How do you train your brain? How do you maintain focus during long races?
9 comments:
I talk. To myself, to nature, to someone next to me...doesn't matter, just so long as I am babbling, the brain doesn't notice that the feet are falling off.
I try to focus on the beauty around me. The sunset, syline of the city, flowers or the crowd. I also visualize somethiing positive, my children, me running a PR.
yay!!! This makes me sooo happy. And I LOVED the book Running Within! I read it in college but then loaned it to someone and have not seen it since. Read it before my first marathon! So good. I miss it. I might have to get it again. Boo on loaning books that don't get returned. I love your journal. Thanks for the shout out and for letting me know you wrote about it since I rarely have time to go down my blog roll. I got a title nine and Athleta catalog today in the mail...funny because I've never ordered from either...someone is tracking me on the net. :)
I total thought I was "following" you all along. Shows how much I read my blog roll. Ha! I usually just go to the blogs of the people that comment and by that time I don't get a chance to read the ones on my roll so I figured I just had you on there. ;) Now you are. ;) Goodness, took long enough...sorry. :)
i am going to do what you and amanda are doing. thank you for your inspiration
Training the brain to push past the fatigue is all part of the marathon training and you might find some good stuff in "Brain Training for Runners" by Matt Fitzgerald. I know I got Amanda hooked on this book and it's what she uses for her marathon training but it is an excellent book for the mental challenges we face.
I LOVE your journal...Title Nine has the best stuff too!! :)
Nat, you babble? Poor wife. Do you let her get a word in?
Bubble Boy, thanks for clicking to come all the way from the Loop! Stupid Pluck...
Amanda, I have never ordered from either, but get the catalogues. I drool over so many things that I would love to have!
Jackie, checked out your blog. Keep up the good work!
Jill, I just did a search for that book. Gonna have to read it, too! My brain needs lots of work!
Great blog. It was just to bad that I had to jump from the Loop to here to read it. It has me thinking about the mental part of the marathon now. Again great Blog!!
N2Runningbad
Well hey! I got a title nine catalogue in the mail just the other day. =) I love your journal - so colourful and eye catching.
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