Developing a Strong Runner's Mindset
Having a strong runner's mindset is something that is easier said than done. It requires just as much practice as the physical training that goes into a training block. Like training your gut to take in fuel, runners often forget that they have to train their minds to handle the dark places of endurance running and racing. And it does it go there... I ran the Boston Marathon in 2023. Yes, it was the first hot day of the year at a warm 70 degrees, but all my training runs had been through the cold winter mornings so the idea of being heat acclimated was far from the case. A late start, close to 11am didn't help. Standing in Boylston and walking in the crowd with thousands of other runners on small narrow New England streets with the sun beating down made for a rough start. When the marathon volunteers were handing out last minute sunscreen at the start line, I knew we were in for a rough day. Anxiety and fear started to build. I tried to come back to my training, back to my ...