When I run (it's been a minute), I use the run/walk method with :45/:45 intervals, and when it sucks I tell myself that I can do anything, no matter how much it sucks, for 45 seconds.
I also like to repeat "quick, light, easy" in my head to remind me of what I'm trying to be when I run.
I've definitely found it can be super helpful to remind myself, and my body and my brain, that I can do something for (insert short/reasonable time/distance here). 45 seconds feels like a great interval to use!
My two (insert hard day of sport here) mantras are "Little (Liz/insert your own name) can do big things" or "it might not be that bad" - especially when conditions/weather/body feelings are not looking or feeling ideal! 98% of the time it isn't that bad.
Really enjoyed this article!! I love the mind games. The brain can def be stronger than the body (in either a positive or negative way haha).
Oh my gosh, "Little Liz can do big things" is so good!! And hilarious. I also like interrogating your perception of how bad something actually is or could be with a simple, "maybe it's not!"
Thank you for the kind note! I agree that it's so fun and helpful to think about how we're using our brains in these hard days of sports.
So happy Trail Mix is back - you have been one of my favorite voices in running since the blog days.
My favorite running mantra lately is 'it can't only get worse'. It reminds me of the inevitable ups and downs (emphasis on ups!) that happen during a long run, calms my fears of a no-end-in-sight sufferfest, and helps me bring the focus back to what I can control physically and mentally.
Aww thank you so much for that, Carolyn. That means a lot. And I *love* that mantra! It's so important to remind ourselves that everything keeps changing and no low is forever. "It can't only get worse" is so true!
Adam coined "it's all downhill from here," which is somewhat true at the summit of a shorter journey, but usually interpreted ironically in the midst of the uphill!
More seriously, I often bargain with myself while suffering - it's always possible to gain at least the next 1000 feet or 5 miles or get to the next landmark or whatever. Gratitude for the fact that I'm alive and able to go and enjoy amazing experiences in amazing places can also carry me, but I am eager to learn everyone else's mantra!
Hahah I love "it's all downhill from here" for an uphill push.
I've also found bargaining is an effective tactic. I have friends who have set landmarks (like ferns and trees) on certain suffery hills that they always run to before shifting to a walk. I've also definitely counted steps! Especially on the final grind of a volcano or something similar. I'll just keep doing sets of 100, over and over again.
And yes, gratitude, always. We are so fortunate to get to do these things we love to do.
When I run (it's been a minute), I use the run/walk method with :45/:45 intervals, and when it sucks I tell myself that I can do anything, no matter how much it sucks, for 45 seconds.
I also like to repeat "quick, light, easy" in my head to remind me of what I'm trying to be when I run.
I've definitely found it can be super helpful to remind myself, and my body and my brain, that I can do something for (insert short/reasonable time/distance here). 45 seconds feels like a great interval to use!
My two (insert hard day of sport here) mantras are "Little (Liz/insert your own name) can do big things" or "it might not be that bad" - especially when conditions/weather/body feelings are not looking or feeling ideal! 98% of the time it isn't that bad.
Really enjoyed this article!! I love the mind games. The brain can def be stronger than the body (in either a positive or negative way haha).
Oh my gosh, "Little Liz can do big things" is so good!! And hilarious. I also like interrogating your perception of how bad something actually is or could be with a simple, "maybe it's not!"
Thank you for the kind note! I agree that it's so fun and helpful to think about how we're using our brains in these hard days of sports.
So happy Trail Mix is back - you have been one of my favorite voices in running since the blog days.
My favorite running mantra lately is 'it can't only get worse'. It reminds me of the inevitable ups and downs (emphasis on ups!) that happen during a long run, calms my fears of a no-end-in-sight sufferfest, and helps me bring the focus back to what I can control physically and mentally.
Aww thank you so much for that, Carolyn. That means a lot. And I *love* that mantra! It's so important to remind ourselves that everything keeps changing and no low is forever. "It can't only get worse" is so true!
Adam coined "it's all downhill from here," which is somewhat true at the summit of a shorter journey, but usually interpreted ironically in the midst of the uphill!
More seriously, I often bargain with myself while suffering - it's always possible to gain at least the next 1000 feet or 5 miles or get to the next landmark or whatever. Gratitude for the fact that I'm alive and able to go and enjoy amazing experiences in amazing places can also carry me, but I am eager to learn everyone else's mantra!
Hahah I love "it's all downhill from here" for an uphill push.
I've also found bargaining is an effective tactic. I have friends who have set landmarks (like ferns and trees) on certain suffery hills that they always run to before shifting to a walk. I've also definitely counted steps! Especially on the final grind of a volcano or something similar. I'll just keep doing sets of 100, over and over again.
And yes, gratitude, always. We are so fortunate to get to do these things we love to do.