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8/17/2019 How to Run a Marathon (Hint_ It's All in the Mind)
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Mustafa Sarkar
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Nottingham Trent University
Thousands of people graced the streets of London to run the annual marathon on Sunday,
April 23. Runners spent weeks and months physically training alongside a carefully crafted
diet plan to get them in top shape ahead of the big day.
With any marathon or long distance not only is physical preparation important but it is also
crucial to prepare mentally for the gruelling number of miles. Because running a marathon is
not just about the body – the mind also matters quite a bit as well.
Training your mind for a marathon might sound a bit odd, but preparing mentally is really no
different to preparing physically. Just as you would prepare your body, it’s equally important to
prepare your mind for the inevitable mental challenges. In fact, research suggests that elite
marathoners use specific psychological strategies to help them perform for this unique event.
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail
So we all know that British military adage of proper preparation prevents poor performance,
but how does that figure when it comes to mentally training for a marathon?
First off, let’s talk about the infamous wall, and what happens when you hit it. Because hitting
the wall isn’t just a fallacy, it really does happen. And it’s probably going to happen to you at
some point to you if you’re brave enough to be running the marathon. Hitting the wall is
basically about running out of energy. Your legs feel like concrete, your breathing becomes
laboured, your stride turns into a shuffle. Negative thoughts flood your mind, and the urge to
quit becomes overwhelming.
Identifying imaginary – but realistic – scenarios before the race like “what happens when I hit
the wall?” or “what if it rains?” are key to success on the actual day itself. To get the most out
of this, runners should identify potential strategies to cope with these situations should they
arise on race day.
How to run a marathon (hint: it’s all in
the mind)
April 22, 2016 8.59pm AEST
Be in the running. Padmayogini/shutterstock
w to run a marathon (hint: it's all in the mind) http://theconversation.com/how-to-run-a-marathon-hint-its-all-in-the-...
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8/17/2019 How to Run a Marathon (Hint_ It's All in the Mind)
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In a study 315 participants from three eastern seaboard marathons in the United States were
asked about their experiences of hitting the wall.
The researchers found that about 43% of participants reported that they hit the wall during the
marathon, with results showing that fatigue, unintentional slowing pace, a desire to walk, anda shift in focus to survival were all key features of the wall.
In another study, 57 experienced recreational marathoners were asked about how they coped
with hitting the wall. The participants used multiple techniques including physical coping
efforts such as supplementation or hydration, emotion-focused coping, so social support, and
cognitive strategies like willpower and mental reframing.
To psychologically prepare for the wall runners need to first accept it is probably going to
happen and then identify strategies to cope with this situation.
Talk to yourself
One such technique to help overcome the wall could be managing your self-talk. Self-talk
refers to the “voice” in your head. It is a useful mental strategy to apply to long distance
running, and many studies have shown the majority of competitive marathon runners use
self-talk during marathons.
Runners report using a rich variety of motivational self-talk as well as spiritual self-talk and
mantras. Repeating choice words whenever you need to focus can help direct your mind away
from negative thoughts and toward a positive experience.
The Sanskrit word “mantra” literally means “instrument for thinking”. As such, short words orphrases can be used effectively to focus the mind. To best manage self-talk, before the race,
runners are encouraged to prepare multiple mantras tailored to various challenges.
For example, to overcome inclines, you might use the words “hills are my friend”. Towards the
end of the race, you might say to yourself “think strong, be strong, finish strong”. Or you might
just be repeating “keep running, don’t stop” over and over again – it really is a case of
whatever works for you.
Maintain your focus
During a marathon, association and disassociation are also important cognitive strategies for
maintaining focus. Association refers to the monitoring of the body and adjusting pace
accordingly, while dissociation refers to using distraction to direct attention away from pain.
A study from the University of North Carolina investigated the association and disassociation
The Union Jack onesie was a good idea at the time.
Bikeworldtravel/Shutterstock
w to run a marathon (hint: it's all in the mind) http://theconversation.com/how-to-run-a-marathon-hint-its-all-in-the-...
3 28/04/2016 1:13 PM
8/17/2019 How to Run a Marathon (Hint_ It's All in the Mind)
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cognitive patterns of United States Olympic Marathon trial contestants.
They found that the top finishers employed cognitive strategies that utilised both associative
and dissociative techniques, while lower finishers only adopted dissociative strategies. So
being at one with your physical state is really important if you’re trying to maintain your focus.
Paula Radcliffe used a variety of associative and dissociative strategies during her running to
maintain focus. These included monitoring footstrike and stride pattern, ensuring that her arms
were swinging forwards and backwards – rather than from side to side – maintaining
awareness of hydration levels, observing breathing patterns, and counting in her head to
determine where she was within each mile.
These strategies can help bring a meditative practice to your movement, creating a healthier
way to run that’s more enjoyable, with better results for body, mind, and soul. By running in
sync with your breadth, watching your stride, and counting in your head, you can enjoy the
pure joy of mindful running.
To make sure you’ve got the best chance of success in any long distance run consider putting
into practice these three mental strategies before and during race day. And as Radcliffe said:
“In long distance events, the importance of your mental state in determining the outcome of a
race can’t be overestimated.”
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Because running can be spiritual too.
oneinchpunch/shutterstock
w to run a marathon (hint: it's all in the mind) http://theconversation.com/how-to-run-a-marathon-hint-its-all-in-the-...
3 28/04/2016 1:13 PM