Training your body is only half the battle.
A marathon is 26.2 miles, 42.2 kilometers, and 138,336 feet. And no matter how much you’ve physically prepared for race day, there will be miles, kilometers, and feet that will feel mentally challenging. That’s why Precision Run coach Corky Corkum says that, on the journey to that finish line, it’s just as important to train your brain as it is to train your body.
“I like to remind my runners that boredom is part of the long run. Being in your own thoughts is part of being an endurance runner,” says Corkum. “A lot of us are very uncomfortable with that—especially in a society whereour phones are going off and our watches are sending us notifications.” On the other side of boredom is serious mental toughness, so below, Corkum offers 6 tips for bolstering your mental armor so you’re ready from the moment the gun goes off until you cross the finish line.
Tip 1: Don’t judge yourself for the first quarter of the run
For the first several miles of your long run, you may be blissfully unaware of how long you have left. Maybe you’re taking the view in and enjoying how it feels to cruise on fresh legs. Corkum says to let this part be easy. “I would tell most runners not to make any judgments about the long run within the first 30 to 40 minutes,” says the coach. “The odds are good that your brain and your body are still warming up, figuring out the kinks, and finding your rhythm. Give yourself grace and to let the miles and the time just happen.”
Tip 2: When the effort gets tough, scan your body for any tension
If your brain is starting to give you trouble, chances are that your physical body is also holding tension. Corkum recommends taking a moment to mentally scan yourself from head to toe. Where are you holding tension? What could you soften? Taking an opportunity to relax every part of yourself will help you conserve energy for the rest of the run. For example, if you’re swinging your arms in front of your chest instead of by your side, you may be losing energy that could be super-valuable to you later on in the race.
Tip 3: Unplug
Corkum is a big fan of running without distraction. While tuning into a podcast or listening to music can make time move more quickly, skipping the earbuds altogether gives you the best opportunity to cultivate that mental toughness (and get nice and comfortable with being bored). So if you’re up for the challenge, try taking on your next long run without the background tracks.
Tip 4: Visualize, visualize, visualize
“Once they're in the trenches of the long run, I often want my athletes to visualize how they mentally want to be prepared on race day and how they're going to handle the early miles versus later miles,” she says. In other words, when you’re having a tough run, visualize how you want that race day mindset to feel. What does mile five feel like? What about 18? What about the moment you cross the finish line.
Tip 5: Journal
Cracking open the spine of a new journal is a great way to kick off your marathon training, says Corkum. When you’re done running, write down what felt good about the run and what you struggled with both mentally and physically. “That history sometimes feels like a blur. Being able to look back and read the details of not just what was physically going on, but what was mentally going on can be very helpful,” she says.
Tip 6: Foster an athlete mentality beyond the run
Racing for a marathon is kind of like method acting in that you want to embody a marathon runner both on and off the run. That means fueling properly, getting plenty of sleep, and prioritizing cross-training and recovery. Continuing to act like a pro on and off the run will send your brain the message that this 26.2 distance is about to become a reality.