Tammy's Bird Brain

If you are anything like me you have a battle going on in your head while you run.  Before I even start the battle has begun.  It first starts when I schedule my run and then after that I am trying to talk myself out of going finding excuses like:  it is too cold, it is too hot, it is too windy, it is too dark, etc.  If I can get myself out the door then the whole time I run I am battling the voice in my head to keep from walking.  That silly voice is constantly saying:  “your legs hurt, your lungs hurt, your shoes are too tight, the song that is playing isn’t motivating, it would feel so good to walk, it’s ok to walk, you can take a shortcut,” etc.  This voice can be very discouraging and frustrating and can make running more painful than necessary.

So to silence this discouraging voice I have found a few things that help.

1. Music does help and I make sure my playlist is foolproof; that is no song comes on that I want to skip.




2. Making a goal and sticking to it.  If I plan ahead of time what I want to accomplish I usually do it but if I start out running without a goal then I am free to do whatever I feel like which means at the slightest discomfort I give in.  For example:  I must decide on my route before I start running or I will only go for 25 minutes and I won’t push myself or if I don’t tell myself I need to work on my speed then I just putt along at a leisurely pace and I don’t get a good workout.




3. I went to a running workshop about Chi running and it drastically improved my running and helped me win my mental battle.  Chi running helps you to focus on your body’s alignment, breathing and cadence (steps per minute).  Since I have all this to focus on I have not time to listen to that pesky voice.




4. I have always wanted to try to listen to a book while I run and have the hope that it will help the time go by faster.  I also wonder if this would affect my pace.  Has anyone tried this?

Think about how you are going to arm yourself during your mental battle so that you don’t give in.  Usually I find I am stronger than I give myself credit for so I just need to push through and keep going.

Filed under: running by Tammy