How do I achieve mental discipline while running?
My goal is to be able to run 1 mile. I can run a half mile, but when I do that I think i'm just going fall over when I know I'm getting close I say to myself "Oh this is good enough you can stop now and walk the rest" but I push myself to the half mile. The thing is I've been traing for about 4 months. How do I overcome this mental block and let myself enjoy it? I really want to achieve mental and physical disipline.
Answers:
Thick throat, unable to swallow...?
A few suggestions:1. Run more slowly. When I first started running, I could barely run 1/4 of a mile. But that's because I was pushing myself to run too fast. When I trotted slowly I could go a lot farther.
2. Add a little bit of distance each day. Just a little bit. Start with half a mile. Then the next day add 0.1 to make it 0.6 miles. If you're not running on a track or treadmill, set small goals for yourself like adding 1 or 2 more blocks. Then the next day, you add a little more distance, and the day after that a little more. Until you reach a mile, and you will see it was not so hard.
3. Listen to music while you run. Make a mix CD or MP3 playlist of songs that really get you up and motivated. Songs that you love to dance to, for example. The music will inspire you to keep going and keep your mind off the physical discomfort.
4. Come up with a mantra you can repeat to yourself in your mind. It has to be something that works for you. For example, you might repeat to yourself, "Never surrender! Never surrender!" over and over again. To me, that means I won't surrender to the fatigue. If you're running to lose weight, you might keep repeating the clothing size you want to be, as in "Size four! Size four!" Use the mantra to focus your mind on the goal, not on your current feelings of wanting to quit.
How can I get my mile run faster I can run about 7 min. but I want to get it to about 5.30?
Take your iPod/MP3 player.Forget that your running and just listen to music.
You'll probably end up running 2 miles without realising
Is Ultrmarathon guy Dean Karnazes just a genetic freak, or can anyone run 200 miles?
Well, to start running, it is okay to walk a bit. I would recommend running about a half mile then walking (at a brisk pace) until you feel recovered. Do about a mile and a half like that, and soon you will be able to run longer distances without walking. Also, like the other guy said, your mp3 player or ipod can be a great motivator. You will become more confidant in your ablilty as you go and you will overcome the mental block. Also, eating healthy does a lot of good in helping you feel good while running.baby steps. you dont have to do it all at once at first. if you run on a track run the straights and walk the curves but go for a mile and a half. as you get better at this maybe you should try running a half lap and walking a quarter lap and continue this for a mile and a half. before long you will be able to easily get past the half mile and be well on your way to a mile. one must learn to crawl before they can fly. one can not fly into flying.
What would help me get over this before my track meet?
I've only been running for about 3 months myself and I just ran my first 5k race last weekend. So I know mean about feeling like you're going to fall over, I was there not long ago. For me the key was not running all in one spurt. I found a good interval training program that works up to running longer and longer by alternating with walking. Like in week one I would 60 seconds and walk 90; week 2 it was 90-90; week 3 it was 90-90-3min-3min and so on. Running a half mile at a time wasn't an option when I first started, I had to work up to it...same with a mile and eventually the full 3.1 miles.When I got to the longer running periods (10-20 minutes) I would bargain with myself "just one more lap and you can walk if you really need to" and that lap would go by and I'd reassess if I really needed to walk and I'd say "okay, one more lap." But if I really needed to walk I would.
Music does help because it lets you get lost in the music rather than focusing on how yours legs are feeling or the sweat dripping down your neck (I find this really distracting).
Good luck and stick with it!
Track Team is struggling to maintain numbers... help?
the best thing to do is just take an ipod or mp3 or something to listen to in order to get your mind off runningMore Questions & Answers...