This morning I did an 8 mile run on a treadmill. It IS as boring as that sounds, and it felt kind of like this:
I'm building my endurance up at the moment to a level that it has not been at for at least 4 years and so I need to push my limits of what is comfortable for me in terms of distance and time. I did my run on a treadmill exactly BECAUSE it was boring and there was little stimulus other than the dashboard in front of me and the mirror that I was facing.
I'm a firm believer that endurance is much more about the mental side of things than the physical. Yes, you need some kind of physical base on which to build but I believe that our internal dialogue has the edge on whether we will, or won't, go the distance.
As Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right"
So, my session today was about building mental strategies back up to help me build my endurance. Looking at that treadmill dashboard and the numbers ticking away is going to do that for me! I once did a 3 hour treadmill session for the very same reason and I still look back and think that it was one of the toughest run sessions that I ever did. I'm not interested in doing that again - ever - but for now, 8 miles, about 65 minutes is right up there beyond my mental endurance threshold.
Here's how I managed:
1. Keeping the pace comfortable
An important one, as it ensures that you aren't pushing too many things at once. My aim was to cover 8 miles and to deal with my mind. Running it at a particular pace, or within a certain time was not part of that outcome. Once I was clear with myself on that, I found a pace that was slightly slower than my usual pace, but it felt nice and rhythmic and my breathing was steady. If that changed at all and felt too fast and too intense aerobically for me then I gave myself permission to go slower if I needed. My ego was no longer in the picture!
2. Maths!
Ok, this maybe isn't everyone's idea of a coping strategy, but it works for me as I love numbers. I figured out that 8 mile should take me about 66 minutes given the pace that I was doing. I gave myself a contingency at first and worked on it all being done 70 minutes after starting. This is where the maths began. After 3.5 minutes I'd done 1/20th of the run. After 7 minutes, I'd done 1/10th. And so on. I continually worked out fractions in my mind - when's the next one? When will I have done 1/5th, 1/4, 1/3 and so on. As I progressed these became 2/5ths, 3/7ths. there was always a fraction just around the corner for me to aim for! Once I realised that I could maintain the pace I was on for the whole run and so it would take me 66 minutes, I had fun re-doing the fractions all over again!
3. Rewards
I had a bottle of water in front of me which I knew I wanted to keep drinking throughout the run. I had sips of water every 2.5 minutes. This kept my hydration structured, and ensured that I continually drank, rather than waiting until I was already dehydrated. But what it also did was it gave me short term aims. Every 2.5 minutes there was something different for me to do and it chunked the whole run down into bite-sized pieces. I also knew that I would need a little bit of fuel for this run so I had a Nakd bar with me and had 2 little bites at both the one third down point and the one third to go point. Little chocolate bliss bits to work towards.
4. Having a word with myself in the mirror
There I was right in front of myself - no escape.I used the opportunity to stare myself in the face and have a word with myself when I needed it! So, when I felt like a boost or I felt the negative vibe starting to muster some energy, I looked at myself and reminded myself that I am strong, and capable of doing this. I told myself that I got on this treadmill for a reason and I would complete the task that I had set out to do.
5. Focusing on the longer term outcome
The point that I felt most like giving up at was between 3-4 miles. 4-5 wasn't a breeze either. I knew that this was definitely my mind playing with me as that distance isn't an issue for me. I was just bored.That middle section had lost the twinkle of the challenge and I wasn't long enough through it to be able to see the end. At this point I thought about why I was doing this run. Why did I want my endurance built up again? Why did I need to tough out a treadmill session like this. I remembered the times that I had been away for the weekend and I wanted to explore the hills with just my trainers and a back pack or to be able to take off on my bike for miles knowing that I had the fitness to do so. I remembered that I wanted to feel that sense of internal strength and resilience. I also wanted to rid myself of thinking 'I can't' which has been too present in my mind for me this last couple of years. And I simply wanted to feel fit again! This thought process got me through that middle third of the run and then I was able to see the last chunk ahead of me.
When I finally got to the 8 mile / 12.8km point I didn't seem phased at all. Surprisingly. There was a pleasant familiarity for me of how things used to be. This was the kind of thing that I just did. I also knew that I had broken through an internal barrier and that my long run next week would be in some sense easier, even if the distance is going to be longer. Positivity breeds positivity.
While this was my current distance and time challenge, it applies at any level, wherever your endurance currently is at. That could be half or full marathon distance, or above, Or it could be running a mile or 5km. The principles apply. Give yourself something else to focus on to drown out any negative internal dialogue because that'll get to you before your physical ability does.
Have fun pushing your boundaries and enjoy the rewards out the other side :-)
