I did my usual 10 mile long run yesterday. I won't say it's getting easy to run 10 miles, but I am learning how to cope with the distance. I've realized that physically, my body can do a weekly 10 miler. It's the mental aspect that I'm still learning to cope with. Long runs are really boring when you're as slow as I am. It means running for 2 hours without stopping. my music will only carry me so far; mental games (counting white cars, composing this blog, working on sewing projects) will get me a little farther. But the most important lesson I've learned so far is that when I hear that voice in my head just screaming "you have to stop running-NOW!"-that's when taking a quick assessment of the situation is important. Are the legs ok? Are they tired but not injured? Check. How about the cardio picture? Still good to go? Check. Not overheated or dehydrated? Check. So that means the need to stop is mental, not physical. That's when the trick is to shut down the "stop running"message and replace it with the "you've done this before, you can do it again" message.
Easier said than done...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
This is really hard for me to do longer runs if I'm not training for nothing. When I'm not training would rather to 30 minutes of some type of excercise, 7 days a week rather then a long run.
To you comment on my Blog, I'm scared also of getting lost during a race. I hate to say it did happen to me in high school in cross country.
I think about the same kinds of things...blogging, sewing, etc. Sometimes I wish I could comfortably carry a notebook and pen to write down my thoughts, so I don't lose them by the time I get home. :)
Nice post. Way to go on making 10 so easy. That is awesome. I will keep this post in mind (and your advice about the mental aspect of running) as I am now approaching five miles as my "long" distance.
Speaking of music... I have three very slow songs at the beginning of my run which dropped my pace below 10 minutes. With the faster, upbeat and songs I like, I noticed my pace quickened a great deal to 9 minutes or below. At the race, I need to update my play-list.
I agree. it's very mental. I never like to do a loop past my car because it's too easy to stop.
Post a Comment