In the last 3 races I've ran this year (Wokingham Half, Bramley 10 & Reading Half) I've struggled with mind games at about the 8 mile mark, then again around the 12 mile mark in the Half's!

For whatever reason I just want to stop running....it's those little devil imps inside my head just telling me to "STOP"

I lose shed loads of time when this happens :-(

Can anybody help with some worthy advice on how I can overcome these issues & banish those negative thoughts?

Hi Chiipywhite,

Just a starter for ten, do you run the full 13 miles or more as a long slow run in training? I you do then I can not see any reason why as you can do the mileage, and if you can do the mileage are you starting off too fast in the race? Just some thoughts to start off the discussion.

Hi Chippywhite,

Something I've found useful is to get mentally focused before the race - say to myself that "I know I'm going to encounter mental hurdles over the course of the run, but I also know I can get through them." I also keep saying this to myself for the first few miles, while I'm still feeling good.

Then, when a bit later, when the doubts creep in, I rem think to myself "Aha - it's one of those mental hurdles I warned myself about. Keep going - you'll get through it!" And it passes surprisingly quickly.

Somehow the very fact that I'd repeatedly pre-warned myself that there would be mental hurdles, seems to make it much easier to overcome them when they happen!

The other thing I sometimes do when i get a "down" moment, is to imagine that I'm running up hill. I say to myself "This is just a mental hill, come on, keep going and you'll get over it." And I imagine that I'm cresting the hill, going over the top and downhill, and leaving the mental block behind me!

I do have a lot of conversations with myself while on long runs!!

Cheers Burtie & Derek for the replies.

Interestingly during Reading last Sunday after I stopped for the 1st time I started repeating in my head how far I had to go and how many minutes I wanted to run it in! Really in an attempt to keep my focus......but I lost that concentration around the 12 mile mark and started to walk for a few hundred yards.

It can be a bit soul destroying to get to that distance and blow a good time by stopping :-(

As for pacing I'm doing around 10 min miles, so it's not as if I'm pushing myself too hard!? Have to admit my training for all these runs has not been as best as I would have hoped for...mainly long steady runs at weekends....nothing mid week due to work & family comittments! Anyway still hopeful that I'll break that 2 hour mark next time around, have done it before & know I'm capable of doing it again.

;-)

I think a useful strategy might be to think of how far you have run rather than what is left.

So in the Reading HM which I also ran I just thought I had 4x5k to run + the fun bit into the stadium.

On my pace band I highlighted the 5/10/15/20 k times as well.

In my mind I then had the equivalent of 4 parkruns and just about anyone on this forum can manage a parkrun.

In training, I ran 17k as my longest run and didn't go over 25 miles in any week from January so it is a mental battle as well. However, I do train at a high intensity (often in the 70% Age Related thingy) so a race is less of a shock to my system.

I have also noticed that I feel really rough when I have reached my average training run distance as my body thinks its time to stop - if you push through you find a second wind and I had that feeling as well on Saturday. Another trick is to get out of your own mind - by that I mean focus on not losing ground to the person just in front rather than what hurts within you - we all hurt it just how you cope.

I got round in 1:39:05 (next birthday aged 62) - so I'm sure you can do something similar......if you have a plan set up before the gun goes off, and especially in training.   

TOOK PART IN THE BELVOIR 13.1 MILER TODAY,  TRAINED REALLY WELL , DONE 2 HALFS ALREADY IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS FIRST ONE 2HR AND 10 MIN AND THE OTHER 2HR 5MIN ( WHICH WAS A HILLIER COURSE) ,

TROUBLE WAS AT 10 MILES I HIT THE WALL , I JUST COULD NOT GO ON, I HAD HAD ENOUGH, PLUS I NEVER GOT MY RUNNNG HIGH AT THE 6/7 MILE MARK!  I DO NOT WEAR A WATCH NOR DO I LIKE LOOKING AT THE SIGNS ( WHICH WERE EVERY FLIPPING HALF MILE)

 QUESTION 1.  IS : DO YOU THINK I STARTED OFF TO FAST ~ NO RUNNING HIGH

 QUESTION 2.     ;  DO YOU THINK I NEED TO START TO WEAR A WATCH?

I AM PRETTY TO NEW TO THIS SPORT AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH MY LAST 2 HALFS , I REALLY WANTED TO GET THIS ONE IN THE 2 HR BALL PARK, PLUS I DID A 10 KM RACE IN MARCH IN 54 MIN AND 30 SEC!

PLEASE ADVISE.  PLUS I CAME ALL OVER NAUSOUS AFTERWARDS AND NEEDED A LIE DOWN FOR 2 HRS AFTER

THANKS FOR READING ,

SARAH AGED 36

BTW THE FINISH TIME WAS 2HRS AND 15 MIN AND 11 SECONDS, THAT INCLUDED WALK/ JOG FOR 2 MILES BETWEEN THE 10  AND 12 MILES