As most long distance runners will tell you, running is just as much about mental toughness as it is about physical toughness. We’re now four days out from running our first marathon and, at this point, it feels like it’s all about the mental game. I’m confident in all of the training I’ve done, and my longest run of 21 miles (which took place a couple of weeks ago) felt pretty good. So, as we wrap up our tapering, my focus has been not so much on running, but on trying to keep a positive outlook and working on strategies to stay positive during the race in preparation for hurdles such as hitting the wall. The following video is a funny look into the mind of a marathoner during the course of 26.2 miles of running. It gave me a good laugh, and definitely made me feel like I’m not alone in having an almost constant internal dialogue going with myself when I’m running. Enjoy!
What did you do to relax and prepare your mind during the final week before you ran your first marathon? Did you have any unusual thoughts keeping you going during the race itself? I know one of mine will probably be excitement about the promise of a bottle of chocolate milk at the end!
Meagan is a geochemistry research lab manager, runner, Netflix binge-watcher, and Mom to a rescue dog, a bunny, and a human child. She started running in May 2011 and ran her first half marathon in October 2012, followed by her first marathon in October 2013. In July 2018, she joined the triathlon world and completed an Olympic-distance race. After an extended break (pregnancy/maternity leave), she is making a long-overdue return to running and is preparing for a high-elevation half marathon at Crater Lake National Park in August 2020.