On the RUN with RUNGRL: The Mental Side of Running

At some point, we’ve all hit a mental wall that threatens to end our run before it starts feeling good. In this episode of On the Run with RUNGRL, we catch up with runners Lauren and Vonnie, who discuss the mental side of running and the desire to balance both mental and physical health.

Prioritizing the Run

If you’re anything like our hosts, you’ve probably struggled to make time for your commitments—especially the ones you make to yourself. Vonnie admits it’s difficult for her to set aside “her time” from the time she gives everyone else.

“I’ll say to myself, ‘You said this morning that you’re going to knock out two miles. But you really don’t feel like it,” says Vonnie.

It can be easy to cross off going for a run to shorten your (very long) mental to-do list. Instead of letting business defeat you, think about the mental clarity and energy you will come away with after a great run. Studies show that exercise on workdays can improve your time management skills by 72%. Remember, this journey is important to you. During an overwhelming day, making time for yourself will leave you less stressed and ready to tackle other tasks, full speed ahead.

“But then some days I get on there, Vonnie says, “and the whole time I’m just like...you probably should’ve just taken today off and restarted the next day.” “What’s the alternative, sit and watch TV?” says Lauren. “Even if it’s just a mile. Let me just see what it feels like.”

If you’re struggling to get your brain on board for a workout, try bribery. According to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, creating incentives can enhance motivation. Try rewarding yourself with an episode of your favorite TV show after you’ve gone on a run. By giving yourself a new reason to run, you’ll be more likely to get out there and start raising those endorphin levels.

Negative Self-Talk

By definition, the American Psychological Association (APA) says that negative self-talk is an internal dialogue in which an individual utters phrases to themselves that often confirm and reinforce negative beliefs and attitudes. Examples of this may be phrases like, “This run is going to suck” or “I’m too lazy to run.” Lauren says she likes to give herself a few days off on the days when she's struggling with negative self-talk.

“I’m just thinking to myself, maybe I need to take a break so I can appreciate it a little more,” says Lauren. If days off aren’t in your favor, turn your mental block into a thought catalyst. Several mental health studies recommend trading your limiting language for positive-self talk that encourages constructive behaviors. “In sport, athletes are trained to use positive self-talk for cueing the body to act in particular ways, to cue attentional focus, to motivate, to reinforce self-efficacy, and to facilitate the creation of an ideal performance state.” Think of this as your permission to have your own hype-huddle. Instead of talking yourself out of a run, try talking yourself into one.

It’s normal to experience some physical discomfort after injury or pregnancy. It’s also natural to be unsure of yourself or cautious when returning to a sport that demands a lot on your body. Build confidence back up by not being judgmental or critical of your performance.

“Before, I used to look at my pace and get hype about it. Or I’d get down because my pace isn’t a certain thing,” Vonnie begins. “But I had to really remove that from my mind post-having-kids, and say, ‘You know if you’re running and you’re moving... then you’re doing good!’ I had to listen to my body and let that lead whatever my workout is going to be.”

The next time you find yourself being critical about your performance, give yourself some grace. Listen to your body, but don't let life's changes discourage you.

Let the Run Be What It Is. Go Watchless.

You may not have considered tracking yourself as a mental hindrance, but it may be distracting you from a great run. Tracking devices can add an unhelpful layer of comparison or self-competition to your workout.

“My watch will tell me, I guess based on the other runs that I’ve done, how that run went,” Lauren says. “It will tell me ‘Oh! you’re maintaining’ or ‘This was a productive run’ and then I’ll get ‘This run was unproductive.’”

“You know, funny story! I actually had to take my watch off.” Vonnie says.

“I had to adjust my reality when it comes to my running. Having my watch on sometimes didn’t lend to a positive run.”

Vonnie describes how looking down and seeing a disappointing pace or time threw her mental game off. So she started going on runs without any tracking devices and just “Let the run be what it is.” We’ll say that one more time for the runners in the back. Let the run be what it is. If you’re in the habit of comparing your pace or mileage to your last run (or to others), maybe it’s time to take a break from the devices.

Be Okay With Bad Days

When it comes to having a bad day, Vonnie begins by admitting it took some time to cope when she wasn’t running her best.

“I’ve learned to be good with bad days,” she says. “I don’t think I've always been okay with bad days. But what I would say to other runners that fall on bad days or have hard runs is to give yourself grace.”

As athletes, the temptation is to push ourselves to train harder or get down on ourselves during a lousy run. Know that several factors could contribute to having a bad run. It could be that you had a poor night's sleep, ate something funky, need new shoes, etc. Even in perfect conditions, there may be days when the run never reaches that euphoric high. Don’t sweat it. Stewing in this frustration only serves to demotivate and discourage us further from our goals.

“Understand that you have good days, and you have bad days,” Vonnie says.“I would say, live in both of those.” Stay tuned for upcoming episodes from RUNGRL about common topics and issues faced by everyday runners.

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