Negative thoughts during long runs (Page 2)

On some of my long runs I solve all the world's problems. I'm absolutely brilliant and it takes my mind off of the running itself. I can literally go for miles and miles without any realization of how far I've gone. Too bad I never remember any of my brilliant solutions!

I also break up my runs into shorter segments mentally and get a good feeling every time I make it to the next segment.

The more you do these runs the easier they will get - both physically and mentally. When I was training for my first marathon I remember how far some of the runs seemed. Just thinking about going farther than I had ever gone before was quite daunting. Once I did each longer distance anything shorter seemed easier, even if I didn't run any faster. After you push through your 18-20 milers, runs of 10-12 miles will seem much easier.

Part of the long run is about building the mental energy to keep going when your body is telling you to stop. When you keep going while having negative thoughts, it's actually a positive thing!

pace booty is always motivating

Just back from my 19miles long run. What is my strategy to motivate me? It is funny but it works like that: I set my goal pace and with my Garmin 305 I let it taking a 5km autolap. If it is below my goal, i take a bite of teh energy bar or a gel I have in the pocket, just half gel in that case. It is really motivating believe me and I bring always the radio on my ears.

Today, I missed one lap and I did not have the reward but at the end I was below my goal...19miles in 2h10'. not bad for the way through the race...

Thank you all for your feedback.  I'll try a bunch of those methods Monday during my 16 mile outing.

Here is a sample of the talk in my head

"Ok, I'm halfway done with my 3 loop of 8, that is almost 1/2 way, more than 3/8 which is 37% some I'm over 40% done.  Push with the toes, pick up your feet, lean forward. Are my shoulders tight?  Each loop is 1.5, no 1.55 miles which is 2.5k.  Rotate your torso, hips are stiff, loosen up your stride.  Don't worry about your foot.  Ok. .3 miles to the water & you'll get 30 seconds to walk & drink.  30 seconds...what will that add to my min/mile?"

And so forth, for about 2.5 hours.  Maybe I need some tunes!  That brain chatter is pretty darn boring!

lol.  I sometimes have an inner dialogue like that.  Try letting your mind wander.  Stare at a tree that's in the distance and just think "Hmmm. A tree.  Look at that tree."   Just don't run into a parked car...

I like to think about sports,

especially about soccer .....

The next time that thought come into your head, you answer it!  Why am I doing this?  I'll tell you why I'm doing this...I''m doing this becuase I am a swing-for-the-fence man!  I do this becuase I want to do something unequivical.  I do this becuase I can!  I'm doing this to join a very exclusive club of marathon finishers.  I done settling  for less than my best.  I'm going to push myself to the limit. 

You can't stop negative thoughts from coming into your head but you don't have to dwell on them.  The best defense is a good offense.  Talk to yourself!  Develop a good mantra that you tell yourself.

~Mike

This is exactly what I've found.  I can almost time my nutrition by my thoughts...I can be running along fine, then start wondering why I even bother...oh, time for a sip of gel.  Figure out your calorie, hydration and electrolyte needs for a 2+ hour run, and go for it.  It is more important as your runs get longer - you can 'fake' it up to a certain amount of time, but you'll need a strategy to get past that time.  One other thing, when I trained for the Portland marathon last year, I found that a caffienated gel at 2.5 to 3 hours made a HUGE difference in my attitude.  I try to save the caffienated gel for the really low times and mostly use un-caffienated stuff, but it was a nice boost.

Good luck!

None of this "chatter" is what I'd call negative thoughts.  I do the same thing running and swimming.   When I was swimming 4500 straight (this was 25+ years ago), I'd break the laps down into the proper fraction.  1/90, 1/45, 1/30, 2/45,1/18, 1/15, etc.  On my runs, I'll try to anticipate where my HRM will hit a mile (2 more blocks, at the streetlight, etc. )

I am amazed you can run that long, I am learning to run the 3.1 so you are lightyears ahead of me !

HOWEVER, even on short runs like I do I get kinda negative at times.  One thing I make myself do everytime I run is to look back where I have been.  Like I look at the other side of the lake where I already ran......and I think " I was there, now I am here"......I ROCK !  Plus I am involved in a mentor group on this message board and I think of my friends who run longer than I do and I want to be like them.

Two hours, you really should be impressed with yourself, and just for the record I sure am !!!!

One of our local South African bands has a song with words that say "What the hell were we thinking, were we thinking at all."

Somewhere in a long run that line will pop into my head.

Often when my thoughts stray to the negative during a long workout it is a signal to me that I need to eat.

kanoelani - 2009-01-27 9:13 PM I have to agree with Sty, but I'm normally looking at the calves and back. I purposefully do all my long runs at White Rock Lake on days it's busy and I know there will be a lot of nice things to look at that are just interested in running and biking as I am. It also makes me run faster. Two words: Eye Candy. Hard to be thinking negative when there is something nice to look at.

YES. 

One other thought to help you get through...remember how proud your family is of you!  You are amazing and have showed incredible focus and dedication.  We believe in you!

P.S. - Go check under your pillow for something that might help.

Sanity is over rated.

I certainly have had moments of self doubt. In my case, its not as much due to the long training sessions. Its more due to the times where the improvement in performance does not commensurate to the time and effort put into the training. But like all things, it too shall pass. There are a lot of great ideas in this thread. I think I'll look into the nutrition solution.

Next time you have negative thoughts, maybe you can sing the song from the movie, Life of Brian, "Always look on the bright side of life"

Most of the time when that happens to me it's because it's a nutrition issue.  Seriously- most of the time I get cranky when you're hungry, and it's no different than being low on cals while I'm running.  I always know when I'm past due for a gel on my long runs when I start to get negative and cranky.  Getting in some extra cals REALLY helps me.  When I'm really on top of my nutrition I usually have a positive attitude on my long runs and really "love" them.  They don't seem "as bad".  But yeah- anytime you're pushing your limits I think it's normal to mentally struggle and have those thoughts.