I think all of my mind tricks stem from one central principle. I'm a firm believer in the Psychobiological Model of Endurance by Samuele Marcora. Boiled down into a very simplistic explanation.
-You are guided by a motivation to complete a task.
-When you are in the process of completing a task you are giving a certain and perceived effort.
-If you lose motivation for completing a task your perception of effort increases. Such that the task becomes no physically more difficult than it was, but rather with the loss of motivation it feels harder.
To overcome this, you must remain motivated to completing the task and stay positive. So I do everything in my power to avoid negative thoughts when in the middle of a race. Some common things that come up mentally that may or may not lead to negative thoughts:
-I'm off pace. To solve this one, consider racing blind by effort alone instead. It's important to train this way in some manners before trying to use it in racing.
-I only ran X distance in training and I just passed that mile marker. So everything I do from here until the end of the race is new territory. To solve this one, instead of using X as a means to say I've never done this distance before. Consider instead thinking of the total race distance - X and then start counting from there. For instance, your longest training run for a 26.2 mile race is 15 miles. Instead of counting up the miles from 1 to 15, and realizing that 16 is a new mile. Try starting the count from mile 11 instead. Miles 0-11 are just the WU. Consider now that you are fully rested and tapered unlike in training. So once you reach mile 11, it's really like reaching mile 0 of your 15 mile training run. You've done that before, so now just do it again. Alternatively break the race up into chunks like 4 x 6.5 miles or 6 x 4.5 miles.
-Avoid thinking about training choices mid-race. Don't dwell on pre-race injuries or sickness or an inability to complete your training 100%. Leave the reassessing of training strategies until after the race is over.
-Also, avoid thinking about any bad choices during the race. Immediately regret not taking in more water at the last aid station? Don't dwell on it. Try to be like negativity teflon. Nothing that happens to you on course is something to think negatively about. Think about all the postive reasons you initially chose as a reason to do this race.
The goal is to try and stay mentally positive and motivated.
Longer explantation of Psychobiological Model:
Psychobiological Model: The desire, the motivation, and the ability to block it out!
Alright, so we've got our speed cap (VO2max), our pace before we crash (Lactate Threshold), and our ability to hold the pace prior to crashing (Running Economy), but what happens after the crash begins. Well, I think the Psychobiological model of endurance running can help explain that:
The Psychobiological model is an effort-based decision model based on motivational intensity theory. The model states there are five factors that primarily determine regulation of pacing.
1) Perception of effort
2) Potential motivation
3) Knowledge of distance/time to cover
4) Knowledge of distance/time remaining
5) Previous experience/memory of perception of effort during exercise of varying intensity and duration
The potential motivation is defined, as the maximum effort a person is willing to exert to meet a certain task. The motivational intensity is the amount of effort that people actually expend to meet that task. The combination of these two ideas into the Motivational Intensity Theory creates the framework for why an individual will continue in a task: either the level of potential motivation hasn’t been reached or the task is still viewed as possible. A person will disengage from the task when either the perception of effort outweighs the potential motivation or the person believes they are physically unable to maintain the task (believed to maxed effort).
So what does this mean? Well we can have two people with the same LT pace. They can have equivalent economy and equivalent VO2max and yet they STILL might not finish at the same pace. Why? Because one is more WILLING to tolerate the pain/level of fatigue they're feeling. They might both be at a lactate concentration of 3.5 mmol/L (normal is around 1.0) and yet runner A might have a higher motivational reason for running and thus is willing to tolerate the feeling of 3.5 mmol/L of fatigue by products more so than runner B. Runner A keeps maintaining pace and Runner B succumbs to the feeling of fatigue and slows down.
So can we train our bodies to become more resistant to the feeling of fatigue? Can we alter our perception of effort and thus maintain this higher pain threshold? Yes, you can.
Dampeners of Perception of Effort (Factor 1)
Music
Essentially, it has been shown in many studies that by having music that is enjoyed, self-selected, and has a high bpm the overall perception of effort is decreased. This decreased perception of effort was connected with increased ability when used during races below the anaerobic threshold. I believe this is because in a 5K the physical limitations are what they are and the dampening of effort is ineffective. However, prior to a 5K using amping up music works by raising self confidence and HR. So pump up the jams and you'll reduce your perception of effort. You can run faster listening to music you like that has a high beats per minute.
Caffeine
Apparently an antagonist of adenosine which has a significant number of receptors in the brain that are responsible for sleep, memory, learning and cognition. Since caffeine occupies these receptors without actually activating them it is hypothesized that the perception of effort during endurance events is dampened and performance increases. An 11.2% improvement in performance was seen with a decreased perception of effort by using caffeine during running.
Self Talk
When one repeats positive messages to themselves its been shown to improve a test to exhaustion by almost 17%. So keep reminding yourself when you're running how awesome you're doing. Keep blocking out those negative thoughts. This is the main reason I race blind. I like to keep everything positive and I know from my personal experience that if I have GPS feedback on HR or pace that I'll freak out and start to have negative thoughts. By running blind I withhold that information from myself and thus keep those positive thoughts flowing.
Amplifiers of Perception of Effort (Factor 1)
Mental Fatigue
A study was conducted on cyclists that had to perform one of two simple tests. For a period of time prior to cycling the subjects had to state the color of the word. In group A, the color of the word matched the actual word (Word Blue was written in Blue ink), whereas the second group the word blue did not necessarily appear in the color blue. The second group was more mentally challenging, but in the grand scheme of mental tasks was not overly difficult. While the rate at which perception of effort increased equally, the starting point was significantly higher in the group who had to complete the “harder” mental task even though that task had no additional physical component. The harder mental task caused a decrease in performance by about 4% from the easier mental task. It is hypothesized that this harder mental task works in the same area of the brain as adenosine, which might explain the possible increase in perception of effort.
There was also another study similar to this one that put elites against normal cyclists. The small twist was adding in if the word was "red" it always had the answer of red regardless of the color of the word. So, it was like a third variable thrown at the cyclists. The elites were able to answer more words correctly, do it faster, and then afterwards had little to no difference between the easy task and hard task on its affect of a ride to exhaustion. Yet the normal person was slower on these tasks, got more wrong, and showed a large difference in how they responded on the cycle to exhaustion with after the easy task they performed better than after the hard task. So not only were the elite cyclists better cyclists, but they showed the ability to handle mental fatigue better than the normal cyclists.
So what does it mean for me and how can I use this information?
You can potentially decrease the perception of effort by:
-Listening to music you enjoy, makes you happy, and has a higher bpm.
-Use caffeine during exercise (I won’t do this one because caffeine gives me a headache).
-During the entire event use positive thinking. Consistently tell yourself how awesome you are and how awesome you are doing. If a negative thought comes in your head “Why did I sign up for this?” try to counter balance it with positive thoughts. Remember why you signed up for this. Remember how proud you are making someone in your life. Remember that you are rocking this!
-Reduce the amount of things you are thinking about prior to and during running. Set out your clothes in advance. Plan your driving route. Reduce your mental gymnastics by pre-planning as much as possible.
What about the other factors? Potential Motivation
-One of my biggest motivators is trying to beat others. But something I’ve found for myself is this is self-dampened when there is a staggered start. It’s hard to know whether the person passing you is actually beating you or not because maybe they started ahead of you or behind you. But in a single start race it’s more likely when someone passes you they are actually head of you time wise as well. Are you going for that BQ? Are you going for a new PR? Do you have another race in three weeks and you're wiling to bag this one when it's not going well (a loss in motivation)?
Knowledge of Distance/Time to cover (Factor 3)
-This is hard to manipulate in an actual race because in almost all scenarios you usually know the duration/distance that is going to be covered.
Knowledge of Distance/Time remaining (Factor 4)
-I believe in running by effort and thus ignoring how you’ve been performing. I feel like in the past I have been overly negative during running when a mile split comes in at an unexpected slower pace. In this negative loop this causes me to start thinking about alternative finishing times. Then your goals start to slip away and your motivation wains. Without your motivation your perception of effort increases and makes everything feel harder than it would have been. As you can see I feel these are all connected in a cascade of events. To combat this, I ignore how I’ve been doing and just keep positive thoughts telling myself that I’m crushing it.
Previous experience/memory of perception of effort during exercise of varying intensity and duration (Factor 5)
-This one is physical and mental in my opinion. I believe this is where the training aspect of running comes in physically. The fitter you get the easier something feels. What was once tough is easier because your level of perception of effort has changed for that level of fitness.
-I follow this by trying to memorize what every run feels like. What does an easy run feel like? What does a marathon tempo feel like? What does a long run feel like? What does a full sprint feel like?
-Once you get to race day keep reminding yourself that this race is actually easier then some of your training runs. Keep telling yourself this is not that bad compared to that one training run you did.
I have seen clothing bins before, but I don't remember what year it was and whether they were still doing it. They had a clothing symbol on them and looked a little different than trash cans. But worst comes to worst, just throw it over the edge of the corral out of the walking space and you should be good to go.
I am in! My first race was the Army 10 miler last year. My second was the WDW half last year. Gonna do both again this year. I'm over 45 years old and I have always hated every step of running. Yes, I know. Hate is a strong word. I hate it. And I do it anyway.
Oh no! Are they not going to offer the race retreat in 2020? I sent RunDisney an email the other day asking if/when they're going to open up registration but I haven't heard back yet.
I am in! My first race was the Army 10 miler last year. My second was the WDW half last year. Gonna do both again this year. I'm over 45 years old and I have always hated every step of running. Yes, I know. Hate is a strong word. I hate it. And I do it anyway.
I had considered the race retreat for Dopey but have since decided against it as I won't eat anything there before the race ..I like a plain bowl of porridge only, and won't straight away after. The only thing I liked the thought of was the heat in the tent if cold..however purchased this instead ! https://couconoutdoor.com
Mental tricks and mind games are key to getting through 26.2!
At Disney, I only allow myself to think about the next destination and not all the miles ahead of me. So at the start - just have to get to MK. Then - just need to get to AK! And so on. If you are thinking at mile 3 that you have 23 miles to go you will kill your mojo!
I divide every marathon I run into 8 (almost equal) segments. They don't have to be exactly equal, I usually do it based on the layout of the course. It helps to say "6 segments left" etc. rather than XX miles left. And mile 20 is exciting because there is only a 10K left. I also celebrate mile 16 (moving into single digits).
Your brain can only handle so much input, so I flood myself with positive feedback, not leaving any room for negative input, both during training and the marathon. For example: don't kick yourself for being under-trained, applaud yourself for being well-rested.
At any given point, do not contemplate how you got there. Figure out the best outcome possible at that point and put a plan in place to make it happen. 'It doesn't matter, it's in the past'.
Somewhat similar to @tigger536, I try to give myself a mental mathematical reward at every mile. I try to focus on the miles completed, and not what I have left: 5K done, 10K done, into the double digits, half marathon done, into the 20s, etc.
The only mile that matters is the one you are running. The miles behind you are behind you. The XX miles in front of you are too overwhelming to think about. Just finish the mile you are running and then do it again. During a tough marathon, the segments may become smaller. I've finished marathons by making it from street light to street light. Just one more...
Oh no! Are they not going to offer the race retreat in 2020? I sent RunDisney an email the other day asking if/when they're going to open up registration but I haven't heard back yet.
Honestly, I am not sure if they are having or not. Every year in the past you could sign up for the race retreat whenever they opened up registration, but nothing so far this year. I emailed them a couple of times and got a typical form letter saying, "we are still considering our offerings." Since we are only a little over three months away, I can only suspect that this isn't much of a priority and that they probably won't have it. Most people get their RR right when they register and has usually been advertised on the site for months beforehand, so I would think offering at a different time without promotion would be a great way to hurt their chances of getting people to buy the retreat. This seems like a weird approach from Disney since this is exactly the type of add-on they have become known for in recent years--heck the race retreat cost nearly as much as the race entry! Plus, the retreat is pretty packed and sometimes sells out...so it seems like easy money.
Honestly, I am not sure if they are having or not. Every year in the past you could sign up for the race retreat whenever they opened up registration, but nothing so far this year. I emailed them a couple of times and got a typical form letter saying, "we are still considering our offerings." Since we are only a little over three months away, I can only suspect that this isn't much of a priority and that they probably won't have it. Most people get their RR right when they register and has usually been advertised on the site for months beforehand, so I would think offering at a different time without promotion would be a great way to hurt their chances of getting people to buy the retreat. This seems like a weird approach from Disney since this is exactly the type of add-on they have become known for in recent years--heck the race retreat cost nearly as much as the race entry! Plus, the retreat is pretty packed and sometimes sells out...so it seems like easy money.
I just looked up when I purchased it for Dopey 2018. I think I remember that it wasn’t available at the time of registration that year either. My receipt is from mid-September, but I don’t know when it actually showed up on the website.
Mental tricks - Disney is a very easy race to break into smaller segments to make the mental challenge easier.
Start to MK gates
Gates to TTC
TTC to MK
MK
Exit MK into Cone Alley
Cone Alley to Grand Floridian
GF to AK
AK
Exit AK to ESPN
ESPN
Exit ESPN to Green Army Man
Green Army Man to DHS off ramp
DHS
DHS exit to BW
BW to Epcot
Epcot
Choir
Finish line!
I did a half today, and it made me think of something I've had happen after the other few half marathons I've done... my thighs are way more sore going downstairs than up. I tried to google it, but didn't come up with a great answer. Are there cross training exercises I can do to help this? I'm hoping the answer isn't lunges. Lol
I did a half today, and it made me think of something I've had happen after the other few half marathons I've done... my thighs are way more sore going downstairs than up. I tried to google it, but didn't come up with a great answer. Are there cross training exercises I can do to help this? I'm hoping the answer isn't lunges. Lol
Is it your thighs that are sore or is it your quads?
If it’s quad exercises there are a lot of different things you could do (including lunges)
Depending on the source of the issue you may actually want to look beyond just strengthening certain muscles. You might find a small change to your form could allow you to involve more muscles. For example, more glute involvement can help distribute the load making it easier on other muscles.
Is it your thighs that are sore or is it your quads?
If it’s quad exercises there are a lot of different things you could do (including lunges)
Depending on the source of the issue you may actually want to look beyond just strengthening certain muscles. You might find a small change to your form could allow you to involve more muscles. For example, more glute involvement can help distribute the load making it easier on other muscles.
Disney marathon is great as a first as there so many distractions and milestones to focus on. Start to Parking toll booths to MK to AK to ESPN to HW to Epcot to Finish.
I've done 9 non-Disney marathons this year, and focus on mileage milestones. Once I get to 6.2 miles I know I am now out of the 20s in terms of miles left. Mile 10 means I only have a 5K to the Half way. Halfway means it is all downhill. Mile 16.2 means I have less than 10 miles left and can start counting down on my hands. Mile 20 means just a 10K left, 23 means only a 5K, 25 means I will accept the "almost there signs"
It is a little late, but one tip I'd give someone for all Disney races: when you see the green tents for photopass, be extra cautious as you don't know what your fellow runners will do for a picture. People fling their arms out, jump, cut across to get directly in front, and even come to a dead stop. Don't want someone's careless act cause an injury (my 1st ever race I pulled a muscle avoiding collision with someone that not only cut across to be directly in front but also stopped dead in front of me).
You might find a small change to your form could allow you to involve more muscles. For example, more glute involvement can help distribute the load making it easier on other muscles.
Oh if it were only that easy to get my glutes involved. Glutes, please fire, don’t let my hamstrings do all the work. I think I repeat that prayer before each run.
Mental tricks - Disney is a very easy race to break into smaller segments to make the mental challenge easier.
Start to MK gates
Gates to TTC
TTC to MK
MK
Exit MK into Cone Alley
Cone Alley to Grand Floridian
GF to AK
AK
Exit AK to ESPN
ESPN
Exit ESPN to Green Army Man
Green Army Man to DHS off ramp
DHS
DHS exit to BW
BW to Epcot
Epcot
Choir
Finish line!
Great break down but tiny correction required ......
Start to MK gates
Gates to TTC
TTC to MK
MK
Exit MK into Cone Alley
Cone Alley to Grand Floridian
GF to AK
AK
Exit AK to McDonald's for M&M McFlurry
Exit McDonald's return to course to ESPN
Exit ESPN to Green Army Man
Green Army Man to DHS off ramp
DHS
DHS exit to BW
BW to Epcot
Epcot
Choir
Finish line! collapse
Oh if it were only that easy to get my glutes involved. Glutes, please fire, don’t let my hamstrings do all the work. I think I repeat that prayer before each run.
My PT tells me all the time to “activate your glutes and hamstrings” and “don’t let your calves do all the work”. What does that even feel like? I have no idea how to do it!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
)
