Running News Daily

8 Ways You Can Harness the Long-Run Mindset

Yes, you can shift your attitude to think beyond short-term outcomes and work toward lifelong success.

Confession: Tempo runs scare me. Those long, hard, sustained efforts always look impossible when I see them on paper. Doubt creeps in. Some of my worst workouts have come from tempo runs.

I remember one run in particular—a 50-minute slog at a ludicrous pace in the spring of 2018. I saw it on my plan and immediately began creating a laundry list of excuses as to why this was simply just not going to work, why I wasn’t fit enough, why I wouldn’t finish, why I would fail. Before I even laced up my shoes, I’d already convinced myself I couldn’t do this. Instead of using the warmup to find my groove, prepare for success, and get excited to make the best of it, I adopted a loser’s mindset, revisited my list of excuses, and fell further into a bad attitude.

How’d it go? You already know. I quit the workout mentally before I’d even started. Who knows how many times I stopped and restarted my watch? If you count the time I spent sitting on the curb feeling sorry for myself, it made for an awfully long afternoon. Well, it made for an awfully long few weeks, actually. One bad workout would derail me for days. The doubt lingered. I questioned my fitness. I cut more workouts short. And pretty soon, my fitness plateaued—or moved backward.

The problem, I realized, was that I treated my entire training plan like a tempo run—hard, fast, strict. In a tempo run, if you don’t hit your pace early, it’s nearly impossible to catch up. In my training plan, I felt like if I didn’t hit a workout early, I wouldn’t be able to catch up.

So how did I fix my mindset? I realized I needed to treat my training like my favorite workout: the long run.

I love long runs. I love ignoring my watch, settling into a relaxed pace, enjoying the route, and focusing on only one goal—finishing. I love that I can have a bad mile in the middle and still end strong.

Now, when I set a new goal and write a new training plan, I have what I call “the long-run mindset.” I find success and value in my training because I’m not desperate for immediate results like I have been in the past. I care more about the big picture and my long-term goals as a runner. Yes, there is still an important place for hard, fast tempo runs, but I have shifted my attitude to think bigger than short-term outcomes and work toward lifelong success.

At the start of a brand new year, as you evaluate, set, and chase new goals, I challenge you to have a long-run mindset too. How? Adopt the same tips and tools you need to survive a good long run into your training as a whole.

→ Pace yourself

A good long run always starts slow—slower than you think. It’s the same with training. Realistic timelines are essential for success. Generating movement forward at a speed that is sustainable is key. Consistent efforts over a long period of time reap large rewards. It’s not about a one-mile split in the big picture of success; it’s the amount of time it takes you to get there.

→ Focus only on your next mile marker

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you recognize or overthink the long route ahead. So don’t do it. Focus on one mile (or one workout) at a time. Work toward mini victories that keep you moving in the right direction. Small and meaningful efforts on a consistent basis build substantial progress. But in the moment, all that matters is the next mile.

→ Find your why

Meaningless miles are the hardest miles, which is why during long runs, I like to run to somewhere—a brunch spot, my friend’s apartment, a gorgeous overlook. In training as a whole, your “why” will likely be more abstract and meaningful but just as important. What are you running toward? A healthier lifestyle? A PR? Figure out the reason for the miles, and they become easier.


→ Fuel your body

Fuel is vital during a long run, and just as vital on a daily basis. Eat healthy often, and then don’t be afraid to reward yourself. Every experienced runner knows that if you’ve waited until the wall to care about nutrition, you’ve waited far too long. Be proactive in your choices to live a well-balanced and energized life.

→ Stop looking back

It steals time and energy from your ability to move forward. Stop comparing yourself to an old version of you, and focus on the open road ahead. Worry less about what is behind you, and put time and effort into what is in front of you. This will not only lead to more overall happiness, but it will also bring you closer to where you want to be with a clear focus forward.

→ Allow room for adjustments

Mentally prepare and plan for curve balls. Nothing goes perfectly all the time, and the sooner that you can accept the challenges and mishaps that might come your way, the sooner you can be prepared to work through them and overcome unexpected obstacles. During a long run, that might mean slowing down because of the heat. In training, that might mean taking a break because of an injury or big change in your life. It’s okay to change goals midway through.

→ Keep it interesting

I design my long-run routes to be fun, new, and rewarding. It’s the same with training. You have no obligation to chase a PR in every race you enter. You don’t even have an obligation to race. If you are stuck in a rut, change course.

→ Don’t do it alone

There will be times when you need additional support. Don’t feel afraid or ashamed to reach out to those important to you to ask for help, or just to join you on a run with several easy conversational miles. If they truly belong in your network, they will be happy to be there with you, right by your side in the moments of difficulty and the moments of reward.

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(12/27/2020) Views: 1,246 ⚡AMP
by Runner’s World