I recently stumbled upon the Run Barefoot Girl website, which is run by Caity McCardell, a barefoot runner (of course). She does a podcast that focuses on women who run barefoot, who she thinks are underrepresented in the general population of barefoot runners.
I listened to an episode of her podcast with Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, a sports psychologist (and more specifically, a running psychologist) and was truly intrigued. I have always been interested in the mind part of sports and how what goes on between our ears can have such a profound effect on how we perform on the field or on the dark streets in the morning.
Dr. Kamphoff works at a sports psychology consulting practice that specializes in the psychology of running. She had several points that I thought I might explore in this post:
1. She suggested having a mantra that you repeat during hard runs or when you need a little motivation. I've heard this on numerous forums and in Runner's World before. Using a short quote or positive refrain can often help you focus on what you are doing and remind you of the reasons you run. I've actually never had or used a mantra. I've noticed that if I do repeat something over and over again in my head while running, it is the catchy part of the lyrics of the last song I heard while heading out the door. It's almost as if these lyrics are "running" through my thoughts without being heavy or burdensome - it doesn't feel like I'm actually thinking them. They seem to just be thoughts that my brain is repeating. I guess the same thing could be true of a mantra. Maybe I'll try to come up with a mantra that is personal and special to me and see if it works out. Do you have a favorite saying that you use to pump yourself up?
2. Why is it that we don't train our brains while training our bodies? We spend so much time doing fartleks and tempo runs and sit ups but we don't work out our minds. Maybe it's because it's easy to get tips and tricks for every type of workout under the sun, but getting mental advice is few and far between. Also, mentally, you are different from the next person. And while a tempo workout can be modified based on your half-marathon goal time, what your brain tells you in the middle of a long run is not going to be the same as anyone else. This part can be frustrating, because as someone who wants to learn more about how to train my brain, I would probably need to get a one-on-one consultation with someone like Dr. Kamphoff and wouldn't be able to "self-diagnose" (which believe me, I wouldn't want to do). It just seems that if I am really dedicated to getting into my own brain, I'd need someone to help me and wouldn't be able to do it on my own. If you know of other ways to go about doing this based on help books or other materials, I'd love to hear about it.
3. Dr. Kamphoff had a really interesting point, saying that we need to go through the several stages of grief when we get injured. Being a runner inevitably means that you are going to be injured. You are going to feel aches and pains that make you question why you run in the first place. But she suggests that it is ok to feel upset about being injured, but then move on to accepting that you are injured and stay positive about your recovery. This really struck a cord with me today, especially, as I am starting to feel some top of the foot pain again (sigh). I was in a really low mood early this morning when I woke up and realized that things hurt too much to go out on a run and that I should instead rest a bit. While I definitely made the right decision, it still didn't make me feel any better...everyone hates being sidelined . But as I got through the day and took into account Dr. Kamphoff's advice on accepting the "injury," I started to focus on what I could do to recover and get back on the right track. And I understand that this isn't a full-blown injury that would cause someone to totally and completely lose faith in all things good, but it was still a small blow to my happiness.
So, what's my conclusion to all this? Remember that your brain is in charge of everything, so take care of it and take the time to train it. Believing in your mental abilities and being mentally tough can change how you physically feel and react to certain situations.
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