Runners know rather well what it takes to prepare physically for their distance races:  Long runs, good shoes (or more recently, no shoes), speed workouts, proper nutrition, ample hydration, cross training, timely stretching and even more long runs.  Ask any runner and the seasoned ones will share stories from the depth of their experiences, often with a crazed expression in their eyes.  What they often don’t mention, though, is mental preparation. That may be the most enduring shortfall in anyone’s training plan.

There have been articles written about what runners can do to help keep mentally alert and pass the miles.  But within the heart and soul of the runner, there lies an explosive energy that can provide a powerful mental framework for the endurance athlete of any caliber.   But how can they find it?

Grab a runner and get them into a talkative mood.  Ask why they run.  Given a chance to reflect, most runners may describe the physical, mental or emotional benefits of running.  Being physically fit, healthy lungs, and enjoying fuller life are a few of the typical answers that reflect the physical benefits.

I know one runner who quipped that running was cheaper than therapy. When she ran alone or with friends, she worked out stress and was speaking, of course, of the emotional advantages.

It’s these joys -- and more.

One friend shared what his 8 year-old son asked after he finished the San Diego marathon a few years ago.  “Did you win” asked the boy.  No my friend said.  “Then why did you run?”   That’s more than a question of youthful innocence.

Whether a 5k to marathon the overwhelming majority of runners know they are not going to finish first.  A few may have a friendly rivalry going on, such as the loser pays for pizza and beer afterwards.  But face it; runners race for reasons other than winning.

Some will admit that they are competing against themselves or maybe the clock.  Others might say they are challenging Father time – and seeking to preserve their youth. 

There’s an element of wanting to influence one’s fate within each runner, I suspect.  The desire to stay youthful is one direct way runners seek to control their future.  A recent study in Germany reinforced this notion when it concluded that adult runners and endurance athletes had less inter-molecular deterioration than their more sedentary counterparts.     

One runner I spoke with recently offered a more philosophical rationale on why he runs.  He was describing how he wanted to qualify for Boston in an upcoming marathon.  He had everything lined up – good shoes, a strategy for hydration, he had done a number of long, pacing runs, and followed a plan for tapering.

When I asked him why Boston was important, he offered a more compelling insight.  He said that to qualify for Boston, he had to be in his near optimum condition.  He said most runners understand but rarely articulate what it feels like in their body when they reach this performance level.

He described how, for him when out on a longer run, there comes a point where his legs take over, churning out steps without thought.  From his waist down, there’s really no effort.  His chest easily expands and contracts while his arms swing in motion.  His mind revels in the fluidity.  He feels each stride and how his body glides. 

He said for a brief moment, he’s free of the earth’s surface, suspended above it as neither foot is touching the ground.  When he’s operating at this optimum level, he’s repeating that floating, flying feeling -- stride after stride after stride.  “I am a mortal and defying the laws of gravity and nature,” he confessed.

What he described was an emotional-physical transformation of his running.  In this state, he was in his pure, authentic being.  He was alive and his senses were keenly connected throughout his body.  Certainly, this is more than just endorphins.

It represents his love for experiencing his body in action; much like the ancient Greeks valued the athlete as the lean and perfect expression of humanity. It represents the transcendence of limitations.  As Christopher McDougall wrote in his book, Born to Run, “To have a friendly little tussle with the Beast and show it who’s boss?  You can’t hate the Beast and expect to beat it; the only way to truly conquer something, as every great philosopher and geneticist will tell you, is to love it”.[1]

Every runner has the opportunity to experience this feeling as well.  No matter what his or her body type or speed, each person can relish this purity of purpose in running. 

I asked what he felt like when he hit the ‘wall’ in the marathon.  “It’s all mental at that point – refusing to quit is what dominates my mind,” he replied.

My advice to him:  remember that fluid feeling from earlier in the run and draw upon that to keep going.

The point here is simple. Runners need mental preparation as much as logging distance or indulging in pre-race carb loading.  One of the most enduring strategies may be to draw upon your physical-emotional connection of what motivates you to run, your joy of running.  A good mental game plan may allow you to use that feeling to enjoy the good miles of the run and push through the painful ones. 


This may not be something you’ve often talked about; but won’t you admit you’ve thought about it -- finding your beauty in running?

[1] Christopher McDougall, Born to Run, Alfred A. Knopf, NY 2009