While You're Running....
 

When I first decided I was going to commit to losing 20 lbs, my body was instantly cursing at my mind... over-zealous, out-of-shape, curse word. And while I was only 30 mins in...-just- walking, mind you, a phrase in someone's signature popped into my head and it has been keeping me motivated.


I'm paraphrasing, but it was something along the lines of "What isn't finished today, will still be there tomorrow"

This concept let me know I had to persevere while I listened to Weezer's Blue Album..



What thoughts keep you motivated?

What music keeps you in the zone?

Do you have any mantras?



Share anything that helps keep you running even when it's hard!

motivating thoughts: You can do it! You'll look fit when you're done and not just thin-but-flabby..

the music I generally do, if I'm at home is an ace of base mix on Jango. So dance music. When I go out riding my bike, I don't actually listen to music. I enjoy the peace and quiet thoughts.

no mantras really. Just staying focused to get fit and healthy!!

I have a piece of paper posted on my closet wall. This is what it says. I literally just copied and pasted a saved word file.

-------------------------

*~* Running Inspiration *~*

*Distance running is 99% mental, much, much more than physical.

*It's about constantly talking to yourself and saying things that will push you to keep going.

* "Are you bleeding?" "Have you passed out?" "Are you puking?".....NO....So KEEP going.

*Concentrate on breathing, your body can run on its own!

*At times it feels hard to push through and finish the run, but you can do it!!!

*Relax your legs

*Follow the program, trust the progression, don't let your mind say you can't do it and you'll be successful!

*While you are running, tell yourself positive words and phrases.

"I can keep going"
"I am an athlete"
"I am a runner"
"I am strong and capable"
"I can run like the wind"
"I love to run"
"I am going to do great"
"I can finish strong"
"I believe in myself"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a running thread on here somewhere with some real gems in it. I just copy/pasted/paraphrased my fav tidbits.

I come up with some wierd mantras though. "Beer at the finish line" "Bikini" etc

The biggest thing is just to stay positive and stick with it. Make STAYING a runner the goal rather than specific time/distance goals. That stuff will come eventually if you keep at it.

It's a bit goofy, but here goes. I love to dance, not that I'm very good at it, but I've always been overweight and too shy to do so. When I'm jogging, or any exercise that doesn't require thought, my mind immediately goes to the music, and I can't help think about what it would be like dancing in public. So jogging to the (quick) rhythm becomes my little fantasy about being able to dance in public. Silly, but it works for me.

Kelly - I fantasize like CRAZY when I run. Since the WWC I've been pretending to be a female soccer player jogging onto the field in germany. I've pretended to be running on a beach with a hot guy or some kick @ss movie chick. It makes the run go by easier to imagine myself in shape rather than a chubby girl trying to catch her breath.

This is not a mantra...I think scarlett gave you some great ones.
However, I have a lot of friends and family members who think I am crazy for running almost every day, especially in this heat.
I am always having people say to me "I don't get it...why would you run when you have a perfectly good car in the garage"?
Once a week I run in a public park. Usually Dallas White Lake or Reverchon, etc. There are hundreds of people there biking and running, not in a competition, but just because they love it or want to stay in shape. It makes me realize I'm not crazy and when looking at 99% of these people, compared to the people I see on my facebook page, etc., they are in terrific shape. That's what I think about during a long run and my mind wants me to give up. I just keep thinking how I look now compared to how I looked a year ago, and that keeps me going. I don't want to be a flabby, unhealthy old lady, so I have to keep running. :)

I'm going to try these ideas. I love those short motivational phrases. I always watch espn with my headphones in and pretend I'm training for big world cup game too :p


I wish there was a thank option to like everyone's posts!

When I first started running (on C25k) and really struggled with the intervals, I would sing song lyrics in my head over and over as my feet beat the pavement. (I never ran with an MP3 player on my shorter intervals.)

Now that I'm running for longer periods of time - 30-35 mins at a time - my "strategy" is quite different. I've found that my runs are easier when I'm thinking about positive things rather than dwelling on the stressors in my life. I try to list all of the things I could possibly be thankful for in my life. I find that when I'm doing that, my breathing is so much easier and it helps keep my pace up too.

Also, now that I'm running longer periods of time, I do listen to my mp3 player. I mostly play albums that I'm familiar with and love or playlists with nostalgic songs. (U2's Achtung Baby/Joshua Tree/All That You Can't Leave Behind; Radiohead's The Bends; Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill; greatest hits albums by The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison (since most of his albums are too slow for running!); The Band's Last Waltz.) I'm also getting into listening to classic country too, as it feels a lot like story hour at the library. Except with whiskey, women, and guns. :)

At times, when I feel like I want to quit running for whatever reason, I just evaluate myself. If I'm not in pain or feeling dizzy, then I tell myself I'm OK and that there's no reason I can't finish the run. (I also remind myself of how pissed I would be if I ended up quitting!)

My favorite motivational quote is the old classic: 'No matter how slow you're going, you're still lapping everybody on the couch.' Helps me keep perspective.

Like previous posters, I also spend a lot of running time fantasizing about various stuff. I imagine myself in some kind of action sequence, in various scenarios with people I know, in great shape, etc. Basically, whatever keeps my mind off the running itself. If I pay too much attention I screw up my stride/breathing and it all feels weird, so anything distracting helps.

I don't run with ear buds because I run alone and have to be aware of traffic and my surroundings, etc. My mantra is: 'only one more hill or street or whatever'. The thing that motivates me is seeing my body transform and getting leaner from all the cardio. I also imagine myself running a marathon and hearing my friends and family cheering me on as I run by. Sounds silly but it works for me, particularly with the three hills that I run up.

fitmom - You definately need to do what makes you comfortable. I just wanted to interject that I am quite possibly the worlds most uncoordinated person and I run fine with ear buds. I live in a high traffic suburban area. I just stay on the side of the road, try to pick back roads and am sure to look twice when crossing streets. At times I need to jog in place for a few seconds if a car is comming but it's really not bad at all.

My favorite Mantra. "Just 5 more minutes you can go five more minutes" Then when I go five more minutes I tell myself "Just five more minutes, you can go just five more minutes" I just take it five minutes at a time and get it done! This seems to work for me pretty well.

Also.. I love Britney Spears for work out music. Some of her songs are so inspiring. Like Leather and Lace... Gimme More...I love to imagine myself as the lead in what I imagine the videos are. Lean and sexy!

milmin2043 - I just had to say I LOVE YOUR NEW AVI...YOU REALLY LOOK GREAT!:D

Ok...now for my head motivation, "MIND over MATTER" and repeat. I keep telling myself that my MIND is lying to me...it keeps telling me I CAN'T RUN any further...but my BODY can and WANTS TO run further. Ignore my mind...it's lying to me!:mad: Grrrrrhhhh....then I go into Zena Warrior Princess mode.:D

This is so, so true. I can be on the elliptical, feeling fine, but I see how far I've got to go and I just want to give up. It really helps me to - and I know this sounds silly - keep track of the minutes in percentages. So, I'll be running, get to 6 minutes, and think You're 20% done! Ha! I keep going with that until it's over. I used to cover up the clock, but that only discouraged me because I would eventually peak and be devastated that only 7 minutes, or whatever, had passed.

Thank you joyfull!

I am a Champion !



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX39J_YyKbs


WATCH THIS!

Haha! What I have to do for anything that's gonna last longer than 15minutes is just make sure I am in no way aware of how long I have been going and still need to go. And then it flies by. On the elliptical that means just putting it on TV mode and not touched the screen. Before I know it, it's over. Not knowing means I can tell myself I am almost there. Could be any second now. So much easier.

As for running - I just started so I am really uncoordinated so I basically just focus on that. What to do with my arms and my legs. How to breath. And not on the time. This guy on my mp3 player will tell me when I can stop for a walk. I am doing c25k, so that's really nice. The Voice tries to be motivational also with stuff like "halfway, you are doing great" but all I can think then is "yeh yeh, you are sayign that to a gazillion people, you don't know wether I am even running." LOL

This is my secret too!! I focus on the lyrics and the beat and before I know it, I'm done. There's just something about her songs that works for me. Circus and I Wanna Go are a couple of my faves.

I do a lot of group running. The groups I run with usually involve some very in shape people and some people in not so good shape. Those of us in better shape are responsible for setting an appropriate pace so that the entire group stays in formation.

Whenever I feel myself getting tired, or reaching some kind of "tipping point" I wonder what kind of example it would set for the others in the group. If someone in a leadership position decides to stop, then the people who might really get something out of pushing through the pain are getting robbed. This is what keeps me going.

-L89

I've found it damn near impossible to keep up my motivation the past few runs. Running shorter, running slower, turning around earlier, slowing down on the treadmill. I'm in a funk and I need to get out of it! Thanks for the tips.

when I hit those slumps thats when the self taught mantras will help you! Just keep going!

I just say to myself keep going.... breathe....keep going......breathe....almost done....and just keep pushing myself

I just keep telling myself that the runner's high is behind that 'wall' I need to break through. If I can just get through the last 1 or 2km of my 5km run then it is totally worth the struggle. I find some power songs and keep 'em on repeat until I get past the hump.

Music is generally what keeps me going. I tend to choose quite agressive music - something with a fast tempo and an angry beat that I can grit my teeth to! Most of my runs are sponsored by Metallica, Rage Against The Machine and some heavy drum & bass :D

When the going really gets tough I tell myself "all you're doing is putting one foot in front of the other, it's as easy as that, just put one foot in front of the other". That usually helps put the whole ordeal into perspective.

Happy running everyone! :tread:

When I first started doing my walking/running intervals, it was hard to get myself out there, so I came up with something that worked. Now, however, I just enjoy "Bonding" with nature, so that's my reason for going outside. Burning calories is a bonus. Anyway, here's "paraphrasing" what I would tell myself.

Running will give you the endurance to make every day tasks easier.

Running will strengthen your lung capacity, thus making you a better singer.

Running will clear your mind, thus making you a better writer.

Running will increase your muscle, thus making you strong, which will enable you to pursue the athletic things you've always wanted to do.

Pretty much I placed my exercise right next to the things I either really wanted to do, or wanted to get better at, and it made me want to exercise.

I used to mentally yell at the people who looked down on me for being fat but now I just enjoy my music and keep telling myself what a great job I'm doing. I even think about the clothes I want to buy or the events I'll be looking hot at because of the hard work I'm doing. Sometimes, if I'm in a sulky mood I tell myself that the training I'm doing is helping tell my mind to treat my body better when I'm thinking food.

I hate running, because it is so boring, but it is the most efficient way to exercise. The last thing I want to do is concentrate my burning muscles and lungs. A couple of things works for me while I am running.

1) fast paced dance music
2) sometimes having a mental image of what you will look like when you have achieved your goals helps
3) day dream about anything that motivates you

I feel as though I probably don't need as much motivation to go running these days (as I'm just coming back from injury I'm busting to get back out there!) but the last gentle run I did I found PodRunner podcasts to be very helpful keeping my cadence on track and my mind clear. It's a nice change from my usual playlist.

I don't know how old you are or if you are married or have kids BUT I'm old (see my siggie, lol) and have a DH and two kids. That being said, I promised all of them that I'd always stay safe so I don't run with ear buds. Everyone's different. I feel very vulnerable if I'm not completely aware at all times. I run on main roads against traffic too. Each to their own...whatever works for you. :)

I like to listen to this band called Sleigh Bells while running. Their music features lots of bass and hard hitting drums and aggressive guitars, makes me feel like I'm on a mission =D !!!

I feel like my "outside time" is my time to bond with nature, so I don't listen to music at all. Also, I need to be alert for traffic. Even though I walk/run in a rural area, I have to do it on the main road. Thankfully, there isn't a lot of traffic. Maybe only 1-4 the entire time.

During my warm-up I focus on the scenery, noises, and smells of nature, and let my mind wander for a bit, thinking of what I'm going to do that day. During my running, I focus on my time, making sure I time my intervals right. (I run between 20-40 seconds every minute and a half for 10 minutes). Then on my cool-down I focus on the sensations in my body, congratulate myself on getting the "hard part" done, and focus on nature again, letting my mind wander if I desire to. It's actually pretty pleasant for me now, and feels more like "me time" than working out.

I like to listen to books on tape or stand up comedy-that way your pace is not being affected by ups and downs the way it can be when you listen to music. When it gets really tough, I repeat "Boston, Boston, Boston,..." in my head because I'm going to make it there!

I've only just begun to run - working my way s-l-o-w-l-y to three minute intervals.. I run on the treadmill since it's much easier for me at the moment.
I think I must be the only freak in the world to read as I run? I have always read while walking the treadmill and I thought I won't be able to when running because of the greater up and down movement :dizzy: - but I actually am able to! In fact, a couple days ago I was quite tired and found running difficult - but concentrated on the book and it took my mind completely off the out-of-breath, tired feeling and I finished the interval running quite easily.
Anyone else manage to read while running? :)

I rely HEAVILY on music while I run. Running bores the heck out of me, but the music makes me happy. I also like to pretend that I'm dancing. I can go out and dance for 4 hours, so I tell myself there's no reason why I can't run for 45 minutes.

I also, like previous posters, like to tell myself how fantastic my butt/legs will look after this. It works.

i don't really have a mantra or anything in particular, but i do know that when i run there's usually always some tough bits for no apparent reason, but then you come out of the tough bit and suddenly feel energised again for no reason.

So when its feeling like hard work i just recognise that, and think to myself that i just have to put up with it for a bit and then i'll feel better again soon!

Sounds pretty dull compared to you lot though!!! I think next time i'll try out a few fantasy tips from this thread!!

If it's a route I always run, I use music. If it's a new route, or one I haven't run in a while, I'm fine without.

For some reason whenever I am doing something mindless these days I start thinking in Spanish. I ran on Wednesday and all I could do was think of something and then translate it. Weird.