{"id":29829,"date":"2014-07-14T07:15:01","date_gmt":"2014-07-14T11:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=29829"},"modified":"2021-08-18T14:59:10","modified_gmt":"2021-08-18T18:59:10","slug":"running-tips-overcoming-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/running-tips-overcoming-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Common Fears for Runners (and How to Overcome Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Running
Illustration: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Running is 90 percent mental, or so the saying goes. And if you\u2019ve ever bonked, DNFed<\/a>, or suffered through a bad track workout, then you know this to be true. Few other sports can challenge your brain as much as your muscles, or offer as many emotional highs as lows. So it\u2019s no surprise that to be successful on the pavement, it\u2019s about far more than putting one foot in front of the other. But how do you stay motivated, fight the negative self-talk, and stop comparing yourself to others? We called in the experts for tips on how to overcome the most common mental barriers that come their way. Read on for seven strategies to boost your mental muscle.<\/p>\n

All in Your Head?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Running is truly a mind-body sport, says Mindy Solkin, coach and founder of New York City\u2019s Running Center<\/a>. \u201cIf the body isn\u2019t cooperating, you have to use some self-talk to get through it and fight on,\u201d she says. \u201cRunning is a self-propelling sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas-based counselor and sports psychology consultant Adrienne Langelier<\/a>, MA, LPC, agrees. \u201cRunning is probably one of the most difficult mental sports around,\u201d she says. \u201cWith other sports you have equipment that might come into play with your performance. With running, you are the equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Solkin and Langelier say there are common roadblocks that can test a runner\u2019s mental fortitude. Here\u2019s how these experts recommend you bust through the barriers when they rear their ugly heads.<\/p>\n

\"Running
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Running Scared: 7 Tips to Persevere<\/h3>\n

“Do it for yourself, and remember that the feeling you get when you finish makes it all worth it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Roadblock #1:<\/b>\u00a0Motivation to get out the door
\nThe fix:<\/b> Langelier says it\u2019s important to understand what your motivational character is. \u201cIf you are intrinsically motivated, you won\u2019t struggle as much because you run because you love the sport,\u201d she says. \u201cBut if it\u2019s an extrinsic motivation, such as running on a charity team or to lose weight, it might be tougher.\u201d In this case, opt for tried-and-true strategies like lining up a partner to meet you, or setting out your running gear the night before so you\u2019re ready to get out the door as soon as you wake up.<\/p>\n

Roadblock #2<\/b>:<\/strong> Fear of feeling\/looking slow
\nThe fix:<\/b> Start by not calling yourself a \u2018jogger,\u2019 Solkin says. \u201cThink of yourself as a strong person out there getting it done no matter what.\u201d And if competition isn\u2019t your thing, that\u2019s OK, too. The make-up of today\u2019s runners has changed from uber-competitive to more social and fitness-driven, Solkin says. \u201cMost runners aren\u2019t in it to win it these days. Do it for yourself, and remember that the feeling you get when you finish makes it all worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roadblock #3:<\/b> Entering a race undertrained
\nThe fix<\/b>: Rather than worrying about what you missed, \u201cFocus on the training you did<\/i> do,\u201d says Langelier. Remember the highlights from those early morning runs, like that really great race-pace run a few weeks back<\/a>. Those milestones will help boost your confidence when you\u2019re feeling ill-equipped. On the flip side, if necessary, give yourself permission to adjust your goals if the training just hasn\u2019t been there. The key is being realistic with what you\u2019re setting out to do, Langelier says. In other words, don\u2019t expect a PR when you haven\u2019t trained for one. Readjust your goals and go into the race with more manageable expectations.<\/p>\n

Roadblock #4:<\/b>\u00a0Fear of missing a big PR
\nThe fix<\/b>: Remember that no one race defines you as a person or a runner, says Langelier. Even the top elites have off days but they don\u2019t let that defeat them. Take Meb Keflezighi, for example, who was far off goal pace at last year\u2019s New York City Marathon<\/a>. Rather than dropping out, he found a \u201ccitizen\u201d runner and helped him achieve his goal. Keflezighi famously went on to win this year\u2019s Boston Marathon, much to everyone\u2019s surprise. While you don\u2019t want one race to define you, you should also be optimistic, says Langelier \u201cBe open to the possibility of getting that goal,\u201d she adds. \u201cPut that into your self-talk while you are out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roadblock #5: <\/b>Falling apart mid-race
\nThe fix:<\/b> When things aren\u2019t quite falling into place, hone in on the elements of the race that are in your control. \u201cFocus on the process, not just the performance,\u201d Langelier says. It can be tough to stay in the moment, but paying attention to your form, your breathing, and your cadence can help take some of the pressure off, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccept that there will be faster people. Let that push you rather than make you feel inferior.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Roadblock #6:<\/b> Fear of failure
\nThe fix:<\/b> \u201cA lot of us have big, specific goals, and when we don\u2019t reach them, see that as a failure,\u201d says Langelier. But it\u2019s important to have a back-up plan, such as a B or C goal. \u201cUse it if it\u2019s clear you\u2019re not going to hit your [initial] goal,\u201d Solkin says. \u201cYou can also change your focus to \u2018what will I still get out of this race?\u2019\u201d If you\u2019re running a marathon, for instance, it\u2019s the satisfaction of completing 26.2 miles, a big accomplishment no matter what.<\/p>\n

Roadblock #7<\/b>:<\/strong> Comparing yourself to other runners
\nThe fix:<\/b> Focus on where you have improved rather than where you want to be. Stay in the now and enjoy the moment. \u201cAccept that there will be faster people,\u201d says Langelier. \u201cLet that push you rather than make you feel inferior.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bottom line, says Langelier, is that all runners should give themselves permission to steer away from the negative areas and focus instead on the positives. \u201cKnow thyself,\u201d she counsels. \u201cPrepare to use your strengths and address your weaknesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you do, you might just discover you\u2019re having more fun than you ever expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You’ve thought it before: I’m too slow. I’m undertrained. I’m not going to hit my race goal. Here’s how to fight the negative self-talk and start running your best \u2014 for you. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":30011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[202,110,108,341,357],"class_list":["post-29829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-brain","tag-race","tag-running","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2running"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29829\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}