Week 7 - Running is Mental, by Cassie

Running is mental because you literally have to be crazy to do it.  This was Week 7 of the training program for us.  And week 7 was, by far, our hardest week yet.  By now we are running for long spans of time.  And by long, I mean 25 minutes.  You might be thinking, "Twenty-five minutes?  That's nothing!  An episode of The Office only lasts for 25 minutes.  It goes by in a flash." To that I say, when The Office causes you to hurt, breathe heavy, and sweat for the entire span that you're watching it, call me.  When your muscles hurt and you feel like you've been kicked in your nether-regions by a steel-toe boot after 25 minutes of The Office, call me.  We'll talk then.  

This week both Jill and I experienced what it was like to NOT be able to make it through an entire run.  In week 7,  a lot of Couch-to-5K'ers end up quitting the program.  It's a big deal to go from running ten minutes, taking a break, and then running again, to running a solid 25 minutes.  This is when your mind starts playing games with you.  Your brain starts saying things to convince you to stop running, even if your body is ok with it.  Your mind tries to reason itself out of running by thinking things like:

• People were only meant to run from dinosaurs and stuff.  When cars were invented this became obsolete.
• Even though you just tweeted to all 3 of your followers that you were about to go for a run, no one will know if you walk. 
• Look at that old man walking in front of you.  If you pass him up you'll make him feel bad that he's so slow. You better slow down.
• Why don't you just walk, but lift your knees really high?  It's almost like running.
• If you run too hard you'll mess up your body and have to start ordering Boniva pills from Sally Field.
• I shouldn't push my self because I:  ate a heavy lunch / haven't eaten lunch / haven't drank water / drank too much water / have a headache / am just getting over a headache, etc. {fill in the blank}

This is when you look down at your timer and you realize that you are ALMOST there.  You just have five good minutes of running left before you can finally give in to the urgings of your brain and walk.  Obviously, your mind is bent on talking you out of running.  So you have to distract your mind.


This is where "CASSIE'S MENTAL TRICKS FOR FINISHING A RUN" come in.  I only actually have two tricks, but they work.


1.  Street Distraction.  The lakefront path that I run on is perpendicular to a series of streets named after states.  So, as I pass a street, I use the street name as a catalyst for thinking thoughts about that particular state.  My mental script might sound something like this:  New Jersey, New Jersey, who do I know that lives in New Jersey?...Ooh the Real Housewives of New Jersey...Those crazy italian broads...Ooh I want spaghetti!... And GARLIC BREAD!!!...My friend Joe lives in New Jersey...It's cold there now...Glad I don't live in New Jersey...Wonder how his job's going.  Do they have a website?  I'll have to check that out...I wish I had a website...It would be purple....  In this technique, I try to think of as many random thoughts having to do with that state as I can  until I reach the next state, when my thoughts might sound something like this... Missouri, Missouri, who's a senator from Missouri?... I sure don't know... We visited Branson, Missouri on vacation... Branson has a great steakhouse...  This trick will work for any type of street names, not just state streets.  Presidents, flower names, etc. - really any names you can make random associations with to distract you from your run.


2.  iPod Shuffle Diversion Technique (ISDT).  I have two variations of the ISDT, and I tend to save them for the very last few minutes of the run, especially if things are getting really bad.  The first is where I open up my iPod to the playlist and just shuffle through the songs, feigning dissatisfaction with any song that comes up.  Like this:  [shuffle] Poker face?  I'll poke YOU in the face with my awesome running skills!  What a crappy song.  Next... [shuffle]  Ooh yeah, Black Eyed Peas, I'm gonna boom boom pow all over this run! [play song for 20 seconds... then shuffle] I like to move it, move it, you know I do!  [shuffle, etc., to the end of the run].  One fun modification of the ISDT is available on updated iPhones.  Now, when you shake your phone, it shuffles the songs at every shake.  So sometimes I tuck it in my sports bra and let it go crazy for the last few minutes of the run!  Love technology!


Remember, kids.  Running is mental.  It helps if you're mental, too.  Which is why I'm so good at it.