Reaching the end of a long run and seeing that you outdid your last pace and set a new PB feels like glory. It’s everything that warrants an Insta Story to let the world know of the day’s great feat. The reality? Not every race feels like you’re flying through it, with every song in your playlist egging you on. Sometimes, pushing through to overcome tough runs is… tough.
Do we ever talk about the gruelling moments in the run? That moment when you’ve only hit 600m, but you already know it’s going to be a difficult one? Or that moment when you’re 2km from completing your goal, but it feels like torture to continue?
For many of us, those moments can be too excruciating and end not only that one run but the motivation to try again tomorrow. But what if you could fight through those moments, overcome tough runs and come out even more victorious at the finish line? At the end of the day, your ability to push past the pain is an integral part of your running life.
Here we’ll go through some of the most effective strategies to help you overcome tough runs.
Believe in your pain threshold
If you believe that you can push past the bouts of muscle pain throughout your run, then you’re already one step ahead. This is according to a study done by researchers at the University of Illinois. The study found that athletes who believed they could push through leg muscle pain did better than those who did not.
Remember your why
Sports psychologists Noel Brick and Stuart Holliday wrote a new book, specifically looking at ways to make running more enjoyable. Their first tip? Decide why you’re doing it. With motivation, things are far more likely to get done. “We know that those who have meaningful reasons for running are more likely to maintain running longer term and get through those challenging experiences when running can feel hard, unpleasant, and not particularly enjoyable,” Brick told Newsweek.
READ MORE: What You Really Need To Know About Running For Weight Loss, According To Experts
Have a mantra
Numerous studies have found that repeating mantras can relieve stress and do wonders for calming the mind. One study concluded that silently repeating one word to yourself brings you peace of mind. This type of positive affirmation is important for any run – particularly a painful one. Repeating the mantra is also a good way to keep yourself distracted so that your focus is not only on muscle pain.
Create a power playlist
We all know that listening to music while exercising changes everything! But not every song on your Spotify might work well for your routine, so shuffling isn’t the answer. It’s important to take the time and curate a playlist of your power songs. These are the songs that you know always keep you going. It’s also important to try identify one particular power song that can get you through the extremely tough moments.
A 2017 study looked at the effect of music tempo on exercise performance among young adults and found that there was an increase in total duration of exercise and heart rate when fast and loud music was played.
“Motivation by music can lead to an increase in exercise duration, which is a stress alleviator in young people,” the study says. “Nevertheless, the importance and beneficial effect of music on health cannot be underestimated.”
READ MORE: 18 New Running Shoes To Help You Run Faster And Farther In 2024
If you can overcome a tough run, you can overcome anything
One of the many wonders of sport is its ability to create grit and mental fortitude that inevitably impacts other areas of your life. The discipline of forging ahead, even when you’d much rather curl up in a ball, spills over into work, relationships and everything else. Remind yourself of this when the going gets tough.
Focus on the moment
It’s true: running can become meditation. That’s because by focusing on every step, every breath, the feeling of moving through the air – and nothing else, becomes meditative and reaps benefits. In one study, cyclists who did seven weeks of mindfulness training had changed brain patterns, making them better able to adapt to stress.
The pain is not forever (if it’s not an injury)
One thing that can help you get through a tough moment in a run is realising that that’s all it is: a tough moment. It’s not going to hurt forever. It will come and go and each step forward you’re taking is bringing you closer to the finish line.
Know when to stop
Not every difficult moment is an opportunity to fight through – sometimes you have to stop or you could run the risk of getting a serious injury. Here are quick signs that you should never ignore:
- Chest pain
- Limping
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Sharp and sudden pain
If you experience any of these on your run, stop and get professional medical help.
READ MORE: Can Wearing Wrist Weights On A Walk Really Tone Your Arms?