As I have said before, training for a marathon is mostly a mental battle. Some days you feel discouraged or that you can’t possibly see yourself making it the full 26.2 miles, but you can’t let those thoughts stop you. Anyone can run a marathon if they really put their mind to it, it’s just a matter of showing up and putting in the work. By eating right, training right, and building confidence, half the battle is won. The mental battle is the other half. What I’ve found to be the most helpful practice to keep my mind focused is mindfulness and meditation.
Mindfulness and meditation is a practice often talked about in regards to mental disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder and depression because it centers the mind and helps one gain perspective. However, mindfulness and meditation has also been found to make a person less susceptible to physical illness, improve sleep and relieve physical ailments for those suffering from various medical conditions.
By no means is sitting still and focusing on the breath easy. I first started mindfulness and meditation when I was a sophomore in high school. Before I started mindfulness and meditation, my mind would race constantly with anxious thoughts about what was going on in my own personal life and the world around me. The thoughts were so overwhelming, that one day I put on my running shoes, blasted music, and ran until my intrusive thoughts subsided. I ran for seven and a half miles that day and from then on I was hooked on running. The problem was, running didn’t fully stop the racing thoughts inside my head, it was only a bandaid. It wasn’t until I talked to a mental health professional that I realized half the battle to dealing with my anxiety was combating my thoughts by simply sitting with them. When I first heard this, I was terrified. No one dealing with anxiety wants to listen to constant negativity. But, I was convinced this was the only way to help subside the thoughts so I gave meditation a shot.
I first started mindfulness and meditation with the Calm app. I would try to sit for three minutes and focus on my breath but I found it to be really difficult. I would constantly rely on the narrator of the meditation to bring me back to the room. It took an active effort to sit through the meditation every day for thirty days before it started to impact my overall mental health. After thirty days, I found that I no longer had shin splints from running, I was sleeping better, and I was an overall happier person.
For my current marathon training, I will be focused on preparing my mind mentally to be patient with myself and my body as I gain mileage. There are days where I am discouraged that I didn’t run far enough, fast enough, or even run at all, but through mindfulness and meditation, I will work on showing gratitude to my mind and body for pushing me through this challenge so that I can achieve a goal I’ve had for years.
Mindfulness is something I’ve been trying to practice, and I think it’s super interesting that these techniques can be used to get through a marathon. The approach you’re taking to training seems to be very well-structured and I like that you’re focusing on every aspect of well-being (both mental and physical). I have also used the Calm app before and I think it’s great that there are a lot of resources for meditation and mindfulness.
Hi Carolyn! I really loved this blog because it lets the reader get to know you a little bit better. Your blog post in a way is helping destigmatize mental health and helping those with mental health see other alternatives. As someone who also struggles with depression and Generalized anxiety disorder, it is interesting to see how others centralize themselves and deal with their stuff. You have truly opened up and left space for important conversations about prioritizing mental health. I also think you wrote a very interesting and informational post. I am so glad that you were able to find something that works for you and helps you work and feel better. Overall, you always do a wonderful job!