"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.”
- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian
The Marathon is a 1-mile race…that you run 26.2 times.
As I mentioned in Mind of the Marathon Part I, physically training for this distance is challenging in and of itself, but it’s only half the battle. Preparing your mind is equally as important as training your mind to manage the marathon challenge as you run your race. So, how is this done? It’s done through a combination of pacing yourself, paying attention to your split times and breaking up the distance into progressively shorter segments… essentially “tricking” your mind to run the distance.
At The Start (1-9 miles)
Research shows that marathoners who start their race more than 2 percent (approximately 10 seconds per mile) faster than their average pace will slow significantly in the last critical 10K of the race compared to those with even pacing or negative splits. For beginning and even many intermediate marathoners, it’s better to start out slow. Going too fast at the start is a formula for disaster when the going gets tough later in the race.
If you are using a heart rate monitor, a good gauge is to run at about 70% of MHR for the first 3 miles and then gradually increase to 80%. If you properly conserve your energy, you’ll have plenty of time to pick up the pace later on.
Most importantly, stay calm. If you are keeping your head abut you, you will likely be passed my numerous runners at the start. Relax. You can wave as you pass them by at mile 10.
Mid Race (10-20 miles)
This is where we separate the women from the girls, the heart of your race. And this is now the time in which segmenting the distance really comes into play. You already know this place from all your weeks of training long runs. Fatigue is setting in. Your usual mind games and distractions are beginning to bore you.
Keep your eye on your watch. This is where a GPS comes in handy. Begin by breaking down the distance into consecutive segments, from 11 miles to 13.1 - the halfway mark - and then each subsequent 5K (3.1 mile) segment. Focus ONLY on that next 5K, and the next. Note your pace for each segment and make any necessary adjustments, but maintain a steady effort.
Check in with yourself frequently. Are you on pace? How are you feeling? Where are you hurting? Calves, neck, shoulders? Adjust your form to relieve any tension.
The Last 10K (21-26.2)
Now the mind must take over the body. You are already very familiar with the 10K distance. This is now a new race. You must reach down and go deep beyond the fatigue to that place that kept you training through thick and thin for the last 4-5 months. Your fatigue will probably be extreme, and you may even be in pain however, intense concentration on task-relevant information will reduce your discomfort at this point. Easy? Heck no. But this is the mind of the marathon.
Break the remaining distance into small 1K (.6 mile) segments. Focus ONLY on each successive segment. Why? Because you KNOW that you can suffer these small segments (they’re only about the distance to the end of your block at home). Hold on to your pace for each of these small segments; the next and the next.
Now, you know your current pace. Shift your focus to the minutes remaining and begin counting down…20 minutes, 15, 10, 5 – your goal is in sight.
As you hit the 26-mile mark you have only 385 yards (1/4 mile) to go. What do you have left? Check in with yourself. Listen to the roar of the crowd…but avoid too sudden a surge. How many times have you seen others cramp up at the last ¼ mile because they pushed too hard? Yes, the final seconds do matter, but if, over the past 2 -3 hours you’ve controlled your race with your head, you know where you are going to finish. Push through the chute strong – but in control.
Running the marathon is about the distance, yes. But it’s also about your mind and your heart. Like a three-legged stool, all three factors must be prepared as you do battle in this competition.
What strategies have you used in your marathon to keep your head about you when all around you are losing theirs? Any battle stories you’d like to share?
READ MORE:
Re-thinking the Long Run
Strategies for a Hot Marathon
