Runners are mental ;)

“Running is 80 percent mental.” ~ Joan Benoit Samuelson, gold medalist in the first women’s Olympic marathon ever held.

Psychologists study how mental processes affect human behavior. If running is 80 percent mental then, in theory, someone who studies mental processes should be able to produce helpful advice about how those mental processes affect running behavior. Following that line of logic, a psychologist who also runs should be able to provide firsthand experience of how well that advice holds up when the rubber meets the road. Literally. That is what I hope to accomplish with this blog. My objective is to provide psychological insight that can help us to become better runners when implemented out there on the trail. Think sports psychology with a little practical advice sprinkled in for extra color and flavor. =)

I didn't always see how these two passions had anything to do with each other. The truth is, I never considered how psychology affects running until recently.

I began running in high school. I have always enjoyed being outdoors and would find any reason to get myself out there. Any new hobby that took me outside and into the sunshine, I signed up. Hiking in the moutains, biking, and swimming were my addictions. But one day I decided to try running and it became my drug of choice. My therapy in a shoe box. I remember well the first time I ever ran just for the experience of running. I lived in a neighborhood with a very long circle drive. I decided that I would run it ten times. And I did. I don't remember it being difficult at all. I remember that it felt like flying. It felt like pure freedom. I ran that route again the next night. And the next. And the next. I thought I would never stop.

But somewhere along the way life got crowded. College. Career. Family. Church. House. I stopped making time for hobbies. I stopped running for several years. I had always had a thin physique. Weight loss was never the purpose behind running for me. My weight had never fluctuated and I never remember paying it any attention. Until the year I gained 25 pounds over a few months. I didn't really mind the extra pounds. However, I was alarmed that it had happened so suddenly and I was concerned that it may continue further into an unhealthy state. I knew in my heart that it was a symptom of a greater health issue. And it was. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Think chronic and extreme fatigue. Think ugh. Think blah. Think =(.

I got medical treatment but it took about a year before I began to feel improvement. The weight gain slowed but continued. When you don't feel well you learn how to economize your energy. Although my thyroid issue was under control medically, I still didn't have much energy to perform daily duties, let alone exercise. For the first time ever in my life I started to think about my weight. And what I was thinking about it was how I could lose some of it. So I sat myself down and we had a talk. I decided that I could either learn to accept the weight gain or I could do something about it, but being uncomfortable in my own skin was no longer going to be an option for me.

I'll bet that you know which one I chose. The next morning I put on my running shoes and I began the first day of the rest of my life with a run. I don't know how far I ran. It probably could have been measured better in minutes and seconds than in miles because it was not far. But I had put feet to my plan on paper and it felt good. REALLY good. Let me rephrase that. AFTER the run it felt good. DURING the run it felt like everything on my inside wanted to be on my outside (to quote Brian Regan). I thought I was going to suffocate. To throw up. To fall into the road and get ran over. But I lived to run another day.

Can I tell you something that you already know? When you go into a situation with the mentality that you HAVE to, rather than because you WANT to, it greatly affects how you feel about that activity. Although I chose to start running again, I only chose it because the other options were worse. Not because I really wanted to start running again. But I knew what I had to do so I bit the bullet. I began to run regularly. And it was difficult. But I'm a very determined person when I put my mind to something. So I simply white knuckled it. For years. I put several races and even a half marathon under my belt with this mentality. Can I tell you something else that you already know? Engaging in something as difficult and strenuous as running on a regular basis when you really aren't enjoying it is a very very difficult way to live life. I dreaded running. So I sat myself down and we had a talk about it. Exercise for me - for all of us - is a lifestyle change that we must make if we want to live life to the fullest. It is not about a weight loss program that we can discontinue once we've achieved our ideal weight. It is about our quality of life and so it should be a part of our life for the duration of our life. And anything that we are going to make a part of our daily life needs to be done with some thought. We only have a limited about of time here on this earth. If we are going to give a percent of every day to an activity, we need to make sure that activity is worthwhile and that we enjoy it. I knew exercise was worthwhile. But I did not enjoy it. So I decided that I was going to have to LEARN how to enjoy it.

And that is how I came to think about how applying psychology to running could improve my life. I could learn to enjoy running. Two passions merge and collide. Result? Mind explode. That is what this blog is about. Learning how to enjoy every part of life - even running. I believe that what I've learned (and am still learning) will prove to be helpful to you for overcoming mental processes that hinder performance. As I face challenges and overcome them I will share with you what worked for me and you can try it out for yourself. Over time, I hope you will feel comfortable enough with me to share what has worked for you as well. I, too, am learning how to improve my running performance throughout this process.

By the way, a few years ago my husband and I went to the Bodies exhibit in Tulsa. I highly recommend it. At the exhibit I saw a thyroid gland. It looks like a piece of gum that someone chewed and then threw hard up against the floor. Think pink splat. I couldn't believe that little piece of Trident had given me all of those health problems. But I'm not bitter. In the long run, it caused me to be more proactive in choosing a healthy and abundant lifestyle.

I promised some practical advice so here it goes. Never. Ever. Ever ever ever. Never ever. Wear lacy underwear while running. Two words. Chaf. Fing. Ouch. I did this once while on a long distance run. Mile 1. Comfy. Mile 2. Some noticeable discomfort. Mile 3-7. Ran like a bowlegged cowboy. Mile 8. Never happened. I had to quit early because I was on fire.

My next blog will be about self talk and how it affects our running performance. Til then, may you live life on the run. =)