The brain allows or limits endurance performance and it can be trained to allow the body to be pushed further. Training the brain is a matter of tricking the mind to allow more from the body, says Tim Noakes, M.D., author of Lore of Running
The key is to fool the mind into letting the body work harder.
I spoke with Egil Vasstrand, from Norway, before he ran the New York Marathon. He stressed the importance of training his mind and body way before the race. He stated that he runs the race for himself, as it is something he had wanted to do while living in the United States. After the race, he reported that during dark moments between 25k to 35k, it was the massive cheering crowd that pulled him through. He met his goal and is done with #marathons.
Michigan native, 27-year-old Jamie Tirrell, is no stranger to running in many races. She has run marathons in #Dallas and #Chicago and qualified for the Boston Marathon. She states that what drives her is her competitive nature.
She ran the Chicago Marathon in record time 3:23:52 and is proud of her time. While training she is motivated by fast-pumping music when inside and nature around her when she is outside. She says when she is outside. She says when her body feels like it's giving out, she daydreams about anything to help her push through.
Nicole Loughan Utter, 33, first started #running to lose weight and then decided to run a few marathons. She realizes she is not a real fast person, so during marathons, she picks a person that she figures are close to her fitness level, and then she tries to stay with them during the race. To get in shape she suggests using The Couch to 5k Running Plan. The plan helped her to build herself up a little at a time.
Couch To 5K
When training she uses the Rocky movies as her influence with the Eye of the Tiger song top on her list. She also listens to rap music to help her zone out.
Self-talk, or daydreaming, is useful. Topics change from person to person, but some people picture themselves thinner and in good shape, while others think about how they will be viewed, and for some competition is key. So, it's beneficial to train the body and trick-train the mind.