PAINFUL THOUGHTS

When your body pleads with you to stop, your mind can keep you going. "If it's going to hurt, I want it to hurt for a reason." Elite runners often say that their ability to push through excruciating bouts of discomfort is integral to their race performance.

As runners propel themselves forward, some measure of discomfort is normal (provided it's not a sign of a serious issue). Muscles burn, joints ache and exhaustion sets in. However, research suggests that our pain threshold is not set at an unmovable level—that the mind can, to some extent, control it. An athlete can adjust their pain level by using mental techniques and they often find that their performance increases dramatically.

The Pain: Feeling Sick in Anticipation of a Run--"Think of all the other challenging workouts and races you've done to remind yourself of how strong and capable you are."

The Pain: Struggling Through Mile Repeats--"Tell yourself, 'I'm working this hard because...' and then fill in your performance goal."

The Pain: Hitting a Low--During difficult moments, put the pain in perspective. Remind yourself that the discomfort is temporary, and each step forward is one closer to the finish. Research has even shown that pain is often purely in your head and not an accurate signal of physical distress. Keeping this in mind will enable you to push through the discomfort so you can run faster or longer.

The Pain: Long-Run Fatigue--" Ask yourself where the pain is and why it's happening. And if it's not related to an injury, then acknowledge that this could be an indication that what you're doing is going to help you reach your goal. "Some types of pain tell you that you're pushing yourself, that you're getting better."

The Pain: Stiffness in the Shoulders and Arms--Very often, runners have a tendency to raise their shoulders when they run. They can also clench their fists. You’ll need to really focus on your form. The best way is to do a “form check” every few minutes. You can do it by setting your watch timer to alert you every few minutes, or do it by distance, or at the end of a particular cadence chant. Think of a string being attached at the center of your head, which is pulling you up just slightly. Think about how your body would look and feel. Your back would be straight, your hips slightly forward, your knees would be moving upward and forward, and your feet would be landing lightly on their heels. our arms would be hanging relaxed from your shoulders and be swinging in rhythm with your legs. Your elbows would be bent at about a 90 degree angle and the movement of your elbows would be forward and back, not up and down or side to side. The key is that your arms should be able to swing freely from the shoulder joint.

You CAN push even through the pain!