The Mental Game of Running 100 Miles

Running 100 Miles is as much a mental game as it is a physical feat. You can spend hours and months training, but if your mind isn’t ready, the physical won’t matter. In this blog I will share some tips I’ve compiled over my decade plus of running ultramarathons. These have been tested and work well for me (and many others) so you are likely to get some gains from practicing them as well

Positive Self Talk and Mantras

It is all too easy to get down on ourselves and fall into a negative spiral inside our heads. Practicing positive self-talk is something that helps dig me out of this hole. In the months and weeks leading up to a goal race, make a list of positive things and mantras about yourself and your body. Write them down and say them out loud. When you are on a run and your mind wanders into a positive space, draw on your bank.

Visualization

I have found this to be one of the most powerful and underrated mental strength techniques I have tried. There are two different ways to try this–moving and stationary–and I think they can all be effective, depending on how your brain works. Try them both and see what seems right for you. For the moving one, I would print out the course profile and put it up in front of you during a treadmill run. As you run, visualize each climb/descent/aid station, etc. and really try to feel as if you are running the race. Adjust the treadmill according to the course, and fuel/hydrate like you will be on race day. I once ran/visualized a full 50k distance on a treadmill this way. That race is still my 50k PR. It worked! The other way to visualize is to sit in a quiet place with your eyes closed and run through the race in your head; imagine the highs and lows, and how you will react, etc. I find this method tougher but also effective.

Grounding

Grounding in this context, is a way to help bring oneself back into the present moment. For example, if you are on a long climb and feeling bad, taking a second to take in a deep breath and notice one thing you hear, you thing you see, one thing you smell, you thing you touch, and one thing you feel, should help reset the brain to the positive.

Music That Makes You Feel Powerful!

It may sound simple but music that speaks to you and makes you feel powerful can make all the difference and pull you out of a funk. It may be something you don’t normally listen to, or may be your favorite song, either way, I find that waiting until about halfway through the race to turn it on can be very effective for a positive mental state.

Photo Credit: Bian Kruchoski