Jennifer's Running Tips, Installment #3

You may have noticed every runner is different, so what works for one gal in your group may not work for you. Below I have described the two mental styles of running and offered some suggestions on how to keep running interesting. Some days I’m content to run for hours on end without seeing a sole, and others I need a few friends to help me through 3 miles. By using different strategies to suit your mood you can keep your momentum moving forward, literally.

Association and dissociation

Association focuses on your body’s sensations and monitoring any changes. For example, you can monitor your breathing rate, muscular sensations (tension), and number of footfalls to pace yourself. Association has been linked to faster running times, but also a higher injury risk because athletes tend to have a higher pain threshold and, therefore, tend to work through the pain.

Dissociation works on distracting your mind from the feeling of tiredness and awareness of effort. You can use music or mind games to dissociate during running. Remember personal music devices are not allowed during competition and generally not a good idea to use outdoors when your safety could be jeopardized by a reduced awareness. Dissociation can help through difficult times of fatigue.

Both strategies are a great way of keeping your performance going. Neither is better than the other, but a combination of both can be of great benefit. For example, during a race the most successful elite runners switch between the two using association at the most important times of the race and dissociation at times where you can give yourself a break from the tough mental demands. You could use association techniques during the first third of the race to read your body’s state during a race by focusing on your breathing to help to relax your body. Then use dissociation techniques during the mid part of the race to distract your mind from “when is this going to end?!” until the point you realize “I’m almost done!” The last third of the race refocus on association techniques to maintain good form and pace.

Examples of association

1. Focus on your breathing: controlled, relatively deep r hythmic breathing is the key to relaxation. When you breathe out, try to imagine the tension leaving your body.
2. Try to remain relaxed while running. Be aware of tension and fatigue in your muscles. Start from the head and work down, giving each area or group of muscles your attention. If you notice tension focus on a cue word, such as ‘relax’ or ‘easy’ and let the tension flow out of the muscles. (Yoga is a good cross training tool to help learn this technique)
3. Keep your pace in line with the information you gain from body monitoring. You might, for example, increase the pace if you feel very positive.

Examples of dissociation

1. Music E2 This can generate positive thoughts, improve your mood state and distract you from the physical demands of your sport. But be careful not to get too distracted if you are running in a busy area. Also, personal listening devices are not allowed in races.
2. Counting game – Count the number of blue cars you see, or the number of dogs or other runners. Get creative. Similar to this but slightly more complex, is do “math problems”- I’ll try to calculate my current pace, the pace I need to maintain to finish in x amount of time, or any other “simple” math problem. You’ll be amazed at how complicated addition and subtraction become when you’re trying to run, which makes it good for passing the time.
3. Alphabet game – Work through from A to Z for a chosen category, such as women’s names or countries.
4. Rainbow game – Try to notice as many colors as possible while you work out: aim for all the colors of the rainbow.
5. Active fantasy – Imagine yourself as a lottery winner and decide how to spend your winnings. Or blow off steam and imagine yourself telling off your boss or whoever is getting under your skin.
6. Sing – My favorite is to sing camp and children’s songs because they aren’t musically complicated. You can monitor your pace this way, too. If you are huffing and puffing, then you’re running too fast. This method is better for easy, recovery, or long runs when running fast is not the objective.

Self-talk is also a very beneficial technique to use when your concentration does stray or you detect fatigue. Prepare before your event what you are going to say to yourself. The key is to stay positive. You can use short phrases and repeat them to yourself (mantra). For example, I repeat the word “turnover” during a 5k to help remind me that my feet should be touching the ground at ~180 footfalls/minute to help increase my pace. “Finish strong” is a popular mantra. Come up with anything that will help you accomplish your goal or overcome your weaknesses. Athletes often recall that their very best performances are accompanied by few thoughts, a feeling of complete control, effortless movements and a sense of being ‘on automatic pilot’.