Running - The Mind-Body Connection in Running

Running is a mental sport. You can train hard, follow a healthy diet, wear all the right clothes and shoes, but if you are not in the proper mindset, nothing you have done to prepare matters.

Different people have different ideas about the role mental preparation. Some say it's 80% physical, 20% mental, while others say it's 20% physical and 80% mental. The point is: There is a mind-body connection, and you can't underestimate the mental piece.

Running just makes you feel good. Running has been clinically shown to reduce tension and anxiety, ease depression and build confidence. Endorphins are the "feel good" brain chemicals that are triggered by exercise. Often called natural painkillers, they have a calming effect on nerves and muscles.

You must have motivation to run. Nothing can make you move your legs down the path if your head and heart are just not into it. Your reason to run can be anything: weight loss, fitness, accomplishing a goal. You don't go out to run if your mind is not engaged with your body. The power of your mind drives your body to new levels of action.

Running is a stepping stone to success. You've heard the expression, "Keep your eye on the prize." That doesn't mean a real "prize" necessarily. It means to stay focused on a goal. By setting a goal for yourself - even if it's to run 5 minutes longer everyday - you bolster your motivation. Having a goal helps you develop internal willpower to achieve whatever you've set a goal to do.

Running builds confidence. You accomplish a goal every time you go out to run. And, goals are like a staircase: Every step gets you closer to the top and builds your confidence along the way. You get better with every milestone you reach. Competence equals confidence. So, when it's time to run, or walk, that 5K, belief in yourself can make all the difference.

In running, there are many ways to win. Winning doesn't have to mean coming in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. The great thing about running is that most of us are running against ourselves - striving to go a little farther or a little faster than we did the time before. Wanting to be better is human nature.

Running teaches us to be positive thinkers. As you train your body, you are training your mind. Because we often train in similar places day in and day out, we can visualize good training days and remember how good we felt during a run. Then, we can draw upon those visualizations and feelings as we are preparing to run a race. And, once we cross that first finish line and feel the excitement and accomplishment, we can forever see ourselves crossing new finish lines.

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