Major milestone:

First Marathon at 40+!! Non-runner. Goal - sub-5 Actual- 4:52:44. Mind blown!! My half PR- 2:08:23! Simply stoked!

What is the secret to your success?

Consistency, patience, and grit!!

What is the most rewarding part of training?

Keeping on target range per Runcoach!! Absolutely fantastic plan! Cally you go girl!!

What advice would you give to other members of the Runcoach community?

Discipline, go easy on days you can’t control.

Anything else you would like to share?

Just immensely grateful for the most realistic and reasonable plan. Awesome job Runcoach!

What feedback would you offer on the Runcoach experience?

Fantastic!! Made my dream come true and with a mind-blowing pace! I acknowledge I am not Kipchoge but definitely more than that! I am a full time professional, mom of two elementary school kids. And yet I did this! Super proud of myself and the running community. My husband played a very supportive role. Just super thankful.

As your fall marathon grows nearer, the power of your mind becomes a key determinant of your success. Beyond physical training, mental resilience is vital for conquering the challenges ahead. This blog post focuses on 5 tips to harness your mental strength throughout your training segment, ensuring you're mentally prepared for your marathon journey.

1. Visualize Victory:

Visualization is a powerful tool. Envision your successful marathon, from the starting line to crossing the finish. By mentally rehearsing your achievement, you boost confidence and alleviate anxiety.

2. Set Smart Goals:

Set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals with your coach. We can help provide direction and motivation during training, anchoring your efforts in purpose.

3. Positive Self-Talk:

Your internal dialogue matters. Foster self-encouragement and counter self-doubt with affirmations. A positive self-talk routine builds mental resilience. You are determined, strong, and capable. 

4. Embrace Challenges:

Challenges are often unavoidable opportunities in disguise. Adopt a growth mindset and learn from difficulties. Overcoming obstacles fortifies your mental toughness. There is nothing you cannot overcome.

5. Practice Mindfulness:

Stay present during training runs and the race itself. Techniques like focused breathing enhance focus and calmness.

Through visualization, goal setting, positive self-talk, embracing challenges, and mindfulness, you can elevate your mental game for your fall marathon. Your mental strength is your secret weapon - use it to shape your success!

6. Trust the Taper:

As Coach Rosie says: "The paces that may feel challenging in training now will feel significantly easier on race day. Remember that your legs will be fresh and you will reap the benefits of your hard work. Soak up the energy from the crowd and allow it to drive you forward. Above all, celebrate all of the hard work you have put in. This is your time to shine."

7. Break it Down: 

Coach Tom likes to say:  “Don’t think the of the Marathon as a 26-mile event, instead think of it as a series of 26 mile repeats”.  This implores simple focus on the next mile as the personal Marathon experience usually ebbs and flows.  So try not to think of Mile 26 when you’re at Mile 8.  Instead focus on Mile 9 and get through that.  Often times the break down of both workouts and the race itself into singular steps, make the process that much more palatable."

Major milestone:

Recently ran sub 5:00 in the mile for the 38th consecutive year.

What is the secret to your success?

Commitment to do something every day. Writing each workout in a training log. Having a goal to chase.

What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it? 

Sleep. Staying healthy. Cannot take as many hits as I used to. Have to train smarter. Listen to my body. Incorporate cross training (i.e. bike).

What is the most rewarding part of training? 

I still love the feeling of hitting exhaustion after crushing a tough workout. The level of satisfaction on the cool down is still magical. It still feels amazing hitting it each year.

What advice would you give to other members of the Runcoach community?

Stay consistent. Set a goal and go after it. Sacrifice for the goal.

Anything else you would like to share?

Set a goal or a number of goals and let people know what you are doing. I have people asking me often how I am doing on cracking 5 mins. It keeps me honest and focused. Dont be afraid of having a crazy aggressive goal. But have achieveable mini-goals along the way so you feel success and stay motivated.

What feedback would you offer on the Runcoach experience?

Trust the training.

• Spoiler alert; it's so much more than you think. I was taking what I thought was a lot, but it turned out my body was just burning at a higher rate than what I expected. The fix was actually pretty simple once I figured out what sat well during a race. I was able to make adjustments like sipping on a carbohydrate drink before the start, adding an extra gel, and carb-loading an extra day ahead of the race. Things like juice and gummy candy (who knew) were my secret weapons when I got sick of white rice.

• This one is tricky. It's important to stay in my scope of practice, but I found supplements that were non-negotiable for me. They may be for you too! Iron is a big one, and I think absorption tends to complicate it. Ultimately, it was important for me to take daily and with the right foods/liquids. I found pill form and night time yielded the best absorption for me. Vitamin D is also crucial, and my levels were surprisingly low for the amount of sunshine I got training. Bone health isn't something to mess with in running. The key here was finding a quality high dose supplement, and not your average grocery store brand. Finally, I added in fish oil and curcumin after learning this was really beneficial for the kinds of stress runners experience. Take all of this with a grain of salt (or electrolyte). NOTE:  Both Iron and Vitamin D are not water soluble and should only be taken under the guidance of a Medical Professional.

• I was eating a lot, but not eating often. Snacks are back! I found that I was struggling on my doubles (running 2x/day) because I wasn't necessarily under fueled, but rather lacking quick energy because it had been so long since I last ate. Sometimes you just aren't hungry, and that's where the right foods come into play. Once I found the right snack, I was able to power through my second run rather than slog through junk miles.

• Take what you're drinking during the day, and double it (well kind of). I was not drinking enough, and it was showing. Coffee is my weakness, and if I could just drink that during the day I would. However, it wasn't setting me up for feeling good in warm weather training/racing. Even in the cooler months it's helpful, as we just aren't that thirsty. Once being assigned a higher intake, I went to the store and bought that giant bottle with the time stamps. I didn't care how I looked. I was hydrated and energized. It goes without saying, but throw in electrolytes ahead of training if you can.

• When in doubt, go to your primary care doctor! They can order labs for you to figure out why you might be feeling off (or injured). I try to get my usual levels tested after each season so that I know what I need to work on. Training is stress and then adaptation, and so these values will change naturally. The body is amazing this way! These tips helped me take my health to the next level. Taking control of your nutrition can be fun (and should be easily accessible). I know when I got it right it became like my own superpower. I hope these ideas help you too!

Written by Coach Alex