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ish line and consider that a victory.</p><p id="a9ad">You simply can’t allow yourself to fall into despair during a marathon. The combination of pain and exhaustion will tempt you down that road, but despair will sap your strength and make it very difficult to finish.</p><h1 id="e41a">Stay positive</h1><p id="31da">Keeping a positive mental state is critical during any intense physical activity. Negativity is like a chip in a windshield that steadily spreads until it undermines the integrity of the whole sheet of glass.</p><p id="374e">Veteran marathon runners are kind of kooky individuals. They usually have a big smile on their face, they’re telling silly jokes and they’re quick to laugh. You wouldn’t think it, but all of this is a necessary part of their marathon preparation. They’re keeping themselves in a positive mental state because they know that will make the undertaking more manageable.</p><p id="85fa">Sometimes staying positive is easier said than done, but a positive attitude can be a choice. You have to focus on finding things that are funny and allow yourself to laugh at them. It’s also important to surround yourself with other positive and supportive people. Don’t run a marathon with a person who says, “I hope it doesn’t rain.” Instead, run your marathon with a person who says, “If it rains we’ll stay cooler and we’re less likely to get dehydrated.”</p><p id="ae94">Trust me, it makes a big difference.</p><h1 id="b6a3">Build your positive energy</h1><p id="30de">The start of a marathon is not a time to sit and worry about whether or not you’ve trained enough, or if the weather is going to stay nice, or if you’re coming down with a cold. Have faith that you’re stronger than you think you are, and psych yourself up.</p><p id="7079">You need to develop a reservoir of positive energy to help push you through to the end. One of the things you can do to develop your reservoir is to take note of your achievements and allow yourself a moment of celebration.</p><p id="7cc4">“I got to the starting line on time, good for me.”</p><p id="2225">“I’m dressed perfectly for today, good for me.”</p><p id="36f8">“I’ve seeded myself in a great starting position, good for me.”</p><p id="edf2">Take note of every positive thing that happens and allow yourself to have a mental moment to recognize and celebrate it. This helps get you in the right state of mind. Clearly, you’re going to be nervous, so you have to provide yourself with a pep talk.</p><h1 id="a90d">Celebrate your victories</h1><p id="8885">It’s

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a long way from the starting line of a marathon to the finish line, and you need to break the undertaking down into chunks. You have to allow yourself little reprieves where you congratulate yourself on an achievement and then move on to the next one.</p><p id="ec0e">For example, think of the race as if you’re running a 5k. When you get to the 5k marker, allow yourself to think, “Nice, I just did a 5k!” Your time shouldn’t be faster than your best 5k, but celebrate the time. “Nice, I’m on pace!” You can do all this in 30 seconds as you continue to run.</p><p id="5fbb">When you hit 10k, celebrate that you completed a 10k. Celebrate when you reach the halfway point. After the half marathon, things get a little tougher, but there are still some major milestones to keep you motivated. At 16 miles, you only have 10 miles to go! Good for you! At 20 miles, give yourself a solid pat on the back, running 20 miles is a major achievement! At 23 miles all that’s left is a 5k! At 25 miles, heck, you can walk in from there!</p><p id="6f13">You need to break a marathon down into a series of small objectives and allow yourself to celebrate as you pick them off one by one. This helps keep you positive even as you get tired, thirsty, and hungry. It’s also easier to maintain your concentration when achieving your next objective is only a half-hour away.</p><h1 id="04de">Mind over matter</h1><p id="03cc">There’s no question that a marathon is a physically grueling undertaking that will give you a new understanding of the phrase “mind over matter.” You’ve taken the initiative, you’ve put in the work, and you’ve lined up at the start resolved to do your best.</p><p id="1317">Do not let doubt or dissatisfaction creep in to ruin your day.</p><p id="06e3">I confess that during more than one event, I’ve caught myself thinking, “Why do I do this to myself?” It’s natural to think that, it’s an inevitable consequence of pushing yourself to a state of physical and mental exhaustion.</p><p id="db72">Recognizing a victory pushes that thought away. When you hit the finish line you’ll have a sense of satisfaction that you can take with you forever. Don’t reserve your self-congratulations until the end. By signing up for a marathon you have made a commitment to something great, you deserve to feel good about yourself, simply making the attempt is an inspiration to many.</p><p id="801e">Always remember that the more exhausted you become the more every step becomes a victory! Celebrate yourself, you deserve it!</p></article></body>

How to Prepare Yourself Mentally for a Marathon

Break the race up into smaller components and celebrate your wins!

Contrary to popular perception, marathons are just as taxing mentally as they are physically. Running requires intense concentration, emotional discipline, and mental strength. If you don’t line up at the starting line in the right headspace, you’re going to have a long and miserable day.

Sometimes during a marathon, people will just up and quit. I’m not talking about walking for a moment to ease the beating your body is taking. There’s nothing wrong with that. Hitting the pause button on a marathon to reset yourself physically and mentally is often a smart move. No, I’m talking about individuals who step off the course, throw their hands up in the air, and declare, “I’m done.”

Often, there is no reason to quit. People just let the enormity of the moment overcome them. In addition to doing the physical preparation for a marathon, you must also prepare yourself mentally so you have the strength to recognize the bad patches, understand that they are temporary, and push through to the finish.

Despair

A few years ago I was at about mile 16 of a marathon and I came across this young woman who was in tears.

“Are you okay, are you hurt?” I asked.

“No, it’s just that I was doing so well and now I just can’t seem to keep at my pace.”

I encouraged the young woman to just walk for a bit, reassured her that she was doing fine, and helped her find a mental place where she could keep going. It only took a few minutes for her to stop crying, reassess, and finally start running again.

So many people who run marathons burden themselves with ambitious goals and lofty expectations. However, you have to give yourself a break. When you are running your first marathon you have a lot to learn both about marathons and about yourself. Your first goal for any marathon should be to get to the finish line and consider that a victory.

You simply can’t allow yourself to fall into despair during a marathon. The combination of pain and exhaustion will tempt you down that road, but despair will sap your strength and make it very difficult to finish.

Stay positive

Keeping a positive mental state is critical during any intense physical activity. Negativity is like a chip in a windshield that steadily spreads until it undermines the integrity of the whole sheet of glass.

Veteran marathon runners are kind of kooky individuals. They usually have a big smile on their face, they’re telling silly jokes and they’re quick to laugh. You wouldn’t think it, but all of this is a necessary part of their marathon preparation. They’re keeping themselves in a positive mental state because they know that will make the undertaking more manageable.

Sometimes staying positive is easier said than done, but a positive attitude can be a choice. You have to focus on finding things that are funny and allow yourself to laugh at them. It’s also important to surround yourself with other positive and supportive people. Don’t run a marathon with a person who says, “I hope it doesn’t rain.” Instead, run your marathon with a person who says, “If it rains we’ll stay cooler and we’re less likely to get dehydrated.”

Trust me, it makes a big difference.

Build your positive energy

The start of a marathon is not a time to sit and worry about whether or not you’ve trained enough, or if the weather is going to stay nice, or if you’re coming down with a cold. Have faith that you’re stronger than you think you are, and psych yourself up.

You need to develop a reservoir of positive energy to help push you through to the end. One of the things you can do to develop your reservoir is to take note of your achievements and allow yourself a moment of celebration.

“I got to the starting line on time, good for me.”

“I’m dressed perfectly for today, good for me.”

“I’ve seeded myself in a great starting position, good for me.”

Take note of every positive thing that happens and allow yourself to have a mental moment to recognize and celebrate it. This helps get you in the right state of mind. Clearly, you’re going to be nervous, so you have to provide yourself with a pep talk.

Celebrate your victories

It’s a long way from the starting line of a marathon to the finish line, and you need to break the undertaking down into chunks. You have to allow yourself little reprieves where you congratulate yourself on an achievement and then move on to the next one.

For example, think of the race as if you’re running a 5k. When you get to the 5k marker, allow yourself to think, “Nice, I just did a 5k!” Your time shouldn’t be faster than your best 5k, but celebrate the time. “Nice, I’m on pace!” You can do all this in 30 seconds as you continue to run.

When you hit 10k, celebrate that you completed a 10k. Celebrate when you reach the halfway point. After the half marathon, things get a little tougher, but there are still some major milestones to keep you motivated. At 16 miles, you only have 10 miles to go! Good for you! At 20 miles, give yourself a solid pat on the back, running 20 miles is a major achievement! At 23 miles all that’s left is a 5k! At 25 miles, heck, you can walk in from there!

You need to break a marathon down into a series of small objectives and allow yourself to celebrate as you pick them off one by one. This helps keep you positive even as you get tired, thirsty, and hungry. It’s also easier to maintain your concentration when achieving your next objective is only a half-hour away.

Mind over matter

There’s no question that a marathon is a physically grueling undertaking that will give you a new understanding of the phrase “mind over matter.” You’ve taken the initiative, you’ve put in the work, and you’ve lined up at the start resolved to do your best.

Do not let doubt or dissatisfaction creep in to ruin your day.

I confess that during more than one event, I’ve caught myself thinking, “Why do I do this to myself?” It’s natural to think that, it’s an inevitable consequence of pushing yourself to a state of physical and mental exhaustion.

Recognizing a victory pushes that thought away. When you hit the finish line you’ll have a sense of satisfaction that you can take with you forever. Don’t reserve your self-congratulations until the end. By signing up for a marathon you have made a commitment to something great, you deserve to feel good about yourself, simply making the attempt is an inspiration to many.

Always remember that the more exhausted you become the more every step becomes a victory! Celebrate yourself, you deserve it!