Here’s the first post in a series of Tri Tips coming on Tuesdays here on the blog.  We’ll be featuring tips for the everyday triathlete: you, me, and everyone in between.

So, yesterday’s Motivational Monday post was for the kind of triathlete who, like me, prefers music when they’re training. And now you have a sweet playlist to use while you’re out pounding the pavement, and repeating to yourself: I AM A RUNNER!

[But I already admitted that not everyone is like me.  And really, aren’t we glad for that?
The world breathes a collective sigh of relief.]

So, today this post is for the other half of y’all out there—the ones who are super-mindful and zen-like—those who don’t like to jam to the tunes.

I thought this article in Triathlete.com on mindfulness while training was pretty on point. If you don’t have anything to listen to, other than your heavy huffing and puffing, you may as well get something out of it, right?

How To Incorporate Mindfulness Into Training by Susan Lacke

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2016/03/training/incorporate-mindfulness-triathlon-training_129496

Now, I will admit I’m not one to always appreciate my surroundings while I’m training.

[I mean, I’m kinda busy jamming to Eminem and his offensive lyrics. #NoJudgments]

But seriously, one of the best things I got out of this article was the point about having a mantra. Because we all need one to remind us why we do what we do. To keep us going when the going gets tough.

I think you all know mine is “Just Keep Moving Forward.”

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But I also say things like “I am a strong runner” and “I love to run” and “this is amazing”—all sorts of things to keep my head and heart in the right place.

Susan Lacke mentioned a few others in the article, including “I am strong and calm”—which sounded right on par for many of us.

I mean, especially in the Swim Bike Fuel groups, we talk about the importance of a mantra and mindfulness. By saying “I am strong and calm” –well, this embodies everything we talk about and preach—and most of all, WANT in our runs, and hell, our lives! <3

And it sure does come in handy when you feel like you want to give up during that race.

What mantra do you have that keeps you going?
Do you practice any of these mindfulness techniques?

9 Responses

  1. I’m an overthinker, so I repeat to myself Let your performance do the thinking. It’s on my road id to remind myself Just let go and run.

  2. I haven’t used a verbal mantra, but it is helpful to me to focus on a particular aspect of form. Common ones for me are: focusing on a graceful smooth stride, imagining forward motion from my lower core like a string connected to my pelvis or belly button is pulling me forward, or checking in that my body is relaxed. One of the running coaches I worked with this summer used the acronym MASH and said that when we felt like running was getting to be struggle we should check in to make sure we weren’t carrying tension at the Mouth, Arms, Shoulders or Hands. And breath. When running feels like a slog it can help to pay attention to my breath.

  3. I use “I am strong” since I’ve struggled SO hard to get to this point and its powered me through a lot of tough swims and rides. Secondly, I go with “I can do this” because you know what, I can! And lastly if those 2 aren’t working, I go with “you WILL do this!” These mantras haven’t failed me yet.

  4. I find it inspiring that the word “strong” is used so many times by women responding to his article. Because we ARE strong dang it! I say the word “strong” all by itself through my run- the one word incorporates so much. And most of the time I actually believe it!

  5. I have two things I say to myself in races that help me along:
    1. “Form, cadence, effort” – keeping these three dimensions of my running in my head helps keep me from going too hard (or, to easy for short races).
    2. “Screw that guy, he’s not faster than me” – less admirable (perhaps) than the above, and not really a recommended mantra, unless you’re willing to acknowledge he is (in fact) faster than you if that turns out to be the case.
    None of that is particularly mindful though. So, probably I don’t practice that enough 🙂

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