Pace Setter : April 2025

Get Your Head in the GAME!

GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME! 
By Benita Zahn
 

Who hasn't heard that admonition when you're distracted while engaged in a sport or activity. As baseball great Yogi Berra once said, ' Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.' So how do you get your head in the game and train for the mental aspect when it comes to running?

It's not enough to log the miles and engage in other physical training as we prepare to toe a start line.  We also have to train our minds to endure time on our feet. From a 5k to a marathon the mental part of running is what helps us cross the finish line.

But what happens when your feet are willing but your mind isn't? How do you get your head back in the running game?

I reached out to some local runners for their pointers.

Larissa DiPace, RN is a triathlete. She had a very successful and jam packed 2023 racing season with an event every other weekend. By the autumn of that racing season she recognized her mental energy tank was empty and physically she was spent.  Taking time to recharge turned into a 3 month break. About that time she recognized that she missed how empowered she felt when she was running and exercising and wanted to regain that, to enjoy the endorphin boost. But as she started to ramp back up she hit some potholes. Not every run was at the pace or distance she envisioned. She leaned on friends for support. She played music. She ran new routes. Then the joy returned along with her physical and mental resilience.

Larissa did a few things we can all learn from. She took a break.  A time out helps us recharge. No one or nothing can go all out all the time without a 'refill'.  In fact there's something called the 52-17 rule. It's a time management technique advocating for 52 minutes of focused work followed by a 17 minute break. The theory is it enhances productivity and prevents burnout by aligning with natural energy cycles. There may not be something as specific in running but the theory remains: we need time to chill.

Larissa leaned on friends, embracing support, as she restarted training. Support helps us share stories which can be motivating. Others may have coping strategies we can incorporate. Knowing we have people on our team boosts our sense of confidence and well being. As for music, there's a wealth of research showing it can boost our mood and motivation. Moreover it can make workouts feel less arduous and more enjoyable. It also helps distract from pain and even fatigue so we don't feel that we're working as hard as we may be. And it turns out, our bodies naturally tend to synchronize with the beat of the music and may help us move more efficiently. Songs with 120-140 beats per minute are best suited to helping you power through a run. Rumor Has It by Adele, Borderline by Madonna, DJ Got us Fallin' in Love by Usher are among those songs. For a great list check out https://music.amazon.com/playlists/B081TN69NH. Larissa likes music from the movie Thor: Ragnarok. And an important footnote: make sure you can always hear traffic if you're running with headphones. Safety is number one.

Personal trainer and fitness coach TJ Collins is ramping up for the Brooklyn Half Marathon. He has three half marathons on his race calendar this summer and is eying his second marathon. TJ says that when he hits the point where he feels his tank is empty but still has 2 miles or so to go to reach the finish line he reminds himself 'anyone can get to the STARTING line’. This is where he digs in, reminds himself of 'what he's made of'. He says that motivates him and spurs him on to the finish. It's the mind game he plays to keep going.

Jacqueline Carey Sheffer is an investment advisor. As she describes her running life, it's been on and off over the past 20 years. These days, following a substantial weight loss,  running has become more central to her life with this year's Boston Marathon her 5th race at that distance. Because she's started and stopped her running over the past 2 decades she's had to 'get her head back into the game' a number of times. Like Larissa she's learned the power of giving herself grace if she misses a workout. She says she stays focused by reminding herself to be grateful for every step she does get to take.

As for me, I'm just back in the game. My mind wandered from running over the past 2 years and I settled for power walking and lots of farteks. But I recognized a few months ago that I was hungrily eyeing new back roads, imagining how it would feel to run along them, enjoying the feeling of freedom, the improved fitness. Sure, treadmill running kept my feet moving but it was becoming tougher to 'keep it together' mentally. I needed to feel the air on my face, the pavement under my feet, the exhilaration of conquering a new hill. Currently I'm embracing 'grace' and following the Gallway method of running and walking, with my runs getting longer as I bump up the miles. I'm booked to run the Brooklyn Half Marathon in May. It's a race I love. You can't beat running to Coney Island, finishing on the boardwalk, ditching the running shoes for a quick dip in the ocean and joining the crowd for a beer at Nathan's. If that's not motivation to get my head into the game and keep it there, I don't know what is. And I'll be looking for TJ as he motivates himself across the same finish line!
 

Dr. Benita Zahn is a certified Health and Wellness Coach working with clients at Capital Cardiology Associates. Benita spent more than 40 years as a health reporter and news anchor at WNYT in Albany, NY. She covered issues such as wellness, treatment breakthroughs, aging, nutrition, and the latest health care trends. Benita’s work has taken her around the world and across the USA. Benita is a contributor to the weekly “Live Smart” page in the Times Union, the HMRRC Pace Setter and the new magazine 55+LIVING. Benita also created and co-hosts the podcast EVERYTHING THEATER.