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Open Marathon - Mental Cues
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Thanks In Advance!

I'm curious to hear from a form standpoint what folks think about during an open marathon that helps them keep their form in line and benefits them down the stretch of a race.

I've always seemed to have mental cues while swimming and it has been beneficial so curious on the run.

THANKS!
Last edited by: unicat141: May 27, 16 3:36
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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I run with my 920xt (the 620 before that) and I concentrate on my cadence and pace. Beyond that it's foot strike, my hip position, my designated distance to hydration and nutrition. Those are enough to keep me distracted for my marathons.
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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I think broadly about staying relaxed, going easy and when to eat my next gel
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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When fatigue starts to set in during long races, for me it's always focusing on keeping my cadence up.

Second I think about my whole body posture and the cue I use is to imagine a wrote attached to my chest and I'm being pulled up and forward by someone on top of the telephone pole up ahead.

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KyleKranz.com
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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I don't know if this is going to be politically incorrect or make people angry.....

I think about people at the Boston Marathon, 2013. they had just run a marathon and were sitting around at the finish. Exhausted. Thinking, "I couldn't run another step." Then the two bombs went off and everyone got up and ran like hell. Some people probably ran their fastest half mile of the day within seconds of thinking they couldn't run another step...... If those people who "thought" they couldn't run another step were suddenly able to run an all-out sprint then there are obviously reserves of physical performance that we can tap, even when completely exhausted.

So..... when I get to the point where everything hurts and I feel like crap and I just want to stop (and if you are running it right you should get to this point) I remind myself that the body has those untapped reserves of energy and that if I slow down it is mental, not physical weakness..... and I just plow on.

----------------------------
Jason
None of the secrets of success will work unless you do.
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [TashaSkippy] [ In reply to ]
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TashaSkippy wrote:


While not an open marathon, I got through the darkest parts of my first IM thinking about the beer at the finish line, and the fact that my friend flashed me her boobs as a "good luck" gesture before the race...
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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One the "wheels fall off" there's no maintaining good form. It's whatever you can do to maintain pace. but it's good to focus on fundamentals of good cadence, arm drive, leg drive, goo posture, and just have to suck it up.


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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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Watch my Harmon Virtual Partner, evaluate my next mile (do I need to bank a few seconds for upcoming hills?), and either slightly lift or drop my knees--I'm talking micro-adjustments. Either way: knees straight ahead, hips rotated forward. That, and hit a gel, rock a great running playlist, and "go away" for a bit.

"If everything seems in control, you aren't going fast enough" -- Mario Andretti
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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This is from a mental standpoint but not from a form one. There are some marathons that have a half and a full at the same time. Usually, the last couple of miles of each course overlaps. If your marathon is like this, you can make this overlap point your "get-to" mile marker. Because if you can get to that point, you'll be going faster than the half-marathoners who are still on the course. By passing them, you get a lot of frequent positive reinforcement that keeps you from slowing down.
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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It's impressive what you are all able to remember to think about at the end of a marathon. Then only thing I can manage to think of during the last 10k is attempting to convince myself that the hurt isn't that bad. Just one foot in front of the other, just don't die.
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [gellerche] [ In reply to ]
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One time I was just gone, around mile 21, I imagined I was "short-roped", Everest rescue style, to the runner in front of me. I focused on his race belt, and imagined the tether attached there was pulling me along, all I had to do was stay upright and I simply could stick two steps behind. I didn't have to think about anything but those 2 strides. That game carried me to mile 25.5, when the euphoria that I had made it kicked in and floated me to the finish 20 mins ahead of target.

"If everything seems in control, you aren't going fast enough" -- Mario Andretti
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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I think about keeping my arms and shoulders relaxed and keeping my cadence up.

USAT Level 1 Certified Coach

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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [unicat141] [ In reply to ]
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Same for all 3 sports. Relax.
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Re: Open Marathon - Mental Cues [gellerche] [ In reply to ]
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gellerche wrote:
This is from a mental standpoint but not from a form one. There are some marathons that have a half and a full at the same time. Usually, the last couple of miles of each course overlaps. If your marathon is like this, you can make this overlap point your "get-to" mile marker. Because if you can get to that point, you'll be going faster than the half-marathoners who are still on the course. By passing them, you get a lot of frequent positive reinforcement that keeps you from slowing down.

so.... assuming that, as in all of the major US marathons I've done with both a half and a full, the half is basically the first half of the full, then there are actually two things worth thinking about at the half-way point: 1) don't get caught up in a half-marathoner's finishing kick; and 2) do NOT NOT NOT go off of the course for the full marathon. The most important thing to think about at that point of the race is navigation.
(Hong Kong marathon - half- and full-marathons have the same starting and ending points, marathoners add in a 13.1 mile extra loop. *total* clusterf*ck at the meeting point, hoping to not go through that again).

to the OP, more generally: marathons are long. they're even kinda boring. assuming you're a mere mortal, you'll be on the course at least 2:45, if not more like 4 hours (I've no idea what your fitness level, etc., is). You can't spend that whole time thinking about form. Expect to spend some time thinking about things you like, things you don't like, people you've had sex with, people you wish you'd had sex with, problems at work, etc. I mean, it's a little bit like a normal day except that you keep running the whole time. Keep an eye on your watch and your pace, and keep things relaxed. Not to be mean, but if you're 45 minutes into a marathon and you're worried about your form, you're doing something wrong. But it is worth thinking from time to time, 'am i wasting any energy?' Don't grit your teeth, relax your shoulders, etc.

you should have a strategy in mind for your pace, hydration, and nutrition, and stick to that as much as you can. but have that written on your wrist, or completely memorized, so that when it's the race you're just following it, not thinking things through.

AS the race goes on, and fatigue starts to set in, then you do need to focus in a little more. When I'm tired, I tend to start stomping my feet more than I should, so I keep an eye out for that. Also, kind of a weird habit, but I'll go through a sort of mental scroll through things that piss me off - really, this can be anything from ISIS to some guy who cut in front of me at the grocery line to sports teams I don't like, it's not a particularly rational list - and when i find that one is really getting under my skin i stick with it. In tough races I often run better when I run angry. But that's just me.
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