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Mind tricks for dealing with the relentless distances in multi-day races. Part 1 It’s day five of the Self-Transcendence Ten-day race in Flushing Meadows, New York. I’m not actually there. Well, I was there but now I’m going through voice recordings I made during the race to see if there is anything of interest.  I […]

More mind games for long distance training.  Training for the first multi-days was mainly long distance walking. I was struggling with running for some reason but I still had energy and a yearning for the epic races; those events where the mere thinking about them gives you a little tingle of joy and transports you

Tread softly. I do my long runs on the treadmill sometimes.  It’s not everyone’s cup of tea and there is always discussion about how it compares to normal outdoor running, but with fast drivers on narrow roads and overgrown paths where I live, it’s often the best option. Besides I do enjoy it and I

Here is a bit more on the treadmill running – some further ideas on fiddling about with the timing and also what happens if you mess up your strategy. Previously I spoke about how it helps to find ways to give qualities to the drab mathematical waypoints in your training. The idea was that you

Envisaging time and distances as shapes, blocks and patterns.  Running  In addition to breaking up training routes into sections and shuffling them about as already discussed in other posts, we can also benefit from the more flexible and creative part of the mind that is happy imposing patterns and shapes on what might otherwise be

‘Putting the distance into your own words’ The 47 mile race 2022 Since Sri Chinmoy’s 47th birthday on the 27th of August 1978, an annual 47 mile celebratory run has taken place in Queens. Students of his who feel inspired start the race at midnight and have 10 hours to complete the distance. For most

The dreaded but sacred six hours The alarm is set for the early hours and I’ve left a small plastic storage box at my bedroom door containing simple swimming gear and drinks.  I pack it up the night before, not because it takes much time, but because psychologically having it ready means I am one

The day when my training for the race came to a complete halt stands out quite clearly in my mind.  A powerful storm the night before had brought down a large tree leaving a thick trunk and mass of broken branches completely blocking the road.  The route past the tree and back was an important

These tricks and strategies for dealing with time and distance should not become too rigid, otherwise it’s a repetition of the age-old story of the revolutionary forces coming in to break up the decadent crystallised structures but then becoming just as reactionary themselves as they seek to reorganise in their new way. Doing evening laps