Body versus Brain

This article first appeared in the April edition of Northwest Runner magazine.

I have a few Real Running friends who have coaches and trainers. I understand the appeal of that. I’ve never really wanted a running coach, but I think it would be nice to have a running shrink.

I’d pay good money to have a sports psychologist pedaling alongside me as I struggled into the late miles of a long training run, or as I approached the halfway point of a marathon. Because that’s when running becomes more about Brain than Body. Body will keep going pretty much forever if you can get Brain to tell it to do the right things. But my Brain is weak. As soon as Body starts complaining, Brain gives in. 

“Ok, Body. If you want to stop, let’s stop.”

I need a professional to work with Brain and get him to exert his authority over Body.

But I don’t have one, and the running budget is already consumed by my shoe-buying habit. Luckily, my Brain is weak, so I can trick him. Over the years I’ve learned how to confuse Brain so that Body has to keep running.

Delusions of Grandeur

I find that if I can remind Brain that we are doing this for a payoff at the end, he tends to help me out. Brain loves the feeling of finishing a marathon. Body doesn’t care. I’ve been known to spend a few miles imagining crossing the finish line with the clock reading 3:15:00. A Boston Marathon qualifying time! Brain gives me a little jolt of adrenaline during this daydream. Of course, this works even better during an actual race when I am on a good pace and have a shot at a good finish time.

Perfect Pacing

On my last run my first two miles were identical. Perfect splits. “Well now,” I thought, “Here’s a chance to get Body and Brain to collaborate on a project!” In aiming to keep that perfect pace, both Body and Brain sort of forgot that they were running, and the miles clicked by at the same rate.

Do the Math

If I want to confuse Brain, math is a sure fire weapon. It turns out there is all sorts of math you can do while running. Pace, Time, and Distance are good. Predicting how far I’ll have run at a certain time, determining how fast I need to run to make a certain distance, or even just counting things I see can keep Brain so occupied a can steal a few miles from Body without complaint.

Name That Tune!

Much to my friend RPD’s dismay, I’m one of those guys with the white earbuds jammed into my ears when I run. Sorry. But the music being piped directly into my skull has the effect of distracting Brain for several minutes at a time. My trick? I reload the MP3 player with a random selection of tunes before each run. Then I play a little “name that tune” with myself. It can be a challenge when the obscure B-side tunes come up, but that’s the point. Also, it is against the rules to skip to the next track. Brain has to listen to whatever comes up, which can be painful if some of the Teenager’s music ends up on my MP3 player.

The Buddy System

I like to do long runs with my buddy Cap’n Ron. For the first half of the run we chat and catch up on work and other topics, and in the last half we just suffer together. It’s a very co-dependent relationship to be sure. Just having Cap’n Ron running nearby keeps Brain alert. The good Cap’n and I take turns setting the pace, so Brain gets to be in charge for a while (which Brain loves) and then gets to take a break for a few miles.

Reward Systems

Brain thinks he knows what Body needs. Water, fuel, and rest usually top the list during a run. I’ve found that if Brain knows there is some water at the next mile marker, he will do his best to convince Body to get there. In last year’s Seattle Marathon, Brain was excellent in this capacity. With fuel stations every two miles, Brain had Body convinced that he only had to go two miles at a time. That’s a clever way to get through the last 10 miles of a marathon.