Training Mental

I was recently commenting on the brilliant Just One More Mile blog when I was inspired to do a different type of workout last night. A mental preparation workout. I've heard plenty of people state that running is [insert arbitrary number]% mental. And if you believe that to be true, as I do then what are you doing to train your mental?

Last night I trained my mental by sitting down on the couch with the latest edition of Runner's World magazine and a wonderful glass of Merlot (may or may not have been more than one glass). It was my easily my longest workout this month as I was engrossed in some very poignant articles and even took time to contemplate some of their delicious sounding, healthy recipes. My legs are not sore today but my head sure hurt this morning when I hit the snooze button, must have been from that tough mental workout I gave it last night.

I still haven't picked out a new training plan/schedule for the Denver Half Marathon on Oct 14th but I will be sure to put some good mental workouts in there when I do pick one out. Perhaps it would be a good idea to give myself a good mental workout the day before the race. No?

With thanks to Ali over at Just One More Mile whose blog inspired me, probably not in the way that she had hoped, but inspired me nonetheless. Incidentally, her tagline is “the secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures” and if it turns out that these mental workouts are not such a good idea I'll have already found my scapegoat.