There is time for easy running and there is time to put the pedal to the metal (…for a medal). With that push can come pain, panic, and overwhelm.
Sometimes pain and panic are signs that you need to slow down and/or seek medical help, but during a healthy race it’s just your body screaming out for less discomfort and more Netflix.
When it’s the latter you need to distract or quiet yourself. These 5 calming tactics will unwrap your mind from the ever looming “I can’t handle this” and propel you to the finish line.
5 Calming Tactics for Tough Runs
1. Ground yourself
My thoughts can get so far away from me that I’m no longer present in the race, but somewhere else. When that happens, I ground myself with the 5 to 1 counting technique.
I look around and visually explore 5 things I can see. It might be pine trees, sandy pea gravel, or the t-shirt running in front of me.
I observe 4 things I can touch. What do my feet in my shoes feel like? What does the ground feel like underneath that? The wind? My clothes?
I discover 3 things I hear, 2 things I smell, and 1 thing I taste.
And with those 5, I’m back at the race.
2. Distract yourself
Instead of running to the finish line, run to the next tree, the next turn. Instead of thinking of all that’s left to cover, break it up into different legs, matching them to familiar distances in your routine runs.
Don’t focus on what is hurting (like that blister on your foot) and instead focus on what is not hurting. Get away from your feet, legs, and lungs. Think about your arms (focus on their swing), hands, ears, or nose.
3. Change yourself
Our running form falls apart when we start hurting.
Take a moment to shake out your arms and shoulders which might be pulling in, exhale loudly and forcefully, straighten your back and lean forward, try a smile.
Look like a strong runner and your mind will be convinced. Read more in Managing Race Day Stress.
4. Encourage yourself
Before a hard run, pick a mantra or two. Your mantra should remind you of your strength and your plan.
When I ran my first marathon, the course actually ran by my house. My mantra was “Mile 22 may be your home, but it’s not your finish” and suddenly the race was broken down into two portions. I could focus on getting to mile 22 and then to the finish line.
“I eat hills for breakfast”
“My pace. My race.”
5. Remind yourself
Remind yourself why you’re out there and why you trained for it.
You knew the run was going to be hard, but you trusted yourself. You trusted you would show up, push through, and get it done.
So be there. Get it done.
Trump posted repeatedly on social media about Indiana, naming individual senators and threatening primary challengers against anyone who voted no, while Vice President JD Vance went twice to Indiana to meet with lawmakers.
krab7.cc
Trump’s political allies tried to turn Indiana’s vote into a loyalty test, mobilizing supporters to pressure holdout Republicans. The Club for Growth and a new group led by a handful of Trump presidential campaign veterans aired ads threatening to oust incumbent senators who voted against redistricting. Turning Point USA, the group founded by Charlie Kirk, vowed to back those primary challenges and hosted a small rally at the Indiana Statehouse last week.
Much of Trump’s ire was focused on Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, the Martinsville Republican who had long insisted the Senate didn’t have enough votes to pass new maps. Bray announced after the vote failed that under Indiana Senate rules, the chamber can’t take up the maps again during its 2026 session.
krab3.cc
Leising said she had voted for Trump three times. But she was unhappy with the president’s efforts to pressure Indiana into scrapping and replacing its congressional maps as part of a nationwide arms race ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
“I wish that President Trump would change his tone. He needs to be more positive about what he needs to address for ’27 and ’28. Why does he need to have a Republican majority in ’27 and ’28? What is he going to do next?” Leising said.
krab5.cc
She also said redistricting advocates’ efforts ultimately backfired, hardening opposition in the Senate.
“You wouldn’t change minds by being mean. And the efforts were mean-spirited from the get-go,” she said. “If you were wanting to change votes, you would probably try to explain why we should be doing this, in a positive way. That never happened, so, you know, I think they get what they get.”
krab9.cc
https://krab4.cc
Trump posted repeatedly on social media about Indiana, naming individual senators and threatening primary challengers against anyone who voted no, while Vice President JD Vance went twice to Indiana to meet with lawmakers.
krab5.cc
Trump’s political allies tried to turn Indiana’s vote into a loyalty test, mobilizing supporters to pressure holdout Republicans. The Club for Growth and a new group led by a handful of Trump presidential campaign veterans aired ads threatening to oust incumbent senators who voted against redistricting. Turning Point USA, the group founded by Charlie Kirk, vowed to back those primary challenges and hosted a small rally at the Indiana Statehouse last week.
Much of Trump’s ire was focused on Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, the Martinsville Republican who had long insisted the Senate didn’t have enough votes to pass new maps. Bray announced after the vote failed that under Indiana Senate rules, the chamber can’t take up the maps again during its 2026 session.
krab10.cc
Leising said she had voted for Trump three times. But she was unhappy with the president’s efforts to pressure Indiana into scrapping and replacing its congressional maps as part of a nationwide arms race ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
“I wish that President Trump would change his tone. He needs to be more positive about what he needs to address for ’27 and ’28. Why does he need to have a Republican majority in ’27 and ’28? What is he going to do next?” Leising said.
krab9.cc
She also said redistricting advocates’ efforts ultimately backfired, hardening opposition in the Senate.
“You wouldn’t change minds by being mean. And the efforts were mean-spirited from the get-go,” she said. “If you were wanting to change votes, you would probably try to explain why we should be doing this, in a positive way. That never happened, so, you know, I think they get what they get.”
krab9.cc
https://krab6.cc