The First Step to Newton Hills (It’s Not Running)

So, you’re running the Boston Marathon … Congratulations!

Whether it is your first or your tenth time running it, I hope you take some time to reflect on how special it is. Many people strive to run the Boston Marathon, but not everyone can. You’ve worked really hard to qualify, so, in between searching for a hotel and plotting out your training plan, while you’re running all the miles and lifting all the weights, take a moment and allow yourself to feel joy, pride, and excitement. 

Did you feel it? Great. Now it’s time to get to work. You have many weeks of training ahead of you, and even if this isn’t your first marathon, or even your first time running Boston, every marathon is different. 

At this stage in the training, it can feel overwhelming to think of how far you have to go. The road will get bumpy, and you will have days when you don’t feel like training. A good prevention tactic is to think of your why. Your Why will keep you motivated on days when motivation feels low. 

This week’s mental rep:

Clarify your Why. Ask yourself: Why running? Why marathons? Why Boston 2026?

Write it down. Put it somewhere where you will see it often, like your bathroom mirror, closet door, or as your phone wallpaper.

In April, when you’re staring up at Heartbreak Hill with burning quads, your training plan won't get you over the crest—your "Why" will. Keeping your purpose front and center helps you keep your commitment.

What’s your Why this year? Share in the comments below!

Next week: Why you need to forget your time goals (for now) and master the process instead.

What are Mental Skills for Runners?

So, what is this thing I call Mental Skills for Runners? Sport psychology for runners is all about learning tools and strengthening your mind to be the most helpful it can be during training and competition. It can include things like self-confidence, stress management, nerve management, positive self-talk, focus, or motivation. These are all skills that can be learned and improved upon with practice. Many elite athletes already use mental performance coaches, but they are not only for the elites. One of my favorite things about marathon running is that amateurs run the same course under the same conditions as the professionals. So why not give yourself the same tools? You are literally running the same race!

Most athletes would say there is a huge mental component to what they do. I believe distance running is in a league of its own. When you are running a marathon, you have to ride the line between pushing hard enough to get the best result possible and restraining enough to be able to last for hours. It’s finding a balance between expending and sustaining as much energy as possible. Running is an extremely monotonous sport, which can cause your mind to wander. Under stress, such as after hours of running, your mind may go to a dark place. You may start to unwittingly focus on what hurts or all the reasons why you want to stop. Sport psychology is partly about controlling that mind wandering. Bringing your thoughts back from the abyss. Runners don’t need to focus for short, repeated periods of time like golfers or baseball players do. And they don’t get time to reset between points like tennis players or football players do. There is no halftime like soccer or time-outs like basketball. Even if you are on a team, your part of a race depends solely on what you do. Running requires sustained focus, or the ability to decide what to focus on. The key is to learn to control your thoughts so that they are most helpful for you at any given moment. Your mindset is not something that just happens. You would never show up at a marathon start line without training your body. So why do it without training your mind?

Sport psychology is also about empowering you, the runner, to feel more self-confident. To challenge yourself to accomplish goals you once thought unattainable. You are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for. With mental skills training, you can gain the confidence in yourself to achieve goals in running and in life.