As a new runner, how many times have you been a mile from home and completely lost your mojo…?

Whether you are a new to running or a seasoned marathoner, sometimes you need to do something to get you home and silence the mind chatter that is trying to convince you that you can’t possibly take one more step.

This week the tips are far from scientifically proven, they are just things I do to help make that last mile manageable, assuming of course that injury is not the cause of your pause!

1. I think about my dad, a very sporty man before being diagnosed with MS. His condition means he can barely walk, never mind run. I remind myself that I have the luxury of being able to run. That usually gives me the kick up the backside I need to stop feeling sorry for myself.

2. I choose a particular flower or colour of car and imagine that every time I pass that particular flower or car, it’s beaming energy to me. I picture the energy flowing in from my feet up, making my legs feel lighter.

3. I imagine that I’m just starting out on my run, picture myself leaving my front door full of energy and looking forward to my run and break into a big SMILE. Your mind doesn’t know the difference between the real and the imagined so you can fool it into believing that the previous miles didn’t exist!

4. I give myself permission to adopt a run/walk strategy. Often as runners we beat ourselves up for not running the WHOLE way. By relaxing this attitude, and say running for 2 mins, walking for a minute I’m home before I know it and the pace for the last mile is often surprisingly on a par with the one immediately before stopping. This strategy, known as “Jeffing” has worked well for me in completing marathons too.

What running tips do you rely on to get you to the finish line?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Kelly