{"id":106878,"date":"2015-12-11T09:50:05","date_gmt":"2015-12-11T08:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/42krunning.com\/the-marathon-wall-psychological-techniques-to-overcome-it\/"},"modified":"2015-12-11T09:50:05","modified_gmt":"2015-12-11T08:50:05","slug":"the-marathon-wall-psychological-techniques-to-overcome-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/42krunning.com\/en\/the-marathon-wall-psychological-techniques-to-overcome-it\/","title":{"rendered":"The Marathon Wall: Psychological Techniques to Overcome It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every runner facing the mythical distance of 42 km<\/strong> undergoes both physical and psychological preparation<\/strong> beforehand. Everyone has heard of “hitting the wall”; they’ve heard countless anecdotes from runners who have come face-to-face with that concrete wall. Some of them have managed to confront it, while others, conversely, fell by the wayside, unable to find a shortcut around the WALL. Our friends at Lovelyrunners<\/a> explain what the wall is. <\/p>\n

What is the wall? What causes it? Why at km 30? <\/em><\/h3>\n

The wall can be defined as the physical<\/strong> and mental fatigue<\/strong> that forces us to slow down or even abandon the race in the last ten kilometers. The cause is that the body’s glycogen reserves are depleted, and to continue functioning, the body resorts to fat reserves, which cannot be burned as efficiently. That is, it’s due to the transformation of carbohydrates, which are consumed quickly. A runner can typically store about 2,000 kilocalories in their body, and these kilocalories are exhausted around kilometer 30. It should be noted that not every runner<\/strong> necessarily has to go through this experience, as multiple factors influence it, such as body fat percentage, weight, speed, and physical condition. <\/p>\n

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http:\/\/www.lovelyrunners.com\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since psychological preparation<\/strong> (as well as physical) for a potential encounter with the wall undoubtedly increases the chances of overcoming it, here are some tips on how to train<\/a> your mind<\/strong> and what psychological techniques<\/strong> you can use to emerge victorious from the encounter.
\nUndoubtedly, just as we train our bodies, we also need to train our minds. One strategy for this is to anticipate the consequences<\/strong>, so that if you familiarize yourself with and adequately manage the various sensations you’ll have to battle during the marathon, the satisfaction you experience will help you cross the finish line. For example, you shouldn’t fall into the trap of believing that the feeling of freshness accompanying you during the first kilometers of the race will be eternal, or when, due to groups, you accelerate your pace and find yourself more tired than expected.
\nYou must pay special attention to the last 10 kilometers of the race; you need to avoid falling into self-criticism and self-reproach; the only thing you’ll achieve is sinking more easily. If you feel fatigue, if a sharp pain accompanies you from km X, if your headphones have run out of battery, if you’re going at a much slower pace than desired\u2026 if you focus your attention on these things, the wall will most certainly appear<\/strong>, and your performance will be drastically affected.
\nSo, what can you do?<\/em> Well, in the face of the situations described above, employing some of the following sports psychological techniques<\/strong> will be useful to help you maintain<\/strong> your concentration level during the race. <\/p>\n