Train the Mind, Not Miles

Training the Mind, Not Just the Miles: Mental Skills for Marathon Season

It’s been about a month and a half since the Chicago marathon training season kicked off and runners everywhere are getting up for their early miles, mapping their long runs, and trying to beat the heat. But beyond the Strava stats and smart watch metrics lies a less visible component that can make or break a race: mental performance.

Around this time last year, I had the opportunity to interview Aaron Gunn, a massage therapist, yoga practitioner, and multi-marathon runner. We discussed the emotional and mental journey of long-distance running. Our conversation highlighted something all athletes eventually discover, which is that training your mind is just as important as training your body.

As a therapist with a background in performance psychology, I wanted to revisit this conversation to provide an introduction to mental performance skills. These skills are used by elite athletes to navigate the stress, setbacks, and intensity of race training. Whether you're chasing a PR or hoping to finish your first 26.2, these tools can help you train smarter, stay motivated, and enjoy the journey.

Skill #1: Goal Setting 

“Every season starts with me setting a goal... sometimes it’s speed, sometimes it’s just to enjoy the race and stay injury-free.” - Aaron

One of the first mental skills runners can develop is goal setting. Mental performance focuses on a variety of goal types such as process (what you’ll do), performance (how you’ll do), and outcome (what you want to achieve). Early in Aaron’s running journey, his only goal was to finish. Years later, his goals became more nuanced and internally motivated.

Activity: Write down three goals for your training cycle: one for performance, one for process, and one personal (ex: “be kinder to myself after hard runs”).

Skill #2: Self-Talk

“I used to say I was 'honoring my body'—but really, it was my brain telling me to quit. Once I accepted that running is hard, I improved.” - Aaron

Negative self-talk can sabotage even the most prepared runner. “Why am I doing this?” “I can’t finish.” “This run is a disaster.” I know I have had plenty of these thoughts, and chances are, you have too! Practicing positive and instructional self-talk like “keep your rhythm,” “ focus on this mile,” “you've done hard things before” can build resilience and prevent the mind from pulling the plug too soon.

Activity: Identify one unhelpful phrase that comes up during your runs and reframe it. Practice saying the new version out loud during training.

Skill #3: Enhanced Focus

“I call it ‘runner’s math’ which is breaking up a long run into 5Ks or 10Ks so it feels manageable.” - Aaron

Staying mentally present is a challenge during multi-hour runs. Focus is a mental skill that allows you to redirect attention to what matters in the moment. This can be your breath, your stride, or the road ahead. Breaking tasks into chunks whether by miles, landmarks, or songs, is a powerful way to stay grounded and avoid getting overwhelmed.

Activity: Before each run, choose one thing to focus on. Examples could be cadence, breathing, form, and then reset your attention to that focus point anytime your mind drifts to discomfort or self doubt.

Skill #4: Build Your Support System

“At first, I loved running alone. But the more I talked to other runners, the more I enjoyed the process.” - Aaron

Elite performers aren’t high-performing alone. Whether it's a coach, run club, therapist, or texting a friend, connecting with others increases accountability, enjoyment, and emotional longevity. Training doesn’t have to be isolating to be meaningful.

Activity: Identify one person (or group) you can turn to during training, not just for pacing or hydration advice, but for emotional check-ins as well. Who can you count on?

Final Notes

Aaron reminded me that marathon training isn’t just about physical mileage. It’s about understanding your mind, setting your intentions, pushing through discomfort, and being willing to grow.

Remember that mental performance is not about being perfect. It’s about building awareness, resilience, and self-trust over time. As you continue training for your race, whether you’re gearing up for your first 5K or your fifth marathon, know that every run is an opportunity to build more than endurance.

“You’re also building your relationship with yourself.”- Aaron