Running a marathon? it in your mind first.
Running a marathon. 26 miles. It’s a long way.
And although long-distance running may be more talked about these days it’s still a massive achievement.
The latest figures put it at 0.15% of the population. About a sixth of one per cent.
Just to finish still puts you in a very elite group. Regardless of your time.
So feel good about what you’re going to do.
And you will do it.
All it takes is a bit of thinking (ok, and training).
BUT the doubts can creep in:
- Can I do it?
- Can I get faster?
- I have to do it – everyone’s sponsored me
- I don’t want to be overtaken by all those gorillas and Buzz Lightyears.
Now, let's turn all that around:
- They’ve shut central London off just so you can run around it
- They’re all cheering for you
- It’s your chance to join the running elite
- It’s your chance to do better than last time
- It’s your time - feel strong and powerful
Running - Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy
In everything we do, we are what we tell ourselves. Thinking positively and believing gives us every chance of success.
So when it comes to running a marathon hypnosis and hypnotherapy can help you with regular positive repetition to become the incredible powerful runner you want to be.
You can find yourself easily achieving the distance, feeling the resilience of your muscles and how easily your body moves you.
How?
With hypnosis you focus your attention. Then with the ‘therapy’ part of Hypnotherapy, your hypnotherapist suggests powerful messages you can tell yourself to power you along.
This is also known as sports visualisation.
How it works
How hypnosis and hypnotherapy works is by ‘damping down’ the conscious mind and bringing your subconscious to the fore.
It means I – as a hypnotherapist - can access the part of your brain that will implant ideas in there on a more permanent basis.
Your subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between a vividly imagined situation and a real one. So, by imagining situations going really well, (like your marathon run) during hypnosis, you can mentally rehearse, so that when that situation arises, you are ready for things to go exactly as you imagined.
I’m guessing that you know from your long Sunday runs, running is about controlling your mind as much as your body, so knowing how to ‘train’ your thoughts to your will is something you’re already familiar with.
Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy for running a marathon
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the study of your current thoughts, feelings and actions.
For example, as race time approaches you may feel nervous, you might think you’ve not trained enough and you then may act as a runner who’s being cautious.
These things are only natural. But we can work together to help you:
- Set the scene for an enjoyable run
- Get a PB
- Not worrying about the pain – if you’re hurting you can bet your bottom dollar everyone around you is too
- Reaching the finish line
- Imagine getting the medal
- Imagine getting the photo of your crossing the line
- Having that great shot to post on social media
- Enjoying the whole process.
Remember you’re running a marathon. London is closed for you. Yes, you! You’re running in the same race as the world’s best distance runners. You’re on TV. All that training is going to pay off.
Why? Because you’re going to tell yourself so.
