Workout become a chore? Change it up.
Ask the Athlete
Need to beat big-time boredom? Ultramarathoner Pam Reed reveals how to keep your mind engaged when all your body wants to do is put on the brakes.
“I’ve never really liked long distances,” swears Pam Reed, 48, two-time winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon, a grueling 135-mile race. Yeah. Right.
Yet Reed, author of The Extra Mile, insists it’s true, and that while she thrives on the challenge of pushing herself farther—literally—than most, she constantly has to negotiate with herself to finish her races.
Exactly how does an avowed long-distancephobe get through 100-milers without losing her mind? And what can she offer the rest of us who are just trying to get through an hour on the elliptical trainer? Here, Reed’s best, ultra-tested secrets for keeping your mind engaged and your body in motion.
Break it down. “When I compete in a 100-mile race, in my mind I’m running one mile 100 times,” she says. Don’t even try to wrap your mind around a long workout; instead, create doable, interim goals, and string them together.
Set back-up goals. “What works best for me is being flexible about what I shoot for, depending on how I’m feeling,” says Reed. Her first goal, to finish; her second, to improve her time; her third, to win. Sometimes, all your body can do is finish a workout—and that’s okay. It’s a goal achieved.”
Follow the 15-minute rule. “There are times when I’m just not into it,” she says, “but if I just keep going, that feeling usually passes.” Boredom will end—but only if you give it a chance to do so. Stick it out for at least 15 minutes before you quit.”
