Believe. The Mental Aspect of Running [Guest Post]

Today’s guest post is from the inimitable Nellie of Brooklyn Active Mama. It’s no secret I think Nellie is a total bad ass. You may remember her from Fit Mama Friday, or as one of my running inspirations when I recapped my last year of running.

If you don’t know the story behind Nellie transforming into a runner, then you are in for a treat today. We talk a lot about the physical aspects of training for races, of getting your body and muscles conditioned for endurance, but today Nellie is looking at the importance of the mental aspect of running. Enjoy!

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Hi all! I am so excited to get to share a piece of me on Carly’s blog again 🙂 She has been incredibly supportive since I decided I wanted to really devote serious time to running. I absolutely love chatting with her because as a fellow boy mama, runner and Brooklynite we have all the things in common. (And her accent is pretty bad ass too 😉 ).

Until last July I was a casual runner. For the past few years I’ve done three or four 5ks a year. Nothing more, nothing less. Somehow, last June I got the idea that I could run further and maybe even complete a 10k. It was if a running bug bit me in the middle of the night and I woke up a runner. I must have been bitten harder than I thought because before you knew it I had signed up for a half marathon 7 months later.

What I didn’t realize were the mental hurdles that were ahead. I found a plan, and although it was so far away from my half training, the love for running was so fresh and so new that I decided to start early. One of the first weeks of training called for 4 miles – I was terrified. How on earth would I run 4 miles when I could barely complete my 5k?

It was then I realized that running was just as much mental as it was physical. As I moved up in mileage and my runs were getting longer, I became less intimidated before going out for each training run. I realized quickly why training plans exist, they not only build up your legs for the race but they build your mental endurance as well. It was only after I believed I could that I actually could complete it. Every task, every dream, every intimidating move requires that you believe that it can happen, and magically it does. I am proof.

Since last July I have completed five Half Marathons, three 10k’s and I am training for my first full marathon in November. If you had mentioned to me a year ago that I would be running a full marathon in 2015 I would have laughed a good laugh, recorded your statement, then had a good laugh with my friends later on as we replayed it over dinner. The belief wasn’t there. I can only go forth with this goal because I honestly and truly believe that I can finish a 26.2 mile race. Even if I have to crawl – I will finish. Steadfast belief in myself is the only way to go. Plus having an amazing support system helps a lot too.

I ask you, What goal/dream do you need to believe in today?

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Schnelle “Nellie” Acevedo is a busy mom of two young boys (2 and 5), she is a career woman by day and a self-proclaimed fitness junkie by night. Brooklyn Active Mama is  a positive community that focuses on demonstrating to all women that you can always find time for fitness. She features a Weekly Wednesday Workout and a Friday Fitness Check-in series where she encourages her readers to check in and remain accountable for their fitness and nutrition goals weekly. Nellie also is a co-founder of the annual A Healthy U Conference which is a conference dedicated to helping women improve their mental, spiritual and physical health. In addition to getting in the gym 5 times weekly, Nellie is a licensed Zumba instructor in Brooklyn. Since beginning to blog Nellie has lost 27lbs (and counting)!

You can find Nellie on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, & Google Plus.