Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers

This Book, Now in Its Second Edition, Is Not for Everyone

Hello. I’m Kirk Mahoney, the author of Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers. Let’s be very clear: this book is not for everyone. You will buy this book only if …

you are a seasoned endurance runner or walker who is open-minded enough to be reminded about some mental tricks dismissed as “obvious” by cynical, elitist, “know-it-all” athletes, or …

you are running 5Ks or 10Ks and are ready to complete your first marathon or half marathon, or …

you are ready to learn some techniques that are not widely known or practiced among endurance runners and walkers today.

Are You Ready to Go from 5Ks or 10Ks to Half Marathons or Marathons?

Unfortunately, there are endurance runners and walkers today who — maybe because they are burned out, have lost their enthusiasm, or have forgotten why they ever started — are cynical, unhelpful, or downright unwelcoming to newcomers to this joyful sport of marathons, half marathons, and other endurance races. You can usually spot these cynics very easily. They’re the ones who don’t return a “Hello!” and keep their heads down when you encounter them on the road or trail, the ones who write hypercritical reviews of popular books for runners and walkers, and the ones who constantly complain about injuries but are too afraid to take even a day off from training.

So, strike these cynics off your list for help with your transition into endurance training and racing.

Unfortunately, there are many books about the physical aspects of endurance running and walking that make little or no mention of the mental aspects. Yet, you know in your gut that running or walking anything beyond a 5K or 10K is a LOT more about the mental aspects of the race than about the physical aspects.

So, strike these books off your list for help with the absolutely crucial, mental aspects of going beyond 5Ks and 10Ks.

And, unfortunately, there are super-humans among us (That’s the best way to describe these “ultra” athletes.) who deliver awe-inspiring speeches and write awe-inspiring books about what they’ve done. But, many years or decades have passed since they were running or walking 5Ks or 10Ks, and you could quickly burn yourself out by trying to imitate their current training and racing schedules.

So, strike these heroes off your list for help unless you have a lot of time to tease the everyday-Joe-or-Jane advice from their books and speeches.

I wrote Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers for people like you and me. It was not that many years ago that I was running a lot of 5Ks, and I still enjoy participating in an occasional one today, especially one for a worthy cause.

The fact is, I used to limit myself to 5K races and an occasional 10K race, not believing that I could run longer races. Then I joined a marathon training program, ran my first marathon, and fell in love with endurance racing.

I help people in my group training program every training season to make the transition from 5Ks and 10Ks to half marathons and marathons.

So, I am here to tell you that you, too, can complete a marathon or half marathon.

Here’s the secret that the elitist, know-it-all cynics don’t want you to know: there are teachable methods to help you to reach your goal to run or walk a marathon or half marathon. Many of the methods deal with the physical aspects of endurance training and racing. But, there is a whole folklore — as well as solid science — behind the mental aspects, and these are what I have captured in plain English in this book.

Here is some of what you’ll learn:

The seven “need” beliefs you should have about your endurance running or walking
The “three-finger” way to crush fears and limiting beliefs about your endurance running or walking
Three psychologically powerful ways to engage other people in support of your endurance running or walking
The sixteen-part fortress that will protect your endurance training schedule from sabotage — from without AND from within!
How to talk to yourself on race day — so that you run or walk your best endurance race ever!
How to mentally “energize” yourself right before an endurance race
The one thought process that hurts newcomers and seasoned veterans alike — and how to overcome it

But, what if you’ve been around endurance training and racing for a while? …

Are You a Seasoned Endurance Athlete Who Is Open-Minded Enough to Be Reminded about Mental Tricks Dismissed as “Obvious” by Cynics?

If you have been around marathons, half marathons, or other endurance races for a while, then you probably have collected a set of mental tricks that you use throughout your training and racing — perhaps with inconsistent results.

You believe even more strongly today than when you first started in the sport that endurance racing is around 90% mental. You may feel that you have a good handle on the 10% that is physical — the hydration, the nutrition, the stretching, and so on.

What may be bothering you now, though, is that you seem to be losing your grip on the mental aspects of the sport, so you’re open to a refresher about the mental tricks that you already use today as well as an update about the latest research and how to blend the latest tricks that work into the mix.

Here are just some of those “refreshers” and “updates” that you’ll find on the pages of Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers:

The seven mental rituals that you should follow daily throughout your training season to run or walk your best race ever!
The three-step process for becoming more relaxed in your races — and the research behind this
Powerful ways to maintain that all-important positive attitude
Fourteen mental tricks to coach you through a race — as if you had a coach beside you the whole way!
A super-simple way to recover faster from an endurance injury
How to benefit from research results that prove that you CAN become more proficient with these mental tricks

Would you like to learn even more? Then check this out…

Are You Ready to Learn Some Techniques that Are Not Widely Known or Practiced?

Despite what the cynics say, there is today a world of mental tricks that go beyond what most endurance runners and walkers know or practice.

Here are some of the most powerful ones:

The one mistake that almost everyone makes in almost every race — and how to “mentally immunize” yourself against it!
Why and how a statistician’s approach to each of your races is crucial to your future success (Hint: It’s not what most people suppose!)
Three examples of why and how to apply something called “psychological acupuncture” immediately after an endurance race
How seemingly minor parts of your race-day experience consciously AND unconsciously affect your future performance
Why and how pretending to be this person makes you a better racer (It’s not who you expect!)
Two mental mistakes that nearly everyone makes after an endurance race — and how to avoid making them!
The five “R”s behind this one thing that you must do immediately after a race to set you up for future success

Imagine having these mental tricks — and all the other ones in the book — in your toolkit. Now, imagine putting just a few of these into regular use. Can you appreciate how these can transform your endurance running or walking?

This unique set of tricks took me more than two years to collect — based on many conversations with fellow endurance runners and walkers, endless hours of research and study, and trial-and-error with my own training and racing.

Now: Hear me interviewed about this book!

If you want to be the best endurance runner or walker that you can be, this book provides — at the nominal price of a pair or two of wicking socks — the mental tricks to unlocking a happier, more successful you.

As I say in the book, “The power to maximize your potential as an endurance runner or walker resides within you — in your mind!” Read Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers to discover your true potential!

Get It Now

Get Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers here:

Review It at Goodreads

Yogi Berra said, “Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.” The same could be said for running. While running programs and running books often make a bow toward the mental aspect of running, e.g., the hardest distance in the race is the six inches between your ears, they almost exclusively focus on the physical aspect of the sport. The typical training guide lays out how many miles to run, how much speed work to do, the importance of running hills, and so forth. They seldom give any sound advice about how to train your mind.

Kirk Mahoney has remedied that problem with his new book Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers: How to excel as an endurance runner or walker by following time-tested mental tricks! Mahoney’s focus is strictly on the mental side of the sport as he takes you from your initial interest, to training, to competing and to post-race recovery. You will not find charts of daily mileage or specific pacing recommendations. You will find short, to-the-point suggestions about how to get your mind through the rough patches that all endurance athletes encounter.

Two of tricks that I found especially useful are “Tell yourself that you can make time ‘just this once’ to run or walk” and “More is not always better.” The book is packed with these short suggestions that are then explained when necessary.

While Mahoney has the academic credentials to write a scientific treatise, this book is written in simple, easily understood English. It will appeal to those just beginning to run or walk and to seasoned veterans. I can imagine it being kept handy so that when a little extra motivation is needed it can be called upon. It should be in the library of every runner and walker.

Alan Anderson
Running coach for twelve years and author of My Running Club: A Novel of Love, Life and Marathons

In Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers, Dr. Kirk Mahoney puts an incredible amount of useful information at our fingertips. Employing just a few of the mental tricks he suggests would greatly increase our mental performance, and where the mind goes the body will follow. I personally like the “hitch-a-ride trick,” which is similar to the “invisible rope trick” that I personally employ. This book will help many walkers and runners, and I heartily recommend it.

Elaine O’Gorman
Walking coach for ten years

Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers is a first-things-first, must-read book for anyone attempting to train for any endurance event. In fact, this should be a must-read for anyone thinking of starting to train for any type of running or walking event, whether it be a 5K run or walk, a marathon, or a half marathon. I particularly enjoyed the “Sixteen Mental Tricks for Finding Time for Endurance Running or Walking Workouts” section. Dr. Mahoney’s motives in this section are not to take excuses away from you so that you will run or work out; this section instead gives you reasons to want to go running or walking. When most people want to train for a marathon, the first thing they do is either start training on their own or sign up for a marathon training program. At least they think that is the first thing they do. In all reality the first thing that happens is a thought crosses our minds to want to do something. And that is exactly what training for an endurance event is: “all mental” from that first thought to the first step.

Felix G. Lugo
Running coach for fourteen years

I loved the book, especially when you talk about beliefs (“Three Beliefs that Can Prevent You from Attempting an Endurance Race”). I used to say awful things such as, “I don’t have time. Only certain people can do it. I can’t run more than 3 miles. It’s expensive.” Definitely anybody can run or walk a marathon or half marathon. If I did it, anybody can. My favorite tricks are “Me Time” and “Pedometer”. The pedometer trick is an especially good idea, so I will buy one to use it every day. Kirk, this book can help anybody with making the decision to train for a race. Why didn’t you write it before? I had to learn these tricks the hard way.

Ines Grimaldi-Hakam
Walker for one year

The entire book was very beneficial, but I always appreciate a sense of humor: “Twenty-Five Ways to Know You Have Become an Endurance Runner or Walker” was my favorite part. I was nodding and laughing the entire time! He knows what he is talking about when it comes to running. It’s a definite addition to all my running paraphernalia.

Janet Hudgens
Runner for twelve years and water-aerobics instructor

New ground has been broken here. This book is so refreshing, and we just love that walkers have been included. It reveals simple tips for motivating and inspiring oneself and others to transform running and walking. Just applying a few of these ideas will take you to the next level. Knowing that so much of the overall effort is mind over body, we were intrigued to see how the application of positive thinking through things like the use of gratitude, affirmations, vision boards, meditation, tapping and self talk have been woven into these offerings. We are both believers and users of the Law of Attraction across all aspects of our lives, but what Kirk has done here is help us to take these principles to a higher level with our walking.

John & Julie Loftus
Walking coaches (HealthfulHabits.com)

This is an endurance runner or walker’s bible! Whether you are new to running, considering training for a marathon for the first time, or a seasoned runner but want to take your performance and results to the next level, this book is a “must have”. Dr. Mahoney offers clear, concise, practical, and motivating information.

Stacey Vornbrock, M.S.
Sports performance pioneer (BreakthroughPerformance.net)

Kirk Mahoney’s latest book entitled Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers is a magical guide that will benefit runners and walkers of all levels. Beginners will find Kirk’s tricks to be practical and useful and help them not only to train for an endurance race but also to complete it successfully with the desire to pursue additional races. Seasoned endurance runners and walkers may pick up that “trick” they never thought of that will lead them to achieve a personal record in a race. The author also focuses on the use of Meridian Tapping, which, when applied to endurance training and racing, can further improve training and racing performance. I truly believe that this must-read book should be on the shelf of all endurance runners and walkers.

Stanley Zaslau, MD, MBA, FACS
Runner/walker for twenty-eight years

This is a wonderful primer for endurance athletes. I started my healthy-lifestyle journey 5 years ago obese (315 lbs.). Thanks to a friend who talked me into training for the MS150, I never stopped exercising, lost over 100 lbs., and have finished 3 marathons, a bunch of half marathons, a 50K trail run, and my first Ironman 70.3 in Galveston, Texas, in April, 2010. My favorite section is the tricks while racing. I call it bargaining — the same as what you call negotiating — during long workouts. If I’m tired, didn’t sleep well, or just don’t “have it”, and I know this within the first 10 to 20 minutes, I will say to myself, “Well, just do the first interval, and see how you feel.” I end up saying, “That wasn’t so bad; you can do one more.” Food is always a carrot to reward myself when I’ve finished a long bike ride or run. (Visualize the Denny’s lumberjack breakfast!) The visualization board is something I WILL DO as I embark next year to complete my first Ironman.

Wayne Kehr
Runner for five years