Concentrating when tired

How do y'all concentrate on running the tangents when you're tired and the legs are not as strong in the later miles? 

I make it job 1 to run the tangents, but I get a little wobbly during the last 6 miles, so I'm not as straight.  Thanks for your time.

"People on 365Runners.com are watching my splits.  Don't mess this up."

Mike MacLellan wrote:"People on 365Runners.com are watching my splits.  Don't mess this up."

^^^This.

And reminding yourself that it's supposed to be difficult at that point. Those previous 18 miles were just the warm-up for the real race -- against yourself.

Mark B wrote:

Mike MacLellan wrote:"People on 365Runners.com are watching my splits.  Don't mess this up."

^^^This.

And reminding yourself that it's supposed to be difficult at that point. Those previous 18 miles were just the warm-up for the real race -- against yourself.

AND...remind yourself that you'll finish this nonsense more quickly if you continue to run the tangents...

I assume you are talking about during a race?  Unfortunately, I wish I could say that I pay enough attention to the tangents, but most often I do not run small enough races i.e. lots of runners to really be able to pay a ton of attention or think about it.  In the latter miles, I do concentrate more on my breathing and how I feel and if the course allows, I pretty much try to gravitate to the tangents if possible.  For me, often the latter miles are about maintaining my groove or if I'm feeling great, picking up the pace.  I really don't worry too much about the tangents then.

simple answer - my mantra: "I do not want to be out here one second longer than necessary.  Shorter is better.  I can lie down sooner."

I think I let go of the tangents in the later miles of races, too.  By then, I'm just trying not to die at the pace I'm at   In addition to the above comments, I found it annoying when my GPS would say I ran 13.25 miles (and thus a better pace than the actual race result pace)  and that would be enough to motivate me to continue tangent-ing.

Bodyglove is supposed to eliminate that fuzzy mind thing, haven't tried it yet, but if you do let me know?

The tangents are pretty low on my list of race priorities.  In fact, in some races and on some courses running the tangents can waste effort unnecessarily.  For me, that's just not a huge point of focus.

I practice it on training runs so that is becomes natural. It is surprising how many people don't do this even when they have the space in a race.

I yell at myself to stay focused on what I have been training for.

For me it comes down to one basic thing and I remember saying to a guy in the final mile at Boston in 2011.

No matter what it is going to hurt, so I might as well make all the hurt count.

Another words personally for me if I was to give in and lose focus the pain and hurt from the race is going to be there. So, when I start to lose my focus I just refocus myself on the fact that no matter what it is going to hurt so I'm going to make the hurt count. I do that by putting the pedal to metal and giving a 100% and then more and whether I reach my goal or not, at least in the end I will know that I made all the hurt and pain in the end count!

I recently watched this DVD

Dr. Stan Beecham- Run with your Body; Race with your Mind (New)


It confirms what I have come to believe. I am surprised I had exactly the same line as Dr Beecham has in the presentation in the DVD, like everybody is hurting during the race.


Marathon is about the last 6 miles. It is about concentration. If you can't, you might just quit. If you don't believe you can, you will not.

Beecham has a great book too called "Elite Minds".  I re-read it often during marathon training.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Beecham has a great book too called "Elite Minds".  I re-read it often during marathon training.

I'm reading it