(On Running) #8 It's All Mental

A Paradigm Shift

A recent sunset at Wachusett Mountain

I have realized something critical about running and sports in general: your mindset determines your outcome. If you go into a run believing you can't complete it, then you simply won't, no matter how physically capable you are. This isn't to say that you can mentally will yourself into running a marathon without training. Though, if you believe in your capabilities, then you will have the confidence to train and perform. 

When I set the goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, I had some outlandish idea that it would happen in my first marathon. I ran a debut 1:25:23 half marathon in October 2025, and had seven months to train for my first marathon in May 2026. I figured that if I devoted myself to running for seven months, then I could essentially run my half marathon time back-to-back for a debut marathon around 2:50:00, which would qualify for Boston. 

Instead, I ran a 3:07:10 debut marathon, after being on pace for my goal in the first 18 miles. The last 8 miles were a steady decline in my pace, my body depleted in a way I couldn't understand until I experienced it. I had trained religiously, I had believed it was possible, yet I couldn't will myself to a debut Boston Qualifier (BQ). 

I learned that the reason a BQ is coveted is because it doesn't just take one marathon training block of high volume and intensity to achieve it: it takes multiple. Consistent training is essential; cumulative fatigue builds muscle, stamina, endurance, and belief. The path is unrelenting, the training is monotonous and cumbersome. But what makes the goal difficult is also what makes it worthwhile. 

I still believe I can achieve a BQ. What has changed is my understanding of what it truly takes to accomplish it. It isn't about the perfect, 4-month training block. It is about repetition, day after day of running. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. 

The first six weeks of my Baystate Marathon training block have been challenging. My summer schedule allows for evening runs; but the heat and humidity makes them torturous. The Saturday long runs, including my first 22-mile training run this week, are time-consuming and require careful planning and preparation. My belief that I can shave 17 minutes off my debut marathon time is there, but will it even matter?

If you have been following my blog each week, you will know I am planning to apply for a Fulbright scholarship in Italy, in which I would spend 9 months after finishing graduate school teaching English to underserved Italian high school students. It would be a great bridge between finishing my school counseling training and launching my career. It would also mean that I would be in Italy when I would eligible to run Boston 2028, if I were to qualify during the 2026 Baystate Marathon.

Achieving a BQ and earning a Fulbright scholarship are two highly ambitious, competitive goals. But, as I complete each week of this training block and simultaneously draft my application essays, I feel conflicted. If I were to qualify at Baystate and earn a Fulbright, I would have to choose between the two. I believe that this conflict has made training over the past few weeks more challenging. No longer can I derive motivation solely from the dream of running Boston; I must find it within myself. 

It is this mindset shift, this paradigm altering change, that I must employ. Despite Boston Qualifying being the primary motivator, running has brought so much to my life. Structure. Discipline. Health and fitness. Self-belief. Growth. Confidence. Even if I qualify for Boston and can't run it—that's okay. Even if I don't qualify for Boston this year—that's okay. I am still growing. I am still changing. I can give myself grace, find fulfillment through the process rather than the outcome. 

My goal for my next week of training is to adopt this mindset shift. My goals aren't incongruent; they are just difficult. My mental friction is in attempting to let go of my past identity, to truly become the person I have dreamt of being.

Every step forward, no matter how small, is progress.

Week 6: Training in Summary

64.5 miles | 8h 33 min workout | 1,512 ft elevation

(E) = Easy | (W) = Workout | (L) = Long 

Monday (E): 8.01 miles | 7:44/mi | 246 ft elevation gain | 6:01 PM

Went bike path due to running in the evening. Not the ideal way to start off the week. A goal for this week is to run every morning possible. 

Tuesday (E): 10.00 miles | 7:23/mi | 259 ft elevation gain | 5:56 AM

Went bike path in the other direction. Running in the morning again felt great. I was surprised at how much easier this felt, given that temps were only 10 degrees cooler than Monday evening. My body jsut runs better in the morning.

Wednesday (W): 7.49 miles | 8:34/mi | 23 ft elevation gain | 6:40 PM

My 5th Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club track workout. I have had a lot of fun building speed in the first half of this training block. Due to wildfire haze, much less people came out for this one. 

The workout:

• 1.5 mile warm up
• 2 x 1000m @ tempo (200m walk/jog rest)
• 3 x 800m @ 10K pace (2:00 standing rest)
• 3 x 400m @ 5K pace (1:30 standing rest
• 1.5 mile cool down

A much simpler workout than usual. Standing rest was to accommodate for poor air quality. I am curious to see how the track training will benefit my marathon pace workouts later in the training block.

Thursday (E): 7.00 miles | 7:31/mi | 328 ft elevation gain | 6:20 AM

Again, it is clear to me that my body runs better and faster in the morning. 

Friday (E): 10.00 miles | 7:48/mi |  217 ft elevation gain | 6:37 PM

Second week in a row doing a Friday evening run. I want to avoid making this, and other evening runs, a habit. When it is social, I make an exception. When it is not, it is because I made an excuse in the morning.

Saturday (L): 22 miles | 8:17/mi | 440 ft elevation gain | 8:09 AM

My longest training run to date. Over 3 hours long! 

I have gotten into the habit of taking breaks on these long runs. Usually, it is to take a gel, refill my water, or recuperate at the halfway point. Long runs take a substantial toll on my body and I know how important it is to stay fueled. 

For this run, as I searched to find a place in Northampton where I can refill my water, I wandered into Ana Bandeira Chocolates. I had never tried it during my year living in Northampton, but it seemed to draw a crowd and I impulsively wanted sugar. I bought a chocolate chunk cookie and took advantage of their tap water canister, and was on my way.

It was disorienting, entering a public space after running 12.74 miles, purchasing food on my watch (I don't bring my phone or wallet on runs), and then running another 9.26 miles home. It is the first time I have truly considered my runs as a mode of transportation, as Northampton is a place I frequently drive to and visit. 

Insights on Improvement

Progress. No matter how difficult the training has been, I have steadily made progress. 

My VO2 Max has increased from 60 to 62 in the first 6 weeks of training. I think the track workouts have been a huge factor in this. Despite the heat bogging me down, I have grown substantially in the past 6 weeks. 

As mileage increases, it will become increasingly important to lock back in to the morning routine. I am simply a better runner and at my best self in the morning. August will only bring more heat, and I would prefer to preserve my evenings for other endeavors, like learning Italian, applying for Fulbright, writing, and reading.

Stay tuned every Sunday for insights into my training towards a sub 2:48:00 marathon!

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Ryan K. Beck can be reached at rkbeck.writing@gmail.com