TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – In this week’s episode of Run for Fun with Leigh Spann, we discuss overcoming mental hurdles.

When you’re just starting to run longer distances, your mind tells you it’s time to stop long before your body actually needs to stop. Coach Maria and Leigh talk about times they’ve hit the mental wall and how they pushed through it.

There are strategies like repeating a short mantra in your head to keep you pushing through those tough times. Also, it’s important to manage your expectations. As you increase miles, distance or number of runs per week, you have to give your body time to build strength. Be kind to yourself while you’re building. Don’t try to do too much too quickly.

You need to build your mental strength as you build your physical strength as well. Your brain will begin to recognize that your body is strong enough to handle the extra exercise.

This topic was suggested by one of our Run for Fun viewers, and we are always looking for other suggestions for topics. Be sure to go back and listen to previous shows, so you can build your mental toughness and still keep running fun.