Running A Marathon Faster

Bryan M. Knight, MSW, PhD.

“Roger” was 32 years old, lean, fit and handsome. I’d met this sports fanatic through a business group where I’d given a speech.

I specialize in helping people conquer anxiety, end panic, stop phobias and proof themselves against stress.

“Roger” was certainly stressed and anxious. He was nervous that he would once again fail at running the Ottawa Marathon as fast as he knew was possible.

He told me he’d been thinking of coming for hypnotherapy for over a month. Now that the Marathon was only two weeks away, he’d set aside his misgivings about paying for help and sat in front of me, his earnest brown eyes pleading for understanding.

I wondered if there was some emotional reason causing him to “fail.” Roger defined failure as feeling weary at the 30km mark. The weariness resulted in him walking instead of running the rest of the Marathon.

“I always finish the race but I could do much better time,” said Roger. “And the coach says it’s feasible --- if I only kept going.”

Probing on my part drew out from Roger that he has nervous moments before each run. The thought crosses his mind that he’s not going to do the run in good time.

“So,” he said, “I put that out of my mind and tell myself I’m not going to stop at 30Km.”

Of course, I explained to Roger that his statement was tantamount to giving his subconscious the command that he would stop at the 30Km mark because the subconscious sort of brackets the word “not”. 53

When I asked Roger about the first time he’d been unhappy at his running results he said he hadn’t always been as fit as he is now. So he’d not been able to pass the 30Km point.

This then became a self-fulfilling prophecy. But now he was determined to improve on his running.

Roger’s enthusiasm for hypnosis was unbounded. He planned to use self--hypnosis for subsequent marathons, once he’d mastered the Ottawa Marathon which was only two weeks ahead.

I used a simple eye-fixation induction, compounded with deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and eyelid heaviness. (He didn’t seem to be very “deep” in hypnosis but later expressed his enjoyment of the experience).

Previously I’d asked him where he’d feel “relaxed, calm, confident and strong”. Despite my specifying that the Special Place should be imaginary Roger chose a beach on Prince Edward Island.

I suggested he imagine knock-down clown cut-outs spaced along the beach path. (PEI offers many paths winding among the wind-swept grass covered red sand dunes overlooking the sea). Each clown cut-out was numbered.

Roger was to kick or hit each cut-out as he ran by. I encouraged him to call out joyfully as he demolished them one after another until he reached number 42.

Then I brought him out of hypnosis. After a brief recap of his experience (he had vividly enjoyed the imagined run) I re-inducted him.

This time I encouraged him to imagine the upcoming race. I gave him suggestions of increasing confidence as the Km signs flashed by. The 28Km point was a signal to Roger that his strength, stamina and ability increased four-fold.

Post-hypnotic suggestions reinforced that Roger would achieve his targets in marathons, that he would thoroughly enjoy running whenever he chose and that he would feel justifiably proud of his achievements. 54

He created a phrase for self--hypnosis sessions [“I will enjoy running the Ottawa Marathon in 3:20”].

In the next session I gave Roger time distortion suggestions so that marathons would seem to take far less time than in reality. This time he chose to see funny faces on the ground. Each face was numbered.

He corrected my too-speedy suggestions from session one. Now, instead of the sprinting I had inadvertently proposed, he maintained a good pace with rhythm. (It was quite amusing to watch Roger actually “run” while seated on the couch -- his legs moved up and down in the steady rhythm that presumably matched what he was imagining).

Each time he stepped on a face the suggestion was that Roger would feel a surge of energy and conviction that he would complete the marathon in 3:20 or better.

We also added his loved ones cheering him on -- and participating in his joy at the finish line. The result was that Roger improved his time in the Ottawa Marathon. Although he hadn’t reached 3:20 he felt great and was wildly enthusiastic about future marathons. He planned to use self-hypnosis to correct the mistake he’d made in Ottawa: starting off too fast.

Three months later Roger phoned me, full of excitement: “I ran the Montreal Marathon in one minute under my target. Self-hypnosis is fantastic!”