MBG Senior Commerce Editor
20 May 2026
Have you ever noticed that two runs at the same pace can feel completely different?
After running five World Marathon Majors, a dozen half marathons, two Boston Marathon qualifying times, and years of consistent training, I’ve learned that fitness is the only thing that makes a tough race manageable. Factors such as fueling, recovery, pace, mindset and race strategy can have a big impact on perceived effort.
While hard runs are an important part of the process, I’ve found that a few small adjustments can make a surprisingly big difference in how strong I feel during them.
Here are the strategies that have helped me the most over the years.
Don’t make it harder than necessary
1. Giving priority to easy races as much as to difficult races.
This is something I’ve become more reliant on over the past year. Whether you’re training for your fastest 5K or hoping to break three hours in a marathon, most of your runs should be easy. And when I say easy, I mean really easy.
Many runners inadvertently make their harder races more difficult by running their easier races too fast. But those simple efforts are what help you recover properly, build endurance and look stronger for more challenging workouts.
Running at easy effort (often called Zone 2 training) can help improve aerobic fitness without putting the same stress on the body as speed work or long running. It also helps reduce cumulative fatigue, which can have a big impact on perceived effort during tough sessions.
Now, I approach recovery runs with the same intention as hard workouts, and it’s made a noticeable difference in how strong I feel overall. In fact, after a few months of prioritizing Zone 2 training, my easy pace became more than 30 seconds per mile faster.
2. Fueling Properly Before, During, and Between Runs
If you’re feeling tired during or after a race, chances are it’s a fueling issue. It took me years to realize that I was cutting my runs short. As a beginning runner, I underestimated the impact of proper nutrition and hydration on performance and perceived effort. Now, I pay close attention to how I fuel before hard workouts and long runs, especially during marathon training.
Eating enough carbohydrates beforehand can help maintain energy levels and make hard efforts more sustainable. During long runs, constantly refueling (instead of waiting until you already feel tired) can help prevent sudden drops in energy that make everything feel quite difficult. Everyone has specific needs in this department, so I strongly recommend working with an athlete-focused nutritionist to find what works best for you.
Hydration and electrolytes also matter, especially during hot weather or high-mileage weeks. Even small adjustments to fueling can have a significant impact on the running experience.
3. Heating and cooling properly
Before each race, spending a few minutes gradually increasing your heart rate and loosening your muscles can help your body prepare. Things like easy jogging, dynamic stretching, mobility work or steps help make difficult movements from the beginning feel more manageable.
The matter is also cooling down. Walking after running, slowing down gradually, stretching and foam rolling can all aid recovery and reduce pain afterward.
The more I’ve been running, the more I’ve realized that treating warm-ups and cool-downs as part of a workout (not something extra or optional!) has a real impact on both performance, recovery, and injury prevention.
4. Having a strategy to increase speed
It’s very easy to go out too fast, especially during a workout, run or race where you’re feeling particularly motivated. But in my experience, one of the fastest ways to make a hard race feel significantly harder is to leave nothing in the tank for the subsequent miles.
Having a strategy for pacing helps create a more controlled effort from the beginning. Sometimes this means deliberately holding yourself back during the first few miles, even if your pace feels very easy at first.
Over time, I’ve found that starting a little conservative almost always leads to stronger progress overall. It’s also helped me stay more mentally consistent because I’m not spending the second half of the workout trying to recover from working too hard at the beginning.
5. Breaking the run into smaller segments
I like to call it “runner math,” and it’s one of the simplest mental strategies I use during tough races. It makes a big difference.
Instead of thinking about the entire distance or the entire workout at once, I mentally break the run up into smaller chunks. Long runs and hard workouts can become overwhelming when you think about everything coming your way at once. Breaking them up into smaller segments makes the effort feel more manageable and helps me stay in the present instead of mentally tiring quickly.
Sometimes that just means focusing on the next mile, the next interval, the next water stop, or even the next song (think: Just two more songs halfway through).
I use this strategy consistently during marathon training and during races, especially in the latter miles when the distance starts to seem intimidating.
6. Consistent strength training and cross-training
Certainly to improve as a runner you need to focus most of your effort on running, but strength training and cross-training should be part of every runner’s routine. Both have made a huge difference in how strong I feel during tough efforts.
Strength training can help improve running efficiency, stability, posture and overall durability. Personally, I notice the biggest difference later in long runs or workouts, when fatigue sets in and form naturally begins to deteriorate.
Cross-training can also help build cardiovascular fitness while giving your body a rest from the repetitive impact of running. Activities such as cycling, walking, strength training and low-impact cardio can support running performance without adding additional running mileage.
Another major bonus? Strength training and cross-training properly can also help reduce the chance of injury. Before incorporating heavy weights into my routine, I was constantly battling things like shin splints, IT band problems and other minor aches and pains.
7. Prioritize sleep and recovery
Recovery is one of the most underrated parts of running well.
Sleep, rest days, mobility work, hydration, and overall recovery habits all affect how prepared your body feels for tough training sessions. And while it may be tempting to focus solely on mileage or speed, I’ve found that recovery often has just as much impact on perceived effort.
Some of my hardest races occurred during periods when I wasn’t able to get enough sleep or fully recover between workouts. On the other hand, when I’m consistently prioritizing recovery, runs feel much more comfortable.
The longer I’ve been running, the more I’ve realized that recovery is a key part of it. I regularly rely on trackers like my Oura Ring to guide me on whether I should push harder in a workout or take an extra day of rest — and I don’t think it’s any coincidence that my running has improved since I became more serious about tracking my recovery metrics.
And sleep is only one part of my recovery routine. I also prefer things like massage, acupuncture, red light therapy, sauna, compression shoes, and good old-fashioned foam rolling.
8. Running with other people
While running is definitely one of my go-to solo self-care activities, running with other people can completely transform the experience of a tough run. Whether it’s friends or a running group, there’s something about a shared effort that can make a tough race a lot more manageable.
Running with others can also provide distraction, accountability, pace support, and a sense of momentum during difficult parts of a race. I’ve personally found that conversation or group energy can naturally help take my mind off the mental stress of a tough race.
When I’m marathon training, I often try to gather friends for a few miles for each long run, which also helps break up the run up (again, runner math).
9. Wearing the right shoes
Although no pair of shoes can completely replace proper training, the right running shoes make a bigger difference than many runners realize.
Different shoes serve different purposes, and finding a pair that works well for your gait, training style, and goals can help make running feel more comfortable and efficient. Things like flat feet, high arches, or bunions will impact what type of running sneakers you’ll feel best in.
Some runners prefer more cushioning for longer runs and recovery days, and many feel better in lighter or more responsive shoes for workouts and races.
I’ve also found that rotating between different pairs of shoes throughout the week can help reduce fatigue and keep me feeling my best during tough races.
10. Pay attention to your form
The longer or harder the race, the easier it becomes to gradually lose form. When I start to feel tired during a strenuous effort, I try to check in with a few simple cues: relaxing my shoulders, unclenching my hands, maintaining good posture, and keeping my stride smooth.
Even small adjustments can help improve efficiency and prevent unnecessary strain during a race. I’ve found that when I’m physically relaxed, it’s much easier for me to be mentally relaxed.
The target is not always in the right form; It’s just about being conscious that running doesn’t put too much stress on your body.
11. Mantras and Mindset Strategies
The mental side of running has a big impact on perceived effort, especially during tough workouts and longer distances.
Simple mantras and mindset cues help me stay focused and avoid feeling overwhelmed during the tough parts of the race. Instead of thinking about how far I’ve gone or how tired I feel, I turn to mantras like “one mile at a time” or “run the mile you’re in” or “I trained for this.” Other times, it simply reminds myself of all the times I’ve made similar efforts, and the discomfort is temporary during a hard effort.
A specific mindset hack I like is to imagine that this is the last time to get To run. If I knew I would never run again after this, would I quit? Or will I enjoy every minute of it?
12. Envisioning the ending
This is why so many professional athletes use visualization! This is something I often use before races and before hard training runs.
To do this before the race, I will mentally go over parts of the race ahead of time: how I want to pace it, how I want to respond when things start to feel difficult, and how I want to feel strong finishing.
In particularly difficult moments during a race or training run, imagining the finish line or the feeling after it can also help shift my focus away from the temporary discomfort. I would picture my friends and family cheering, and I would challenge myself to truly feel the sense of accomplishment and happiness I felt at each finish line.
I’ve found that visualization helps build a greater sense of confidence and control in tough races, especially when I’m nervous about a workout or race in advance.
takeaway
Running hard will always be part of becoming a stronger runner, but factors like fueling, recovery, pace, mindset and training strategy can have a big impact on perceived effort.
Learning how to support my body physically and mentally has been the biggest game changer in how strong I feel as a runner. Although none of these adjustments completely eliminate discomfort, they can make tough runs significantly more manageable over time.
