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2014 is here and this hypnosis for running blog will again chart many things I am working on as I continue to use hypnosis to heighten running enjoyment and advance performance. It will also chart some of my training as I look forward to a new year of marathon running.

I am running London and Edinburgh in Spring this year and then Berlin and Bournemouth in Autumn. I have some cross country events and other races planned and booked too, though I think Edinburgh and Berlin marathons (course-wise and timing-wise for me and my life) are going to be my chance to crack a couple of good times (and a PB hopefully) and I have set my goals for the running year and have my schedule in place.

London marathon is actually only 14 weeks into the year this year, and so my usual 16 week training programme started a couple of weeks before Christmas.

At Facebook yesterday I wrote about how beautiful it was last Sunday morning to step out of my front door at 6am with the stars still out, car windows were iced up, and how much I loved being a solitary runner reaching the sea front, running beside it listening to the waves crashing in and watching the sunrise. With a combination of mindfulness and self-hypnosis processes, I found it a highly uplifting run. Then yesterday I was out running when a hailstorm that could have been sent by Ming the Merciless fired down upon me and my legs could be forgiven for thinking I had been paintballing that morning. I have not minded running in the wet weather conditions to be honest, especially as most of my training is on roads and pathways, and it’ll be dryer again soon. This Hypnosis for Running blog will get motoring again soon in coming days and weeks.

You may recall that I added a book review here at the Hub after multi world record holding ultra runner William Sichel wrote one about my Hypnosis for Running book – you can read the review here. If you are a runner who has not used hypnosis for running, then go grab a copy for goodness sake!

This week William featured in an article in the The Herald newspaper in Scotland. Here is the article, the original article can be found and read here: Self-hypnosis is key for endurance runner aiming to set 165 records by 65th birthday, though this is what was written:

AN ultramarathon runner whose ambition is to set 165 records by his 65th birthday has spoken of his latest technique – hypnotism.

William Sichel, 60, who lives on the island of Sanday, Orkney, has just completed a challenging six-day race in Arizona.

He said he listened to hypnosis courses on his MP3 prior to the endurance event, which saw him cross the finish line on Friday after completing more than 470 miles in the difficult Arizona desert climate, in which temperatures change from 20°C to -2°C in hours.
Yet, along the way, Mr Sichel was able to set 17 new records, including a world best, taking his current career tally to 94, including 77 long-distance running records.

He said: “I’ve been doing more and more work in self-hypnosis. It helps the brain cope with the overwhelming fatigue and to accept it has to go further than it’s gone before. For most of the race I was in a semi-hypnotic state.”
Across the Years is an annual endurance event in which ­participants aim to complete as many circuits of mile-long course in various time periods, from one day to six.

Mr Sichel – one of only six who attempted the full six-day race – finished first in his age group, setting a new world record for men aged 60-65, and fourth overall with 472 miles completed.
The winner, Joe Fejes, clocked up 555 miles.

Along the way, Mr Sichel also picked up 16 new British and Scottish records and put his success down in part to mental preparation. He now has about four and a half years to collect the remaining 71 records he would like to pick up before his 65th birthday.
“I think I can do it. I run every race as if it’s my last and I push hard to the line. My motivation is self-curiosity, to explore the limits I can push my body and mind to.”

He recently came second in an eight-day race around Monaco Harbour, covering more than 533 miles and taking one British and eight Scottish records.

William Sichel Ultra Runner Uses Self-hypnosis

What a great advertisement for what we do here, eh? William has been listening to and using my audio materials and he wrote this review about my programme just before Christmas:

Review: “Hypnosis for Running” Audio Course by William Sichel

I can thoroughly endorse this comprehensive, 16 week audio course in self-hypnosis for runners.

Produced by avid marathon runner and acclaimed Clinical Hypnotherapist Adam Eason, all aspects of mental preparation are covered from goal setting and imagining your feelings when achieving your goals, through to sessions that help you cope with heavy training with enhanced recovery and then Adam guides you down through your taper and gets you in the Zone to ensure you arrive on the start line in peak mental condition.

This is a very thorough and evidence-based approach to self-hypnosis for runners and makes the ideal accompaniment to the book “Hypnosis for Running”.
Personally I found the audio mp3s covering the use of imagination absolutely fascinating. Similarly with Adam’s discussion about the use and power of mantras whilst running. Adam often talks through a subject at length before embarking on a guided, self-hypnosis session around that topic. This provides a very thorough grounding in each area followed by a virtual 1:1 with Adam during the self-hypnosis mp3.

On the basis of what I’ve learned from this 16 week course I have been able to develop my own personalised ‘power pack’ of self-hypnosis tools to aid my performance in training and racing.
Maybe it’s time for you to have a go too – you won’t be disappointed.

– I am delighted to read that, from such an accomplished endurance runner. Keep running you runners and I’ll be back here very soon.