Right on cue to address my motivational slump, the October issue of Runner's World magazine arrived this week with the following headline on the lower left side of the front cover: Train Your Brain To Love Every Run. Hmmm....flipped to page 51 and found out I'm a "dissociater"...usually external but occasionally internal. "Huh", you say? Well the article says we either dissociate or associate while we run. Internal dissociation is a form of self-distraction where we use songs, mind games, or for me, scripture memorization to pass the miles . External dissociation uses the surrounding scenery, spectators, running partners or other runners in the race as a diversion. (I can't repeat what Gerry Sandusky told me to look at and concentrate on when I was running my first marathon!) People who dissociate are usually running for energy, serenity or creativity. That's me! Runners more concerned with their time and performance will do better to associate. Internal association involves paying attention to how your body feels, what muscles are getting sore, how your feet are holding up or what your breathing is like. External association puts the concentration on things important to the run or race that are outside of your body like mile markers, water stops, your watch and your pace band. I'm not sure this article will help me "love every run", but I do think it is accurate in saying that running with an association strategy will usually get you a better time. When I ran my best marathon (3:28, Baltimore 2003), I paid careful attention to my position on the course in relation to the next water stop and I was much more in tune with my pace, my breathing and the level of fatigue I was accumulating. The problem for me is that too much concentration on the details of the race makes it a job. That's why I like to run on the Northern Central Trail. The beauty of the surroundings makes external dissociation a natural way to log miles and pass time. I run a bit slower, but I also enjoy the run...usually. See you on the trail!

Tom Tasselmyer