"Staring down a 12-, 16-, or 20-mile run can feel very daunting," McDowell says. "Don't think of it as one long run, but break it up mentally: for a 12-miler, I often think of a 2-mile warm-up, then two, 5-mile segments, then a 2-mile cool down. If that still feels intimidating, go mile by mile," she says.
"When I get too overwhelmed by distance, I often say to myself, 'I am here now,' and do my best to stay in the moment."
