Free Speed: 5 Ways Your Mind Can Unlock Your Running Potential

Greg McMillan
May 27th, 2025
TrainingLatest Miles

As runners, we often focus on the physical aspects of training—logging miles, hitting splits, and building our aerobic fitness. But what if I told you that there’s a secret weapon that can help you run faster without any extra physical effort? It’s called “free speed,” and it comes from harnessing the power of your mind to unlock your running potential.

The Power of the Brain

You might be skeptical about the idea of free speed. After all, doesn’t speed come from fitness, and doesn’t fitness come from training your body? While it’s true that physical fitness is essential for running fast, most athletes don’t actually run to their maximum physical potential. High school coaches see this all the time — their athletes are fit, but until they can “flip the switch” and get them excited about testing their limits, taking chances, and really pushing themselves in the final minutes of the race, they never run as fast as they’re truly capable of.

But when a young runner does put herself out there and fully commits to the race, something amazing happens. She runs to her potential and taps into a hidden reserve of speed and energy. She gets “free speed” — without any increase in fitness, she can suddenly run 5-10 seconds faster per mile, just by having the right mindset. That’s the power of the brain.

The Science of Smiling

Still not convinced that the mind can affect physical performance? Consider this fascinating study by German social psychologist Fritz Strack and his colleagues. In their 1988 experiment, subjects were asked to look at cartoons and rate how funny they were. But here’s the twist:

One group of subjects was told to hold a pencil between their lips without letting it touch their teeth (the “frowning” group).
Another group was instructed to hold the pencil with their teeth so it didn’t touch their lips (the “smiling” group).
A third group simply held the pencil in their hands.

The results were striking. The “frowning” group thought the cartoons were less funny than the group holding the pencil in their hands. But the “smiling” group? They found the cartoons to be the funniest of all. This simple experiment shows that just a few subtle muscle contractions in the face can actually change our perceptions and experiences.

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Tapping Into Free Speed

So how can you start tapping into your own free speed? The key is to be open to your own greatness and to look for opportunities to push yourself mentally. This often happens when you’re fully engaged in your workouts or races. When you’re in the moment, focused and committed, you can access a level of performance that goes beyond your physical fitness.

One powerful tool for unlocking free speed is the Go Zone Method. This is a mental strategy that helps you stay engaged and focused during the toughest parts of a race. By using the Go Zone, you can overcome the natural urge to back off when things get uncomfortable and instead stay committed to your goal pace. Many runners find that once they start using the Go Zone, they’re able to run faster than ever before, without any changes in their physical training.

Free Speed in Action

The High School Breakthrough: A talented high school runner has been stuck at the same 5K time for a whole season, despite consistent training. But at the final meet of the year, her coach pulls her aside and gives her a pep talk, urging her to believe in herself and to give it everything she has. Inspired and energized, the runner takes off at a blistering pace and holds on for a massive 30-second PR. Free speed in action!
The Marathon Negative Split: A marathoner has been training hard for months, nailing his workouts and long runs. But in past races, he’s always faded in the final miles, running positive splits. This time, he decides to focus on staying mentally strong in the last 10K. He visualizes himself finishing strong, refuses to let negative thoughts creep in, and keeps pushing. To his amazement, he runs negative splits and finishes with a huge PR. It’s a great example of the power of the mind at work.
The 5K Podium Finish: A local 5K runner has been steadily improving but always seems to just miss out on an age-group award. In her next race, she makes a commitment to stay mentally tough and kick hard in the final quarter mile, no matter how much it hurts. With 400m to go, she digs deep, passes three competitors, and surges across the line in a podium position. It’s a great example of using the concept of free speed.

Unlocking Your Own Potential

Here are a five real-life examples of how free speed can make a difference: So how can you start tapping into your own free speed? Here are a few tips:

Believe in yourself. Remember that you have greatness within you and that you’re capable of more than you think. Embrace a growth mindset and see challenges as opportunities to get stronger.
Set ambitious goals. Don’t be afraid to dream big and set challenging targets for yourself. When you aim high, you’ll be more likely to push yourself and access your free speed.
Stay engaged in the moment. When you’re running, try to stay fully present and focused on the task at hand. Don’t let your mind wander to negative thoughts or self-doubt. Use mantras, visualization, and other mental techniques to stay locked in.
Embrace discomfort. Free speed often comes at a cost—you have to be willing to push through pain and fatigue and keep going even when every fiber of your being wants to stop. Learn to welcome discomfort as a sign that you’re growing and getting stronger.
Practice, practice, practice. Like any skill, tapping into free speed gets easier with practice. Look for opportunities to push yourself in workouts and races, and gradually build your mental toughness over time.

As you start to explore the world of free speed, remember that progress isn’t always linear. You might have some workouts or races where everything clicks and you feel invincible, and others where your mind just isn’t in the game. That’s OK—mental training, like physical training, takes time and patience.

But if you stay committed to the process and keep showing up day after day, I guarantee that you’ll start to see results. You’ll have more breakthrough workouts, faster race times, and a newfound sense of confidence and joy in your running. You’ll realize that you’re capable of so much more than you ever imagined, and that free speed was inside you all along, just waiting to be unleashed.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there, engage your mind, and start chasing down some free speed today! Your future PR is waiting.

About Greg McMillan

Called one of the best and smartest distance running coaches in America by Runner’s World, Greg McMillan is renowned for his ability to combine the science of endurance performance with the art of real-world coaching. While getting his graduate degree in Exercise Science he created the ever-popular McMillan Running Calculator – called “The Best Running Calculator” by Outside Magazine. A National Champion runner himself, Greg coaches runners from beginners to Boston Qualifiers (15,000+ and counting!) to Olympians.