IF YOU'RE READING THIS, you've likely been training for some sort of race. Congrats! That's the hard part! A mentor once told me that the race itself is simply a parade in honor of all the work you put in to get there. I've run more 5Ks, half marathons, and marathons than I can count, and I can attest that this is a good mindset. Of course, things will still be challenging when it's go time. To help make them a little less so, I spoke with coaches, psychologists, and experienced runners to gather their top tips for newbies and seasoned racers. Run through their advice-you're almost there!
Set More Than One Goal
Runners often go into a race with a target finish time, and if they don't hit it, they consider the whole endeavor a failure, says Carla Meijen, PhD, a sports psychologist and the author of Endurance Performance in Sport. Avoid putting this pressure on yourself by having a few goals instead of just one. "You can set a dream goal, for when the conditions on race day are ideal; a happy goal, for when the conditions are less than perfect; and an OK goal, which would be the bare minimum if things don't go to plan," she explains. For example, your dream goal could be to run a 5K in under 25 minutes, your happy goal could be to complete the race in less than 30 minutes, and your OK goal could be to simply cross the finish line.
Stack Your Playlist
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Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Real Simple.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Go With Your Gut - Each of us has a little voice inside that knows more than the conscious mind. It's called intuition, and it deserves your attention.
Cognitive scientists, who study how human beings think and reason, generally define intuition as knowledge gained without rational thought, and they believe it's a natural part of how our brains work. Humans have two main ways of absorbing information. One is a slow, deliberate process, in which we methodically analyze details for instance, comparing two laptop models before buying. The second happens almost instantly, and the insight feels like it came out of the blue. In fact, though, it's based on data we've gathered subconsciously over time and, in a flash, connected with our past experiences.
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