Mental Side To Racing Well

Most runners do great in their training, logging in hard workouts over several months only to see everything unravel during their key race.

When the going gets tough, and it will if you have raised the ante, your inner voice starts to play games with you. And most cave in telling themselves "I have done my best, its' okay to slow down a little". If you wish to see a serious difference in your racing then you need to be able to talk back, to hold strong. 

Let me share a secret. A mentally strong runner doesn't just know he will do well but that it will be hard work. During my key racing years, I would smile and tell an opponent "if you want to win, you better be ready to bleed". 

Science has confirmed that doing well has as much to do with psychology as physiology. Thinking strong is a behavior and you need to make that shift in your head. Alter your thinking and you improve your results. No runner expects endurance, or speed, to come naturally but think mental toughness does. Instead you must train your brain just like you train your body by practicing mental skills throughout your training. 

Let me differentiate four types of runners

a. Negative Thinkers. Result Oriented

Worry a lot (mostly unwarranted) and flitter away energy

Overly focused on results, neglecting to realize it's doing the right things now that allows for results later