Head Games

Many runners race below their capabilities, and there are many reasons for this - not all are physical. Much of running performance is mental, so we should think about some things that may help our mental strength as well as our physical conditioning.

One of the first things to realize is that racing fast is hard. You will have times in the race where you will want to back off. How does one get through those times?

One way is through physical workouts. Many of our training sessions are intended to replicate feelings that you'll encounter during the later part of a race: fatigue, pain, doubts. Running strong through those feelings in workouts can help you get through the same feelings in a race.

Another way is by mental training. Practice addressing, in your mind, the feelings you will encounter in a race. Most of the best runners do this frequently. There are different strategies for dealing with pain, and some will be better than others for a given person, so you need to try them out and learn what works for you.

Two major categories of strategies for dealing with pain are association and disassociation. Disassociation strategies focus on finding a distraction for your mind, so that you are not thinking about the discomfort. That can include thinking "happy thoughts", completely unrelated to the race, or thinking about the upcoming downhill or reeling in the next runner. Associative strategies can include focusing on the fatigue or pain as a sign of strength, or focusing on your breathing rate or stride rate.

There are many ways to get over the mental hurdles that get in your way during a race. The important thing is to practice a variety of techniques and see what works best for you. On any given day, this can turn a good race into a great race, or even a poor race (due to physical factors) into a decent race.