Mental training tips

The longer your race is the more and more important the mental side of training becomes, but even in shorter races you can see examples of athletes who “choke” from the pressure and end up underperforming.  Alex Hutchinson’s brilliant book ‘Endure’ makes it very clear just how important the mind is when it comes to top performances. 

Mental preparation can be an overlooked area of training, making it an area where it is possible to make big improvements.  It just requires a bit of creativity with training and putting aside some time.  Below are some key points to consider:

Set Goals

Before you start training for a big race think about why you want to do it and what motivation will get you through all the training?  Remind yourself of these whenever it gets tough.  Think about how great achieving your big goal will feel.

Build confidence and resilience

During training there are lots of opportunities to improve your mental resilience.  For example getting out to complete your session in terrible weather, doing a hard session all alone and sticking to your plan even though you don’t really feel like it.  All of these are will improve resilience, but you also need to use some common sense.  If it is dangerous to run outside due to ice, for example, then do something else.  If you are ill or injured then don’t blindly stick to your plan, but make sensible adjustments.

If you have a coach setting sessions and they decide to change the session or add an extra, unexpected rep at the end.  This is not them being mean (At least I hope not!), they are improving your ability to cope with the unexpected because you never know what might happen on race day.  Extra reps are a way to build more confidence as they show that you can actually do more than you think.

It will help to keep a training log and look back on what you have achieved in training to boost confidence before your race.  Don’t let any sessions that didn’t go to plan dent your confidence.  (There is no such thing as a failure in training.  It is a learning experience). Think about what you learnt from not meeting a target and how you can use that to improve.

Improve focus

Keeping your focus during a race is required to achieve your goal, and keeping your focus during all the training on what the A goal is will help prevent minor set backs upsetting you.  While doing training sessions practice focusing on the goal for that session.  How good are you at staying at the correct pace?  Alternatively it could be to focus on your form during training.  Are you staying tall with relaxed shoulders?  Find out what focus will keep you going best on race day.

Do sessions that are boring and repetitive if your race is going to be long.  Do sessions that you are not quite sure that you can complete and prove yourself wrong, but if you don’t complete it then don’t worry just set yourself the goal of completing it next time.

Reduce negitive self talk

If you find your head filled with too many negative thoughts while you are running, then this is something to work on.  Your best performance will only come from a positive and confident outlook.  Note what your negative thought are and turn them in to a positive.  For example “I’ve never run this far before, I don’t think I can do it” becomes “I’m going to find out just how far I can run.”

Work on visualisation

As race day gets closer spend some quiet time just visualising your idea race.  Think about the tough bits and how you will feel strong through them and think about crossing that finish line having achieved what you wanted and just how great that will feel.

Be prepared

You want to keep positive about your race, but also prepare for any eventuality so you will not be caught out on race day.  Think about different weather possibilities and what kit you would need for each.  If it might be super hot then you would be sensible to adjust your pacing strategy. Go right through race day planning how to get there, what kit you need, what your pacing and nutrition will be and what you will need at the finish.  A well planned race will result in a calmer runner!