A well below par performance and crumbling under pressure does not have to be the end of all your running dreams. It is possible to bounce back even better and turn failure into a learning experience to help you grow.
There are 4 steps to follow to come back stronger:
1. Anger and Disappointment
A wave of negative emotions is a usual first response to failure. You may well feel upset, disappointed and frustrated. There may be a deluge of negative feelings and real disappointment. It is important to accept this, but then move on at some point. This could be minutes to hours, but the key is, at some point, to move on. Don’t let it drag on for days.
2. Acceptance
Next you need to transition to acceptance. Stop wallowing and stop thinking about the performance and what happened. You need to cease trying to make sense of it and just accepted it happened. There needs to be a conscious shift of attention to the next task. Everyone will have a poor run sometime.
3. Learning
Once you have accepted what happened then it is possible to assess what can be learnt. Are you well? Did you do anything wrong that you can correct next time? Or did the pressure just get to you?
4. Letting Go
The final step is when the weight is lifted off your shoulders. The anxiety, pressure, and fear that may have hampered performance can give way to a kind of attitude that said: “I already sucked. It can’t get any worse. I might as well see what’s there.” Over expectations can dissipate and there are no expections to do anything amazing. This can give you the freedom to perform at your best. Just let go and see what happens.
It may not have worked for Mikaela Shiffrin at the Winter Olympics, but I hope it works for you.
Running Tips by Coach Julie 