Welcome back to All Things Running with Sonja & Jen. Today Jen is going to discuss how to push through to the next level. Honestly this is the hardest part of racing and it is more likely than not that it is your mind holding you back not your training.
As competitors we are all highly trained. There are also many different training philosophies. I don’t think one is better than another. I also don’t believe that doing the same thing all the time is good as the body gets stagnant. That is something we can talk about in another post.
Today I want to talk about how you can make that breakthrough you’ve been working toward and what is really holding you back. I’ll also share some tips on some of the things that have helped me.
Often as an athlete we want to blame someone or something other than ourselves, for example:
The race got out slow.
I was boxed in.
I was clipped.
I was running in lane 2.
I went out too fast.
But really when these things happen during a race our mind can either dwell on the unfortunate or see it as a rally call to do something different. Racing frequently gives us a number of opportunities to experience different scenarios that we can use in future races.
When I hear the above statements it tells me that mentally you need to get tougher. And this at times can be very hard to do. If you are struggling, I recommend working with a sports psychologist, a therapist or if you have a great relationship with your coach to help figure out what you are afraid of or what is holding you back. Racing is supposed to be something you enjoy and after each experience you should be able to walk away with 1 thing you can do better and 1 thing that you can be proud of doing.
In order to get to this next level you have to be willing to take risks to see the performance you are capable of racing. That doesn’t mean that we should all think we can race at a world championship level today but improving on where we are currently.
This might just be for you:
If you are a high school runner and trying to run a time to be recruited.
If you are a collegiate runner and you are trying to qualify for championships.
If you are a post collegiate runner and you are trying to run a PR or qualify for USA’s or the Olympic Trials.
If you are a masters runner and trying to run a higher age graded performance than what you’ve been running.
Here are some tips:
Stop focusing on the outcome and your splits. Not all good races are run this way.
Be willing to take a risk.
Be willing to be uncomfortable.
Be willing to accept defeat or running worse than you ran before.
Stop thinking during your race. Have a few ideas of how the race can play out and be able to respond to each.
Part of your training requires daily mental preparation.
Believe in your coach & your training. There is no perfect training plan. There are many. If you don’t believe in your training, have a conversation.
You have to rest. Are you wasting it on something that doesn’t matter as much as your goal?
Be a student of your sport.
Build a community around you. A rising tide lifts all boats.
I hope that some of this helps you to think differently about why you might not be reaching your goals. I know that I have had to do a ton of work recently when before I thought I was locked in. Sometimes things in our life put a different spin on things. It takes work but I’m certain you can get through your rough patch when you remember your own tools that you have in your toolbox.
Sonja and Jennifer are sharing their personal experiences. This is being provided for informational purposes only. We are not giving medical advice and you should always consult your own doctor for advice related to your own health.