It’s been four days since I competed in my sprint triathlon.
I’ve barely trained all week and am starting to feel kind of crappy. I’m not
going to lie, this is a pattern I’ve seen in myself before; I train for a race
and then immediately fall off the wagon.
I’m all for giving the body a rest from time to time but I
am not a fan of doing nothing for too long. Not training obviously affects me physically but
it also messes with my emotional state of mind. So in an effort turn this
around, I’ve found a 5K to race this weekend.
The course for this 5K is one that I did a few months ago
when I placed third in my age group and ran a 7:33 (23:35). My goal for this
race is to beat that time. The conditions are going to be very hot so I’m going
to be conservative - I’m aiming for a 7:25 pace.
I’m going to use this race to test out some mental racing tactics. Although I’ve never focused on psychological preparation before a
race, I know that it’s just as important as the physical part. I’m tired
of getting out there and fighting with the thoughts in my head trying to talk
me out of racing my best. How can I how push out those negative thoughts (i.e., I’m not that great of a runner,
Those people look so much fitter than me, This hurts so I’m just going to walk)
and fill my mind with positive ones ? I want to be the one in control of my
mind not the reverse.
Quite honestly, I’m sure discovering what strategies work for me would not only be useful in running but in life in general. I’ve found myself many times where I’ve got a large project in front of me, a presentation or some
task that is challenging me and my negative self talk gets the best of me.
Off to do some research… if you’ve got any suggestions or
things that work for you, feel free
to comment.
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