There is a definite mind-body connection when doing anything athletic, but especially during competition when your goals are set high. The will to reach these goals is one part of the equation, but that alone won't put you in the best mental and physical state to perform to your potential. Also, one cannot escape physiology. During the course of your training season you have built an aerobic foundation (or infrastructure) allowing oxygen to be distributed to body cells at certain paces for a certain amount of time. You've also worked on the neuromuscular system and your overall strength/power to maximize running economy. This framework has established your potential for that season at a particular distance. There is no getting around it. If you are trained to run at a maximum 6:00 per mile pace aerobically for 3.1 miles, then running 5:30 in a first mile will put you in a state of oxygen debt, which inevitably forces you to slow down or stop over the next 2.1 miles. So, what could have been a race where you ran 12:00 for two miles and met your O2 needs, and the last 1.1 mile ending up being faster with a big 200-300m "kick" (PR!), could end in suffering and misery.
Our mind is powerful and will defend us from physical and emotional threats, causing our physical state to prepare for afight or to flee. Inexperienced runners will have a difficult time running to their potential, because they're mind will hold them back early in a race unable to comprehend what could happen if they make a mistake and go out too hard. Maybe they did go out to hard once before and had a very unpleasant experience. Training and race experience will allow us to know more about how fast we can run and know what to expect later in a race, and how to make adjustments along the way. Consequently, if we are aware and learn from each experience, we will get closer to our potential for that season. Race anxiety or acute stress that occurs when things don't go as we planned before or during a competition may cause a spiral of negative thinking that actually sends our body into a stressed state not conducive to racing (or training).
The stress response can be positive, if controlled. Blood rushes to the large muscles, lungs increase their ability to take in and process oxygen, sugar is dumped into the blood stream, etc., etc.. So nervousness before a race is natural and can be helpful. On the other hand, if a snowball of negative thoughts, worry, and anxiety begins, too much stress hormone is released, the chest becomes tight, breathing is shallow, and it becomes difficult to focus on race strategy, tune into what our body is telling us, and adapt to the many different scenarios that could present themselves during a race. Runners who have very high expectations for themselves and/or who are concerned about the expectations of teammates, coaches, and/or parents may find themselves walking a tightrope between positive and negative stress.
The key to avoid the over-stressed state is to manage the situation, be aware of your body, and have confidence that you (your mind) is in control. Consider the following strategies during your next big workout or race. They are, by no means, a complete list and you may develop your own strategies, but ultimately, the goal is to put the body into a optimal state before, during, and after competition no matter what happens or how you feel going into it. These are adapted from an article by sports psychologist Elizabeth Quinn.
First, be prepared by allowing enough time to get your race gear, bib, spikes on, use the restroom and warm-up. If something doesn't go quite right, it is okay, but being prepared will help reduce stress. Recognize that pre-race nerves are normal and can be helpful. Once the race starts, within the first 100-200m, that feeling will subside. Take a minute or two to visualize. Let's say you just got done with your pre-race strides and you have 2-8 minutes before the gun goes off. See yourself doing well, running relaxed, and breathing easy. Fill the lower parts of the lungs with oxygen by breathing in deep, holding it for a couple of counts, and letting it out slow. Your are now in a state of readiness. It doesn't matter what chaos that happened before that moment. You are in control.
Once the race has started, there are a myriad of unforeseen events that could happen. Be present in the moment by focusing on the situation that is before you and not the outcome of the race. If negative thoughts start to fill your mind, focus on your breathing and the rhythm of your running. Once present in the moment again, you can look just ahead at the next short section of the race, working on short-term goals, like positioning yourself into a tight area, avoiding boxes, or moving up into a group of runners just ahead, but never go too far head with your thoughts. If negative thoughts keep coming back or you are having difficulty breaking the thought pattern, force a smile and focus on someone else; encourage another runner or simply say something positive to them. Finally, if you are just really struggling, race like you don't care about the outcome. Even though this goes against your nature, it may relax you and allow you to enjoy the moment, which in turn could make for a better outcome than if you fight with the negative thought pattern the whole way.
Once the race is completed, regardless of the outcome, force yourself to look for the positives in the race. When spending time thinking of the things that might have kept you from performing to your expectations, if that was the case, focus on how they can be helpful in the future. Beating yourself up isn't productive. There may not be a complete answer. The body is complex and some days we are just off or on. Energy is high or low and we can't explain it. However, if we focus on how to use our experiences for future racing and training, we are more likely to get to our desired destination. Finally, if we are just not in a mindset that allows for this sort of processing, focus on being positive with others. I saw an athlete recently who, hopefully after a proper cool down routine, gave high fives to almost every competitor who crossed the finish line in the other races. One can do a lot of things like that, such as cheering someone on during another race, asking someone how they did and giving them encouragement, consoling a competitor who is struggling, or thanking a volunteer who has given of themselves to help provide you with the opportunity to do what you enjoy. When we get outside ourselves and positively interact with others our perspective changes and we get into a better place to look to the future in a productive way.
Our mind is powerful and will defend us from physical and emotional threats, causing our physical state to prepare for afight or to flee. Inexperienced runners will have a difficult time running to their potential, because they're mind will hold them back early in a race unable to comprehend what could happen if they make a mistake and go out too hard. Maybe they did go out to hard once before and had a very unpleasant experience. Training and race experience will allow us to know more about how fast we can run and know what to expect later in a race, and how to make adjustments along the way. Consequently, if we are aware and learn from each experience, we will get closer to our potential for that season. Race anxiety or acute stress that occurs when things don't go as we planned before or during a competition may cause a spiral of negative thinking that actually sends our body into a stressed state not conducive to racing (or training).
The stress response can be positive, if controlled. Blood rushes to the large muscles, lungs increase their ability to take in and process oxygen, sugar is dumped into the blood stream, etc., etc.. So nervousness before a race is natural and can be helpful. On the other hand, if a snowball of negative thoughts, worry, and anxiety begins, too much stress hormone is released, the chest becomes tight, breathing is shallow, and it becomes difficult to focus on race strategy, tune into what our body is telling us, and adapt to the many different scenarios that could present themselves during a race. Runners who have very high expectations for themselves and/or who are concerned about the expectations of teammates, coaches, and/or parents may find themselves walking a tightrope between positive and negative stress.
The key to avoid the over-stressed state is to manage the situation, be aware of your body, and have confidence that you (your mind) is in control. Consider the following strategies during your next big workout or race. They are, by no means, a complete list and you may develop your own strategies, but ultimately, the goal is to put the body into a optimal state before, during, and after competition no matter what happens or how you feel going into it. These are adapted from an article by sports psychologist Elizabeth Quinn.
First, be prepared by allowing enough time to get your race gear, bib, spikes on, use the restroom and warm-up. If something doesn't go quite right, it is okay, but being prepared will help reduce stress. Recognize that pre-race nerves are normal and can be helpful. Once the race starts, within the first 100-200m, that feeling will subside. Take a minute or two to visualize. Let's say you just got done with your pre-race strides and you have 2-8 minutes before the gun goes off. See yourself doing well, running relaxed, and breathing easy. Fill the lower parts of the lungs with oxygen by breathing in deep, holding it for a couple of counts, and letting it out slow. Your are now in a state of readiness. It doesn't matter what chaos that happened before that moment. You are in control.
Once the race has started, there are a myriad of unforeseen events that could happen. Be present in the moment by focusing on the situation that is before you and not the outcome of the race. If negative thoughts start to fill your mind, focus on your breathing and the rhythm of your running. Once present in the moment again, you can look just ahead at the next short section of the race, working on short-term goals, like positioning yourself into a tight area, avoiding boxes, or moving up into a group of runners just ahead, but never go too far head with your thoughts. If negative thoughts keep coming back or you are having difficulty breaking the thought pattern, force a smile and focus on someone else; encourage another runner or simply say something positive to them. Finally, if you are just really struggling, race like you don't care about the outcome. Even though this goes against your nature, it may relax you and allow you to enjoy the moment, which in turn could make for a better outcome than if you fight with the negative thought pattern the whole way.
Once the race is completed, regardless of the outcome, force yourself to look for the positives in the race. When spending time thinking of the things that might have kept you from performing to your expectations, if that was the case, focus on how they can be helpful in the future. Beating yourself up isn't productive. There may not be a complete answer. The body is complex and some days we are just off or on. Energy is high or low and we can't explain it. However, if we focus on how to use our experiences for future racing and training, we are more likely to get to our desired destination. Finally, if we are just not in a mindset that allows for this sort of processing, focus on being positive with others. I saw an athlete recently who, hopefully after a proper cool down routine, gave high fives to almost every competitor who crossed the finish line in the other races. One can do a lot of things like that, such as cheering someone on during another race, asking someone how they did and giving them encouragement, consoling a competitor who is struggling, or thanking a volunteer who has given of themselves to help provide you with the opportunity to do what you enjoy. When we get outside ourselves and positively interact with others our perspective changes and we get into a better place to look to the future in a productive way.
Try some of these strategies in your next challenging workout or competition. Come up with some of your own and I will bet, not only will you reduce the number of "bad" experiences while racing/training, you will surprise yourself, even if things don't go exactly as planned. Share other strategies by using the comment secti
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