Creating a Mental Toolbox: During Training
The concept of mental training (rightfully) might feel a little abstract, but breaking it down like you would physical training is a beneficial and worthwhile tool you can implement to bring your running to the next level.
There are a few approaches you can take when it comes to mental training (meditation, mindfulness, etc) but to keep things easy, try using this structure developed by Tim Noakes, adapted from The Lore of Running.
Think of your mental training in three phases:
1.) During Training
2.) During Competition
3.) After Competition
“Your mental approach needs to be used in practice, not just in competition.”
When you actively work to strengthen your attitude during training, it will give you a stronger edge to compete during your race. But in order to run hard, you have to have appropriate markers set for yourself.
#) At the beginning of your training block, or as you decide what races you want to run, judge your competitive ability, and set goals for yourself. This will serve as your North Star when training becomes demanding. Take a few minutes to sit down (maybe with a cup of coffee) and complete this process carefully. What is it that is intrinsically motivating you? What about these races / distances is exciting? Scary? Energizing? Only you can answer these questions.
#2) The second part of mental training is learning how to control your arousal. This means learning how to adapt when training doesn't go perfectly, and being able to calm yourself ahead of the start of any competition. Perceived danger occurs in our psyche as we approach the start of any race - this is normal! Our body knows it's about to undergo an intense physical effort. But if we are overcome by this psychological burden, the body won't be able to channel that energy for positive use. When left to our own devices, this excess burden might often manifest in going out too hard and crashing midway through a workout or race.
Practicing how to control your emotions and compartmentalize the fear is crucial for developing strong mental habits as a runner. Sometimes sh*t hits the fan before a race - but rather than being defeated by it prematurely, focus instead on the variables that you CAN control. Noakes writes, "focus only on the factors that influence your performance and over which you have an influence. No human is able to control factors such as the wind or the rain. Thus, it's not helpful to worry about them. Without divine intervention, you will not be able to change what is to be. Instead, in preparing your competition, you should focus exclusively on those variables over which you have complete control."
#3) Practice visualizing your race. Visualization is the process in which you run the race in your mind many times before you run the real race with your whole person. Run through your race in your mind - noticing where you might start to fatigue and figuring out ways ahead of time to meet the pain and overcome it. The theory with this technique is that you will perform better on any course if you know the important details beforehand. The more you prepare your mind and body for the physical effort ahead of time, the more comfortable your body will feel ahead of time to settle into an appropriate pace and rhythm.
To Recap:
When putting together a mental training plan, breakdown your process in three distinct parts.
Goal Setting - journal about what you want to run, how fast you want to run it in, and why this goal is important for you. Having accurate markers will help keep you focused when training becomes difficult.
Arousal Control - practice learning how to calm your body through guided meditations, and using specific techniques to calm your body when you're feeling anxious. This might mean working to develop mantras in training that help contribute to a good workout that will translate during race day. Work through your training and strengthen your confidence when you begin to question your abilities by writing out all the factors that have influenced your success.
Visualization - run through the race in your mind. Give your body the chance to adapt to what you're thinking so that on race day you're already halfway there. Use the video below as a helpful resource for trying this out on your own.
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