Creating a Mental Toolbox: During Competition
“Failing to plan, is planning to fail.”
There are three facets of mental training for competition;
1. Goal Setting - learning to execute in competition, planning a race strategy
2. Arousal Control - Controlling nervousness at the race, not worrying about competitors
3. Performing During Competition - Allowing for the unexpected, maximum effort regardless of result
Mental training requires effort. Thinking through, and writing out the strategies that work for YOU is the only way you can measure their effectiveness or not.
#1 - Goal Setting: Take some time (and this is important to do away from competition) to write out the goals you have for yourself for your event.
For example: How will you achieve a sub 3-hour marathon?
What's the strategy you're going to use to get there during the race?
Will it mean running with a pace group?
Will it mean trying to negative split if there are more hills in the first half?
Will it be contingent on factors like the weather, course, location?
#2: Arousal Control: What strategies did you use in training to help calm your nerves? Focus on YOURSELF here. Try not to get distracted by who's around you by remembering that the outcome you're working to achieve is for you alone.
Is there a mantra that you use?
Is music helpful?
Is music unhelpful?
Can you visualize your success in the race?
Does watching a meditation help?
Pull from your bag of tricks that you've worked to create in training - and use that to your advantage.
#3 Performance during competition: allow for the unexpected, and give your all regardless.
For example: Chances are you'll have some muscle memory from a workout in practice not going exactly the way you needed it.
What did you do in that scenario?
How can you bring that situation into the one you're in now?
Can you allow yourself to lean into what needs to be done in an effort to prove yourself right?
No single race can dictate whether or not you are a good runner - but the marker of a great athlete is never sacrificing their best effort. Remember that what your best is changes from day to day (only you can understand this). Identify what your best in the circumstances you're in are, and work to hold yourself to that standard.
Recap (establishing your mental toolbox)
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, and allow for you to focus during competition.
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.
