I grew up playing all kinds of sports - basketball, soccer, tennis, you name it. As I got older, I began to focus more on soccer. Unfortunately, I suffered a major knee injury in college and was never really able to return to the sport. I tried to make a comeback multiple times but continued to suffer knee injuries. My surgeons told me I should stop playing soccer, and although I initially resisted, eventually I made the decision to stop playing. However, I couldn’t just sit around, so I picked up distance cycling. I still enjoy long bike rides, but I really missed running. One surgeon told me that running probably wasn’t a good idea for me either, and that I would be lucky if I could run a 5k. I took that as a green light to start running again – but slowly and only a little at a time. Now, years later, I’ve run dozens of 5ks, a handful of 10ks, one 15k, and am preparing to toe the line for my first half marathon this weekend.
Several of my students and friends are also running one or more of the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon events this weekend too, and many of them are like me and tackling a new distance. Quite a few of them are nervous (especially with the weather reports predicting rain in the forecast) and have asked me for advice. While this is my first half-marathon, I have been fortunate enough to have consulted with numerous runners and have participated in a Psyching Team before – these are teams of sport, exercise, and performance psychology practitioners that provide mental training prior to, during, and after races across the country and world (see here Psy ching Teams website ) and so here are my tips for anyone with an upcoming race:
1) Calm your nerves. Everyone gets pre-race or pre-competition jitters – just listen to any number of Michael Phelps interviews – but realize that those jitters don’t have to be negative. That nervous energy can be interpreted as meaning you care and have worked hard. Steve Prefontaine experienced pre-race anxiety, but like Michael Phelps, interpreted that nervousness to mean he was prepared and ready. If, however, you find yourself interpreting those jitters as negative, it’s important to understand why you’re nervous and to identify the signs of pre-race jitters.
Are you second guessing yourself? Worried your training didn’t go exactly as planned? Remind yourself that you are ready, and strike a superhero pose. Stand with your feet apart, hands on your hips, head up, and chest open. Standing in a power pose like this for just a few minutes can actually lower your stress!
Do you find yourself overthinking things? Distract yourself by keeping busy. On the morning of the race, try doing some crossword puzzles or play rock-paper-scissors with a friend. If you’re running the Christie Clinic IL Marathon this weekend and need a friend to play rock-paper-scissors with, come find me!
2) Set goals. Running any distance for the first time can seem daunting, especially if the conditions are not ideal. Having set goals can benefit us in so many ways, including enhancing our performance and prolonging our effort and persistence. Meaning, if we encounter an obstacle or barrier, we’re less likely to give up and more motivated to try to work through those barriers.
Many runners have a goal in mind that they would like to achieve, but there are several guidelines that should be followed to maximize the effectiveness of your goals.
Create a positively worded goal, to increase motivation and improve the likelihood of reaching your goals. For example, “run the entire race” is a better goal than “don’t walk at all during the race.”
Your goal should be specific and measurable. In other words, you should be able to very clearly determine if you have reached your goal. For example, if your goal is to “start slow,” it may be difficult for you know if you’ve really met that goal. However, if you adjust your goal to be “keep my pace slower than 9:00/mi for the first three miles” it will be much easier to determine if you have reached your goal.
Set a challenging but realistic goal. Your goal should be one that requires you to put forth an effort, but at the same time should be possible for you to reach. Keep this in mind especially when you are going to be facing challenging conditions. You may be attempting to set a personal record, but if factors arise that are outside of your control (weather, for example), you may have to adjust your goal so that it is realistic given the circumstances.
Break your ultimate goal up into smaller goals. One way to do this is to break your race up into segments and create a separate goal for each. This way the distance will seem less challenging, and it will help keep you on track to reach your ultimate race goal. For example, you might break up the half marathon into four segments of close to three miles each. For the first three miles, your goal might be to hold back and start off just under your goal pace, to prevent starting out too fast. For the second three miles, your goal might be to maintain a steady pace, for the next segment aim to enjoy the race and take in all the different sights and people around you. For the final portion of the race, finish strong by giving it all your effort.
3) Create a mantra. We all say negative things to ourselves sometimes (“I can’t do this” “I’ll never finish”) but we believe what we say, so it’s important to be aware of how we talk to ourselves. A mantra is a short phrase that can remind you of your goals, can give you that energy boost when you need it, and is believed to have psychological and/or spiritual power. Repeating your mantra to yourself during your race can help you focus on the moment and help you move past potential barriers. Mantras should be positive and repeated often and with meaning. Some examples include: “I am a warrior, I am strong,” “Relax and keep moving forward.”
4) Have FUN! Isn’t that why most of us started running in the first place? Because it’s fun! So enjoy the race day and remind yourself how fortunate you are that you’re able to run.
If you try any of these tips for one of your races, let us know how it goes in the comments section!
Several of my students and friends are also running one or more of the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon events this weekend too, and many of them are like me and tackling a new distance. Quite a few of them are nervous (especially with the weather reports predicting rain in the forecast) and have asked me for advice. While this is my first half-marathon, I have been fortunate enough to have consulted with numerous runners and have participated in a Psyching Team before – these are teams of sport, exercise, and performance psychology practitioners that provide mental training prior to, during, and after races across the country and world (see here Psy ching Teams website ) and so here are my tips for anyone with an upcoming race:
1) Calm your nerves. Everyone gets pre-race or pre-competition jitters – just listen to any number of Michael Phelps interviews – but realize that those jitters don’t have to be negative. That nervous energy can be interpreted as meaning you care and have worked hard. Steve Prefontaine experienced pre-race anxiety, but like Michael Phelps, interpreted that nervousness to mean he was prepared and ready. If, however, you find yourself interpreting those jitters as negative, it’s important to understand why you’re nervous and to identify the signs of pre-race jitters.
Are you second guessing yourself? Worried your training didn’t go exactly as planned? Remind yourself that you are ready, and strike a superhero pose. Stand with your feet apart, hands on your hips, head up, and chest open. Standing in a power pose like this for just a few minutes can actually lower your stress!
Do you find yourself overthinking things? Distract yourself by keeping busy. On the morning of the race, try doing some crossword puzzles or play rock-paper-scissors with a friend. If you’re running the Christie Clinic IL Marathon this weekend and need a friend to play rock-paper-scissors with, come find me!
2) Set goals. Running any distance for the first time can seem daunting, especially if the conditions are not ideal. Having set goals can benefit us in so many ways, including enhancing our performance and prolonging our effort and persistence. Meaning, if we encounter an obstacle or barrier, we’re less likely to give up and more motivated to try to work through those barriers.
Many runners have a goal in mind that they would like to achieve, but there are several guidelines that should be followed to maximize the effectiveness of your goals.
Create a positively worded goal, to increase motivation and improve the likelihood of reaching your goals. For example, “run the entire race” is a better goal than “don’t walk at all during the race.”
Your goal should be specific and measurable. In other words, you should be able to very clearly determine if you have reached your goal. For example, if your goal is to “start slow,” it may be difficult for you know if you’ve really met that goal. However, if you adjust your goal to be “keep my pace slower than 9:00/mi for the first three miles” it will be much easier to determine if you have reached your goal.
Set a challenging but realistic goal. Your goal should be one that requires you to put forth an effort, but at the same time should be possible for you to reach. Keep this in mind especially when you are going to be facing challenging conditions. You may be attempting to set a personal record, but if factors arise that are outside of your control (weather, for example), you may have to adjust your goal so that it is realistic given the circumstances.
Break your ultimate goal up into smaller goals. One way to do this is to break your race up into segments and create a separate goal for each. This way the distance will seem less challenging, and it will help keep you on track to reach your ultimate race goal. For example, you might break up the half marathon into four segments of close to three miles each. For the first three miles, your goal might be to hold back and start off just under your goal pace, to prevent starting out too fast. For the second three miles, your goal might be to maintain a steady pace, for the next segment aim to enjoy the race and take in all the different sights and people around you. For the final portion of the race, finish strong by giving it all your effort.
3) Create a mantra. We all say negative things to ourselves sometimes (“I can’t do this” “I’ll never finish”) but we believe what we say, so it’s important to be aware of how we talk to ourselves. A mantra is a short phrase that can remind you of your goals, can give you that energy boost when you need it, and is believed to have psychological and/or spiritual power. Repeating your mantra to yourself during your race can help you focus on the moment and help you move past potential barriers. Mantras should be positive and repeated often and with meaning. Some examples include: “I am a warrior, I am strong,” “Relax and keep moving forward.”
4) Have FUN! Isn’t that why most of us started running in the first place? Because it’s fun! So enjoy the race day and remind yourself how fortunate you are that you’re able to run.
If you try any of these tips for one of your races, let us know how it goes in the comments section!