MARATHON MINDSET

Mindset plays a huge role in your performance. And so much has been written on this topic, that it's impossible to cover in a single post. Nevertheless, here are some of my go-tos for race day to help you cultivate the right mindset for a great race. 

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1- Be the right kind of positive

Instead of thinking, “Let's crush this!”, think “I can do hard things!”

Steve Magness (author of “Win the Inside Game”, “Do Hard Things”, and “Peak Performance" - all good books btw) puts it this way: 

"Expectations shape performance.

If you think it’ll be easy, the first bit of struggle feels like failure.

If you think it’s impossible, you don’t even try.

The sweet spot is expecting difficulty, while trusting your ability to meet it.

That’s where resilience and growth live."

Build confidence by recalling your successful training experiences. You have the tools to handle adversity.

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2- Focus on the present

Avoid thinking too far ahead. When you're suffering at mile 18, it's daunting to think about how much enduring is ahead. But just the next km is manageable. So do your best to just think about the next km. After completing it, reset and focus on the next. When things get grippy, I will ask myself, can I handle this right now? The answer is almost always yes.

One trick to help you do this is to focus on form, or scan your body for places you can relax and release tension. It's like a mindfulness hack to help get you more in the present.

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3 - Remind yourself you always have control

If you want to explore the mental skills that enhance endurance, two excellent books to consider are "Endure" by Alex Hutchinson and "How Bad Do You Want It" by Matt Fitzgerald.

Both books reference the central governor theory that suggests that your brain subconsciously regulates physical exertion by continuously monitoring various bodily signals, such as heart rate, temperature, and glycogen levels. It assesses your risk of injury and increases your perception of discomfort before you are actually in danger. This mechanism explains why athletes can sprint or increase their pace at the end of a race. The feeling of suffering is a signal from the brain, not a direct reflection of physical performance.

By understanding this theory, you can better rationalize your decision-making during physical challenges. You can remind yourself, "I know my mind is protecting me, and this discomfort does not accurately represent my body’s capabilities. I still have control over how much I can push myself."

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4- Plan ahead 

Plan ahead how you want to deal with discomfort, fear and doubt. I can't say I've done a race where I don't have negative thoughts. Most races I've thought about quitting or giving up. Even the ones I've won. You can't prevent negative thoughts from entering your head, but how you react to them is critical. Plan ahead and practice these things during training. Visualize the tough moments and how you want to react in those moments. Practice them in your tough workouts. Which one(s) work better for you?

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5- When to race

Competition is the ultimate motivator. It's one of the reasons we can do something special on race day that we can't on a regular training day. Whether you're chasing, holding off, or racing against your previous best - competition can bring out a different level in us.

But its critical to tap into that motivation at the right time. Mostly, its beneficial to race your own race. The exception is towards the end of the race. Then you can decide if there's something worth racing for to pull out that extra something. When competition takes you off your race plan early in a race, it's bad execution and letting ego get in the way of your best race.

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6- Process-oriented over outcome-oriented 

There's a paradox in that the more we focus on a goal, the more likely we are to sabotage ourselves. When there's too much pressure, it's impossible to perform optimally. The trick is to remind yourself that the outcome of the race is not an assessment of your worth. A failure doesn't make you a bad athlete, weak, or incompetent. The marathon is about the process, not just achieving a personal best. The real reward is who you become in pursuing the goal, not accomplishing the goal. Your worth isn't defined by your finish time. Your goal of crossing the line, or achieving a certain time or placing only serves the bigger goal of becoming the best athlete you can be. Aiming for a process of constant improvement. This is an infinite goal. There is no end. You'll have performances above and below your trajectory of doing constantly better, but its the trajectory that counts.

Always focus on your effort and the things you can control. Not the outcomes.

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Hope this is helpful! And good luck on race day!