The Power of Mental Preparation in Racing

Whether you’re a first timer or a seasoned professional, training for any race requires time, hard work, dedication, and proper nutrition. Most athletes have this drilled into them from the start.

However, what many people underestimate is the power of Mental Preparation. Particularly for new runners, mental preparation is often overlooked and not paid the same attention as physical training and diet.

We’re going to explore why mental preparation can benefit athletes of all disciplines, and what you can do to prepare mentally for your next race.

What are the benefits of Mental Preparation?

Focus:

Preparing yourself mentally allows you to get out all your stress and anxieties surrounding the race prior to the event. This way you will be more focused on the day and able to enjoy yourself.

Confidence:

Being prepared for things that could go wrong on the day will make you feel more confident instead of worrying.

Resilience:

The mental strength that comes from mental preparation will make you more resilient, meaning you’re less likely to give up during training and on the day when things get tough.

Performance:

When all the above are improved, your physical performance is also bound to improve as a result.

How to mentally prepare yourself:

Mental preparation is ultimately about building confidence and tackling your nerves. We’ve put together few of our favourite tips for doing just that.

Don’t let a bad training session knock your confidence:

The key to building mental strength is not letting a bad day knock your confidence. Not every training session will be a success and that’s ok. Don’t panic, accept it for what it is and move on.

Don’t get overwhelmed, stay focused:

Looking too far ahead can be overwhelming and create feelings of anxiety. Focus on your training one day at a time and you’ll get where you want to be in no time.

On race day focusing on the run itself rather than the result will help ease any pressure you might have put on yourself.

Ignore other people:

It’s also unhelpful to focus on and compare yourself to other athletes. The best thing you can do during training is to just ignore everybody else. The only person who’s progress you should care about is your own.

Visualisation:

Picturing the finish line in your head and imagining how it will feel when you achieve your goals can be a huge motivator for some people. Visualising these things can also boost your confidence.

Address negative thoughts:

Recognising and addressing negative thoughts early on can be so helpful. Think about obstacles you might encounter on race day, then think about what you would do to overcome them. Preparing to overcome obstacles can help reduce anxiety and improve confidence.

Focus on the process not the outcome:

Be present and enjoy your training, fixating on the outcome of the race is unproductive and won’t serve you well. And don’t worry if you’re not where you want to be right away, training is how you will get there.

Takeaway:

A little mental preparation can go a long way for improving focus, confidence, resilience, and overall performance.

Next time you’re getting ready for an upcoming race, be sure to consider your mental preparation as much as physical training and nutrition, it could benefit you more than you might think.

Related Articles:

How to Prepare For A Marathon? 

Marathon Nutrition Planning: Fuel your way to the finish line