How to Have Confidence on Race Day

Are you afraid of pushing too hard?                                            Do you feel like you hold back on race day and are disappointed with the result?

Former Olympian Lynn Jennings shared that her best races were ones in which she wanted to quit halfway through. Why? Because she was out on the edge, pushing herself physically, and having to fight herself mentally to keep pressing against that edge. The result was championship level performances. It is particularly important that runners know how much the mental race is a huge factor in determining their performance in the physical race.

The most important thing in the mental race is confidence.

Confidence comes from positivity: positive self-image and positive thoughts about workouts, teammates, coaches, family, and friends. Everyone has doubts and negative thoughts. It is, however, what you choose to do with those thoughts that matters. I would never tell athletes that a workout was easy. The term easy was not used in our program. Runners need to be proud of themselves and gain confidence that comes from the knowledge of completing something difficult and doing it well, despite how hard it was.

All of us have a little, critical version of ourselves, sitting on our shoulders during races. This little self tells us we are going too fast. It challenges our sanity. It demands that we slow down. It ridicules us for thinking we can race at such a pace. The voice is negative and demeaning and critical. Now here is the key: Do not ignore that voice. Instead, have an answer ready. The secret is to respond with positive facts, such as, “I have done the workouts to be able to go this fast . . . I have trained for this goal . . . I have prepared for this challenge, for this race, for these competitors.” Make sure you have an answer that emphasizes positive and fact-based responses to dismantle that negative voice.

It is essential to have real tools, as well as reinforcing positivity. The goal-setting activity described next helps provide positive, factual reinforcement of the runners’ realistic goals, based on their own actual workout results. They can race this fast because they have practiced for it and planned for it.

Goal Setting and Confidence

Runners can use a goal sheet to write down and commit to their goal time, place, pace, and what they specifically planned to do to execute this plan. Following the race, perhaps the next day runners should complete a self-evaluation of their race. Include three things they did well and three things they wanted to improve for the next race.

This self-examination/documentation is particularly important and productive. Everyone needs to know where they currently stand, where they are going, and how to achieve and get there. When there is weakness, it is imperative to understand it. The more the runners know, the clearer and more confident they can be about the plan to improve.

The power of visualization is vital to success in running.

My runners always did a mental race prior to the actual race. Research has shown that a focused mental approach has statistically significant physical benefits. Visualizing a race in their mind can cause a runner to race faster. It is science! Teach the mental race technique prior to the first race of the season. Have the runners lie down or put their heads on a classroom desk. Tell them to relax and begin to visualize the race site and scene as you describe it. Take them through the race from start to finish in approximately three minutes. Emphasize positive visual cues. Here is a brief example:

“You are at the starting line, and you feel great. The warmup was the best. you have done.  You know you are prepared. The Race Plan you prepared is great.. The starting gun goes off, and you get a terrific start—not too fast . . . exactly right. You settle into a good spot and make that first turn. You are right where you want to be. As the race continues, you start to pick off runners who started too fast. You hit the first mile mark and check your split. You are on pace, and more importantly, you are feeling the best you have ever felt in the first mile.”

The mental race goes on until the runner crosses the finish line in a great position and with a time under what he/she has planned. The athlete feels great.

Mantras and confidence

The final tools for mental race preparation are called mantras. These are short phrases that the athlete can repeat over and over again to give themselves confidence, fight negativity, and have something to focus on when things inevitably get tough. Examples of mantras are, “I can do this,” “I am prepared,” or “I am strong.”