Your attitude matters!
Sometimes you can do absolutely everything right and things won’t fall into place. Whether it’s a race that doesn’t go well or an entire season that falls flat, you have to be able to find the positives in every situation even if that feels like an impossible task. I have always believed runners find their most amount of success when they are mentally at their best. This sport requires us to dig deep and face some pretty tough demons. If we don’t have the ability to face our fears with a positive mantra or two, then, we are more than likely going to struggle when things get tough.
I believe training cycles can be the ultimate analogy for running a race. You will have ups and downs in training just like you will on race day. If you give up on yourself early in a training cycle because things are tough, then, you are most likely going to have that same attitude when you struggle early in a race. Everything we do on a daily basis in our training runs, workouts, races, or core exercises have an impact on the bigger picture. It’s cliche and probably emphasized over and over again by your coach but your attitude absolutely matters.
If you build the narrative in your head that you suck after every hard run or effort, then, you most likely are going to have trouble overcoming the hardships of the sport when they arise. Whether you are training for a marathon or 5k, you are going to be tired from training. That’s the nature of this sport. And you know what? Training through fatigue is not a bad thing! In fact, that fatigue is simulating how you will feel when you are required to run fast on race day in the last mile when you feel at your worst.
If we have no experience practicing how parts of race day will feel throughout training, then, we will be unprepared when we are required to compete hard in our respective goal races. The best advice I can give to anyone is to not put pressure on the numbers in training. Show up every day with the attitude that you are going to do the best job you possibly can on that day of executing the plan in front of you. Be realistic in knowing that we aren’t going to be perfect. If you miss the paces in a workout or a goal time in a race, find ways to be positive about the experience. Every hard effort is a chance for us to gain mental and physical strength. Our results aren’t always going to line up on the days we want them too.
However, I can almost guarantee you that if you train hard and consistently, then, you are going to have your day in the sport. Value every good, bad, and meh run that is out there. Enjoy the process of grinding the miles, training with friends, and relish the opportunity to chase the future runner you want to become in the sport. I had my best cycle of competition when I stopped worrying about goal times and focused simply on becoming a stronger runner mentally and physically. We can choose to be scared of race day and let it control every one of our emotions or we can look at it as a reward for all the hard work we have put in. We are very lucky to have the opportunity to compete in this beautiful sport. Good luck!
*We are currently accepting new clients. Please email contact@spewaktraining.com to schedule your free 30 minute consultation meeting.*
