Race Strategy - Be a Thinking Athlete

by Marilyn McDonald
Endurance Corner


We are now into the thick of the race season. Your "A" races are here or just around the corner. You've spent months planning your training and planning your life towards this part of the year.

Part of having a successful race is coming up with a solid plan for your event well before your race day. I like to use the technique of having athletes actually write out their race plans starting with the day before the race, race morning and the event itself. I feel there is value in actually writing it out, really thinking about it and then having it to read back to you before and after the event.

Long distance triathlon racing is long! In other sports you might consider 15 minutes to two hours a long endurance event. We plan on being out there racing all day and maybe even into the night. A lot can happen in this time. It is a long time to stay focused and cope with adversity. Ask yourself these questions:

• What are your expectations from the event?
• What are you hoping to achieve and learn from this event?
• How are you going to stay on task?
• What are your refocus strategies when things outside your plan are thrown at you?
• Has your preparation matched your expectations?

Having an answer and a strategy for each of these questions will help you race to your potential.
It's great to lay out a nutrition plan, a pacing plan, expectations of yourself and how you'll deal with each task physically, mentally and emotionality.

Some athletes are going into their events prepared to go after a win or a place; some are just hoping to finish. Each will have very different situations thrown at them throughout the day. For everybody, it's a long hard event that ultimately tests our ability to adapt and push on to what we set out to do. That is key in endurance racing: adapt and push on to what we set out to do.

It's good to keep in mind things like your power meter may just not work that day, or you may forget to bring your watch. The guy you were going to race all day and compare yourself to is hurt and pulled out. The mile markers may be set slightly off. The swim course could be set slightly off distance.

When you are out there racing the single most important skill I think you can use is your internal gauge of pushing yourself to your best each and every step of the way. Be a thinking athlete.

Are you taking care of the things necessary to have a successful long race? Are you fueling well? Are you holding a pace that you know you can handle based on your fitness level and race distance? Is your form under control? Are you relaxed and focused? These are all indicators I think you can dial in on race day and adapt and change to continue to be successful as the day goes on.

There are things in your control and things out of your control. Focus on the things within your control!

Remember why you started this journey and why you're out there on the course. Embrace the challenge of the day and enjoy the fact that you are out there doing what you love.

See you at the races.

---

For more Marilyn, drop by an Endurance Corner Camp. She will be sharing her experience at our June Boulder Camp and July Women's Camp. USAT coaches will earn 10 CEUs for each.

3 Exercises to Train Your Mind

By Amanda McCracken
D3Multisport.com
 
What percentage of performance on race day is mental: 50 percent; 75 percent; 95 percent?
And how often do you train your mind?

Many athletes would readily admit that more than 70 percent of our performance depends on our mental outlook, yet most athletes spend little to no time training their mind.
Our mental race dialogue is built upon what we do in practice. We can't flip a switch and expect to have a positive mental dialogue (that we actually believe) during a race unless we've practiced the same dialogue in training.

Train your mind and prepare to battle negative race-day banter with three simple techniques.

Superman Booth

Clark Kent was a dorky awkward looking reporter badgered by Lois Lane until he stepped into a phone booth.

Create your own imaginary phone booth where you feel extraordinary. Step inside mentally and physically. Create your safe and magical space. What colors do you see? Does it sparkle? Is there a buzz or a particular song playing in the background? What smells do you notice? What three adjectives describe how you feel inside? Define this space for yourself. Try to channel your inner child to tap into your imagination. Practice stepping into this magical space before every practice. Come race time, your phone booth will feel powerfully familiar.

Helium Balloon

What does your inner voice say to you? Is it encouraging or does it drag you down into a mire of self-contempt? My inner voice is a skinny male elite marathon runner telling me I'm too fat to run as fast as the other girls I want to compete with. Solution? Simple. If I imagine giving that voice a hit on a helium balloon, I take away his power over me. Instead he sounds like a wimpy cartoon character who couldn't stand up to Bugs Bunny if he tried. 

Stickers

Give yourself permission to be a kid again. Leave yourself visual reminders of key words that contribute to a mantra in your head. I use address labels and stick them to my bike, water bottle or body. My words are positive but have no opposite meaning so that my mind doesn't twist them against me: swift, breathe, glide.

You can also leave Post-it Notes at your desk, on your mirror or by your nightstand with constant reminders of time goals or positive words you wish to use to override the negative voice before it takes that helium hit.

Perfect Practice

Like those tedious physical therapy exercises we neglect until our injury rears its ugly head, we forget these mental exercises until we are at the mercy of negative self-talk beating us into submission. If perfect practice leads to perfect racing, why not spend a little more time on your mental game before practice? Carve out one minute before your workout to train your mind with these techniques. You'll thank yourself come race day.

7 Ways to Stay Motivated During Long Training Blocks

By Breanne George


Running is both a physical and motivational challenge--requiring fitness, endurance and a solid plan of action. For many of us, the hardest part isn't preparing our bodies for the race, but rather staying committed to months of training. The following advice will help you maneuver around those motivational roadblocks you're sure to encounter leading up to race day.

1: Set Goals

According to Paige Dunn, a sport psychology consultant based in the San Francisco Bay area, it is important to understand exactly what motivates you to train for a particular race in the first place. Perhaps you overcame an obstacle in your life or are in the process of doing so. Maybe completing a marathon has been a lifelong dream or you want to support your favorite charity. No matter the reason, a solid understanding of why you want to run will motivate you even when times get tough.

Proper goal setting is the foundation of motivation, Dunn says. Start with your season or race goal and break it down into daily goals, which should be specific, realistic and measurable. "These short-term goals can be individual workouts or something more mental like, 'I'm going to relax during my run or focus on my breathing today,'" she says. Daily goals help to build confidence and keep you on track throughout months of training. Dunn encourages runners to create a mission statement for each race season. "As a runner, you need to understand why this race will be a significant achievement for you," Dunn says. For women who have been running for years, it is important to continually re-evaluate your goals "otherwise you're just going through the motions," she says.

2: Keep Track

Brian Baxter, a sport psychology consultant from Portland, Oregon, recommends keeping a training log to keep track of every workout. A day or two before race day, you'll be able to flip through your log for proof of all your hard work. This reinforces in your mind that you're well prepared and deserve to be at the starting line. "When you write down your goals, it's like making a promise to yourself," Baxter says. "One of the easiest ways to not achieve a goal is keeping it inside."

3: Share Goals

In addition to writing down your goals, it is important to share them with supportive family members, friends or even a local running group. Not only will these people be there to encourage you, but because they are invested in your goal, they'll also be the first to call you out if you've been slacking. "A solid support system will help you to stay motivated and be accountable," Dunn says. For an inspirational boost, runner Kara Thom says she corresponds with her best friend and former training partner on a regular basis to discuss each other's training progress. Thom, a mother of four children, says finding the motivation to run can be a challenge with her busy schedule. "My main motivation is knowing that I will be running the race with one of my best friends."

4: Keep Good Company

Scheduling a running date with a friend or group of runners like Team in Training is another way to stay motivated, says Ronda Jameel, a certified running coach and owner of Run2Dend, LLC, a Phoenix-based company specializing in training for beginner to intermediate runners. "You'll be less likely to forego your workout if you're planning to run with someone," Jameel says. Not only will a training partner keep you company, but he or she will be there to encourage you when it's a tough workout and you feel like giving up. Also consider running with your most loyal companion. "Dogs are great training partners because they are always excited to go running, whether it's a cold, rainy day or early in the morning," Jameel says.

If you prefer running alone, consider training with a coach, either online or locally. He or she will follow up with you on a weekly basis via phone or e-mail without having to be there physically while you run. "A coach keeps you accountable and knows in what areas you have more potential or perhaps need more assistance," Jameel says.

5: Spice Things Up

Months of running in the same location and at the same time of day can take its toll. Jameel recommends spicing up your routine by altering the scenery or time of day you typically run. "Do different kinds of training so you're not always running the same course all the time," she says. "Here in Arizona, we have great trails--some hilly, some flat--that train certain muscles and offer unique scenery to prevent burn out."


Also consider running certain days with a friend or listening to a new style of music or motivational audio. One of the best ways to beat boredom is to integrate cross-training exercises into your weekly routine such as yoga, cycling or swimming. "Aside from the mental benefits, cross-training exercises can help you improve your flexibility, strength, balance and more," Jameel says.

6: Make it Personal

The answer to staying motivated is a personal one--everyone has a different reason for putting one foot in front of the other. It is important to understand how you run best, whether alone or with a friend, first thing in the morning or late at night, on the trails or in your neighborhood. "There is no magical solution--you can't tell someone to be motivated," Dunn says. "They have to figure it out on their own." What is the first step to finding your motivation? Dunn explains, "Knowing yourself as a runner is key--what energizes you, excites you, inspires you?"

7: Train Your Mind

Sport psychology consultants Brian Baxter and Paige Dunn offer the following tips to prepare your mind for a successful run.

Visualize Race Day: Dunn asks her athletes to complete an imagery exercise where they write down their idea of a perfect race day. To try this exercise, visualize different aspects of race day such as what you'll be wearing, the visual and technical aspects of the course, and what it will feel like to hear your name announced at the finish line. Write down those thoughts.

Concentrate on Breathing: To keep your focus during a run, Baxter recommends circle breathing, which is breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. "When you start to lose your focus, circle breathing puts your mind in a relaxing, almost meditative state," he says. Get into a rhythm with your circle breathing. For example, concentrate on breathing in every fourth step and out every fourth step.

Listen to Music: According to Dunn, listening to your favorite music can inspire you and prevent boredom from setting in during your training runs. Try running with different styles of music to find the one that works best for you. You might surprise yourself and find that you enjoy running with relaxing music, such as R&B or classical, compared to upbeat tunes such as alternative or hip-hop.

Focus on a Project: Consider using your training runs as time to focus on a particular project. Whether planning for an upcoming meeting or thinking of ways to redecorate your home, productive thoughts will keep your focus, Dunn says.

A Mission Statement Helps You Focus on Your Goals

Paige Dunn
For Active.com 

Have you ever asked yourself why you do your sport in the first place? What brought you to the sport? How did you get started? Is it an important part of your life? Do you do it for yourself? Others? For enjoyment, for fitness, for peace of mind? Why do you get out there and do it?
 
The key to success in any area of our lives is directly related to our emotional connection to that area. If you don't have a clear understanding of why you train and compete in your sport, then it'll be easier to get off track, lose motivation and perhaps even lose the enjoyment that drew you to the sport in the first place.

Maybe you naturally gravitated to your sport because you had positive experience from a previous time in your life. Maybe you missed having sports as a part of your life. Or maybe you were just looking for a new challenge.

Whatever the reasons, try to become consciously aware of those reasons and make them work for you. Having a clear understanding of your connection to the sport will ultimately help bring you success.

Success in sport is a direct result of dedication and hard work combined with many other things. However, there will be times when you don't have time, don't want to work out or you may completely lose motivation. These are the times when we need a tool to help us persevere and stay dedicated. When it gets tough to keep going, we need that magic tool to help us. That "tool" is a mission statement.

Almost every company or organization has a mission statement -- a philosophy that drives what they do -- but do you have a personal mission statement? Writing a personal mission statement will help you discover the reasons why you're involved in your sport and can help you through those challenging days when you lose sight of why you're doing it in the first place.

Simply put, the mission statement will be your personal philosophy with regard to sport. What's your mission this year? Why do you do what you do? Your mission statement might not have anything to do with the sport itself and everything to do with adding challenge and adventure to your life.

Getting Started

Start by brainstorming a list of words that come to mind with regard to your sport, as well your passion and interest for it. Then you can create a phrase or even a paragraph that defines your mission statement. Some people take it one step further and create an acronym based on the words or short phrases they've come up with.

Live with what you've come up with for a few days and then revisit it to see if it fits. Once you feel good about it, write it down and put it where you'll see it frequently. In the front of your training journal? On your calendar? On your desk? Somewhere in your office? Whatever works for you, just make sure you'll see it!

And when you have one of those days when you don't want to get out of bed to exercise or you're stressed about a specific workout, read your mission statement and remind yourself why it's important to you.

If the reasons don't resonate with you anymore, then it's time to make a change -- either to your mission statement or your lifestyle. Maybe you aren't connected to the sport anymore and need a break, or perhaps a new challenge within the sport. Be your own coach and check in with yourself throughout the season.

If you commit to creating a mission statement and staying true to it, it can serve as an effective tool. Ideally, create your mission statement before setting your sport goals. Once you have a clear understanding why you're making this sport a part of your life, you can set goals that are in line with your thinking.

Paige Dunn is a sport psychology consultant and a competitive Ironman-distance triathlete. Paige counsels and educates athletes on the mental component of athletic experience through her private practice, Xcel Sports. In her practice, she teaches various sport psychology techniques to enhance performance: goal setting, motivation, confidence, relaxation, imagery, focus and concentration, and more. Paige has a great deal of success motivating athletes to perform at their best. She enjoys lecturing and is currently writing her first book.

Blog post by Elizabeth Waterstraat: Voices

from Monday, February 07, 2011

on http://elizabethfedofsky.blogspot.com/

 

Voices

The other day, one of my athletes wrote in his log about the voices in his head. He was in the middle of a big training block. Cumulative fatigue was building in the legs. And though he was just doing a long run with some rolling hills – no intervals, no target paces – he heard the voices. The voices that were saying maybe he should be running faster, is the pace too slow, is he on track, is he where he was compared to last year.

We’ve all heard the voices. At our weakest moments, we’ve listened. We’ve let doubt creep into our mind for whatever reason – insecurity, boredom, not knowing any better. We’re told not to look at the pace during an easy run yet we look and we compare. We wonder what so and so is doing in their training. We think what if so and so was our coach would we be faster. We wonder if we’re ahead. Or behind.

We waste a lot of mental energy.

I’ve heard the voices too. Coming back after pregnancy, let me tell you sometimes the voices chatter loudly. Are you running enough. Are you fast enough. Should 90 percent of threshold watts really feel this difficult. If you don’t go into a workout with your mind firmly set in confidence, you find yourself questioning. You lose focus. You give it a little less because your mind is so cluttered. I find when I go into a workout with my mind made up (I feel tired today, this workout looks too hard), the voices talk the loudest. They find my weakness. They talk hard to get me to listen.

On Saturday, I was two days away from finishing up three weeks of big work. The voices started to chatter; you're tired, you're not going to be fast enough. Did I listen? I managed the voices by keeping it in perspective. By the end of a 3-week build you shouldn’t be feeling too zippy. Good excuse to give up (I’m so sore!). To not even try (my legs are too tired to hit those watts!). We are at our most vulnerable when tired. The voices say to me – if you can’t run xx pace right now how are you going to hold that pace for xx miles in x weeks?

All I know is the work I’m doing. Slow or fast, I trust my body knows what to do with the work. It’s hard and I’m giving it my best. When I make up my mind about that, the voices turn off. They’re always there – but the best athletes learn how to manage them.

I’m convinced the voices work a little harder with those of us coming back to sport after a long layoff. That little voice in the back of the head: will I really be ready? Am I crazy for what I want to accomplish this year? Yet when I think about my upcoming races, there is more excitement than fear. I will be ready. When I look back, I realize my failures happened because I was not ready – I was unhealthy, I was driven by fear. I am different now. I am unafraid. Maybe because I have failed incredibly and realized that even in last place, even DNFing, you still wake up the next day and life moves forward. You are still smart, strong and loved. Results in sport do not define us. It is what we do within sport – our attitude, our energy that is defining.

What I’ve learned is that beyond the basic training, event readiness is a state of mind. You can control what the voices say. We set ourselves up for arriving at a race ready or not. We have it in our head that on this day of this month, we will stand at the start line prepared – and thinking it’s on. If you let your head fill with the voices of doubt between now and then, you’ll arrive at that same line thinking – am I really ready for this? When you doubt, you don’t race at your best – you race scared. Racing scared leads to distractions and mistakes; you overpace, you forget your fuel plan, you think too much.

I’ve got some big races this year. Will I be ready? I’m not sure what ready is. Is it running an x:xx mile? Is it being xxx pounds? I don’t know and honestly – I don’t care. When I try to rationally search for clues that mean I am ready it wears me out. I find myself thinking, well, for that race a few years ago I know I did this, this and that. Thoughts like that make my head feel confused and cluttered. It’s chatter that makes me want to cover my ears begging for silence. It makes me lose focus on what I am doing because I’m always comparing it to what I did.

All I know is that when I arrive at the start line of my peak races, no matter who is standing next to me, I will have nothing certain behind me except the miles, hours, and training sessions. Months of waiting and watching while pregnant where I wasn’t working on my fitness per se but was working on my desire. If the voices choose to show up on race day – that’s all I’ll have to throw back at them.

And I think that’s enough.

What I’m realizing in my training is that it all goes back to confidence. It’s something I learned many years ago. I was in a half Ironman – it was hot and hilly. I had about 3 miles to go. I was up against some fast girls that I kept seeing at every.damn.turnaround. What lied between me and the win was not excellent genetics, superior training or fancy equipment. The secret is: I don’t do flying dismounts, I don’t train 20 hours a week, I rarely run over 30 miles in a week and I only flip turn with a pull buoy. How I ever accomplished anything is beyond me, right? What lied between me and the win was confidence. I wanted to own those last 3 miles. The voices in my head didn’t stand a chance. Fatigue, pain – not listening. Confidence, I’ve said it before – it’s a firewall.

We’d all like to think there are special workouts that make us winners, a set body weight or perfect number of training hours but that’s not the case. What amazes me about human performance is that different body types, ages and training approaches can all achieve success. It’s not so much what they’re doing but how they’re doing it. They’re confident, they trust and they don’t listen to the voices in their head. Sure sometimes those voices chatter but they manage it. They don’t perseverate. It is what it is. They move on to the next day and do the work again. Consistency builds confidence. What you do tomorrow backed up by what you did today. All of the work – good/bad, fast/slow – adds up to preparation. Preparation meets confidence and then you have…opportunity. What you do with that opportunity is up to you.

Will you breakthrough or listen to the voices in your head.

Yesterday during my long ride, I listened to an interview with Kara Goucher. At 4 months post partum, she’s just begun her return to competition. The interviewer asked how mentally hard it is to be in the race with the top women in the world. She talked about the voices. She admitted sometimes to standing on the start lines, looking around knowing these women are fast and wondering if she’s ready. Even if you are prepared, there are always moments you are unsure of yourself. Her strategy: in those moments, you snap yourself back and say I am prepared. I am ready for this. It’s a belief system you have to subscribe to all along. You have to trust that the work you are doing will get you there. And once there, you will not only know what to do but you will do it.

We need as many defenses as we can get to quiet the voices. Something Kara talked about was making note of breakthrough workouts. Writing down the time you nailed the intervals, toughed through a cold day, finished strong. Before your race, you revisit those breakthroughs for confidence. So when you’re out on the race course and you encounter an obstacle or challenge, you know you can do it because you’ve done it before. Kara and I have something in common (no, I don't run 100 miles a week!), I write down my breakthroughs too. It takes no more than 5 minutes on a Sunday night. I go back and revisit all of my workouts and make a note. When I think about how I want to feel in a race, I want to feel like I did in those workouts. It’s much easier when I know which ones to go back to and try to reconnect to those feelings.

Sunday was the last day before I get some rest. On my schedule was a 3-hour workout entitled Hard – Repeat. Ow? I have no idea what that really means because I never look at the details of my workout until I am ready to start. One day at a time, one workout at a time. Yet the voices started early that morning – I’m tired. Yeah, I know. You’ve been going for a few weeks, you should be tired! But if I listen closely enough, I realize the louder voice is saying if we do this, it will be a big thing. One of those big things that I’ll write down on Sunday nght and revisit before race day.

Pedaling through a 30 minute warm up, I could feel that mentally this workout would be much more difficult than physically. But if I put my mind to it – I would nail this workout and a few months from now draw confidence with it. Over 3 hours later, I stepped off the treadmill and smiled. I did it. Sure, I was tired and it hurt, but I got it done.

The voices are quiet now. With each workout, they dampen just a little bit more until they become muffled white noise. I won’t hear them on race day. All I will hear is – you can do this, you’re ready, you’ve done this in training. Because that’s the way I’ve been practicing. Practice as you plan to race. Be the athlete you want to be in racing when in training. Learn to manage the voices, and feed them what you want them to say. You control you – in training, on race day. Actively create what you want to hear in your mind.

Posted by E.L.F.

Confidence

A lot of you have probably read this great blog post by Joe Friel that came out a few days ago, but I thought I would re-post it anyways because I think he's awesome and it is one of my favorite topics to learn about!

I believe that the most important thing an athlete takes to the start line on race day is confidence. It may even be more important than fitness or form. There are several things I do to help build confidence in those I coach. But the bottom line is that it has to come from inside. I can’t instill it; I can only encourage it and provide an on-going training experience that fosters it. Here are two little things I’ve learned along the way about how athletes can build their own confidence.

One of the things you can do to promote self-confidence is to build a bank account of successes. It’s easy. Every night when you go to bed, after you’re turned out the lights, you have the only time in the day when there are no external interruptions. This is a good time to run a quick check of the things you did that day in training. Find one thing you did well. It may not seem like a big deal. Maybe you climbed one hill well or had a good set on intervals. Relive that moment several times until you fall asleep. You just made a deposit into your confidence bank account.

Some of the deposits will be big, some will be small. But your account needs to grow each and every day. The week of a race you can start making withdrawals. Any time you feel a bit of anxiety about the upcoming race go back and pull one of those vivid success memories out of your account. Relive it. When the little voice in your head says you can’t do it make another withdrawal immediately. When someone expresses doubt about your chances of success make a withdrawal. When you step to the starting line make a withdrawal.
Never deposit the bad things or unwelcome moments in training. Never. Let them go. They’re trash. Stay focused on the positive experiences. Deposit only them in your account. Withdraw only them.

The second thing you can do to boost confidence and therefore performance is to “act as if.” Always assume the posture and disposition of a confident athlete. Always. Act as if you are confident. You’ll be amazed at what that does for your confidence.

So how does a confident athlete act? Look around and find athletes who exude confidence. What do they do and say that’s unique? Study them. What you will probably find is that they stand tall and proud. Their heads are up. They look people in the eyes when talking. They don’t denigrate others to try to elevate their own self-esteem. They move slowly, precisely and fluidly. Like athletes. It’s obvious they think of themselves positively.

Now you may not feel that way all the time but act like it anyway. Fake it till you make it. It’s remarkable how taking on the posture and demeanor of confidence breeds confidence even when you’re not feeling that way. It’s not possible to be confident with a defeated posture and demeanor. It’s like saying “yes” while shaking your head “no.” The two don’t go together.

So that’s the conversation I have with the athletes I coach when they need to build confidence. I’ve seen it work. Give it a try.

The Magic of Mantras

Think strong words. Repeat inspiring phrase. Run even better.  

By Christie Aschwanden  
From the February 2011 issue of Runner's World

Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz put in all the hard work expected of an elite distance runner. In preparation for the 2009 Chicago Marathon, she ran weekly long runs, tempo runs, and intervals, all at altitude in Boulder, Colorado. But despite arriving at the starting line in peak form, "I just didn't believe in myself," she says. Fryburg-Zaitz placed a disappointing 17th in 2:48:40, a full 11 minutes slower than she'd hoped. "I had so much doubt going into the race," she says. "I realized that I'd defeated myself mentally before I'd even started." So in April 2010, she sought the help of Stephen Walker, Ph.D., a sports psychologist in Boulder who taught her how to buoy her confidence. Walker's secret weapon? Mantras.

To achieve your running goals, powerful legs and big lungs aren't enough—you also need a strong head. Doubts and distractions can derail your attempts, but a well-chosen mantra can keep you calm and on target. "Repeating choice words whenever you need to focus helps direct your mind away from negative thoughts and toward a positive experience," says Walker.

Indeed, the Sanskrit word "mantra" literally means "instrument for thinking." As such, these short words or phrases have long been used to focus the mind in meditation, says David K. Ambuel, Ph.D., professor of philosophy at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.

Fryburg-Zaitz used a visual aid to remember her mantras. At the 2010 U.S. 20-K Championships, she lined up wearing a multicolored wristband. Yellow signaled control for the early miles. Red meant power, for the hills. Green represented compete, to focus on remaining with the group. Pink corresponded to run strong and blue was magnet—a cue to accelerate to the finish line. The colorcoding worked: Fryburg-Zaitz's top-10 finish earned her a spot on the 2010 U.S. World Half-Marathon Championships team.

With Walker's guidance, Fryburg-Zaitz chose wisely. An effective mantra addresses what you want to feel, not the adversity you're trying to overcome, says Robert J. Bell, Ph.D., a certified consultant of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. In fact, when discomfort strikes, the worst thing you can do is embrace the pain, says Walker. "When you start thinking, Oh, this hurts, Oh, I have a side stitch, Oh, my legs are tired—those negative thoughts pile on," he says. A good mantra diverts your mind from thoughts that reinforce the pain to thoughts that help you transcend it.

So what makes a good mantra? One that's short, positive, instructive, and full of action words. Walker suggests preparing multiple mantras before a race tailored to various challenges. And don't limit yourself to "real" words. A made-up word works for Tara Anderson, a 34-year-old runner in Boulder who recites, Lighter, softer, faster, relaxer. "I repeat it with each footstrike, and if I'm having a problem, I'll repeat the relevant part until I'm in the flow," she says. Her phrase helped her set a three-minute PR in a 10-K in 2009. Here's how you, too, can wring some running magic out of a few well-chosen words.




Do As We Say
RW staffers and the words that carry them through

Starting out easy?
"Pass no one."
—BART YASSO, Chief Running Officer

"Don't listen. Don't look. Just run."
—CHRISTINE FENNESSY, Senior Editor

"Light and smooth."
—MARK REMY, Executive Editor (Online)


Overcoming inclines...
"Claw the ground."
—DAVID WILLEY, RW Editor-in-Chief

"Hills are my friend."
—LORI ADAMS, Assistant Editor

"Just stay calm."
—TISH HAMILTON, Executive Editor


Summoning a kick?
"The strong get stronger."
—WARREN GREENE, Brand Editor

"Turn and burn."
—NICK GALAC, Associate Photo Editor

"Run fast, go past."
—CHRIS EVANS GARTLEY, Managing Editor


Conquering 26.2?
"One mile at a time."
—AMBY BURFOOT, Editor at Large

"Fast or slow, it hurts just the same."
—SEAN DOWNEY, Senior Editor

"Save it. Save it."
—JENNIFER VAN ALLEN, Special Projects Editor


Fast Talk
Mantras that help elites reach peak performance

"This is what you came for."
—SCOTT JUREK, running 165.7 miles en route to breaking the American 24-hour record in May 2010

"Define yourself."
—DEENA KASTOR, while winning the Chicago Marathon in 2005 and becoming the first American to win a major marathon since 1994

"You're tougher than the rest."
—SARAH REINERTSEN, in a half-Ironman qualifier that would earn her a spot at the Ironman World Championship, where she became the first female leg amputee to finish the event

"Think strong, be strong, finish strong."
—RENEE METIVIER BAILLIE, winning the 2010 USATF Indoor 3000 meters. She wrote the words on her hand.

"Make it or break it."
—NCAA steeplechase champion JORDAN DESILETS in 2004, while breaking the four-minute barrier in the mile during his last collegiate race at that distance

"Be water."
—The Bruce Lee mantra that Olympic middle-distance runner BOLOTA ASMEROM uses to feel smooth but full of force


Mantra Maker
How to put together your perfect phrase

Keep it short
Your mantra should be an affirmation, not a novel. "When you're tired, you don't want something elaborate," says Stephen Walker. "It's too hard to remember." Keep it to five seconds or less.

Stay positive
Think of the problem you're trying to counteract and turn it around. "If you're feeling weak, your mantra should be I am strong," says Walker.

Make it energetic
Your mantra should center on action verbs or strong adjectives, not abstract phrases, says Robert J. Bell. Look for words that convey energy, like "fast," "strong," or "power."

Embed instructions
Use the mantra to remind yourself what you plan to do or how you want to feel as you're running, says Walker. Now is the time; go for it. Or, Run relaxed. Finish strong.


BUILD IT, BELIEVE IT, BECOME IT
Choose one word from each section below to create a motivational, get-it-done power chant.

A
Run
Go
Stride
Sprint
Be

B
Strong
Fast
Quick
Light
Fierce

C
Think
Feel
Embrace
Be
Hold

D
Power
Speed
Brave
Bold
Courage

Talk Nice

Great article from Kristen Armstrong on positive self talk in her Mile Markers blog in Runner's World.  Here is a quote I love at the end, but I encourage you to read the whole article.

Can you think with me for a second about what we could really do if we stopped telling ourselves that we couldn't? If we changed old habits of self talk, and rephrased our way to victory? I challenge you to listen to the way you describe yourself, out loud and in your head. Stop yourself mid-sentence if you have to, back up, and restate your claim. Words are powerful.

Choice Words

Self-talk can be a motivational tool for runners--if what you're saying makes sense.  

By Gigi Douban 
Published 04/11/2007
runnersworld.com
 

Todd Utz, long-haired and mellow, isn't the trash-talking type. when he runs, his inner voice isn't goading him to crush the competition or to stomp out the slowpokes. Instead, when he hits a rough patch, he repeats a simple and unassuming mantra: "chug-a-lug." It suits the 35-year-old high school science teacher from Birmingham, Alabama. "I'm not really that competitive," says the two-hour half-marathoner. "I'm definitely very much a run-your-own-race kind of guy."

Just as it would be unnatural for Utz to chant "This hill is mine!" or "Kick some butt!" as he's charging a hill or the finish line, his reserved approach could fail to rally more aggressive runners. When Sarah Reinertsen, 31, was attempting to become the first female above-the-knee amputee to complete the Hawaii Ironman, which she did in 2005, she used a stronger call to action: "Show them that you're tougher than the rest."

Mantras--those short power bytes you play over and over in your head--can help you stay focused and centered. They can be your inner motivation when you need it most. Finding a mantra isn't hard: It can pop into your head as you're listening to your iPod, chatting with training partners, or flipping through a running magazine. But having one that suits you, as Utz and Reinertsen do, is the key to making it work. Trying to draw inspiration from a mantra that doesn't match your personality, the task, or even your mood at a particular moment of a run or race can backfire.

"The purpose of having a mantra is to evoke a certain feeling or sensation that will pull you along," says Gloria Balague, Ph.D., a sports psychologist and clinical assistant professor in psychology at the University of Illinois who has consulted with USA Track & Field athletes. "The words have to be right to draw the right response from inside of you. The wrong words will have no emotional echo, no emotional resonance. Self-awareness is an important psychological skill. You have to know what works best for you."
Find Your Voice
One way to develop your inner cheerleader is to remember thoughts you have while running well. If you're feeling especially strong or light on your feet, recognize those sensations and try to translate them into a saying. Balague recommends jotting down your postrun thoughts in a training log or journal. "You may start to find a pattern of things that occur when you're doing well," Balague says. "Motivational sayings may emerge that will help you replicate that optimal state."

Barbara Walker, Ph.D., an Ohio sports psychologist and seven-time marathoner, advises keeping mantras as simple as possible. "Repeating two words can become part of the rhythm of the run," she says. Walker often uses "tall and strong" and "light and focused."

This short-and-sweet approach works well for Deena Kastor, who holds the U.S. women's marathon record. When she ran her best 15-K in Jacksonville, Florida, in March 2003 (47:15, setting the U.S. record), she thought "extend yourself" throughout the race. "I was reading a book at the time that inspired me, A Practice of Mountains," says Kastor, who tends to pull mantras from books and songs. "'Extend yourself' was a way to project myself forward and try to catch, well, me." Over her career, Kastor has had dozens of mantras (for more on what motivates Kastor and other elite runners, see "Fast Talk"). "You have to continuously update and evolve where you get your inspiration," she says.

Of course, there are some occasions when it's okay for your inner voice to fall silent. Kastor says that on really good running days, even a two-word mantra is more motivation than she needs. "There are so many successful races where you're in the flow and nothing is on your mind," she says.

Balague advises having a stash of phrases or images that you call upon based on your mood or workout. "You're looking for different sensations depending on what you have to overcome," Balague says. On a long run, for example, you might want a phrase that keeps your pace nice and steady and helps you endure the distance. When you are racing a 5-K, on the other hand, you'd want to switch to something that will help you push harder and tap your inner superhero or speed demon.

Even tried-and-true mantras may not work on every run. Your go-to mantras, "pick it up" or "push harder," might inspire you when you stand a chance of picking it up or pushing harder. But giving yourself orders that you physically can't obey is more likely to discourage you than move you. "Telling yourself something that you don't believe isn't going to help," Balague says. "You cannot lie to yourself successfully." Instead, Balague recommends focusing on things you can control ("one foot in front of the other," "run tall," or "breathe easy"). These messages can ease performance-related stress and relax your body, helping you run better.

Sean Lloyd, a 30-year-old computer analyst and marathoner from Round Hill, Virginia, has about a dozen mantras he keeps in rotation. He usually settles on one at the start of a run based on how he feels that day. Lloyd says he tried a number of motivational sayings before finding a few that worked for him, including "I think I can, I think I can, I know I can." He'll experiment with them during a tough stretch of a training run. "When I can't keep focused on a mantra, I know it's not right," he says.

Indeed, Walker says to treat a mantra like a pair of running shoes. "You wouldn't wear them in a race without breaking them in," she says. "In the same way, it's important to take a potential mantra on a test run." If you feel silly saying it or it doesn't inspire you, then it probably won't work.
Fast Talk
Ever wonder what's going through the minds of top athletes? Here are some mantras that keep them pumped.

Gabriel Jennings Team Running USA member, 1500 meters
When Jennings, 28, was running for Stanford University, he memorized the Declaration of Independence. "During a run, I'd just repeat it," he says. Today, he reads a poem a day. "Often I'll take a stanza and run to it."

Bill Rodgers National Distance Running Hall of Famer
For Rodgers, 59, it's a word emblazoned on a poster of him winning the 1979 Boston Marathon. He used it at the 2006 White Rock Marathon. "I turned to my running buddy and I shouted, 'Relentless!' I ran my best time of the year."

Deena Kastor Olympic bronze medalist, U.S. women's marathon record holder
"Before I won the Chicago Marathon in 2005, my coach, Terrence Mahon, said, 'Today, define yourself.' This was so powerful; the entire race I repeated, 'Define yourself.' I've also used 'Go faster' and 'Push harder.'"

Alan Culpepper 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon champion
Culpepper gets through tough workouts with a host of mantras. "I say things like 'Stay focused,' 'Run hard,' and 'Make yourself breathe.'" He pushes through a struggle with "The pain won't get any worse, you can handle it."

Frank Shorter 1972 Olympic Marathon gold medalist
For Shorter, misery loves company--at least during a race. "At certain hard points in a race, I joke with myself and think, They [the other runners] can't be feeling that much better than I am right now."

The Pack Rules: Tough It Out

Happy New Year!!!!!  I am mentally weak when it comes to pushing myself and pain.  So I like this article because it gives some good ideas to help me!

Essential advice from runners and readers.  

By Yishane Lee
From the February 2009 issue of Runner's World

1. Break It Down
Forget the big picture; think small. "When things get tough, I know I can always run just one more mile," says Jess Norton of Seattle. Or try something shorter. Adrienne Ramsey of Hingham, Massachusetts, tells herself, "You can do anything for one more minute." Jeff Rothman of Los Angeles targets landmarks. "I say to myself, 'Get to that building 300 meters from here.' Then, 'Now get to that tree 200 meters ahead...'" Harry Thompson of Charlotte, North Carolina, uses moving targets. "I make a game of trying to pick off people who are ahead of me one by one," he says.

"I think, If I stop running, how am I going to get home?" -Josh via runnersworld.com

2. Repeat a Mantra
Follow the lead of elites, and tap into the power of words. "My favorite saying is 'Do or do not; there is no try.' It's from Star Wars," says Brian Sell, 2008 U.S. Olympic marathoner. Steve Prefontaine's "Pure guts race" inspires Octavius Bonacquisti of Austin, Texas, while Kellana Hindert of Cincinnati invokes Ryan Hall's "Run the mile you are in." A runner who wishes to be known simply as Jeff repeats Lance Armstrong's "Pain is temporary; quitting lasts forever." Heidi McIlroy of Kent, Washington, takes a different approach, talking trash-to herself. "I say things like, 'Legs, you're fine. No big deal. That hill? Hardly anything. Don't be such wimps, just keep moving.' Works like a charm."

3. See Success
Cara Hawkins of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, imagines she's racing against Bernard Lagat, Alan Webb, or Kara Goucher-and winning. Says a runner who calls herself Bunny of Ann Arbor, Michigan, "I think about the last guy that broke my heart-then I think about passing him." A runner named Vince, in training to go to Iraq, imagines outrunning an insurgent in a combat situation: "Any improvement now will have life-saving effects later." Police officer Katie, who patrols an urban area, reenacts foot pursuits on her runs. "The adrenaline kicks in, and I forget about the pain," she says.


The Tough Keep Going

85% have never dropped out of a race
70% say a bad run doesn't ruin their day
63% would never take a pill to PR
46% say their brains give out before bodies on long runs
40% have never cried during or after a race
Based on respondents to runnersworld.com polls



4. Think Hard
"I've learned that when I really focus on one thing, I won't think about what hurts," says James of Fort Worth, Texas. Lindsey Schaffer of Pullman, Washington, says, "I make sure my shoulders aren't tense, my footfalls are straight and firm, my back is straight, and that each breath is deep. The miles have passed before I know it." Patrick Gerini of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, says he concentrates on the sound of his footfalls and breathing: "I hypnotize myself this way." Ric Stewart of Lyons, Georgia, suggests thinking about body parts that don't hurt: "My index finger feels great!"

5. Remember the Reward
"I bargain with myself-I don't have to do anything for the rest of the day, and I can eat whatever I want," says Ashleigh Griffin of Midland, Texas. Margaret Turner thinks about her postrun steak and big glass of red wine. Kendra Pudlowski of Jefferson City, Missouri, reminds herself that she lost 118 pounds in the past year through diet and exercise. "I recently won my age division at a local 5-K," she says. "Running is what sets me apart from others around me struggling to be healthy."

6. Listen Up
"The best thing to keep me going is a song in my head," says Nathan Gringras of Richmond, Virginia. Like many runners, Joel Harrison of Fair Oaks, California, goes for the theme song to Chariots of Fire. "Mos Def & Massive Attack's song 'I Against I' helps me remember that it is only a battle between my mind and my body," says Cathryn Windham of Austin, Texas. John Frenette of San Francisco, likes all kinds of aggressive music. "It helps me dig deeper and re-channel energy," he says. Jean Owen prefers the spoken word. "When I feel like I'm about to give in, I switch to an audiobook," she says. "I like thrillers and mysteries-they keep me on edge."

7. Work Your Brain
Remi Hoffman of Berline Heights, Ohio, counts footsteps, while Simon Moyse of Snohomish, Washington, says he simply counts to 10 repeatedly. "Before you know it, you've done that 60 times and you're 10 minutes closer to your goal." Some smart runners make their minds really work. "I do mental math, like long division or multiplication," says Christine Cruz of Rockledge, Florida. "It's an easy way to keep my mind from thinking about how much longer I have to run." "I conjugate the verb 'to run' in Spanish in as many tenses as I can remember," says Jess Christensen of Earling, Iowa. "Corro, corres, corre, corremos, correis, corren..."

8. Don't Embarrass Yourself
"There's nothing worse than looking like a sucker walking down the road all sweaty six miles from home," says Joshua Lundin of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. "Having people around witnessing my run is like being accountable-as if I'm thinking about walking as soon as they're out of sight," agrees Ali Collier of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. "I form a mental picture of my proud family and their big grins at the finish line," says Julie Bledsoe of Greenwood, South Carolina. "It gets me through every time."

"I dedicated each mile in a marathon and kept running so I wouldn't have to fess up to walking anyone's mile!" -Annie Tindall Birmingham, Alabama

9. Keep It in Perspective
"I think about how I made it through delivering a nine-pound baby-twice!" says Griffin of Texas. "I remember when I went through a divorce, and when my house burned down," says Doug Widowski of Rockford, Illinois. "I remember how I have had surgeries on both my knees," says Noah Brooks-Motl. "And I've made it this far." Says Krista Englert of Rochester, New York, "I survived two combat tours to Iraq. Pain on a run is nothing that I can't handle."

10. Count your Blessings
"I remind myself that any kind of running is a luxury I am afforded," says Brenda Carawan of Virginia Beach, Virginia. "There are too many people who wish they had two legs to run on. I am thankful for the body I've been given." Kathie Cheswick of Thunder Bay, Ontario, works in an outpatient physiotherapy clinic. "I run a mile for the patients who have touched me the most," she says. "I usually run out of miles before I run out of patients to run them for."

Using the Mind to Heal the Body: Imagery for Injury Rehabilitation

Dryw Dworsky, Ph.D. & Vikki Krane, Ph.D.
Bowling Green State University 

from www.appliedsportspsyche.org

Being injured is no fun! Often it means that athletes and exercisers are in pain and they are not able to participate in the sport they love. Often when we think of being injured, it means that we need to wait for the body to heal. However, what if you learned that you might be able to speed up the healing process?

Research suggests that maintaining a positive attitude and using mental skills are related to a shorter rehabilitation. In fact, when Ievleva and Orlick (1999) compared slow and fast healers, they found that the fast healers:

• took personal responsibility for healing
• had high desire and determination
• had more social support
• maintained a positive attitude
• used creative visualization
• were less fearful of re-injury upon return to full participation

 The goal of this article is to introduce you to creative visualization and explain how you can use it to manage pain and complement your physical rehabilitation. First and foremost, you need to follow all instructions given by your doctor or therapist. Imagery is a skill you can use in addition to your physical rehabilitation exercises.

What is imagery?

• Imagery is creating a mental likeness to something you would like to have occur in real life

• Imagery involves using all of your senses to create or recreate an experience
• Using imagery can:
  • increase feelings of personal control
  • break up the monotony of physical rehabilitation
  • potentially enhance rate of healing

Lessons from Cancer Research on Imagery
Research has shown that cancer patients who use imagery gain many benefits. These include:

• increased coping with therapy

• promoted involvement in self-care
• improved mood
• improved quality of life
• increased sense of internal control
• improve immune response
• decreased post-op pain
• decreased post-op anxiety
• shortened hospital stays
• decreased amount of pain meds

*Each of these benefits will assist individuals who are rehabilitating a sport or exercise injury

How to Use Imagery:

• Relax (take a few deep breaths before beginning)
• Close your eyes and create a vivid and convincing image
• Maintain a positive attitude
• Have realistic expectations (imagery can help, but don’t expect a miraculous or immediate recovery)
• Use all of your senses to make the image as realistic as possible
• If your imagery session is not going the way you want it to, stop and start over… always be in control

USING CREATIVE IMAGERY

There are many uses of creative imagery. Whatever your goals, you can create an image that you find helpful. In the following, strategies focusing on pain management and healing are described.

Pain Management Imagery

• When our muscles are tense, pain often increases. So one way to reduce pain is to become more relaxed. Examples of relaxing images include:

• imagine tight muscles getting massaged
• see muscle fibers separating
• concentrate on feelings of warmth
• Sometimes it is helpful to distract yourself from thinking about pain. Some distracting images include:
  • being on the beach or floating in a pool
  • rehearsing sport skills
• Some people associate a certain image with pain (e.g., the color red, sparks or bolts of light). Use imagery to reverse these images.
  • if red is associated with pain, image the sore body part turning a soothing pale blue
  • focus on the bright light getting dimmer
• Additional examples of pain control images include:
  • feel heat/ice on sore body part
  • imagine swelling draining out of the body
  • imagine pain flowing out of the injured body part
  • if you have throbbing pain, image “pain bubbles” leaving the body with each beat

 Healing Imagery

• A healing image is one that symbolizes recovery
• It is an image that creates a mindset for healthy healing
• To develop healing images, ask yourself:
  • What images do you associate with injury and/or pain?
  • What images do you associate with being strong, mobile, or healthy?
  • What images remind you of healing?
• These images can be silly; remember that the image only needs to be meaningful to you.

 Examples of Healing Images include:

• Broken bone: cement filling in a break in a bone
• Torn muscle: muscle fibers braiding together
• Swollen body part: “bad stuff” draining out of the body
• Injured ligaments: ligaments getting thicker and stronger or tight muscles lengthening, stretching

A Sample Healing Imagery Script:
Take a few deep breaths … Concentrate on your breathing, feel the movements of your body … Just relax, sink into the chair/couch

Now focus your attention on your hurt knee … Notice what it feels like … See what it looks like, the swelling, bruising … Concentrate on reducing the swelling … Imagine a leak in your knee and see some of the fluid drain out … Concentrate on the swelling going down … See your knee returning the its normal size … Concentrate on the swelling going down … As your swelling reduces, notice your knee feeling more normal

Now turn your attention to feeling the knee getting stronger … See the ligaments coming together … Feel the ligaments getting tighter, growing together … Concentrate on the fibers getting bigger, stronger, tighter … Feel your knee getting stronger

Scan the muscles around the knee … Begin concentrating on your quad … Relax the muscle … Feel the muscle become loose and relaxed … To further relax the muscle imagine your quad being massaged … Feel the muscles being kneaded … Notice the relaxed feeling in your quad and all around your knee

Notice how your knee feels … concentrate on feeling relaxed … feeling stronger … You are getting better … enjoy the feeling

3 Tips to Build Mental Toughness

By John Rarity
Active.com

As an endurance athlete, I’m sometimes asked where I find the most challenge during an event. Is it the swim portion, elbowing for room through a pandemonium of competitors? Is it the bike as I strive to maintain my pace through a series of hills, or is it the run, the final stretch?

Without hesitation, I always answer the mental game is where I find the most challenge and reward.

I have experimented with focused breathing exercises to relax my mind before an event. I’ve used some of these techniques to relax my body and limber before the starting line, as well as urge a shot of energy the moment my body wants to back down.

Yet, as an amateur athlete who’s gone from a complete newbie to placing in the top three in my age group, I’ve been unable to maintain gains beyond certain strength and stamina thresholds.

From consulting numerous nutritionists to incorporating a variety of strength training programs, these barriers have persisted. Had I reached certain impassable thresholds in my physiology, or were they perceived? Was there no way around them, or did I simply lack the key?

Six months ago I came across a camp designed specifically to challenge and enhance the physiology of mind and body. The Kokoro Camp (Japanese for warrior) put on by SEALFIT of Encinitas, California, has in a relatively short period of time become the world’s premiere camp for forging mental toughness.

Founded by former Navy SEAL Commander, Mark Divine, along with his core group of ex-Navy SEAL instructors, Kokoro is based off of the famous Navy SEALs Hell Week concept with an emphasis on teaching through experience, rather than a focus on attrition. Each camp participant is provided with the tools via field and classroom instruction to push the body and the mind way beyond previously perceived limits.

In my particular case, it set those limits on a hard cement floor and crushed them into powder beneath the weight of 50 hours of intense physical training.

The concept behind the camp can be broken down into three main components:

* Mental toughness
* Full spectrum functional fitness
* Self awareness

Mental Toughness

This means precisely what is says, lessons and practical advice on teaching how to toughen your mind. Does this mean push-ups and sit-ups for the mind? Yes and no. Yes, in that physical exercise is the vehicle used for forging this type of toughness. No, in that you can’t literally have your mind do push-ups…

So how does it work? Simple. One step at a time. Have you ever been in a workout or race and found yourself completely, 100%, without a doubt out of gas? Of course you have. So what did you do? Most of us probably eased off the throttle, while others stopped and took a breather completely.

Don’t focus on what’s left in your race... just focus on the next step.

Assuming you’re not training with any injuries and it’s the mental component we’re dealing with, this is where mental training proves extremely valuable. Don’t focus on what’s left in your race or workout, don’t even focus on those around you, just focus on the next step. One foot, one rep, one stroke after another. Incorporate focused breathing to relax and invigorate your body—then carry on.

Self-Awareness

One key lesson learned after participating in the Kokoro Camp is the fact that our bodies are capable of more—way more—than we give them credit. As a matter of fact, on the third day of this camp, I actually felt my pushups, running and squats getting stronger! But ask me to sit down, or get up from a chair—and I was moving at the speed of a centenarian.

Can you be pushed too far? I don’t know, let’s see. At one point, I was asked to hold the ready push-up position with my feet on a log. Fine. Then I was told to hold this position while raising my right leg in the air… fine. Then I was told to hold this position while a crew of six men crawled between me and the ground.

No longer able to hold my right foot in the air, it simply collapsed on top of my left. I glanced at my teammates and noticed most had done the same. When the body is maxed, it’s maxed. And the instructors at Kokoro, as with most elite training programs, understand that.

It isn’t your time or total reps that ultimately count—it is the fact that you put in 100%. You weren’t holding back. No plans for the future or memory of the past. You simply put out for the moment and found you had enough to take you the distance.

Instead of my mind being in charge and “teaching” my body a new exercise, my body taught my mind a few things. One of these was the fact that it is capable of much more, if my mind will simply let it do what it needs to do to take care of that moment. Rather than waste energy on what happened or will happen, the body will take care of what needs to happen now.

Full Spectrum Functional Fitness

At Kokoro Camp, emphasis is placed on the following key fitness components:

Strength. Aside from endless amounts of push-ups and squats, there was the functional aspect of strength development through bear crawls, duck walks, and running on the beach with a 25 pound rucksack strapped to your back.

Stamina. Each day challenged us to continue at a high rate, race after race and rep after rep for several hours at a time.

Work capacity. Your work capacity never diminishes. We finished doing the same intensity and number of exercises the last minute of the camp as we did the first minute.

Endurance. It seems to go hand in hand with stamina, and often did. Yet, it was distinctly tested during particular “evolutions,” as the varying events were called, that lasted for several hours at a time.

Durability. This extended to our physical and mental (don’t forget the two go hand-in-hand) durability. From jumping into 60 degree ocean water and performing flutter kicks on our backs to over an hour of pushups on a cement floor carrying 25 pound rucksacks. How did we rest between sets? Kneeling down.

And finally, there is little in your life you will find as rewarding and enduring as making it through a mentally and physically challenging experience that pushes you to new limits—akin to challenging one of the world’s tallest peaks or traversing a vast ocean or desert.

When you come out the other side and take a glance at who you once were, you understand. You know in the deepest corner of your being that you have reached new heights, surpassed self-imposed limits and are now a much better athlete, family member, co-worker and overall person.

6 Tips to Push Past the Pain

By Christopher Percy Collier
Runner's World

In 2006, Michelle Barton tackled California's Orange Curtain 100K, which is 10 circuits on a 10K out-and- back course. "It stank," says the 38- year-old from Laguna Niguel, California. "It was one of my most painful races—mentally and physically." But then, around mile 50, she had an epiphany: "If it's going to hurt, I want it to hurt for a reason." She dug in, pushed hard, and won the race in 10:24.

Elite runners often say that their ability to push through excruciating bouts of discomfort is integral to their race performance. "After you've built up your base mileage, it's really about how much pain you can take," says Barton, who once ran five 100-mile races within six weeks. "You have to reach into yourself and find that toughness."

As runners propel themselves forward, some measure of discomfort is normal (provided it's not a sign of a serious issue). Muscles burn. Joints ache. Exhaustion sets in. However, research suggests that our pain threshold is not set at an unmovable level—that the mind can, to some extent, control it. "When I tell an athlete that they can adjust their pain level by using mental techniques, they're amazed," says Raymond J. Petras, Ph. D., a sports psychologist in Scottsdale, Arizona. "They often find that their performance increases dramatically." The following mental tricks—recommended by sports psychologists and used by elite runners—will help you redefine your limits.

The Pain: Feeling Sick in Anticipation of a Run

Deal With It: Remember Your Strengths
Researchers at the University of Illinois recently reported that athletes who believed they could tolerate leg-muscle pain performed better in a running test than those who doubted their ability to withstand pain. "Think of all the other challenging workouts and races you've done to remind yourself of how strong and capable you are," says sports psychology consultant and marathoner Kay Porter, Ph. D., of Eugene, Oregon.

The Pain: Struggling Through Mile Repeats

Deal With It: Run With Purpose
Don't dwell on how much you hurt. Rather, focus on your rationale for training. "Tell yourself, 'I'm working this hard because...' and then fill in your performance goal," says Jim Taylor, Ph. D., a performance psychologist and sub-three-hour marathoner in San Francisco.

The Pain: Climbing a ?@*#! Mountain

Deal With it:Repeat a Mantra
"If you connect pain with a negative emotion, you'll feel more pain," says Taylor. "Connect it with a positive thought, and you'll feel less." Create a positive affirmation you can call upon during tough bouts. It worked for Matt Gabrielson, who repeated "Go!" and "Do this now!" while racing the 2008 USA Marathon Championship and the 2008 Twin Cities Marathon — he placed second at both.

The Pain: Hitting a Low

Deal With It: Know It Will Pass
Seasoned runners like Barton know that pain not related to an injury is often fleeting, and this knowledge is sometimes enough to help ride out the unpleasantness. "I learned that the pain comes and goes, and so at future races I was ready for it," she says. "I could take it because I knew what to expect." During difficult moments, put the pain in perspective. Remind yourself that the discomfort is temporary, and each step forward is one closer to the finish. Research has even shown that pain is often purely in your head and not an accurate signal of physical distress. Keeping this in mind will enable you to push through the discomfort so you can run faster or longer.

The Pain: Long-Run Fatigue

Deal With It: Think of the Payoff
"Don't get too emotionally involved with the pain or get upset when you feel it," Taylor says. "Detach yourself and simply use it as information." Ask yourself where the pain is and why it's happening. And if it's not related to an injury, then acknowledge that this could be an indication that what you're doing is going to help you reach your goal. "Some types of pain tell you that you're pushing yourself, that you're getting better," he says.

The Pain: Gutting out a Hard Patch

Deal With It: Distract Yourself
"Focus on something else while also staying in the moment," says Gabrielson. At mile 18 of the 2006 New York City Marathon, Gabrielson felt a pounding in his quadriceps. "I had to find a way to channel the pain," he says. His solution? As he ran, he studied the faces of the people on the sidelines. Most of them, he recalls, were smiling, cheering him on. Focusing on the pleasure of others around him was just enough to take the edge off and help him reach the finish line in 2:19:53.

Stop Right There

Running your best often means going all out, but certain pains are warning signs you shouldn't ignore.

Sharp, sudden foot, shin, or hip pain that worsens as you run
It's possible you have a stress fracture, says Heather Gillespie, M. D., a sports-medicine physician at UCLA. Take time oft from running and make an appointment for an x-ray.

Limping
This could be the result of a muscle or ligament tear. "Any pain that causes you to change your form should make you stop," says Lewis G. Maharam, M. D., medical director of the New York Road Runners.

Chest pain, extreme sweating, breathlessness
These are symptoms of a heart attack, says William Roberts, M. D., medical director of the Twin Cities Marathon.

High body temperature; dry skin; vomiting
This could be heatstroke, which can be life threatening, says Dr. Gillespie.

Severe stomach pain; diarrhea
These are signs of an intestinal problem called ischemic colitis, which tends to occur during prolonged exercise.

—Nicole Falcone

Pain Tolerance in Sport

Eddie O’Connor, PhD, CC--AASP
Performance Excellence Center

from appliedsportspsych.com

Pain is ever-present in sport.  An athlete’s ability to tolerate pain is essential to success. Pain provides valuable information about your body and how it is performing.  To maximize its usefulness it is important to understand what kind of pain should be listened to and what type is helpful or safe to work through.

First, we must define the different types of pain you can experience:

• Fatigue and discomfort.  This is an unpleasant feeling produced by effort, but not strong enough to be labeled “pain.”  Athletes learn to be “comfortable being uncomfortable,” as such efforts are a regular and necessary part of most sports.  With continued effort, discomfort can turn into …
• Positive training pain.  This pain often occurs with endurance exercise, and includes muscle fatigue and sensations in the lungs and heart that can range from unpleasant to what is typically thought of as pain.  It is neither threatening nor a sign of injury. Because athletes know the cause, are in control of their effort, and recognize that these feelings are beneficial and can enhance performance.  In short, positive training pain is a good sign of effort and improvement.
• Negative training pain is still not indicative of an injury, but goes beyond positive signs of training benefit.  An example may be extreme soreness that lasts for days.  There may be an overtraining risk.

• Negative warning pain is similar to negative training pain, with the added element of threat.  It may be a new experience of pain and a sign of injury occurring.  It typically occurs gradually, and allows the athlete to evaluate potential training causes and respond appropriately.
• Negative acute pain is an intense and specific pain that occurs suddenly, often a result of injury.  It is often localized to a specific body part and is labeled as threatening.
• Numbness is rare but of very serious concern.  It is when the athlete feels nothing when soreness, fatigue or pain should be felt.  Instead, limbs are numb.  This may be a sign of serious injury or pushing one’s body past its physical limits.

We will focus on positive and negative training pain and save negative injury pains for another article. 

How you react to your pain is important. 

• If you interpret your pain as threatening, or if you focus on the pain rather than concentrate on your sport, the pain will increase and interfere with your performance. 
• On the other hand, if you view pain as something that is natural and necessary and interpret it as a sign that you are working hard and achieving your goals then your pain can be an ally. 
• Many athletes find that recognizing that they are not alone in their pain is helpful.  The athletes playing with them also hurt, and the challenge of tolerating your pain may add to the competition.  In addition, athletes often report great satisfaction after persevering through a painful training session or competition.

Accepting the reality that pain is a part of training and competition may be most helpful.  You cannot perform at a high level and not experience pain.  Comfort and performance excellence are mutually exclusive.  You cannot have them both.  Prior to exercise, decide how much pain you are willing to experience to achieve your goals.  When pain shows up, be willing to feel it fully as part of your experience.  Let your pain be in service of your greater goal.  You may be surprised to find your pain suffering will be lessened when you allow pain to be a part of sport.

More on injury and rehabilitation pain at a later date (you are not advised to push through injury pain) … but until then, “Be willing.”
References

1. Addison, T., Kremer, J., & Bell, R. (1998). Understanding the psychology of pain in sport. Irish Journal of Psychology, 19, 486-503.
2. Taylor, J., & Schneider, T. (2005). The triathlete’s guide to mental training. Boulder, CO: VeloPress.

Sport Imagery Training

From Applied Sports Psychocology

What is imagery?

• Imagery is also called visualization or mental rehearsal
• Imagery means using all of your senses (e.g., see, feel, hear, taste, smell) to rehearse your sport in your mind.

Why should you use imagery?

1. To help you get the most out of training. Top athletes use imagery extensively to build on their strengths and help eliminate their weaknesses.
2. To compete more effectively. Imagery not only helps athletes to regulate the anxiety they experience during competitions, but also helps athletes to stay confident, focused and mentally tough.
3. To speed up your progress on the road to top. Athletes who have reached the highest levels in their sport have used imagery throughout their career as a tool for developing their sport skills.
4. To help stay motivated along the way. Imagery is also a tool that can help athletes to maintain a vision of what they would like to achieve in their sport. Athletes can also use imagery to assist them in setting their daily goals, as well as to stay motivated during tough training sessions.
5. To keep in top form when training is not possible. Injuries will inevitably occur during athletes' careers, which will cause them to miss training sessions. In these situations, athletes can use imagery to help them to maintain their abilities during the rehabilitation process and to help them cope with their injuries. Imagery can even help the healing process to move along more quickly.

How do the best athletes use imagery?

From studying how the best athletes use imagery, we know that imagery is most beneficial when it is:

• Vivid and detailed
• Incorporates all senses (see, feel, hear, smell, and taste)
• Occurs in "real-time"
• Has positive focus

Tips for getting started

1. Practice makes perfect. Imagery is a skill, and, just like any skill that you perform in your sport, you will need to practice in order to be perfected.
2. Quality... not quantity. Because imagery is a mental skill, you will need to concentrate on creating and controlling your images, which can be tiring when you first get started. For this reason, it is best to begin your imagery training by imaging high quality images for short periods of time, and then gradually increasing the time you spend imaging.
3. Set the scene. Try to make your imagery as realistic as possible by re-creating important details of your sport setting (e.g., practice and competition venues) in your mind's eye. By including details like the color of your opponent's uniform or the sound of the spectators' cheering, you will feel like you are really experiencing the performance that you are imaging.
4. Plan your imagery. Images of your sport can frequently pop into your head, but to really benefit from imagery, you should plan the content of your imagery to meet your current needs. Here are just some examples:
   1. If you are struggling to perform a certain skill or strategy in game situations, you should try imaging yourself performing that skill or strategy perfectly and confidently in an upcoming game.
   2. If you often let distractions get in the way, try imaging yourself staying relaxed and focused in the presence of those distractions.
   3. If you have problems handling your nerves in competition, try to imagine yourself performing exactly the way you want to under those conditions that normally would make you nervous.