Derek Stone
Are you doing enough to mentally prepare for big races? We all know that endurance sports, especially long-course triathlons, take a lot of physical preparation. However, don’t underestimate the importance of mental preparation, especially if you find yourself chasing down a competitor, striving for a World Championship slot or simply pushing the limits to set a PR.
I am going to discuss three examples that laid the foundation for these principles. First, don’t let hope replace action. You can set goals and want to perform well but you must decide where you can push the boundaries of comfort. Second, don’t let a failed goal stop you from executing and continuing to pursue the same goal or new goals. Things rarely go as planned but we can’t throw in the towel at the first sign of adversity. Lastly, don’t let how you think you should feel determine how you actually feel. We can all draw from past experiences where we can predict how we will feel. This should not be an indicator of how you will perform. People have accomplished extraordinary feats in less-than-ideal conditions. Always begin the task.
While these three stories are examples from middle distance track events, the principles apply to any facet of life. At Working Triathlete, we strive to be the best version of ourselves on and off the race course.
Don’t Let Hope Replace Action
I can’t think of a single example where a person does not want to perform well. We set goals, visualize and hope for a desired outcome. In some cases, we become obsessed with a goal and fantasize about the moment of success. While I don’t want to discourage anyone from visualizing success, we must be intentional with our actions to achieve that success. The more we hope and fantasize about an outcome, the less we work towards that goal.
There was a familiar phase I heard throughout college. “Hope is an excuse for doing nothing.” This was the response my coach uttered when I stated “I hope we win” during our discussion about pursing a conference title in the distance medley relay. My coach implied that we must do the necessary work to reach our goals rather than rely on hope.
As the relay team prepared for the 2009 indoor track and field GLIAC Conference meet, we knew if we wanted to win, we had to be ready to fight for the win. With five teams perfectly capable of winning, fitness and hope would not be enough to get us to the finish line ahead of the other competitors.
The race unfolded just as expected. Five men, in a single-file line, charged down the last straight as the finished the 800m leg and prepared to hand the baton to the anchor leg running the 1600m. I took the baton in 2nd place and jostled for the lead position over the next seven laps. As we entered the bell lap, I took the lead. With 200m to go, I knew the race was far from over. The arena rumbled with a roar so loud which indicated the victory has yet to be decided. Once again, I was passed with 100m to go. As my vision blurred, I had to make a choice to go to a place I have never been before. My muscles began to seize up and my lungs burned as my diaphragm displaced the carbon dioxide from my body. I made one more move on the last curve, covering more ground than the leader but this was necessary if I wanted any chance to win. The crowd roared even louder as I took the lead with 50m to go. We won- note because we hoped to, we prepared all season, and we were mentally ready to run the race of our lives.
I am not implying you can’t hope for an outcome. Visualization can be a great practice, but you might find you are not acting if you are only relying on fantasy and hope. It is a good practice to think about what you want to accomplish, but you also must be willing to act and focus on the task—and this ability is honed in training. There are going to be moments in triathlon that test you, and you need to be ready to act.
Don’t let Failed Goals Stop You from Executing
Setting goals is not a new concept. We do it daily in triathlon, our career and even with our personal growth. There will come a time you may even miss your target, unless of course, your goals are not challenging enough. If you fall short, this isn’t the time to bail. This is the time to continue executing.
Fast Forward to the 2011 indoor track and field championships. I toed the line on day two for the mile. I was one of the top seeds in the race, but I had my sights set on multiple goals during that race. Not only did I want to win the conference title, I wanted to shave two seconds off my PR, break the school record, and post a time fast enough to get into the NCAA Championships. Prior to the race, I spoke with a couple of top contenders to see if we could get out fast and post a time quick enough to get into NCAAs. They were willing, but championship races rarely go to plan.
“On your marks...” then the gun cracked. The race was off, and it seemed like a good start. We rounded the first lap + 9 meters in 31 seconds. This was perfect pacing. But almost immediately the paced slowed WAY down. We went through the next two laps in 67 seconds. We were way off target. There was no coming back from that. I instantly took off in hopes that the field would follow, but quickly let off the gas. As I completed the math equations in my head, I knew there was no way we would run a time fast enough to break the school record or get into NCAAs. I became discouraged and began to slow down even more. Five athletes passed me over the last few laps. My biggest goals faded right in front of me, and I nearly became emotional during the race. When I approached the last 400, however, I had a sudden mental shift and committed to finishing strong. I clocked a 57 second 400 to pass 5 athletes for the conference title.
I was so focused on one goal that I just gave up in the middle of the race. Fortunately, I had a change of heart that allowed me to accomplish one goal.
In long course triathlon, there is no question you are going to face adversity. So many factors can contribute to a disrupted race. Don’t give up if something doesn’t go to plan or you miss a target pace. You may flat, lose your nutrition, or even crash, but the race isn’t over until you cross the finish line.
Don’t ever give up! Focus on the here and now.
Don’t let How You Think You Should Feel Determine How You Actually Feel
We live busy lives and juggle a lot of responsibilities. Sometimes we may carry additional stress from work or immerse ourselves in a home project that leaves us exhausted. It may be tempting to skip a workout or allow negative self-talk to invade our emotions before a race, but we can’t let that feeling determine an outcome before we start. This is the time to focus on the task ahead.
A lot of changes happened in May 2011 as I finished school, graduated and started working full time. While I was officially done with college, I still had several races on the calendar as I wrapped up my college career. I was eager to make money even though I was on the bottom of the pay scale working as an assistant manager for a retailer. The unusual schedule and standing all day were not a recipe for a high-level performance.
Warming up for the 1500m prelims was a shock to the system. I felt sluggish and heavy. Standing on my feet for 40 hours leading into the championship weekend was not a good idea. Part of me already moved on from my college athletic career as I wasn’t sure if my season’s best time in the 1500m was good enough to get me into the NCAA Championships. While the conference meet provided another opportunity to hit a qualifying time, I was fully aware it would likely be a tactical race just like the mile race at the indoor track and field conference meet. Plus, we had to test our fate in a prelim to get into the finals the following day.
I do not remember much about the prelim that evening. I can only recall how bad I felt, and that I literally saved enough to outkick one single competitor from a rival school. Although I didn’t know it at the time, that last kick I had in the prelim was enough to get me into the final. I had one more chance to race.
As I began to mentally prepare for the 1500m final the following day, I had to remind myself I beat every person in the race at the mile earlier that year. This was, so I thought at the time, the last race of my college career. I’d better make it count.
The previous day was weighing on me and I felt exhausted from a taxing week at work. At that point, I realized dwelling on these negatives wasn’t helping. I had to block everything out and just compete. Just as predicted, the race started out slow. I was happy about this as it provided an opportunity to settle in over the first 1200m. The race itself didn’t even start until the group began to shuffle for position heading into the last lap. The pace picked up and I knew once we hit the backstretch with 300m to go, it was really going to heat up. When the leaders made their move with 300 to go, I was far out of contention. But then something clicked and I reminded myself this may be my last opportunity. Halfway down the backstretch with about 250m to go, I found another gear and began picking off athletes one by one. By the time I hit 150m to go, I was in 4th place and closing. I dug for one more gear over the last 100m and continued to close on the leaders, but it wasn’t enough. Less than a second separated my 3rd place finish to the victor. As soon as I crossed the line, a coach from a rival school shouted, “if you had 20 more meters, you would have won!” He was probably right, but race isn’t 1520 meters. I knew I was gaining, but it wasn’t enough.
Even though I didn’t win that race, I couldn’t’ be upset with the outcome. I was less than two seconds off my PR in a sit-and-kick race. I also knew I raced to my potential that day and was proud to block out the negative thoughts that plagued me the day before the race.
Just this past weekend Working Triathlete hosted a 5k Time Trial and an athlete made a comment about how they were throwing a hammer around all week during a home remodel. I reminded them that it is okay to feel soreness, but to not let that discourage them from putting in a strong effort. Without hesitation, they went out at their goal pace and ran their fastest 5k since high school.
We all have times where we feel exhausted or we may think we are exhausted because, at one time, something told us we should feel a certain way. I am positive anyone reading this can think back to a time where they just did not feel like they could complete a workout but, after the warmup and that magical lap button, something clicked in their brain and they were ready to go. Never judge a race or workout until you’re in it.
Conclusion
Whether you are gearing up for your first big race or are a seasoned athlete toeing the start, past experiences will influence your behavior and mindset before, during and after a race. While each experience can provide a clue as to what’s to come, it is up to you to decide to focus on the task at hand rather than a failed goal, a negative physical or mental feeling or rely on hope to reach a desired result.