3 Rules to Racing
Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned runner, the rules to racing are very simple. They help maintain a positive and optimistic outlook on your performance and help to bulletproof you mentally. While there are several that could be listed, there are three in particular that I feel will put you in the best position to race well. They seem simple but as you analyze your thinking when things get tough you will see just how quickly you start to break them.
Never start a race with an excuse. Starting a race with excuses is a death sentence and you might as well not even run the race. I guarantee you, when you’re tired you will use them. They will shut you down mentally and all you will be able to think is “I can’t do ____, because of _____”.
Everything is an advantage if you allow it to be. This works very closely with Rule 1 in that excuses instantly put you at a disadvantage. Weather, soreness and courses are all common disadvantages that people allow themselves to have and state them as if they are the only one’s dealing with it. Everyone is running in the same weather, on the same course and most are likely sore. There can be no disadvantages if you expect to be successful. Hot day? Good, you love to run in the heat. Hilly course? Good, you run a lot of hills (and read this article on how to run them ). Sore? Good, this means you had a good week of training.
You have to have a short memory. Whether you’re successful or fail at your race, you have to move on quickly. Focusing on great performances, prevents you from seeing the progress that can be made and often times makes people complacent. While, dwelling on how poorly you ran doesn’t allow you to use the failure to grow and improve. I’m not saying that you can’t use the motivation from a great or poor performance, you just can’t get too focused on the past.
To see just how often runners break these rules, hangout at a finish chute. You will hear waves after waves of people coming through, spewing excuses about why they didn’t PR or hit their goal time. They’ll talk about previous races and why they ran better. They’ll talk as if minor inconveniences reversed all of their hard work and training. The funny thing is, they will be almost all the same.
When trying to implement these rules, you will not be perfect. It’s a skill that needs to be practiced, and no matter how good you get, like running, there will always be off days. It’s not about being flawless, it’s about recognizing these thoughts, changing your mindset and moving forward to perform your best.