You Are Worthy Of Having A Magical Day
Your long runs are getting longer, you’re dialing in marathon (or your targeted distance) pace, you’re riding out the last few weeks of warm, summer runs, and looking towards the big goals you have set for the fall. It’s a special time of year for road racing, with three marathon majors and the US Marathon Championships ahead, and while mountain season is winding down for trail enthusiasts, there are still a handful of major trail races on the docket. With all the focus on ramping up the physical work, what can we be doing at this stage of the training block to be preparing mentally for our final goals of the year?
The first thing I usually like to tell athletes early in the training block leading into an A goal race is: believe in yourself and your goals now. It’s a tumultuous place to put yourself in if you wait until you have X number of sessions under your belt in order to prove to yourself you believe in your vision. While the accumulation of training is certainly there to bolster your confidence in your abilities and strength to go the distance, it’s weakened if you don’t stoke the initial flame with self-belief. And maybe, the key to cultivating self-belief is first just being curious about what you can achieve - not just in a race environment, but on a day to day basis. There are opportunities for growth (and maybe even more so) in the mundane - seize them, gather them, and use them as fuel as you inch closer to the big dance.
Another coaching colleague of mine, Mary Denholm, also shares this philosophy as well, and added the need to be proud of yourself right now and at every stage of the journey - not just immediately after you’ve achieved an outcome-oriented goal. You’re probably reading this thinking, I get it, but that’s way easier said than done. A tangible way I like to build self-belief and pride in where I’m at in the moment, is bringing detail to the present by writing myself brief letters during different stages of the training block. It’s especially impactful to write one at the beginning, circling back to it pre-race. Write about your struggles and triumphs. Write about your fears but also how you’re working to overcome them. As you get closer to race day, take the time to read the notes you’ve written and how you have evolved. Let your personal evolution over the past few months fuel your belief that you are capable of achieving -and worthy of having- a magical day.
We talk about writing down goals and putting them in place where you see them every day. I’ve done this with specific time standards I have chased in the past, and it’s certainly powerful to remind yourself of exactly what you're setting out to do. More recently, though, I have moved towards choosing something more process focused but that is critical in achieving the outcome goal. I began sharpening up for my late October goal race towards the end of July. I decided to write, “Practice doing hard things with a good attitude,” as my focus.
A self-reflection on a handful of races in the past year indicated to me that this is an area I could work on improving. I’ve seen this quote taped to my mirror for months now. It’s come to mind during sweltering 90 degree runs, while bushwhacking off trail for hours to get to an arduous summit, and during the final miles of every extra long run. It’s simple and a cue I’ll be able to easily tap into come race day. Choose something that is specific and meaningful to you - something that touches on your why. I have so many examples of wonderful humans in my life doing really hard things with the most beautiful attitudes, and this mantra quickly brings them to mind. I know I’ll be able to channel their strength when I need it, having stared at these words every day and allowed them to imprint in my mind.
I think a critical part of excelling in endurance sports is having realistic expectations - understanding that it takes a lot of factors (including ones outside of your control) to have the perfect day and that low points are inescapable, but we can prepare by developing a toolkit to toggle through when different obstacles are thrown our way. We’ve heard many experts in the sport talk about acknowledging that at some point, it’s going to hurt and as Susan David, PhD so eloquently states: "Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life."
One of the best practices I’ve ever read to prepare for punching that ticket of comfort in exchange for a shot at your goals, is outlined by author and coach Steve Magness, co-creator and co-host of The Growth Equation. It’s essentially using low mental points in training as practice for when this will inevitably happen over the course of a race. He states, “Let your mind go to a dark place in practice, then see if you can get out of it. Instead of avoiding the doubts and insecurities, practice going there in a secure environment, so you are ready on race day.”
Learning how to speak to yourself when you’re in an emotional valley is pivotal in changing the day around. I especially found this helpful working through long, hot, exposed runs this summer: practicing looking after myself and reinforcing the steps I need to take (mentally and physically) if I’m given similar conditions on race day so that they’re second nature without any guessing as to what to do next. Doing so can’t promise everything will go smoothly as planned on race day, but repeatedly simulating the environment and placing yourself within it arguably increases the odds that it will.
Lastly, we all struggle at different points with staying positive and believing in ourselves. We’ve all had days where we spiral and question everything. I don’t feel like anyone has it so together that they never encounter doubts. This is where surrounding yourself with friends, family, and community that relentlessly believes in you and your dreams, no matter what, comes into play. Oftentimes, having someone else lift you up and remind you of why they believe in you every step of the way, makes it easier for you to cultivate your own self-belief. Be sure to pay it forward - there will always be enough belief and big dreams to go around for everyone.
