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  Once you’re beat mentally, you might was well not even go to the starting line. — Todd Williams

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I broke 5 minutes in the mile about a week ago.  After getting 5:07 three times, 5:03 twice, and 5:01 in the last race in track season I finally hit 4:58 in the first mile time trial of cross country.  Breaking 5 was not an accident for me, I trained hard over the summer and pushed myself in running.  My goal was breaking 5 minutes and I made it.

Success in running doesn’t come from accidents, runners who hold world records, state titles, or get their goal times in a fun run all have worked hard to achieve what they have achieved.

This year MVHSXC’s team slogan is “You GET what you GIVE.”  It rings true to almost any sport, the more curious you remain and the more you pour your heart and dedicate your mind to something, the more you will get out of it.

My goals are high this high school season, I will dedicate myself to running and my team.  Set a goal and put your heart into it.

My first marathon (first as in more to come) was completed today.  I had a plan of 9 minute mile pace the enitre way and was on my way to accomplishing that goal when I hit the infamous “Wall” at mile 20.

The wall is the point in a marathon around miles 18-20 when your body runs out of Glycogen, the compound we use as a basic fuel for our bodies.  Most people contain 20 ‘miles’ of Glycogen in their bodies, even the most fit people, and when they run out their bodies must turn to other things for fuel.

When running the marathon earlier today, my mind was the only thing that kept me going.  But alas, during the last mile of the marathon tears streamed down my face as I felt physically, and mentally beaten.

Reading up of marathon training I found Breaking Through the Wall.  My favorite passage from the article was this:

When a person first starts training, there’s more physical than mental effort required. As we push ourselves harder, as we make the decision to test our own personal limits, that mental line - the mental effort necessary to accomplish our goals - increases faster than the physical line.

Nearly every post on this blog mentions the importance of mental training in running.  Work it into your races and runs.  Push yourself beyond your limit.  Never say that you cannot do something, because impossible is nothing.

This marathon was one of the best things I have ever done, push yourself in whatever sport you do and Remain Curious always.

A teacher of mine showed this poem to me, and I absolutely loved it.

The Race

By Dee H. Groberg

“Quit! Give up! You’re beaten!”
They shout at me, and plead
“There’s just too much against you now.
This time you can’t succeed.”
And as I start to hang my head
In front of failure’s face
My downward fall is broken by
The memory of a race.
And hope refills my weakened will
As I recall that scene
For, just the thought of that short race
Rejuvenates my being.

A children’s race, young boys, young men
Now, I remember well,
Excitement, sure! But also fear,
It wasn’t hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope
Each thought to win that race,
Or, tie for first, if not that,
At least take second place.

And fathers watched from off the side
Each cheering for his son.
And each boy hoped to show his dad,
that he would be the one.

Read more

There are many opinions on what you should do on the day before a race.  Here I have put together a list of what I do before an event to be prepared.

• Get at least nine hours of sleep two nights in a row! Two good nights rest makes quite a difference versus one night of rest.
• Eat healthy the day before.  Have complex carbohydrates for dinner, and stay away from soft drinks.
• Go on an easy run.  It doesn’t have to be long or hard, 30 minutes will be just fine.
• Plan out your race!  Planning your race the day before means it will be fresh in your mind.  Think about the plan as you lay in bed.  Think about it when you wake up the day of, and then stick to it during the race.
• Start hydrating a little extra.  If you hydrate a little bit extra the day before, you know you will have plenty of water starting off on the day of the event.
• Pack a ‘race pack’.  Having everything you need in a pack that you can grab is nifty.  If something comes up and you need to be ready in 20 minutes, have no fear!  You already packed a bag with your spikes, socks, race clothes, water, and a snack.  Throwing in your ‘lucky’ items would be a good idea too, because then you will be sure to have them if they are a must.

Whitney M. Young Jr said it best:

“It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.”

Nick Symmonds shot past competition to take first in the 2008 Olympic Track & Field Trials at Eugene,

Oregon.  Symmonds ran the 800 in a time of 1:44.10, the second fastest 800 time ever run in the United States.

“It’s one thing to say that I have the potential to do it. It’s another thing to do it on the night everyone else is trying to.”

-Nick Symmonds

Something I admire about Nick is that he knows you cannot truly win unless you have to compete.  I have known many runners who win races but do not run their hardest.  They don’t set personal bests, they don’t feel tired after the race, but they get first place and are satisfied.

Run your hardest every race, don’t settle for what you know you can do.  Remain curious.

Using mental power in a race can be an excellent way to cripple the competition, but when you allow yourself to be crippled by other people you will lose.  I have found many ways to use my mind in races and practices to help me reach my potential.  I hope these will work for you:

1. Plan your race ahead of time. Planning your race out in your head (even better on paper!) is a helpful way to keep you on track.  Knowing when to speed up and when to attack makes it so that you can focus on form and breathing.  Having a race plan also gives you confidence in what you do during the race.
2. Tell yourself that you can do it. When you tell yourself that you are not tired and can speed up, then you are more likely to speed up.  Focusing on the negative things means you are not focused on the important things.  If you find yourself thinking negatively, snap yourself back on track!  Relax and set your mind on breathing and form.  Breathing and form are the best things to focus on during a race because they help you stay calm and help you run more efficiently.
3. Bargain with yourself. Tell yourself that when you get to that certain turn or rock or tree that you will give yourself a break.  Split your race up into sections and tell yourself what you will do during the next section.  During a 5k your might say “I have 2 more miles to go.  I can run a mile really fast, so I will run this next mile hard and see how it goes.”  Giving deals to yourself will help you push your body.
4. Focus! Keeping your mind on the task at hand is the most important thing you can do as an athlete.  Do not let your mind wander, and when you catch yourself wandering away from the race, slap your mind into shape!  Focus not only on your breathing and form, but on your pace and your place in the race.  If you have goals set, which I highly recommend, think of those goals and push yourself to meet and break them.

These tips should be used at your practices as well as races.  You would not race without practicing your running, do not go into a race without mentally exercising too.

“Once you’re beat mentally, you might as well not even go to the starting line.”

- Todd Williams

This quote is very much true.  Any racer who does not have the will to win, will not win.

Go give yourself a mental sweat.

Most distance runners have felt the awesome feeling of euphoria after a hard workout. This feeling has been aptly named ‘the runner’s high’. This New York Times article tells about the science behind the feeling.

In the article it says that endorphins, pain suppressing chemicals released by the brain and spinal cord, are attaching themselves to the emotion affecting parts of the brain. This causes mood change and is responsible for the ‘high’ you get after running.

According to another follow-up study, runners have a higher pain tolerance than non-athletes. This is supposedly because of the release of endorphins.

Many people run to keep a clear mind, and I can attest to this. Running will make you a happier and less stressed person.

“Running is one the best solutions to a clear mind.”

- Sasha Azevedo

To all of you curious runners, go get high on running

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• About

  This is where I write about running, training, races, and anything else running related. Because I run for Mountain View High School I may write about my team and opposing teams in the Treasure Valley. Everything written in this blog is my personal opinion and does not reflect the views of my coaches, my teammates, or my school.