They say with running/racing, it’s more mental than physical…
Here are 5 Tips for Building Mental Toughness:
1.Never compare yourself to another runner. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. Pace is not the only thing that matters.
And pace is such an individual thing. To some runners, I may appear fast and yet to others, I am a turtle. That’s one of the great things of running. You are only competing with yourself. Pace should not be your only goal.
2.Find something good in every race/run. It’s never ALL bad.
Let’s face it, some runs/races just suck. But either you got it done or the scenery was awesome or whatever. Focus on the good and try to forget about the bad.
3.Surround yourself with other runners. They get you. Running/Racing is more about sharing the experience with others than your finish time.
It’s great to have non-running friends but they won’t sympathize with your positive split times, sore feet, hilly course experiences, stomach issues, DNSes, etc.
4.Every race will not be a PR. Most likely you will get slower as you age. Accept it and keep moving.
Even if you run on the same course, you may finish XX minutes slower. Just sayin’.
5.A bad run/race is better than no run/race. Plan your next run/race ASAP. It’s the best way to forget…
Tough one to remember when we wanted or expected it to be a good one. More often than not, it isn’t.
Happy Running! How do you build mental toughness? Please share.
It’s Friday so I’m also linking up with bloggers, Me (My First 5K and More), Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher!
So Join in!
And don’t forget to link back to your hostesses and visit some other bloggers.
My First 5K and More... 