Here’s How to Use Your “Why”
Have a race coming up? About 50% of the runners I coach are racing in the next few weeks, so I’m guessing you might be too!
If you’ve got a race coming up, I want to share something that may help you get through those final tough miles.
Why Your “Why” Matters Before Race Day
In the days before the race, ask yourself why.
Why are you doing this race? Why do you want your goal? What will you tell yourself when it gets hard?
Real Race Strategy Examples From Runners I Coach
I have 2 runners running the London Marathon – and I asked them both this question on our pre-race call, and we came up with different race strategies for each.
Example 1: Running to Celebrate the Journey
Stephanie, who is completing her final world major marathon, has a “why” for this race is to celebrate the finish line of a long journey to getting her 6 Star Medal. Although she did PR in her tune-up half marathon and we’re pacing her for a lifetime marathon PR in London (despite just running Tokyo 8 weeks ago and starting a new job right after, her fitness is there!) – the time on the clock doesn’t matter as much as the celebration.
How to Use Memories as a Race Strategy
When writing up her race plan, I gave her a goal for those final 6 miles that had nothing to do with pace or effort. I asked her to envision each of the world major marathons, one by one, during each mile – remembering the best moments of the race, the travel memories created with her husband, and the money she raised for charity along the way. I want her to spend those final 6 miles celebrating.
Example 2: Running to Prove What You’re Capable Of
Katarzyna (who lives in the Czech Republic) had a different why – she worked SO hard for this race. As a mom of young kids and business owner who also went through a major personal loss during training, she wants to see what she’s capable of. She was incredibly consistent in training and made HUGE progress (she PR’d her 5K and 10K in training runs!).
How to Stay Mentally Strong When It Gets Hard
She wants to run a race she’s proud of and to stay strong in the hard miles. It’s important to her to feel like she finished the race proud. We discussed which miles are usually the hardest mentally for her and came up with a plan to bring back her why during those miles. Even if the pace starts to fade, she can focus on her effort.
How to Prepare Mentally for Race Day
I encourage you to remind yourself of your why before your next race. And to go back through your training and make a list of all the strongest runs, listing moments you wanted to quit but didn’t, and review your fastest long runs and speed workouts.
What to Do When the Race Gets Tough
You trained for this. You want this. And in the race, things will get hard, and your mind will try to convince you that it’s not that important.
Why Your Goal Still Matters
But it IS important to you – whether the goal is to finish, hit a PR, run your fasted race since becoming a mom, or something else.
Final Thoughts on Race Day Mindset
Curious, what’s something you do to mentally prepare before an important race? I’d love to hear it – hit reply and tell me!
Happy running,
Nicole Dobransky