Performance beyond the physical.

performance, I read with interest Nathan Ritz’s article “The Effects of Mental Preparation for Distance Runners (Marathon & Beyond, March/April 2012). As Ritz pointed out, too often, the mental aspects of sports performance are overlooked by athletes and coaches, and yet their role in event preparation and performance is paramount. I commend Mr. Ritz for a well-written and researchbased article.

In addition, in the last few years there has been increasing emphasis at the national, state, and local levels on athletic performance. School-age children attend structured camps and clinics with increasing demand on performance to make A teams, traveling squads, or varsity-level teams. Some parents become a source of stress to young athletes by overidentifying a child’s performance as a fulfillment of their own self-worth or unfulfilled dreams (2005).

The expectation to do well and to win can put tremendous psychological pressure on athletes, coaches, and parents. Pressure of this type can lead to problems such as self-criticism (1976), anger-control issues, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and depression. Teaching mental strategies as Ritz outlined not only can help improve performance but also can facilitate a positive influence on healthy lifestyles in all aspects of life.

The intent of this article is to take Ritz’s article a step further and offer one practical way athletes and coaches can systematically apply mental strategies (such as relaxation techniques, positive self-talk, confidence strategies, and visualization rehearsal) to an endurance event. The following approach has been personally used

Be an endurance athlete and psychologist with a specialization in sports

in preparation for Ironman competitions and for performance-speech anxiety. The author has developed mental programs for high school athletes, collegiate track and field teams and athletes, and several elite-level marathoners, two of whom competed in the last Olympic Marathon Trials.

In her research, Kamphoff and her colleagues (2012) at Minnesota State University found that the common mental barriers of runners are:

setting too-rigid goals;

focusing on others or outcome factors;

dealing with discomfort (race pain);

self-pressure

Ritz discussed the importance of athletes practicing various mental approaches suchas self-talk strategies, imagery strategies, and choking/panicking strategies. A program needs to include specific coping thoughts and images that an individual athlete finds beneficial, and what works for one athlete may not be helpful to another. Just as we train physically to improve strength and “muscle memory,” so too is it important to mentally train to strengthen positive neural connections in our brain.

By practicing mental strategies, runners can confront common mental barriers to solidify their motivation (why do I run?) and trust their training to maintain confidence. In addition, mental preparation encourages athletes to expect discomfort, embrace it as an ally, and use race discomfort as valuable information (for example, do I need to adjust body position? Am I working hard?).

Staying keyed to performance

Mental training also helps athletes focus on their process of performance rather than outcome issues (winning or losing, other competitors). This encourages them to not overthink. Overthinking usually occurs when runners shift their focus from process goals (what am I doing now to maximize my performance or effort?) to outcome issues (what if I win or lose? What if I don’t finish strong?), which frequently leads to anxiety, doubt, and distraction.

Mental strategies help athletes set realistic and challenging goals but with flexibility. Goal flexibility allows individuals to adjust when needed and helps athletes not get down on themselves.

Last, as Ritz points out, mental strategies encourage positive thought management. Many individuals have a well-developed “internal critic.” It’s a wellpracticed thought pattern that is highly critical, lowers a sense of self-worth, creates unnecessary fears, and hinders athletes in exploring their potential or

performing at their ultimate. Everyone has an internal critic, but individuals with a healthy level of self-confidence have learned and practiced ways to assess and dispute the internal critic’s errors of thinking (such as overgeneralization, mind reading, and catastrophizing). Krane and Williams (2009), for instance, found that elite runners practice self-affirmation, see difficult situations as exciting and challenging, and generally have a positive attitude toward life. The interview with elite runner Meb Keflezighi in the May/June 2012 issue of Marathon & Beyond provides a good example. “I utilize self-talk and positive thinking. Self-talk is all about encouraging yourself, especially when things are starting to get tough. If I am hurting during a race, I tell myself that the other runners are probably hurting just as bad, if not more. When it comes to positive thinking, I think it is a good technique to use in running and in life. Even when things are not going well, there is a better day tomorrow. But you have to work for a better day, not just hope for one.” Herein lies the key: working for a better day means practice, repeating positive self-talk, or imagining over and over yourself in the race situation performing at peak levels.

Mental training is not magic or rocket science. Mental training is finding key words and images to practice to maintain confidence, reframing when negative thoughts develop, and mentally practicing seeing yourself perform at your ultimate.

Following is a description of one type of mental program, including a sample script that endurance runners or coaches may use or adapt for performance enhancement. Specific wording and suggestions may need to be altered to fit each athlete’s needs and preferences.

Components of a mental training program

Relaxation

It is important to begin mental training by taking five to 10 minutes to physically

relax. When relaxed, individuals are generally more able to focus and concentrate.

When they are in a comfortable position with eyes closed, they are more likely

to temporarily put aside outside distractions and stressors. Relaxation techniques

such as focused breathing (follow inhale and exhale) or imaging yourself in a

pleasant place facilitates turning thoughts inward for reflection and openness. This is also a chance for athletes to remind themselves that this is important

practice time.

Review of purpose/training/past outstanding performance

In this component, an athlete reviews the upcoming run as an opportunity. Therefore, whether the race goes as you desire or doesn’t (remember that we are unable to completely control the outcome), it’s an opportunity to learn, to

grow, and to strengthen. When the training wheels come off the child’s bicycle for the first time, it’s an opportunity, and the child learns a great deal whether by falling or by riding.

This component reviews your purpose for training (such as why you are committing yourself to training and the upcoming event). This facilitates athletes in reinstating or reinforcing their underlying positive motivations for running, such as their love of running or the enjoyment of competing, excelling, or being in top physical shape. Reviewing this and reframing the upcoming event as an opportunity alters the landscape from something threatening and fearful (“I must do well,” “It would be awful if I don’t do well,” and so forth) to something to look forward to (“I love to run; no matter what happens, I’m in this to give my best effort and get stronger.”).

Next, it is important to accomplish a broad review of the training that an athlete has accomplished for the upcoming event. This is to reassure the athletes that they are ready and to trust their training. A review may include specific training for the upcoming event, past training for other events, or other past events themselves. What is important is to remind yourself of the time, the effort, and the commitment you have made in your training. Specific, tough workouts or runs can be remembered to aid in this review. Even with the neophyte marathoner or ultramarathoner who has yet to experience an entire race distance, it is important to focus positively on the training that has been accomplished rather than the training that was not done.

Last, it is important for athletes to recall an actual race, training, or pressure situation where they delivered a successful or superior performance. Self-doubt is one of the common mental roadblocks that runners experience. Therefore, you can replace a sense of intimidation and doubt by mentally practicing a time when you stepped up to and met a challenge or executed under pressure or performed

well. Author Steve Knight (2005) describes this process as the “Demon Slayer Visualization,” in which an athlete plays “over and over” the times when successful.

Positive, reassuring coping thoughts

Positive, reassuring coping thoughts are a series of five to 10 statements or mantras that provide reassurance and are reminders of focus areas. While some athletes may consider some of them “corny,” they are “bullets” of thoughts that when practiced will be available during race time. The author, for instance, used several coping thoughts for anxiety reduction during an Ironman swim to deal with the washing-machine effect of hundreds of swimmers (such as “Take one buoy at a time,” “This is my time to relax,” “Focus on my swim stroke”). Coping thoughts need to be individualized, since what works for one athlete may not work for another. Examples of various thoughts used by some runners:

¢ Ican do this.

¢ This is my race, my opportunity.

¢ I am well trained.

¢ I will focus on running my race.

¢ There are no musts, shoulds, or have tos.

¢ Race discomfort is my ally. It’s information relayed to me that says I’m giving my full effort.

Visualization rehearsal

Most people are acquainted with visualization or imagery techniques. We basically use our imagination most of the time, and it is difficult not to imagine. Every time we learn or experience something, we create or strengthen a neural pattern in our brain, and our brain stores that information much like a computer. What images or perceptions we store about ourselves and our athletic ability, whether positive or negative, become important in athletic performance.

When using visualizations, it is important to “see” yourself in the performance situation performing at your ultimate. As stated earlier, it is important to focus on visualizations that are within your control—that is, the process of running (seeing yourself running efficiently, exerting maximum effort, and so forth)—as opposed to outcome issues (winning or losing).

In addition, the more positive, specific, and vivid your visualizations are, the better. Attaching strong positive emotions to the visualizations (such as confidence, elation, pride, and empowerment) also increases their effectiveness. Last, it is important for the athlete to visualize adjusting to any unforeseen situations that might occur or correcting any problem area.

Sample mental preparation script (for marathon) The following is a general script used for mental training for a marathon.

General instructions:

Two weeks before a race or training session, practice the mental program at least twice a day. If the program has been recorded, after you become familiar with the program, practice the program occasionally without the recording.

As you practice this program, do so in a relatively quiet area that will help your body relax. Also, do not practice this program when doing something that needs your full attention, such as driving a vehicle. Last, if using this program creates any discomfort at any time, discontinue its use.

To begin, allow yourself to move into a comfortable position, let your eyes close, and begin to let your body relax .. .

And settling in . . . knowing that right now there’s no other place you need to be.

This is your own special time to relax and to strengthen your confidence and solidify your mental abilities to enhance your running performance.

So let yourself know that right now, there is nothing else you need to do, there are no expectations here, no one to please, nothing to satisfy. You can, in a sense, let my voice do all the work necessary.

And if your mind wanders, simply take note that it has wandered and when ready, gently bring your focus back to my voice and the words that I use.

Take a moment to become aware of your breathing . . .

and mentally follow each breath . . .

Breathing in . . . as you inhale Breathing out . . . as you exhale Breathe in

Breathe out

And perhaps noticing the movement of air coming into your body— through your nostrils—as you inhale .. . and the air leaving your body as you exhale.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

And your chest rising with each breath in . . . and falling with every breath out…

Chest rising. Chest falling. Calm. Relaxed. Calm. Relaxed.

And with each breath out . . . allowing yourself to let go of any unnecessary tension.

Each breath out allowing you to relax even more deeply. And as you relax, take a moment to reflect on why you train and run competitively …

perhaps you enjoy challenging yourself and pushing through the tough marathon training days.

Or perhaps it’s because of your love of running or that sense of satisfaction in pursuing physical excellence .. .

and take whatever reasons you run as your motivation now to fulfill your purpose in your upcoming event .. . your opportunity to achieve these reasons.

And remind yourself of your own personal resolve that’s within .. . and

the perseverance you have demonstrated in the training that you have accomplished .. .

not just in these last few weeks, but the months, the years past.

Remember back even to those early runs, the ones in the beginning, those runs where you learned so much, those runs that helped you steadily become stronger, wiser, and faster.

And pushing yourself in the weight room and on the track, the speed work, tempo runs and hill repeats . . . all reminding you of your determination and ability to cope with any discomfort threshold.

And those long endurance runs, pushing yourself through the fatigue, being successful, facing the challenges head-on, pushing through and excelling at full effort.

And then the past competitions, from the short races to the marathons, those tough courses and remembering how far you have come.

And take a moment to remember that one special race or training session that challenged you, where you excelled, where you had to dig deep to conquer, to overcome . . . visualize and recall that time. . .

this accomplishment, this time now comes together with all the training you have putin…

You are trained .. .

You are prepared .. .

You have done your job at preparing your body.

Trust your training.

Trust your body.

Allow it to take over to unleash your resolve, your stamina, your speed. Any tension you feel from now to the start of your event is your cue for triggering your reassuring coping thoughts.

And reviewing those thoughts now .. .

I can do this. I am meant to be here.

This is my race, my opportunity.

1am trained. I am ready.

Trun my race, use my strategy, and focus on the process of my running.

There are no musts, shoulds, or have tos.

This race is another training session. Whatever happens, success is in the effort, not the outcome.

I embrace any race discomfort. It’s information that I use to my advantage.

I turn any negative thoughts, comments, or distractions before or during my run into my own inner resolve to challenge myself to my ultimate. I focus on my run from moment to moment, which frees me for the possibilities of the moment.

Now move forward in time to the event ahead. . .

Visualize yourself the evening before the race . . . your prerace routine, going through those reassuring steps the night before . . . what you typically do, who you are typically with, where you are, and what you usually have to eat…

And then moving to the morning of the race, seeing your general routine, what you have for breakfast, who you are with, and how your routine and plan are reassuring and comforting as you begin to narrow your focus and move into your race mentality.

And arriving at the race venue, imagine being ready to go before the start of the race. Perhaps a few warm-up runs or stretches .. . you have familiarized yourself with the course, you are dressed, fueled up, and ready to go.

Spend a moment looking around the area, noticing the sights, the colors—perhaps taking in some of the beauty of the area.

And taking a comfortable breath, allow yourself to enjoy the fresh air and this unique environment as runners and spectators begin to gather.

And imagining the other people around you, hearing the sounds of

voices, the well-wishes being extended, the enthusiasm, the excitement

that surrounds you . . . allow yourself to feel the excitement in the air . .a Special time . . . a special moment.

And regardless of who is around you, regardless of what is said, you solidify .. .

Trun my race .. . I focus within myself.

And any tension you feel is normal…

and is a sign of the energy inside that is waiting to be unleashed.

And then going to the starting line … grouping up with the other runners. Noticing where you have placed yourself in this group.

And then a brief flashback to your special event where you excelled, that special race where you dug deep and overcame . . .

… that event and all the training confirm that . . . 1 am ready. I am trained for this moment.

Perhaps there may be some introductions or the playing of the national anthem . . . let these moments just before the race begins add fuel to the determination inside.

And then hearing the starter’s commands and the starting gun . . . visualize yourself beginning your run…

feeling the initial push in your legs and in your lungs as your body fires up for the challenge.

Staying steady … almost holding back at first . . . as you move to your race pace.

Notice and feel how you stay relaxed and your body naturally adjusts like a smooth, well-oiled machine as it adjusts gears, warming to your race pace…

Gaining strength, gaining power…

Staying relaxed . . . trusting your body, it knows what to do.

Your lungs strong, efficient, supplying you with oxygen.

Feel the power in your legs and thighs. Legs powerful like mighty pistons.

Feet contacting the pavement with light, quick, almost dancelike strides as if floating smoothly on the course.

Perhaps dividing the run into segments . . .

and taking each segment or each mile and gaining confidence with each one accomplished.

And moving into that special focused state and feeling good and strong, knowing that your body has everything it needs.

And as the mile markers pass by, imagine yourself running with fluidness, efficiency, and relaxed breathing. And if the mind wanders, knowing with ease how you bring back your focus . . . staying relaxed, focused on goals within your control . . . being in the moment, freeing you for any possibilities of the moment.

Visualize if another runner catches up how you stay focused on running your race to your maximum. You quickly dispel any negative thinking and stay focused on thoughts of efficiency, strength, and effort . . . using any change in race position as greater motivation, greater determination. Running tall, running smooth . . . focused on your race. Staying within yourself.

See your race unfold and gain confidence as the run progresses. Visualize yourself strong and running smooth at various course markers or distinguishing locations.

Able to embrace any discomfort for two minutes, two hours, or 26.2 miles. Using discomfort as information signaling your effort and for this moment placing it into the background.

And any unforeseen situations, self-doubts, or negative vibes you quickly dispel, let go of…