With less than 6 weeks ago, training is hitting the high mileage prior to race day. This week I will run a total of 34 miles over 4 days. I completed the Eastbourne Half Marathon and had a great day out in the seafront sunshine. My first race medal!!! Since then, the aches have increased along with the mileage. Sore knees and fatigued legs have contributed to feelings of ‘can I really do this?’
After a particularly frustrating run this past weekend, I called in the expertise of my colleague Nicola to shed some light on why my frustration took over my desire to push through pain, time and distance.
Setting yourself up for success
Do you have a clear idea about what you are good at and what you think you are rubbish at? Have you ever put yourself outside your comfort zone and had a go at something you have always considered “too difficult”?
This is when it is crucial to get your self-talk right if you want to set yourself up for success. Many people are very critical of themselves and imagine the worst. This means they won’t try anything new unless they think they can do it perfectly, whatever that means! Success is enjoying having a go, in my book. I have a friend who says “If you want to do something badly enough, then just go and do it badly!”. Great advice, we can never expect to get it right first time that would be rather dull after all, nothing to flex your learning muscles.
Did you know that how you anticipate an event and its outcome affects your attitude and approach?
What you imagine is going to happen affect your physiology. If you think you are going to make a mess of that presentation you are planning, then you will become anxious and apprehensive, dreading the impending disaster and feeling the anxiety leech the joy out life until the event is over. This fear is truly False Evidence Appearing Real – you have no way of knowing how the future is going to pan out, unless you have a reliable crystal ball like Mystic Meg.
There is scientific evidence to show that if you imagine yourself being as confident as your favourite presenter and anticipate being comfortable in the room where you are going to present, enjoying the audience listening to your great presentation, then you will set up the template for success.
This applies to many aspects of life.
For example, now that spring is in the air, you might be building up your skills as a runner. Imagine doing that run confidently, easily. Make real in your mind the possibility of enjoying your growing stamina and revelling in your moving body as you take in the passing scenery, the sounds around you, getting closer to the home straight with every step, breathing through the tougher bits and encouraging yourself with positive messages. Relaxing into the pace, setting your own pace, you are in control. You will find that you can look forward to that run and, having practiced the strategies you will need to coach yourself through it, find it easy to keep on going to reach your goal – just imagine how great that will feel!
And remember, success is closely linked with tolerating uncertainty, of being open to learn from whatever arises without berating yourself and putting yourself down. That presentation or that run might not go as well as you hoped, but there could be some really useful learning – if you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t learning. (I think Einstein might have said that, but I could be wrong…)
So get outside of your comfort zone, and imagine the magic that could happen!
