If you can see Mt. Baker, you are part of The Experience

Mental prep for your big race

Posted

By Sneha Patel, doctor of osteopathic medicine

PeaceHealth is the title sponsor of the Bellingham Bay Marathon, which takes place on September 29, so we’re focusing our attention on training our bodies and especially our minds. Whether you’re thinking about challenging yourself with a 5K or a full marathon, mastering the mental aspect of running will be key to your success.

What to do before race day?

It’s helpful to keep your mind quiet when running. Some experts advise repeating positive affirmations such as “relax, relax, relax,” “soft is strong” or “run strong, run long.” Find the words that work for you. As you get used to your mantra, you can use it on race day and it will be familiar to you.

Avoid negative self-talk. If you find that your stride is not smooth, don’t berate yourself. Instead, take the opportunity to correct your stride and get back into a good rhythm. If you start thinking about how tired you’re going to feel at mile 22 when you’ve only just begun, it can turn into a very long run. Break up your run into manageable segments. It will seem easier and you will enjoy some mini victories along the way.

Also, try to visualize the race wherever you may be training. As you prepare for your training run, go through in your mind what you will be thinking and doing prior to the race. As you run, thinking about running with others and other unique aspects of the course can help keep surprises at a minimum on the day of the race.

Don’t let your brain fool you into thinking you’re tired before you really are.

On race day

Try to go through your typical pre-training routines so that everything seems familiar to you. Try to stay relaxed and control your breathing. Remember the mantra that you may have been using in your preparation runs and use it when you start getting nervous.

Focus on your race strategy. Try to stay in the moment and don’t think too far ahead. You’ve trained at a certain pace and keeping that familiar pace will help. Run the race like you train.

Fatigue is not just in the body. We get fatigue signals from the brain well before fatigue in the body sets in. Think of the gas tank that warns you when the tank is nearly empty, well before you run out of gas. Don’t let your brain fool you into thinking you’re tired before you really are. When you start feeling fatigue setting in you can address it directly and say, “Hello, fatigue, I can’t talk with you now, I have to finish this race.”

If you try running at 100 percent, you’ll get tenser. Try running around 90 percent. This will help you stay relaxed, knowing that you still have something left. If you are feeling tense, try smiling, even if you don’t feel like it.

After the race

After running a race, you will look back on some successes and some things you wished you had done better. Make sure to take note of both. Regardless of the distance completed, it is an accomplishment to finish any portion of the race. Allow yourself to enjoy this moment and revel in sharing it with hundreds of others in the community.

We look forward to seeing you at the Bellingham Bay Marathon. Register at bellinghambaymarathon.org