People, especially beginning runners (I use that term loosely--I sometimes feel like a beginner myself), often ask me one of the following questions: "How do you 'psych yourself out' to run that far?!" "How can you put yourself through that?!" "Don't you get bored?" In other words, they are asking the very important question of how to prepare mentally for a race. As one who doesn't do a lot of racing compared to many people on my level, most of my races a:e "key races," and as such are very important to me, which presents a potential risk of pre-race anxiety and the resulting reduction in performance. So how do I approach the days, weeks, and months leading up to a "big" race?
A few months ago, I was browsing the Fast Running Blog discussion forum, and read a post from a runner who was having some real struggles with anxiety. I responded with the following (slightly edited for the purposes of this post). Hopefully you may find some use in it.
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1. Enjoy running. You need to enjoy the day to day training. Train for races, but not exclusively. Maybe write down all the reasons you enjoy a regular training run, and then make a conscious point to notice those things as you are out pounding the pavement or trails. If daily runs become a joy to you, they will become more fulfilling in themselves, and you will feel less pressure to perform a certain way in races.
2. Sufficient training. If you are training for a specific race, set a goal, and develop a plan that will prepare you for that race. Seek advice from others on how to train to maximize your performance. Then stick to that plan. Realize that you aren't going to be perfect and things are occasionally not going to go as planned, but in general make sure that if you stick to your training that there will be no question of your preparedness--nothing you can second guess yourself on during the race, or in the weeks leading up to it. This takes practice, but in time good habits will be developed and it will become part of you.
3. Trust your training. When race day comes, you should have no doubts that you are ready. This takes experience and time, but there is no need to question whether you can accomplish your goals when you have prepared. You need to know before that gun ever goes off that your body and mind are capable, and that you will accomplish your goals. One way to help yourself do this is to use mental imagery. I find it very useful to use mental imagery when I am training. For example, when I am doing a marathon-specific workout, such as a long tempo run, I mentally put myself into the race, and treat the workout in my mind as if I were in the actual race. Project yourself running the best race you can imagine, and let that bleed over into your workout (note: don't do this if it's your easy day, haha). Never let a negative possibility penetrate your image. You can run through challenging aspects of the race that are not dependent on you (such as a difficult section of the course), but never think "ok, what am I going to do if I pull my calf...What if I get tired...What if I can't hold this pace...?" By the time you hit that start line, you should have already finished that race a hundred times--every one of them with positive results. This is a very handy way to use your nervousness or excitement in a positive manner--when you start thinking or worrying about the race, just turn it into a positive mental run-through.
4. Run the race in the proper frame of mind. This especially applies to longer races, although it is also imperative for short ones. You should feel relaxed and comfortable. If you listen to music before a race, don't listen to something that will "pump you up" (read: make you anxious) Instead, try listening to something relaxing. Go through your race in your mind and how you plan to run it, talk to the other runners, anything that will help you reduce stress and start the race in a positive and relaxed frame of mind. Remember, distance running is all about CONSERVING energy, not burning it all off as fast as you can with adrenaline or caffeine. I've had some very experienced runners tell me that the ideal situation is to be "nearly asleep" at the starting line of a marathon. I don't know that I'd recommend waking up from a nap, taking a yawn, and then running a marathon (and obviously things would be very different for a shorter run like a 5k), but the point is taken: Relax, conserve, and take a cerebral approach to the race.
And if all else fails in the race, remember why you are running--because you love doing it, no matter what happens in a particular race. There will always be another race day.
These are just a few things that have helped me get over running-related anxiety. Hopefully you might find something useful.
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