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3 Things You Need to Know About Speed Work

3. Speed Work Builds Mental Strength

The grind of race day can be more of a mental battle than a physical one. Learning how to tackle the pain of race day needs to be rehearsed.

The difficult workouts, race-paced intervals and long, sustained sessions are mental dress rehearsals that teach you to be tough.

Your body's natural response to pain is avoidance. Successful racing is all about overriding this response. Speed work gives you the chance to practice dealing with pain.

Think of race pain as a monster that you have to fight every time that you race; you'll never kill the monster, but each time you face it, you get a little better at fighting it and walk away from the experience with more wisdom.

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About the Author

Sarah Crouch

Sarah Crouch is a three-time Olympic Trials qualifier and a professional long distance runner for Reebok and ZAP Fitness. She is also a coach for Runnersconnect, an online community for athletes of all abilities and a team of expert coaches who assist with all aspects of training. Sarah is dedicated to bringing the best out of athletes at all levels of the sport from beginners to advanced runners.
Sarah Crouch is a three-time Olympic Trials qualifier and a professional long distance runner for Reebok and ZAP Fitness. She is also a coach for Runnersconnect, an online community for athletes of all abilities and a team of expert coaches who assist with all aspects of training. Sarah is dedicated to bringing the best out of athletes at all levels of the sport from beginners to advanced runners.

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