If it helps, write your mantras on your arm so that you can glance at them during the race for an extra boost. You can use whatever mantras you want, even if it's just a word or phrase that is something meaningful to you that will help you focus on the goal of the race rather than on the pain.
Answer the following questions to see which kind of athlete you are.
1) During a race, the majority of your thoughts are:
A) Negative
B) Positive
2) During the final few minutes of a race, you are more likely to focus on:
A) Digging as deep as you can to out-kick the people around you
B) Keeping your form light and relaxed as you drive toward the finish
3) You view a race as:
A) A chance to do battle and push as hard as you can in a fierce competition
B) An enjoyable end result to months of training; the race is the "cherry on top"
4) Some typical race mantras for you would be:
A) "Fight," "Attack," "Be bold," "Be aggressive"
B) "Relax and roll," "Have confidence," "Be smooth"
If you answered mostly As, you are likely an acceptance athlete and, if mostly Bs, you are an avoidance athlete. It's possible to fall into both categories.
Whatever your mental racing strategy is, it's important to spend time improving your mental toughness through visualization. Take time before your race to run it in your mind before the event, foreseeing all of the possible weather conditions and competitive outcomes. Practice using your mantras when the pain sets in and being tough when it's time to attack and fight through to the finish.
Sign up for your next race.
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