I run for...mental toughness.

Race day is 6 days away and pre-race anxiety is definitely setting in. I can't really run a whole lot since I'm tapering for my race and since running is what usually helps with my anxiety, I've had to focus more on my mental toughness training.

Of course, there is quite a bit of mental toughness training that goes on throughout the training months but I've come to realize that in the last week, mental toughness training is of utmost importance. The primary reason being what I've already mentioned; it helps ease pre-race anxiety.

For me, mental toughness training the last week before the race started last night with my Ultra Prep Plan. I laid out my step by step plan for all 7 days leading up to the race. I will keep track of things like fitness, visualization/meditations, stretching, nutrition, hydration, sleep, supplies, etc. Just writing everything out on paper helped me sort through the mental barrage of anxiety-provoking thoughts I've been experiencing lately.

My Ultra Prep Plan & Race Day Plan

I woke up this morning with the same jitters as the previous day. Today I focused on following my plan. I had a healthy breakfast and drank plenty of water. This morning I spent 15 minutes stretching and going through a series of strengthening yoga poses. Mental training today consisted of watching ultra marathon movies. The first was Running on the Sun, a movie about the Badwater 135. Truly inspiring. Runners start in Death Valley basin and run to Mt. Whitney, a total of 135 miles. The next movie I watched was Unbreakable: Western States 100.  Again, absolutely incredible footage of 4 elite ultra runners vying to break the Western States 100 record. After watching my movies, I was ready to run. I had an easy 90 minute run scheduled for today. It's really the last "long" run before race day. I managed to get in about 7.5 miles with a combination of walking/running. For the first 2 miles or so, I simply could not shake the butterflies in my stomach! I kept thinking about race day and what it will be like, going through a mini-rehearsal of the race itself. All good mental toughness training. Now that I've completed it, my nerves are settled (for now!) and I'm ready to check the next thing off my prep plan.

From today's 7.5 mile run

Tonight I do the last little bit of shopping that I need to do to get all of my supplies for race day. For the most part, I just have to pick up my food - what I'm eating for my pre-race dinner and the morning of the race. During my race, I will be taking in mostly gels and candy and some "safe" foods offered at the aid stations. I should already have everything else I need. If not, I have another small shopping trip worked into my daily plan for Wednesday this week.

Tonight I also plan to find a guided visualization/meditation specifically for athletic performance or else create my own guided meditation to listen to the rest of this week. This is somewhat new for me. Usually I just create a written summary of the way I want the race to go and review it the night before and the morning of the race. Being that this year's race is a little more intense, I felt like visualization/meditation every day would be more helpful.

Before I get my full 8 hours of sleep tonight (hopefully this goes as planned), I will spend another 15 minutes stretching. Then tomorrow I just follow my prep plan again with all the same important elements - fitness, visualization/meditations, stretching, nutrition, hydration, sleep, supplies, etc.

This will also be my last blog post until race day. I hope to give my full race report either Saturday night or Sunday. After my race, my husband and I plan on spending a couple days in the Charlotte, NC area where my main priority is going to be eating pizza and drinking beer. Haha. So if you don't hear from me, you can always take a peek at the race results at www.tablerockultras.com. Then, it's back to the real world next Tuesday and time to think of a whole new set of goals for the rest of the year and for next!

Happy running!
Amanda

I run for...meditation.

8/26/13 - 3.64mi in 45:38 - 12:33 min/mi

So far Monday night is the only run I've done this week. It's been SO hot and my allergies have absolutely been driving me crazy. But…no excuses. I'm running tomorrow morning and then interval training on Saturday! :)

Running for meditation. Monday night's run was a perfect example of how listening to your mind can shake your confidence and slow you down. Coming into Monday night's run I was still a little sore from Saturday's 20 miles. I knew it was going to take some effort to get going. Sure enough as I began to run, my mind started to reel and I felt like I had forgotten how to run. All of a sudden everything was going wrong - my shorts were riding up, my hair was falling down, bugs were hitting my face, the music on my iPhone was annoying, it was hot, my feet hurt, etc. I let this go on for about the first half of my run. It slowed me down. It affected my performance and it wasn't enjoyable. Then I got smart. I turned the last half of my run into a meditative practice. I turned my music off and I tuned everything else out. I focused on my breath and the sound of my shoes on the pavement. I repeated my affirmations to myself ("I am strong. I am light. I can do this.") and corrected my running form. Like any meditative practice, I cleared my mind. With each new thought or aggravation that popped into my head, I recognized it and put it in the imaginary box in my mind. The last half of my run was much easier and I enjoyed it.

So here is how you can turn your next run into a meditation…

1. Prepare yourself ahead of time. As you stretch start taking some deep breaths and try to clear your mind.
2. Leave the music or any other gadgets at home. Sometimes when running you need the distraction but sometimes it can serve as a medium for intrusive negative thoughts and feelings.
3. Start out at a nice, even pace. You can begin with counting your steps or just focusing on the sound of your feet on the pavement.
4. Now is the perfect time to focus on your breath and your running form. Repeat those affirmations to yourself.
5. Just like any meditative practice the body's natural aches and pains will try to drag your attention away. Note the feeling, evaluate if it's serious or not, and if not, bring your attention back to your breath or your running form.
6. It can be helpful to have an imaginary container in your mind as I did on Monday. I use a cardboard box. You could also use a trunk or a glass jar, etc. Something to visualize a place where your thoughts can "go". As any thoughts enter your mind, "put" the thought in your container.
7. Closure. Just as you had to prepare yourself for the running meditation, you also need to provide yourself with some closure. If you were putting your thoughts in a box, you can imagine closing it up, putting it on a shelf, etc. Same with any other imaginary container that you may have used. Stretch and continue deep breathing. Think about all the ways your running meditation has change your mind-body connection, how it strengthened your muscles and your cardiovascular system, and how next time will be even easier.

Of course, this is a very basic guide. Feel free to experiment with this process and find what works best for you. Visualizations, guided imagery, and meditations are excellent tools for a lot of athletes. Used before and during an activity some benefits include: increased stamina, improved concentration and performance, increased tolerance to temperature and pain, and being an all around more efficient athlete.