Building mental toughness

[nikezoomboy]

Is there anything i can do to build mental toughness? I seem to find myself giving up in races, and not wanting to race

[outkickya]

Push urself really hard in practice so the races feel atleast a little easier so u can say, hey ive been here before (pain wise). Then also watch prefontaine the movie and you wont want to give up because it gets u so pumped to go out and run ur next race till near collapsing like he did every race.

[runneronfire]

Push urself really hard in practice so the races feel atleast a little easier so u can say, hey ive been here before (pain wise). Then also watch prefontaine the movie and you wont want to give up because it gets u so pumped to go out and run ur next race till near collapsing like he did every race.

The hard thing about that is when you're pushing yourself in practice, you're only doing so for 1/2 to 1/4 of your actual race pace. It'll probably help some, but races are a whole different matter still.

[outkickya]

I kno that u are not going close to race pace, but for me atleast i feel the effort is the same. A practice that i think about during races is when we go on our "near race pace" 4 mile timed runs, which are just as hard as races.

[xcountrylvoe]

Just keep running. Go to every practice. Every time you feel like giving up but just keep going is when you build it. In a race remember that you've worked for it and you didn't put up with all that training and stuff to give up now.

[DCtrack]

On the contrary, I say do not run yourself into the ground during practice. If you become overtrained then you will become apathetic towards racing. Put in more miles, run controlled in practice, and bust it in the races.

[tb1223]

A pretty big part of mental toughness during races is confidence in your training. Focus on success in your workouts, and success in your races will most likely come with it. Also, don't get discouraged by bad races. Once you get into that downward spiral, it's pretty hard to get back out, but all it takes is one good race to get you to remember why you enjoy running in the first place, which should feed on itself in subsequent races.

[Filipe]

The tough of the track
With the wind
And the rain that’s beating down on your back
Your heart’s beating loud
And goes on getting louder
And goes on even more ’til the
Sound is ringing in your head
With ebery step you tread
And every breath you take
Determination
Makes you run never stop
Got to win got to run ’til you drop
Keep the pace hold the race
Your mind is getting clearer
You’re over half way there
But the miles they never seem to end
As if you’re in a dream
Not getting anywhere
It seems so futile

Run on and on
Run on and on
The lonliness of the long distance runner

I’ve got to keep running the course
I’ve got to keep running and win at all costs
I’ve got to keep going be strong
Must be so determined and push myself on

Run over stiles across fields
Turn to look at who’s on your heels
Way ahead of the field
The line is getting nearer but do
You want the glory that goes
You reach the final stretch
Ideals sre just a trace
You feel like throwing the race
It’s all so futile

I sing this song in my head and I get faster, or at least I feel faster. It really pumps me up and makes me forget the pain.

[runshorty05]

Is there anything i can do to build mental toughness? I seem to find myself giving up in races, and not wanting to race

I know how you feel, I can have a week of great practices, and then I get in the 2 mile. I'll stay with the pack for the first few laps, but once I start to drop off the pace, I just give up (to certain degrees, depending on the race and how I feel) - I've never been able to get up the mental toughness to just do it.

[clintonxc v2.0]

The tough of the track
With the wind
And the rain that’s beating down on your back
Your heart’s beating loud
And goes on getting louder
And goes on even more ’til the
Sound is ringing in your head
With ebery step you tread
And every breath you take
Determination
Makes you run never stop
Got to win got to run ’til you drop
Keep the pace hold the race
Your mind is getting clearer
You’re over half way there
But the miles they never seem to end
As if you’re in a dream
Not getting anywhere
It seems so futile

Run on and on
Run on and on
The lonliness of the long distance runner

I’ve got to keep running the course
I’ve got to keep running and win at all costs
I’ve got to keep going be strong
Must be so determined and push myself on

Run over stiles across fields
Turn to look at who’s on your heels
Way ahead of the field
The line is getting nearer but do
You want the glory that goes
You reach the final stretch
Ideals sre just a trace
You feel like throwing the race
It’s all so futile

I sing this song in my head and I get faster, or at least I feel faster. It really pumps me up and makes me forget the pain.

during an enhancement program i did last year I made it through by singing "all star" by smash mouth

[Zoso]

Call it simple, but, set a goal and work towards it. That way, you won't feel like you're racing for no reason, you'll have a purpose.

[nikezoomboy]

The reason I asked this ? was because 3 weeks into my junior year of track I got a sinus infection and didn't find out until about a month and a half later. by the time I got my sinus infection I was where I was at the end of soph year, well my times didn't go anywhere so i knew something was up. I started taking medicine, and nothing got better really. I was so physically tired. I remember I had to win a 800 to keep my spot on our teams 4x8 I won it in 2:08 but I remember I fell over right on the finish line. I could barley do our workouts in pratice. so I went back to the doctor and somehow I had accquired anemina also. By this time we had confrence and regionals and I didn't run in pratice, but I ran the meets. well the end result of this was when i found out I had my sinus infection that I gave up on racing because I knew no matter how hard id try I couldn't PR. Plus all my hard work from the winter 60 miles a week with lifting 3 times and doing strides and stuff in spikes all went down the drain. I jsut got so mentally burned out and I think its still effecting me (I didn't even run cross country this year it was so bad)

[Dillerho]

You cannot build mental toughness. You have to want it.

[PreLikedBeer]

basically tell yourself that this xc season is a fresh start...and start training hard this summer.

[Big Al 2112]

The tough of the track
With the wind
And the rain that’s beating down on your back
Your heart’s beating loud
And goes on getting louder
And goes on even more ’til the
Sound is ringing in your head
With ebery step you tread
And every breath you take
Determination
Makes you run never stop
Got to win got to run ’til you drop
Keep the pace hold the race
Your mind is getting clearer
You’re over half way there
But the miles they never seem to end
As if you’re in a dream
Not getting anywhere
It seems so futile

Run on and on
Run on and on
The lonliness of the long distance runner

I’ve got to keep running the course
I’ve got to keep running and win at all costs
I’ve got to keep going be strong
Must be so determined and push myself on

Run over stiles across fields
Turn to look at who’s on your heels
Way ahead of the field
The line is getting nearer but do
You want the glory that goes
You reach the final stretch
Ideals sre just a trace
You feel like throwing the race
It’s all so futile

I sing this song in my head and I get faster, or at least I feel faster. It really pumps me up and makes me forget the pain.Scream for me Dyestat!
Scream for me Dyestat!!!!!

\m/ \m/

[eatmyshorts]

i build mental toughness by putting my hand on a hot stove and seeing how long i can keep it there untill i cry.

[dkirkpatrick]

i build mental toughness by putting my hand on a hot stove and seeing how long i can keep it there untill i cry.

Never tried that one before....

[JScott]

The way to want it? Get out there barefoot on a warm summer day and just FLY through some 200's on a field... If you want to feel good about running don't go anaerobic... Just glide. It'll get you excited again, and you can really bust on some. That said, I don't exactly have the credibility... But hey. It's something.

[AzN at LARGE]

well i just started running after taking two weeks off of doing nothing. well these past few days have been terrible. i tend to break down two and a half miles into the workout. i just slow down and want to quit running. i dunno if it's mental and/or i'm out of shape. i would go at around 6:40 pace and i still feel tired. wtf is wrong with me? :confused: :(
well i don't know how fast you are, but 6:40 pace isn't exactly a slow pace. you may just be starting out too fast and need to run slower to get back into shape.

[CaryacadrunnerXC]

over the summer do your long runs and faster runs alone, this will help you mentally be able to push yourself during a race and you will also be able to run well and get back up with the main group if they start to get away from you.

[SwiperTheFox]

i might be doing too much too early. my first week, i went about 5 miles for 5 days.

25 miles for the week is too much?!?! :eek:

[VoidSix]

Don't hammer everyday.

[SwiperTheFox]

sorry, i meant 6. but usually it was more than 5miles a day. my runs would take around 40-45mins.

yes too much. i went from 30mi+ first week. now trying to run 48+ the second week.

Sounds like you don't have a very good idea how much you're running, anyway. But the main point I'd like to make here is that way too many people think that you have to "build up" after a week or two rest. You're body didn't change much at all in this period of time, and it is still adapted to running. There doesn't need to be a build-up.

Too many runners lose too many miles in June and November because they are busy "building back up" after taking a short break following track or cross. And their low starting point means they don't reach as high a total later in the summer. It affects the entire base phase, and it's just not necessary.

[dylan5309]

Focus on success in your workouts, and success in your races will most likely come with it. Also, don't get discouraged by bad races. Once you get into that downward spiral, it's pretty hard to get back out, but all it takes is one good race to get you to remember why you enjoy running in the first place, which should feed on itself in subsequent races.

My season went downhill after one bad meet, and I knew it was all in my head and I still couldn't get out of it. Thinking about hard workouts I did helped my confidence more than anything else.

[AMBULOPHOBIA]

stop being a pussy

[xcviking07]

I'm getting confused...I always thought summer training was supposed to be HARD. I thought that's what made you good in XC. But all I've heard lately is, "mostly long, easy hill runs with maybe a tempo every week." I know you have to do some easy runs, but aren't you supposed to work the hills hard and do some long tempo runs too?

[heynow!]

i have always trained really hard during the summer 4 xc and i always have ran mediocre times compared to what i am capable of...this summer my coach is making me back off a bit because xc is a long season and there's a lot of races in high school and i probably just got burned out/tired because i always feel really tired about midway thru xc...so i think the mileage plus a tempo run or so a week is probably a good bet

[WannarunatBYU]

I like holding my breath... that builds toughness. body screaming for air, but you won't let it. also,, train smart.. the smart runner beats the runner who runs him self into the groudn everyday.

[hillrunner8]

take ice baths. getting in the cold water makes you tough.

[WannarunatBYU]

also go up in the mountains and run, that will be tough for those guys like me coming from the great lakes, 100-500 ft above sea level to 5000- 9000, I go 2 weeks a year out to utah to train and go to a xc camp. toughens you up a lotl.

[track/XC]

mental imaging

and relaxation before a race