Whether you are training for your tenth marathon or your first 5k, you are going to have times when you are going to doubt yourself. It often happens after a bad race, or during a difficult time in your life. Maybe you convince yourself that you can’t finish a certain distance, or that you will never be able to reach that personal best if you want to.
If you are there in your training, a period of questioning. Here is some ways to deal with these feelings, build your confidence, and run to your full potential:
Recognize that some doubt is normal.
It happens to the best of us to doubt ourselves, at the start of several races I wonder if I will be able to achieve my goals, I sometimes fear being caught in the middle of my journey without energy! A little fear can be beneficial because it can help you stay motivated to keep running and have a smarter strategy. Conversely, having a little too much confidence could make you a little lazy in your training or start too quickly in a race .
Try to talk to yourself.
Of course, it’s another problem if your feelings of self-confidence start to affect the quality of your runs. When you start thinking negative thoughts, talk to yourself a little to re-motivate yourself. You don’t have to be that crazy talking to himself on the treadmill! Try some positive thoughts or a quote that you have in your head. Remember how hard you are training, how strong you are, how fit you are, and ready to run to your potential. After a few times, your positive attitude will be more automatic.
Be ready.
You might be worried about things you can’t control, like the weather on race day. Take charge of the things you can control. Plan your running attire, familiarize yourself with a course, practice eating the foods that are right for you before your runs, and hydrate during your runs. If you are traveling to a race and are worried about forgetting an important race item, start packing earlier and use a list to make sure nothing is missing. Having these factors under control will make you feel better.
This post is also available in: Français (French)