Before the 2010 USA 20K Championships, Stephanie Rothstein was excited. And worried. After two years of sickness and injury, the 26-year-old from Flagstaff, Arizona, was concerned about her ability to maintain a fast pace.
So she did a workout of five progressively faster one-mile repeats starting at 5:30 pace to remind herself that she could be competitive. "When I ran the last mile of the workout in 5:07, I knew that if someone threw down a fast mile in the race, I'd be okay," says Rothstein, who finished second in 1:08:26.
"A lot of confidence is built by overcoming fears," says Peter Gilmore, a 2:12-marathoner and online coach (infiniterunning.com). "These sessions show that you're physically capable, so mentally you become more self-assured on race day." Typically, competitors use confidence-building workouts every week in the four to six weeks before an event, but you can also use them throughout your training to boost belief in your abilities.
When you head out to banish fears, pay attention to how you feel. If it's not your day, bag it. "A bad day just means you're human," says Stan Beecham, Psy.D., a sports psychologist who works with elite runners.
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via active.com
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