Self-Talk and Running

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Over the past week I've let go of the initial disappointment of not making my A or B goal for the CHaD HERO half marathon on October 20th. And I've come to realize that my approach to this race was all wrong. It manifested itself in bad pacing, but the bad pacing was really just a result of some negative self-talk. I had the chance to read a great article written Tere Zacher, a member of the Nuun HTC team who I met in Seattle this summer. Not only is Tere a world class swimmer and runner she also has a masters degree in Sports Psychology.

Last week I read one of her recent posts and realized that I was the poster child for her list of "Most Common Self-Talk Errors." She lists these five most common errors

Focusing on the past or the future:At the start of the race I was most focused on the last 400m. Instead of the mile I was about to run.

Focusing on weaknesses during competitionStanding at the start all I could think of was the women around me who "looked fast." I kept thinking: I was a fool. My goal is too big.

Focusing only on outcomeI was focused on making the outcome, my goal happen. So focused on it that I tried to force it in the first few miles.

Focusing on uncontrollable factorsI kept focusing on the late start (noon) and wondering how it would negatively affect my race. And the hills and the wind.

Demanding perfection I was demanding a perfect performance in order to get the desired outcome.

Reading the article was incredibly helpful because not only does Tere help identify common errors but she provides incredibly helpful tips for stopping your thoughts and redirecting them (kind of what I talked about in THIS POST). If you have a big race coming up or are just looking to improve your performance in general I would highly recommend you head on over to Tere's blog and read THIS ARTICLE.

How is your self-talk, not just in running but in life?

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And the winner of the Weelicious Lunches Cookbook is: Sarah Hussey! Congratulations Sarah! Sarah please contact me at RunFarGirl@gmail.com to claim your cookbook!

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--Sarah

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