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Pre-Race Doubts (Read 1181 times)


#artbydmcbride

    Thanks for the insight.

     

    On Sunday morning you will either hear a large boom or a large scream of joy.

     

    ..Just going to shut up and run.

     Houston, we have a contender!    Cool

     

    Runners run

    Scout7


      There's a reason why those special operations guys spend thousands of hours doing nothing but practicing how to enter a room.  It comes down to practice, experience and planning.  Sure, they have a certain sense of nervousness attached to the unknown, but when it is time to act, they do what they've practiced.  All that concern goes out the window because they become focused on the task at hand.

       

      As Jeff said, once the gun goes off, you will be so caught up in actually racing that all those concerns are going to go out the window, and you're gonna run the race as best you can.

       

       

      That being said, I think that there's a second part of it, which is related to goals.  I believe that how a person views and sets goals has a significant impact on how he/she approaches a race.  If you tend to rely on external factors to define you, that you are what your goals are, then those issues become much bigger, because your actual performance against a goal becomes a much bigger concern.  How "well" you do becomes the definition of who you are, which is more than what you've done.

       

      If you are able to instead focus on the simple fact that you will go out and run to the best of your abilities on a given day, and the time and placement you get are not reflections of who you are, but rather are indicators of where you are, it is much easier to get past those goals and not have them weigh you down.

       

      I've met people who have set themselves up for failure because they let their goals define who they were.  These people are never happy, never satisfied when they achieve something, because there is always someone better, faster, smarter, stronger.  I tended to focus on this myself, and I was miserable.

         the time and placement you get are not reflections of who you are, but rather are indicators of where you are.

         

        quoting because I liked that sentence a lot.

        LedLincoln


        not bad for mile 25

          HermosaBoy


             Houston, we have a contender!    Cool

             

            Gave it a shot -- was not successful.  Oh well, at least I tried.

             

            Time to get healthy and try again!

            And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx

             

            Rob

            DoppleBock


              When I am in shape - I have no pre-race doubts.  When you have done it enough times you know what you should be able to do based on workouts in the last 4-6 weeks.

               

              I suffer more from Pre-Race fantasies that have to be kept in check or I am liable to do something stupid the 1st 5-10 miles.  I am completely delusional leading up to the race.  So if I have been doing 5x2 mile @ 6:00 minute miles that will equal 2:45-2:48.  But I will fantasize that with taper I can run a 2:39 ~ never gonna happen.

               

              Numbers are made up - But point is valid.

              Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

               

               

              LedLincoln


              not bad for mile 25

                Hey Hermosa, if your goal was a sure thing, it would be pretty pointless.  As you said, you gave it a try, and what you have learned from that can be considered a success.  Keep it up!

                HermosaBoy


                  Hey Hermosa, if your goal was a sure thing, it would be pretty pointless.  As you said, you gave it a try, and what you have learned from that can be considered a success.  Keep it up!

                   

                  Thanks...  Smile

                  And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx

                   

                  Rob

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