THE MENTAL SIDE OF RUNNING
Negative thinking limits performance.
If you turn the thinking around, then suddenly
the impossible becomes possible.
If you can train your mind, your body will
follow. We are capable of those things that we are
capable of believing.
As an athlete, you should always act as if you
can. With this positive attitude, you can discover the
truth of your athletic abilities by living out the
experience.
Far too many of us do the opposite. We decide ahead of
time that we cannot. We think we’re too old, too
uncoordinated, too heavy, not trained well enough, not
tough enough or not blessed with the right genetics.
The list can go on forever.
This becomes negative thinking and negative
beliefs. The bottom line is this:
If you think you can’t…you can’t.
To succeed, every runner and athlete must learn
to deal with mistakes and failures. The path to personal
excellence is cluttered with obstacles.
There’s no reason to become our own worst enemies
when we suffer setbacks.
Olympic champions know this and use those
setbacks as opportunities for growth. From time to time
everyone falls short of their goals.
It’s an illusion to believe that even Olympic
athletes succeed because they do everything perfectly.
If you can create a mental environment that
accepts mistakes, you can free yourself to keep trying,
keeping pushing yourself and keep taking risks. You
will have some bad days, but if you can accept them as
opportunities for growth, you can learn from the
experiences.
A modern motto from the Olympic Games is this:
“The important thing in the Games is not winning
but taking part.
The essential thing is not conquering, but
fighting well”.
If you run with this attitude, the results will
take care of themselves.
When running, concentrate on overcoming fear,
self-doubt, and other limiting beliefs.
Forget about external issues, like your finish
time.
Thinking about external issues will deplete your energy,
create tension and slow you down.
You have within you right now, all that you need
to achieve your realistic goals in running. Remember
that all your accomplishments are the direct result of
your thoughts. When you chose the right kind of
thoughts, you’ll find you enjoy running more, you’ll
feel more motivated, and you’ll create the running
destiny you have always wanted.
Sherry Shelton has over 25 years of experience in
the health and fitness industry.
Sherry is a licensed USA Triathlon, Running and
Cycling Coach and a nationally certified Personal
Trainer.
She has been competing in triathlons, duathlons and road
races for many years.
Sherry is the owner of
In Home Personal Training
which has serviced the North Atlanta
area for over ten years. She has contributed numerous
health and fitness articles for both North Fulton
Living and Atlanta Sports & Fitness magazine
and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper.
