Kidnapped By Aliens On The Way to The Race

Runners are serious worrywarts. What’s your favorite pre-race anxiety?….To give you inspiration, here are 26.2 examples of #MarathonPhobia from our recent survey - I was surprised that fear of getting kidnapped by aliens on the way to the race didn’t come up.

In no particular order:

1.      Fear of letting down other people (family, friends, charity sponsors…)

2.      What if I have a gastrointestinal issue?

3.      Did I do enough training? I didn’t do enough hill workouts– it’s too late now

4.      Will there be big lines for the Porta-Potties?

5.      Climate worries – will it be too hot, cold, rainy….?

6.      How do I cope with the Wall? – I’ve only run 20 miles in training.

7.      What if my alarm fails to go off?

8.      If I can’t find my lucky socks – the race is doomed.

9.      What if I miss the packet pick up?

10.   What do I wear on race day? – I’ve already changed my mind 4 times

11.   What do I eat for breakfast?

12.   My knee has started to twinge – is this my old injury coming back to haunt me?

13.   I’ve got a tickle in my throat – will this develop into something serious?

14.   Will I find my corral – pace group?

15.   I always go off to quickly and die later.

16.   Will I be able to see my supporters in the crowd?

17.   Where will I meet my supporters after the race?

18.   What if I get blisters, chaffing, sunstroke?

19.   What happens if I forget to take my gels or drink enough water?

20.   Will my watch work with the tall buildings?

21.   What happens if I can’t sleep the night before?

22.   I’ve trained for 16 weeks but I just don’t feel ready.

23.   I’m tempted to try out the new superfast shoes the pros wear on race day?

24.   Will I miss my goal if I have to take a restroom break?

25.   What happens if I get injured – how do I get back to the start line?

26.   After my last race – I had the post marathon blues (even though I got a PR). 

26.2  A new one for 2021 – I’m confused by the COVID-19 rules. Which test? When? Masks?

This is just a shortlist – I didn’t want to turn this post into an ultra by listing them all.

How do I conquer my fears?

To help you overcome your anxiety and arrive at the start line fully mentally prepared to crush your goals, we’ve persuaded top sports psychologist Dr. Jim Afremow to distill the same mental training playbook he used to coach 17 Olympic champions and share it with you.

What do I do next?

Register now for the free webinar, How To Overcome Marathon Anxiety and Crush Your Race Goals on October 7th at 4 pm Eastern/3 pm Central time. If you can’t make this time – no worries….still register and we’ll send you a recording you can watch before your race.

Places will be limited and there are tens of thousands of runners running Fall races - we therefore recommend reserving your seat today.

See you there….

Kevin

Editor Rundamentalists

PS. There will be a prize draw for live attendees at the end of the webinar – prizes include a free annual subscription to the Mental Training App that Dr. Jim uses to coach pro-athletes (Value $275).

How to Overcome Marathon Anxiety and Enjoy a Positive Race Day Experience

To help you have a positive marathon experience, we’re hosting a free pre-race mental skills ‘tune-up’ workshop with the top sports psychologist: Dr Jim Afremow on Thursday October 7th at 4 pm Eastern/3 pm Central.

Is it normal to feel anxious about my marathon?

You are not alone, as the miles reduce during the taper period – anxiety goes up exponentially. With race day approaching, even seasoned marathoners experience a cocktail of negative emotions: self-doubt, angst and fear. You become irrational and every twinge becomes a stress-fracture and you worry about the hundred and one things that could go wrong over 26.2 miles:

·       Have I done enough training?

·       What if I have a gastrointestinal issue?

·       How do I overcome the dreaded ’Wall’ - (I only ran 20 miles)?

The uncertainty around COVID-19 rules has made this year even more stressful.

How do I conquer my fears?

To help you overcome your anxiety and arrive at the start line fully mentally prepared to crush your goals, we’ve persuaded top sports psychologist Dr. Jim Afremow to distill the same mental training playbook he used to coach 17 Olympic champions and share it with you.

What do I do next?

Register now for the free webinar, How To Overcome Marathon Anxiety and Crush Your Race Goals on October 7th at 4 pm Eastern/3 pm Central time. If you can’t make this time – no worries….still register and we’ll send you a recording you can watch before your race.

Places will be limited and there are tens of thousands of runners running Fall races - we therefore recommend reserving your seat today.

PS. There will be a prize draw for attendees at the end of the webinar – prizes include a free annual subscription to the Mental Training App that Dr. Jim uses to coach pro-athletes (Value $275).

Positive Marathon Experience

Like Nike Vaporfly Shoes For Your Brain

Like Nike Vaporfly Shoes For Your Brain

Elite athletes embrace the latest innovations in running shoe technology to gain a 1 percent competitive advantage.

They also have a sports psychologist in their support team – because mental training is proven to deliver significant performance gains.

“Athletics is not so much about the legs. It's about the heart and mind.”

Eliud Kipchoge (Marathon world record holder)

Until now, sports psychology wasn’t readily available to what the marketing guys call the ‘recreational runner’.

Just 10 Minutes a Day

To bridge this gap, we’ve persuaded top sports psychologist - Dr. Jim Afremow to share with you the same mental training playbook he used to coach 17 Olympic gold medalists.

Packaged as the ‘Champion’s Mind – Running’, Dr. Jim’s insights are conveniently delivered as a mobile app.

In only 10 minutes a day you will learn the same mental skills that elite runners use to help you run: longer, faster, stronger, happier….

Anxious About Your Marathon?

Congratulations, you’ve entered a marathon and no matter where you are on the experience curve from first timer to Boston veteran you know in your heart this is going to be a tough journey.

An event built on a legend where in 490 BC the hero Pheidippides collapses and dies of exhaustion has to be respected.

Race organizers might call a 5k a Fun Run – no-one describes a marathon as: “Fun” – it’s called an endurance event for a reason – it is designed to be endured!

You need to prepare for:

·       Exhausting training sessions that you have to somehow squeeze into your already packed work-life schedule.

·       Balancing increased mileage with the risk of injury.

·       Overwhelming anxiety in the build up to the big day.

·       Stressing about hundred and one things that could go wrong.

·       Overcoming the dreaded ’Wall’

·       And to cap it all – if you get to the finish line - there is a high probability of suffering from post-race blues.

In short, at every stage of your journey you will encounter both physical and mental hurdles.

Take the ‘Have You Got The Rundamentals’ quiz to find out where you are today and receive mental training tips to ensure you crush your goals on race day!