Imagine if you had the opportunity to be trained by the coach who inspired 17 Olympic Gold Medalists.
On October 7th, Dr. Jim Afremow, the sports psychologist the Pro athletes turn to when they are looking for that extra competitive advantage, will be hosting a coaching session dedicated to helping recreational runners achieve their goals.
Read MoreRunners 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).
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….
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!
For many runners, the New Year signifies a fresh start; a time to think about goals and the commitments you plan to make. Yet, for all the initial enthusiasm, keeping yourself motivated, committed (beyond Jan 2nd) and moving toward the accomplishment of those goals is often tough.
If you’re tired of setting goals and making resolutions that quickly fade, consider our expert tips to help you stay focused.
Read MoreOur guest expert for this episode is: Mary Jennings: an Irish running coach with a Masters Degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Mary founded ForgetTheGym in 2007 to encourage people to get outdoors, get moving and get motivated.
In her book ‘Get Running’; Mary outlines her belief that exercise should be fun, social, enjoyable and pain free. As a keen long-distance runner Mary herself has completed over 40 marathons and ultra-marathons up to 100k in distance.
Mary has kindly agreed to share an excerpt of an article she wrote that was first published in the Irish Times. As you will read below, Mary takes 10 mental strategies and explains how they can be applied to improve running performance: “Training our head as well as our legs”.
Read More
