Keep a Calm Mind
University of Colorado Cross Country and Track Coach Mark Wetmore is one of the best coaches in the world. His advice for his athletes is to “Keep a Calm Mind”. Why? Because once an athlete internalizes those 4 words, he has a much better chance of running a great race (or workout). While it is difficult to keep a calm mind before and during a race, it is crucial to do so.
How relaxed can you be when the paces of a workout or race become uncomfortable? How do you confront the inevitable pain you’ll feel in the final minutes of a well run race? Keeping a calm mind in training and racing is a simple concept, yet it’s not easy to put into practice. The great thing about this is that it is a skill that can be trained and get better at with practice . This is a skill that will help not just life as a runner but as a person in today’s world. From tests, to interviews, to keeping a calm mind is a prerequisite for success for almost anything.
The first rule of long distance running is to acknowledge that training and racing will be difficult. In the middle of a workout or race, your mind begins to sense a growing physical pain from the completed exercise. As your mind begins to sense this pain, it brings your attention to it and eventually zeros in on this sensation. The feeling of discomfort consumes your consciousness and you do not see a way out of it other than giving in and slowing down. The majority of the time, the brain gets in the way of the body. Quite simply, your brain gives in before your body does. The best distance runners are best at inhibiting the brain’s response to slow down, ease up, and feel comfortable.
TEAM → Positivity → Motivation → Response Inhibition
The bigger the focus on the TEAM and positivity, the more motivated athletes will be to inhibit their response to ease up and slow down.
By keeping a calm mind, athletes are able to return their attention to the task at hand- making sure that their movements and breathing are both effective and efficient. This helps athletes not focus on how much further they have to go and speculate about how they will handle it, rather focus on that moment in time and their controllable actions. The key to not giving in when “it gets real” is to refocus your attention to what you are doing at that moment in time and who you are doing it for- THE TEAM.
THE TEAM. Directing athletes to give all their energy and attention to running for their teammates and their team is paramount. This is the ultimate motivation, they are not just running for themselves, rather now for each other. Everything athletes do is for the TEAM. Knowing that if you do give in to that voice you are letting down your teammates is powerful motivation. “The less we are consumed with ourselves, the more willing we are to do hard things for others.” — Steve Magness.
