Mental Toughness

This is tough, I am tougher!

.

Mental Strategies for Racing "This is Tough But I am Tougher"

Everyone gets nervous before an event. It is normal to feel anxious and scared. We all freak out about an injury that we have been managing for about two months, or fear of not being able to perform, worried they you may injure yourself, freeze to death, fall off a mountain, trip over break an arm, worried you'll have gastro for 30km, when will my asthma start?

The fear of not being in control is the scary part of managing those emotions that will be the difference to a fantastic successful race full of fun and enjoyment like a party ultra party or a sad, negative experience.

We train our Butts Off to Race, but how often do we train our minds?

Tip - First Up - I give up Coffee Two Weeks Prior to an event.

WTF !!!

Then put it in on race day. If you can do this it WILL feel like an ultra party for 100-160km!

My Top 10 Mental Strategies and Training Techniques;

1. Visualisation, The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.

• Dare to Dream, Dare to Believe.

• I think it; then it can come true.

Visualisation can have a powerful tool to help you obtain your sporting success. Visualisation involves mental rehearsing of the upcoming event. I usually start visualising positive outcomes for a race when I hit the Taper and in Training in my long runs on challenging hill climbs or when my training run replicates my upcoming race. I lay down when I go to bed at night, and I run through the upcoming event. I also problem-solve during this process and make sure I have all my race kit, medications, hydration, and fueling organised.

2. Positive Self Talk is internal dialog.

"This event is Tough but I am Tougher". Have this thought ready to pop into your head when you are hurting. Prepare some phrases ready to go, and make sure you remember to smile to yourself after you say it. This will also help make you feel better. Here are some examples;

Thought - "This is Tough." - Your answer "But I am Tougher". - Smile

Thought - "F this Climb" - Your answer - "I love this Climb". - Smile

Thought - "I'm hurting" - Your answer "Then they must be hurting too, we are all in this together". Sending out love, empathy, and compassion for your fellow competitor will help relieve your pain. - Smile.

Showing compassion and empathy for your fellow competitor will enhance both your trail running experience, you will both triumph over common adversity and share the remarkable achievement together.

Remember you survive an ultra first, then you race it to the finish line.

3. Write Positive Slogans On Your Hands.

I'm known for covering myself in positive self-talk. I am easily distracted, and I need to be reminded that I am here to race and compete. I need to focus on myself.

Some of my favourites are slogans are;

• "Finishing is the Only Option".

• "Fix your head and your body will follow".

• "Go Get them Tiger".

• "FOCUS"

Or a mantra that you repeat to yourself every time you climb.

• "Strength, Love, Passion Drive."

It can be anything, but it has to be positive and it can't use the words "Don't" (For example "Don't Give Up" all you will hear is "Give Up"). It can even be different for each event, it is whatever is relevant to you at the time of each race. Remember we evolve into a different person after each ultra through our triumph over our struggles.

4. Positive Internal Affirmations - Be your own Cheer Squad when racing and training. Compliment your competitors too. You will hear it while you are encouraging them. It's a win-win!

• I feel great.

• I'm ahead of schedule.

• Well Done, you made it up that climb.

• You are over halfway, and you're on the home stretch now.

• Be your own best cheer squad when you are racing and training.

5.Relaxation/Psyching.

• Warm-up correctly with your running drills and range of motions exercises.

• Treat the start of the race just like any other training session.

• I like to isolate myself from the crowd and do my own warm-up and just run out a few nerves and make sure my lungs are warmed up.

• While I do my warm-up, I also check over my gear from feet to head. I start at my laces, then socks, calf guards, shorts, singlet, amolin (lanolin) cream, pack, gloves, cap, look after my pre-race nutrition and hydration, medications.

• I do this about 30-10 min before an event. I also make sure I go to the bathroom at this time also.

• 10 min before the event, I am ready to go.

• Once I have everything sorted and I am ready to go, that is when I find my running mates and start chatting I find it very calming to my nerves.

6. Focusing and Monitoring.

The ability to concentrate on the task at hand and block out unnecessary stimuli. If your mind wanders, then you can drop off the pace.

• Set your GPS Watch to remind you how fast you've gone every kilometer.

• Write achievable splits for you to aim for. I write these on my arm or hand or in my Drop Bags.

• Stay within the PRESENT Moment. Practice this while Training. I count out my tempo in my head constantly. 1-100, usually, this will get me to the top of most climbs in Australia, a large climb I keep repeating the 1-100 steps until I am at the top or say a mantra, like Strength, Love, Passion, Drive over and over again.

7. Mental Bargaining.

Make a deal with yourself to help you overcome barriers. You can have a bottle of

• Champagne once you’ve finished this!

• I have 10km to go. That's 5km 2x2.5km, or that's my favourite training run that I do every Wednesday. 14km to go that's the City2Surf, 8kms that's the Mother's Day Classic, 42km to go that's only a Marathon. 50km to go......I like running 50km, that's when I feel my best, after 50km.

• Or it can be, you can walk when you get to that tree. I will run 20 walks 20 to the top of that hill. I'm running 100 Steps, and I am walking 20 steps.

• You can have that special treat in your drop bag at the CP when you get there.

• Break down your race into achievable distances. For instance, I will make it to the turnaround, and I'll make it to the checkpoint, and so on. I never think of the race as an entire 160km. I always break it down into smaller, manageable distances. Checkpoint to checkpoint, that's all I have to do.

• An even smaller goal can be to focus on the ground in front of your feet. Keep your eyes here, you can manage this patch of dirt in front of your feet, that's all you have to do is focus on the ground in front of you, because you can achieve that small distance just in front of your feet.

8. External Affirmations.

• Crowds!!!! I love a crowd. I love people. They boost my spirits.

• Cheer on your competitors, give them a cheer, I'm sure they will provide you with one in return. I love out and backs or relay events when runners constantly pass me. I can cheer them on, and they will cheer me on too. "You looking strong" "Keep up the pace".

• SMART Competitors will take these comments at face value and use them to augment any internal affirmations and positive self-talk. When we are weak, we will look for the negative in their praise. It is important to stay positive. They say I am looking strong. I must be strong.

9. Technique and Efficiently.

If you are hurting, take a step back from your goals and work on your running technique and say the following;

I will run to the top of this hill, concentrating on DRIVING MY KNEES Forward and UPWARDS. I will race these flats with my shoulders back and down, hands brushing my hips, landing on the mid to front of my feet, and kicking out the back with my ears over my hips.

In the end, if you run with a great technique, you will get to the finish line faster and with less chance of injury or fatigue. You will also make your next race better just by training the correct muscles when racing.

10. Reframing.

After a negative experience, there is a tendency to dwell on the negative. If you've missed your split, or you've lost a few positions, or you feel crap. Look at your race as a learning experience. Each race you do is an extremely TOUGH training session. Every race will make you stronger, tougher, smarter, more efficient, and experienced. Just look at this race as a stepping stone to your next event. You will only get better by racing more often. It is a huge learning curve. Races can be the best training sessions you will do in a year. Look at this race as an amazing opportunity to improve in safe and supported conditions.

Actual Mental toughness is the ability to understand the correct focus at any time that will help you get to your goal. The negative self-talk will prevent you from getting to your goal and make you upset and sad.

We all have those thoughts of;

I’m too old, too fat, injured, a parent, I didn’t train enough.

But those thoughts mean nothing and are just excuses. Identify them and push the negative thoughts out of your mind. Focus on what will help you get to your goal: your technique, nutrition, and hydration and what’s coming up next on the course, like watching the trails, and what I will do at the next checkpoint.

The fight to overcome adversity is what makes ultras so special. This is what you are here for.

Brisbane Trail Ultra - Trail Ultra Marathon Drop Bag Tips

Brisbane Trail Ultra Marathon, like most Ultra Endurance trail running races, will require extra fueling and hydration to help you make the total distance. An ultra-marathon runner does not want to carry the EXTRA weight of Hydration and Fuel for the entire length of the course. Being intelligent and precise about your split times for your Check Point, Bag Drops, and Support Crews will mean you are not carrying any unnecessary weight between checkpoints.

Every ultramarathon runners’ body is different and will require different nutrition and Hydration plan for their event. We like Hammer Nutrition Australia and Red Bull Energy Drinks Products, you might choose different products. That’s more than fine, we’ve written this blog to give you some ideas of how to approach organising your trail ultra marathon drop bag to ensure you have a successful race.

Trail Ultra Marathon Drop Bag Race Tips

1. It is prudent for an ultramarathon to allow for a slower time between checkpoints. It is always easy to pour Water/Hydration Fluid out of your Water Bottles or Bladder if you are running ahead of time. About 5km from a checkpoint, I check the fluid I am carrying and allow for no more than 500ml for that 5km.

2. I weigh around 55kgs; therefore, I allow 500ml/hour. 75kg Person will need around 750ml per hour and so on.

3. Approaching your Drop Bags is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Over the years, I have improved my position in events by hundreds just by being innovative and efficient at a checkpoint. Less is more when it comes to Drop Bags.

4. I write out my nutrition and hydration plan for the section between each Checkpoint on paper, which I place in a Zip Lock Bag in my Drop Bag that will contain my Gel Flasks and Hammer Bars.

5. I always carry all my Endurolytes from the start with me. It is also a great idea to put another zip lock bag of electrolytes in your Drop Bag just in case you lose your electrolytes or need to give some out to your fellow trail runner. If you help others when you are racing, you will appease the trail running gods and have a great race.

6. I’ve coached runners who build nutrition and hydration spreadsheets in excel, they save this document to refer to post-event. They can also write notes about what worked well and what they need to change.

Trail Ultra Marathon Bag Drops Key Points

• Use a Coles/Woolworths Freezer Bag - With a ribbon on it.

• Mark the bag with a COLOURED Label that you Staple onto the Top of the Bag. Label the Bag the Following;

• Name; Shona Stephenson

• Checkpoint 2; Mt Nebo

• Distance; 45km

• Race Number; 1613

Inside the Drop Bag, You Will Have the Following;

• Gel Flask/s with the number of gels needed for the next Leg

• Perpetuem (or your amino mix) Bottle Frozen overnight if possible to keep it fresh. If This is not possible, put a 500-750ml Bottle in the bag with Perpetuem required in the bottle. Fill it with water when you are at the Checkpoint.

• In A Zip Lock Bag put in Any Solid Food You Require, like 1/2 a Banana, Boiled Potatoes, Hammer Bar or energy Bar.

• In a zip lock bag, have your required Endurolyte's.

• On a piece of paper in a zip lock bag to keep it dry, write out your Split Times, Distances, and Goals for the next Leg in your Zip Lock Bag with your Endurolyte's and Solid Food.

• If you are on target, refer to this target to keep you focused, if you are behind, use it as a motivator for the next leg to stay focused and on time for the next checkpoint. It’s best to write these splits checkpoint to checkpoint, to keep you focused on the job at hand rather than worrying about the entire event.

• If you are behind, look at it, add some time on and reassess your target. There is no shame in being slower than your goal. It shows more courage to finish an event slower than expected than DNF. Remember this, and you will learn more from coming back from a bad patch in an event than from DNFing an event.

• Soft Flasks are pre-filled with clean, freshwater, hydration fluid (Heed or 50/50 Water and Red Bull), and coconut water. We've watched runners who don't separate their water from hydration fluid com unstuck when they've consumed too many calories or electrolytes, it's crucial to be able to control your hydration and nutrition separately when racing an ultra.

• The exact amount of water required in a water bottle for your bladder. Many times my support crew overfills my bladder with too much water. I draw a line on my bladder that is the fill line for my hydration plan.

• Extra Water Bottle just in case you have an issue. One might break, you might lose one, your bladder starts to leak.

I have everything organised and ready in my drop bag so I don’t have to use anything at the checkpoints.

I do this so I don’t have to;

• Think - It’s all ready for Me. Thinking uses energy. I need all my energy for running. I have also planned out what I need, making sure it is correct when I wrote my nutrition plan when I was in a sound frame of mind. I’ve already done the thinking for me in the week before the race not when I am racing.

• Wait - I’ve already to go. No lines at the aid station. I am fast and efficient.

• Talk - I just need to know where my drop bag is. (Fingers crossed the Checkpoint volunteers will be following the runners on the GPS tracker and have my drop bag ready to go). I don’t need to ask any questions or engage with anyone at the checkpoint, I can remain focused. Talking uses energy and requires thinking. I don’t want to be distracted with unwanted food, water, etc.

• I MUST SAY A MASSIVE THANK YOU when I leave the check point area to the volunteers and my support crew.

Medications

NB You may need your medications, asthma drugs, gastro stops, antihistamines, etc.

• I calculate when I need my extra Asthma Medications and place them in a bag at either the 1/2 way point or after 12 hours of running. (I always carry Ventolin and a sports spacer on me).

• Gastro Stop I will put 2 in every Check Point Zip Lock bag.

• Probiotics might also be handy if you get gut pain when consuming gels and sports hydration fluids. I've found they relieve gut discomfort along with drinking coconut water.

• Make sure your “Good Head Torch” is in the correct bag when you are scheduling to use it. So you may carry a lighter, smaller head torch through the daytime legs and make sure your preferred headlamp will be in your drop bag before it is dusk.

Change of Clothes

DNFs occur the most at night when trail ultramarathon runners are cold and wet from the days running and sweating in their clothes. It’s a smart idea to put a change of running singlet and base layer thermal in your drop bag for you when you hit the night sections. For the BTU100Mi this might be CP4 Dundas Bush Camp, for the BTU110 it might be CP5, Gold Creek Reservoir.

Should I change my shoes?

Most experienced trail ultramarathon runners do not change their shoes when racing an ultra, even for an event like the BTU100Mi. Make sure you have a new pair of shoes, a style that you've trained successfully in, with about 3 weeks' wear, and use these new shoes as your race shoes. Trust these shoes, they will last the distance for you. 

For extreme speed between Checkpoints,

you can opt for a total bag swap.

Total Bag Swaps are great for ultra marathons when you have more than one mandatory gear kit that can be supplied between two or more race packs bags in your drop bags or when you have a support crew.

It is the fastest way to make it through your ultra marathon checkpoint transitions;

• Take off your race pack when entering the checkpoint.

• Ensure your race pack is already pre-filled and ready to go in your drop bag, make sure your support crew knows what to do and how to pre-mix and fill your bottles correctly.

• Make sure you have all the trail ultramarathon mandatory gear in all your Race Packs.

• Wear a race belt that you carry your mobile phone, medications, and maps in so you always have your phone and map on you through our transitions.

• Practice the transition with your trail ultramarathon support crew, or in and out of your drop bag.

Look at your trail ultra marathon Drog bags as a way for you to be intelligent and strategic with your race. Careful planning of your drop bags will lead to a successful event.