Ladies,
I'm sure you're all about to jump into bed, nestle into your covers and dream of running glory on the morrow. You see yourselves dominating everyone else, maybe even breaking the ribbon in victory, whereupon every member of your family and community hoists you atop their shoulders in a spontaneous parade, topped off with all the grandmothers pushing forward with home-made pies in their hands.
Wait, that's my dream.
Probably you are thinking about the meet tomorrow with a mixture of excitement and dread. Are you ready? Will you mess up? Will this go right? Will this go wrong.
All normal thoughts and feelings. I've done hundreds of races, and the same thoughts still go through my head. I'm better at handling it, but it is still uncomfortable. Just know that part never goes completely away.
The best way to cope is to focus on what you control. You. You control your effort. You control your pace, your form, and your race tactics. You control your position in the race. You control your will to keep fighting. Anything else is beyond your control and therefore not to be dwelt upon.
It's going to be hot - super hot. Embrace that now, get your mind bent around it, and use it to your advantage. No, this will not be a race that has a lot of fast times. This will be a race of attrition, and the wise runner will let it come to them. Do not, I repeat, do not get caught up in what the rest of the teams do at the start - they will blow themselves up! You'll see from the boys race before us... there will be plenty of boys who go out way too hard and pay the price.
If you will do what we've been doing all along, you will be fine. Tomorrow is not a 95% day (normal racing pace), it will be an 85% day. Run 85% effort through the first half, then make your way through the pack. You will be amazed at what comes back to you by then. Push harder and harder to the end. Believe me, most of the field will be dead by the 2-mile mark. Easy pickings.
Good form on the uphill and downhill. Steady effort. Pick off shirts all the way. Keep your mind right there the whole race.
I can't wait!
I'm sure you're all about to jump into bed, nestle into your covers and dream of running glory on the morrow. You see yourselves dominating everyone else, maybe even breaking the ribbon in victory, whereupon every member of your family and community hoists you atop their shoulders in a spontaneous parade, topped off with all the grandmothers pushing forward with home-made pies in their hands.
Wait, that's my dream.
Probably you are thinking about the meet tomorrow with a mixture of excitement and dread. Are you ready? Will you mess up? Will this go right? Will this go wrong.
All normal thoughts and feelings. I've done hundreds of races, and the same thoughts still go through my head. I'm better at handling it, but it is still uncomfortable. Just know that part never goes completely away.
The best way to cope is to focus on what you control. You. You control your effort. You control your pace, your form, and your race tactics. You control your position in the race. You control your will to keep fighting. Anything else is beyond your control and therefore not to be dwelt upon.
It's going to be hot - super hot. Embrace that now, get your mind bent around it, and use it to your advantage. No, this will not be a race that has a lot of fast times. This will be a race of attrition, and the wise runner will let it come to them. Do not, I repeat, do not get caught up in what the rest of the teams do at the start - they will blow themselves up! You'll see from the boys race before us... there will be plenty of boys who go out way too hard and pay the price.
If you will do what we've been doing all along, you will be fine. Tomorrow is not a 95% day (normal racing pace), it will be an 85% day. Run 85% effort through the first half, then make your way through the pack. You will be amazed at what comes back to you by then. Push harder and harder to the end. Believe me, most of the field will be dead by the 2-mile mark. Easy pickings.
Good form on the uphill and downhill. Steady effort. Pick off shirts all the way. Keep your mind right there the whole race.
I can't wait!
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