NicoleEndurance racing is tough. We’re out there trying to keep moving for an hour or more, or sometimes even days. When things get tough it’s pretty common for our minds to start shifting to the negative. A way to turn this around is to have a mantra. A mantra is simply a word or phrase that is repeated over and over. And we all know if we repeat something many times, we will start to believe it.
For whatever your sport, have a mantra or two in mind that you can fall back on when you need to. They are the words or phrases that will get your thoughts focusing on what you need to accomplish. If you’re a triathlete, you might have a different one for each discipline.
Some points on mantras:
- Mantras are unique to you.
- Mantras can be motivating phrases (“I got this”), technique reminders (“stand tall, quick feet”), or completely random (“It’s peanut butter jelly time”)
- Write down your mantras to help engrain them so you are more apt to remember and use them
- Practice mantras in training so that you know they work for you and to help you remember to use them (training sessions can get tough, too!)
- Phrase them in positive words to help keep your mind off any negative thoughts. For example, choose “I am strong” over “I am not weak”
Mantras are really easy to incorporate into your race plan. If you aren’t doing it already, give it a try!
Nicole
