4/02/2007 Goal Pace Run & Positive Thoughts

I wasn't feeling as good today on the road as I have in previous goal pace run sessions. I never felt like I could hold the pace I wanted all that well. It was a constant struggle throughout the run, and I'm experiencing some lower back pain. All in all it kind of sucked out there today. I finished the 10 miles in 1:23.31 for an 8:21 pace. This is by far the slowest goal pace run I've done all spring, and it is a little discouraging. I talked a little bit about feeling some burn out yesterday and it persists. I'm wondering if the mounting aches and pains in my back and knees might be contributing to this feeling. It might be time to get back to the chiropractor for some visits before race day.

I've been giving some thought to the mental aspects of racing and running lately. Especially since I've been experiencing a bit of burn out. I want to find ways to push back these negative thoughts that creep in during runs that aren't necessarily going as planned. It was good luck that on Simply Stu he interviewed Dr. Stephen Walker about just that subject. It is definitely worth a listen. The first thing I'm going to do to start getting the positive mojo flowing again is to focus on some positives. So, at the end of each workout entry I will post something positive from the workout. Even if I have to pull something small and mundane I will find something positive to write about.

+++Something Positive+++

I learned some good mental tricks to improve my racing by listening to Simply Stu. Stay in the moment during runs. The mind will try to wander and pull my attention away from the task at hand, but stay focused. One trick is to use a tactile method. Wear a rubber band on my wrist during the race. Whenever negative thoughts creep in or the mind loses focuses give the rubber band a snap as a way to take a moment to get refocused.