We spend a lot of time focusing on the training for race day but sometimes athletes find the art of racing to be complicated. We rarely practice racing for the obvious reasons because we can only have so many A races a year without burning out or compromising our training. However, if we never practice digging deep into the well, the already daunting task becomes even more daunting. It is similar to a lot of things in life. Like public speaking, we can prepare and rehearse everything perfect, but we rarely get the exact opportunity to speak in front of the large group. For this reason, many people fear public speaking. Although, those who do practice regularly seem to have less of a fear. I know public speaking and road racing are not entirely the same, but they do share some similar principles. Today we are going to talk about the things you can do to become a better racer. Pacing Practice How you do anything is how you do everything Practice negative splits in workouts & you will find it comes naturally on race day Practice a Positive Mindset Confidence boosting when you have experience. People who ran in high school or were athletes in high school. Some people are naturally more aggressive physically and they naturally want to push themselves more. Others more cautious How do you talk to yourself during training runs? What do you tend to focus on? Practice saying 5 positive things after every run Have Realistic Expectations & A Plan Look at how your training went & develop a data driven plan Practice doing uncomfortable things/pushing yourself Many people say once they become a mom, they have ‘new strength’. I don’t think this is physical. It may be mental. Perhaps you realize you can handle more than you thought Practice mental discomfort every day in non-running related ways