Using segmentation to help you mentally prepare for your next race
[12-minute read]
Experiencing anxiety at the start of a race is a normal physiological and psychological response that many athletes commonly encounter. You could have followed your program from A to Z, but still be questioning your readiness. The nerves you have before a race, a speech, or doing something for the first time is normal and means you care. Many of us call these nerves butterflies, and it’s actually a good stress that we want to use to help us move forward. We want those butterflies to fly in formation, and not continue to flutter around in chaos, making us feel worried and doubtful about how we’ll show up. But guess what, worrying about the what-ifs is completely normal, and thoughts about how heavy your legs feel, or doubting if you’ll be able to finish will inevitably come up, especially during those last few kms.
Luckily we can use an exercise called Segmentation where we can build coping strategies that will help us manage negative thoughts as they come up on race day. The idea is that if you prepare how you’ll shift your inner voice, you’ll most likely be able to do it a little bit better next time you race. In the midst of challenging situations we let our emotions take over - we react. Having a mental plan already set up means you’ll have access to tools or mindset shifts you can grab right away, and not have to try to make them up on the spot. At kilometer 32 do you think you’ll have the energy to come up with a mindset shift to help you get out of your spiral? Most probably not (but kudos if you do!), as these things have to be practiced and planned for. In moments of fatigue the brain defaults to habit, and so worries, doubts and fears can trickle in without invitation.
Most runners who plan to run a race, a marathon for example, will prepare by following a program, getting nutritional advice on how to fuel properly, and getting to know the course and how to manage the different aspects of it (ie: uphills, downhills, cheer stations, etc). They might even mentally prepare by making sure to set up a pre-performance plan that helps them feel focused, calm, confident and ready. The more knowledge you have about the thing you’re going to do (in addition to all your training), the more confident you will feel in your ability to show up and crush it.
With that said, I’ve had the opportunity to work with runners at every level, and one aspect that seems to be forgotten is how to mentally prepare for all the negative self-talk (doubts, worries, fears) that might come up and hurt all that hard work you’ve put in. You can be the fastest, have the best plan to fuel, have done all your strength training and recovery, have an amazing coach, have a killer strategy to run the race, but if you choke under pressure or fall victim to that voice that tells you you might fail, then you aren’t able to show up and show off all that hard work you put in.
Negative thoughts are almost inevitable, but the best athletes are those who are able to let go of them, reframe them, and redirect their energy to more useful thoughts that will help them move forward. Before I show you the Segmentation exercise that can help you do this, I want you to understand that the anxieties you have before a race or long run, or even an interval workout are totally normal. Here are some factors that contribute to the doubt, fear and worry:
1) Anticipation of the Challenge: Long races often present a significant physical and mental challenge. The anticipation of the upcoming physical exertion, endurance requirements, and potential obstacles can trigger anxiety.
2) Fear of the Unknown: The uncertainty of how the race will unfold, the course conditions, and the competition can create anxiety. The human brain tends to be wary of the unknown, and this natural response can manifest as pre-race jitters.
3) Performance Pressure: Athletes may feel pressure to perform well, especially if they have trained extensively or set personal goals for the race. This pressure can lead to heightened anxiety as the race begins.
4) Adrenaline Rush: The start of a race is often marked by excitement, anticipation, and the release of adrenaline. While adrenaline is necessary for peak performance, it can also contribute to feelings of anxiety and nervousness.
5) Social Comparison: Athletes may compare themselves to others, especially at the start line. Concerns about how one measures up to the competition or expectations from others can contribute to anxiety.
6) Physiological Changes: The body undergoes various physiological changes in preparation for physical activity. These changes, such as increased heart rate and breathing, are part of the body's natural response to stress and can contribute to feelings of anxiety.
7) Goal-Related Stress: If an athlete has set specific performance goals for the race, the pressure to meet or exceed these goals can contribute to anxiety. The fear of falling short of expectations can be particularly impactful.
The first step to mentally preparing better is first recognizing that pre-race anxiety is a normal part of the athletic experience. Good news though, you can learn to manage emotions, and channel these feelings in a positive way.
Strategies such as breathing and visualization can be very powerful, but I’m here to dive into how you can take control of the narrative in your head when you’re not feeling too hot.
The following Segmentation exercise was inspired by an idea in the book, “The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*** down and Rise to the Occasion” by S. Marshall and L. Paterson. I’ve used this exercise personally during my first half marathon in 2019, and I’ve used it in my work with endurance atheletes - whether it was to help prepare to finish a race, or cross the English channel.
In preparation for the Boston Marathon, one athlete says, “…by segmenting the course into smaller more manageable parts, it helped me physically, emotionally, and psychologically prepare for race day. It contributed to my visualization training by allowing me to rehearse how I would feel and what I would do at each point, making the race feel more familiar, reducing anxiety, and increasing my confidence.
Finally, she says by incorporating segmentation into her mental preparation for the Boston Marathon (something she’s never done previously), it has encouraged a more focused and positive mindset to tackle each part of the course with confidence and strategic insight. “This exercise helped make my training runs leading up to the race less overwhelming, allowing for a more targeted strategy, and greater overall focus. The biggest difference seen in preparation for the Boston Marathon by adding segmentation is a reduction in my anxiety and increase in confidence that I will approach the start line strong, despite injuries I’ve had to manage and continue to manage.The detailed planning was key to finding the right balance that helped me feel ready, thus reducing unnecessary stress!”
Now that I hopefully got your buy-in, here’s how you do it:
1) Break it down to bite size pieces
Break down your race into segments (hence the name). This will look different to every athlete, but think about which parts of the race you will most likely have to manage your inner voice. If you’ve ran races before, you should have a good idea of this. You can also reflect back on your long runs and see what has come up in the past. You can also think of what that inner voice might say in certain parts of the race like during an uphill, the first 2km, or the last 5km.
2) Connect it to your worries and stressors
Now that you have all the segments lined up, I want you to think of the worry or stressor that you anticipate coming up. Now this isn’t to worry you or get you anxious, the goal here is to plan, and know that by doing this it will help you feel more confident to manage the situation if it comes up. So beside each segment, write in the worry, or useless thought that might come up.
3) Replace it with the cheerleader
Lastly, we build the coping strategies. Now that you have identified potential segments that might worry you and impact your performance, you need to come up with a thought to replace it - one that helps you refocus and feel confident again. A lot of people think that these thoughts have to be positive, but honestly do you think saying, “I got this!” all the time will be helpful? Think about what can help you move forward: reminders, your goals, mantras, or maybe some encouraging words you liked hearing from your cheerleaders - a coach, family member, or friend.
4) Practice makes progress
Now that you have your plan, it’s time to practice it! Yes, shifting your mindset and inner voice is a skill that needs to be practiced in order for it to happen more naturally… just like you practiced speed work and all that other stuff. You want the plan to work, don’t you? Use challenges in your training as opportunities. Use those long runs, hills, intervals, or days where the weather is just horrible to help you first notice what that inner voice is saying, how you currently manage it, and then see if you can practice shifting it.
If you are more visual like I am, check out the example below for a marathon:
Please note that Segemenation will look different for everyone, and this is just a basic example to give you an idea so you can get started.
Here’s to you feeling confident, calm and focused for your next race! If you need help setting up your plan, I’m here to support and guide you.
