We’ve all had bad days here and there. The key is to try to find some positives you can use to make the next day a better one. The same principle applies to running, especially when it comes to your performance in a running event. Bad performances can dampen your mood, shake your confidence, and just simply ruin your week.
Every runner has experienced some level of disappointment with one or several of their race performances. They key is not to be discouraged by a bad performance. We have to learn to not only get back to running again but to take something away from our bad performances, otherwise you continue to have continuous bad performances.
For non runners, it is this state of confusion when you explain to them your disappointment in a race time or your overall performance during a race. To them, it is no big deal but to you, you have put in time, effort, planning and commitment, all with the hopes of accomplishing a goal, which is to do well. If you’ve run some of the same events multiple times, your goal may be to break your previous years time or just to simply have a good solid race. When you have a bad race, take a few days and do something else, then go back to trying to figure what you did right and what you can do to improve on for the next time. The one thing about running is there’s always room for improvement.
A running event is a special and unique thing. You really cannot simulate the same type of atmosphere during training runs and the thing about the event is that you get that one time and that day to get it right or you have to wait until the next year or move onto another event and hope to fix what you did wrong. You have to have a short memory because you should never go into your next event with thoughts or concerns about your last performance. Each race gives you a chance to erase the bad performance you had from the previous one but you can also look at as a chance to build on the previous performance whether it was good or bad. The game plan is to change your mindset. I beat myself up a lot over performances when in fact, I may have done better by a minute or three but I think it is the reason I continue to run. I always feel like there’s a need to improve and I always feel like I can get better.
In May, I ran 3 races, 3 weekends in a row. Each a race I’d previously run before and though I felt a little dismayed by my performance, I sat down and realized I improved my finishing time in each race so I learned to ease up on myself. It is not always about competing. Sometimes you just have to go out there and have fun.
Trust your ability not your shoes!!!
