S2|E3 - Pressure is a privilege, not a problem

Deal with the small before it becomes large.

The mental challenge is to change from a negative to a positive point of view. Instead of being in a high-pressure situation, think of this moment as your occasion to thrive. Welcome the challenge at hand because there really is nothing to lose and so much to gain. You will either win or learn from your performance. Understanding this perspective will help you maintain a "be in it to win it" mindset rather than playing to simply not lose.

The Source of the Problem

I work on the sidelines with numerous athletes across the country and we always have to have a conversation at some point in the season about personal performances, personal needs, and meeting the needs of the team and performances for the team. 

Yes, some people will dig in and say that when a kid gets some talent - they become entitled. Some coaches lean into it and cater to that kid’s every need. Add the parents and we often see the kid telling the coaches what events they want to run, and picking their position in relays, making last minute choices to not compete, etc.

I’ve seen the cycle repeat itself, so as a coach who works with kids outside the confines of the HS paradigm - how do I approach these situations? How do I coach the kids and parents?

Let’s take a pause for a moment - you would expect that I’d revel in the fact that I have a talented kid who can simply pave their own way to success, pick all their races, and have a perfect schedule. That’s where you’d be wrong. 

When parents come to me in these situations - I speak to the two things they’ve been avoiding in the process - compromise and adversity. As a coach of young adults who have their eyes on competing at the next level, my job is to prepare them for the next level. There is no such thing as “Winning High School”. The worst thing I can do is prepare them mentally and physically in a sterile environment where they go into every race perfectly prepared to succeed and simply execute on a predefined plan. 

Your position on a relay team is a privilege and an opportunity for reps

When you’re coming to me to complain about being put in a relay before your focus event or you’re asked to do an off-event to score points for the team - I can promise you that the same will be asked of you at the next level. One level higher at the professional level, it is an HONOR to be on a relay because you’re the BEST of the BEST who get the privilege of running for your country. At the professional level they train to perform at their main event AND for a relay if they are given that opportunity. 

So the next time you get bent out of shape because you have to run the 4x400 before the mile, or you don’t get a chance to come into the 2 mile fresh early in the season - realize that you need to train for these situations. So instead of getting upset plan and train for the adversity of the situation.

In college, you will be asked to do relays because those relays help score points. Relays are often an avenue to racing at the NCAA Championships and a key component of team titles.
If you look at the majority of NCAA Individual Titleists, they were a part of one or more successful relay teams because it offers more experience and time on track.

WHAT MATTERS HERE IS REPS. You may only get 4-6 races for your individual event but with the 4x400 and 4x 800m you can double your chances to race, try a strategy, and test your fitness. Relays give you a chance to compete and be part of something blogger than yourself.  

The #1 argument I hear after this is “I’m never fresh for MY EVENT” and I only get so many opportunities to race. So let’s dive into the root argument. Do you think you can only perform at your best when you are “fresh”?

The danger of thinking you can only perform “fresh”. Let’s redefine what “fresh” means. 

There is a huge reason we run as many miles as we do, it’s the reason we train to run fast when we’re tired. It’s why we do fast running at the end of workouts. Specific preparation creates specific results. If I wanted my athletes to only feel the feeling of running fast, we’d do complete recoveries after every rep, only running their reps when they feel perfectly comfortable. When has that ever happened?

There’s a reason why you jog recoveries, or only partially recover from reps in workouts; expect to show up to your personal race of the day having recently run another race earlier in the day. and you need to perform at both of them! When are you ever showing up for a workout perfectly fresh? The reality is that endurance athletes train to perform under fatigue and that’s why we train as much as we do. So the next time you’re in a workout and you’re tired. Imagine that you have to go rounds from prelims, to semi-finals, to finals and you MUST run your fastest in the final. Think about how the biggest meets of the season are run - they are run over multiple days

A real-world scenario

Imagine you’re preparing for the state meet. If you’re in Colorado - we have 3 days of the state meet. If you’re talented enough to qualify in the 800, 1600m, 3200m, and 4x 800m or even 2 events and a relay - you’re going to come into at least 2 of those events tired from a best effort with only 24 hours of recovery.

2023 Girls 4A Distance Event Schedule
4A Girls 3200m Run - 8:45am Thursday
4A Girls 4x 800m Relay - 10:40am Thursday
4A Girls - 800m - 12:45pm Friday
4A Girls - 1600m Run - 1:00 PM Saturday

So there is almost NEVER a time when you’ll go into a race full recovered. So FRESH for an 800 or 1600m now means having a relay in your legs. This is even more true if you’re one of the most talented people on your team - you have the privilege of leading your team and helping them achieve success.

Pressure is a privilege, not a problem.

Athletes will experience intense pressure in their performance as long as they perceive athletic contests as an impending disaster rather than a great opportunity. Furthermore, these athletes also have a tendency to interpret normal bodily sensations, such as an increased heart rate prior to performing, as catastrophic. Importantly, this type of "bad" pressure can be clobbered by developing the right mind-set.