Step 1: Drop the ego, run faster

Setting your zones is the first step of ownership as an athlete. Many people avoid it because it often involves confronting reality. New athletes often take pride in running certain paces and further pride in saying that it's "easy". If 7:00 pace isn't actually for your everyday runs, stop gaslighting yourself into thinking it is - you're doing more harm than good.

Whether it's the perception of "looking good" on Strava or upholding some artifice that you did all your aerobic work this week at "x:xx" pace is wild. You are all still developing as athletes - give yourself a pace range to run in based on your current performances. This is what will allow you to sustainably reach your goals.

Rest, Recognize, Refocus, Review

Watching athletes close the season, they often just move on to the next thing - the next sport or set some loose goals for track. I have athletes contact me every January asking how they can get ready for track and I often start by asking them to look back on cross country and define what they did well and what they wanted to improve on. On one particular call, I had an athlete ask me “What does my cross-country season have to do with track season?”. It was at that moment I realized that they had taken a myopic view of the carry-over principle of training. It was clear they were sensitive about the seasons and once we broke it down - they were upset with how they raced at state. On paper, this athlete had a great season but they were stuck on the one performance they wanted to go well - STATE.

Let me be the first to tell you, just as I did to them: One race does not define your season!

Season’s Best Mindset

I’ve spent hundreds of hours at coaching clinics but the most significant gold nuggets I’ve ever learned are often in passing. I spoke with John Poag at a coffee shop about his upcoming season and he said we like to think of the season as a black whiteboard at the start of the season. From there, I could easily see that there are often 2 mindsets they adopt, quite often they transcend from one into another. Most athletes spend the first 2 years developing their running performances and are constantly seeking out time as the biggest validator for their success or failure. At some point, they move away from a PR-centric mindset and become more competitive with themselves and others. They appreciate a PR when they get it but it’s not the sole reason they line up. At their best - they are making an effort to be competitive in the field they’re racing and if they’re lucky - they are racing to win and play “the game” of racing and winning races.Mindset #1 is often a messy whiteboard with their season’s old or most recent PR directly in the center at 100 font. It is the dominant thought in their mind.

Mindset #2 has the PR in size 10 font in the upper corner and the whiteboard shows the progression of the season with each race having places of progress and places for improvement.

Key Points

Don’t get caught looking backwards

Treat your season like a whiteboard

Getting caught in “getting it right”

Not everything is a test

You need mistakes

Learn how to control your thoughts

Facts don’t have feelings

When keying up for a big performance, there is a pressure you feel to have a perfect day and the reality is that you don’t need everything to go 100% perfect. Even and “A” effort gets you a 93-96%. As a student athlete, you are given a clear understanding of what you need to do to get an “A” in school. To get an A in school - you have to follow the rubric, get the assignments in on time, and put forth a reasonable effort to study and master your understanding of the subject. The rubric tells you what’s coming your way, and you can plan ahead and prepare your personal and social schedule accordingly.

Running and Life don’t follow a Rubric

Races with crappy conditions bring out 2 people - those who see the conditions as an equalizer and help them displace athletes who are fitter and have poor attitudes. Then there are those with poor attitudes. The first hurdle many athletes have to understand is that you will constantly chase a “perfect” race and your best races may not and often will not line up on the days when others have great races. The more you race, the more you understand that you’ll be most proud of the days you adapted your strategy, remained flexible, and succeeded despite the conditions/ competition/ stomach ache/ drama in your life.