Over the last four weeks or so I have been reading a sports psychology book specifically designed for runners. Written by two competitive distance athletes called Jerry Lynch and Warren Scott 'Running Within' is an invaluable resource for any athlete looking to find some techniques that may help control nerves and allow them to race to their full potential. 

Along with reading numerous pieces of literature on sports psychology I have also been to see a couple of sports psychologists over the last few years. As a junior athlete I didn't think about certain pressures as often as I do now. Due to being immersed in a single sport for so long (10-11years) and having multiple positive and negative experiences it is inevitable to gather a certain amount of baggage along the way. 

The most significant turning point for me as an athlete was suffering two straight years of injury and not being able to compete for such a long time. All of a sudden I went from being a good junior who would go into many races thinking I would win to being an average runner fearing the prospect of getting injured again. Consequently I had to reevaluate my aspirations and ambitions so that I wouldn't become perpetually disappointed with my running and most likely over train as a result. Coach Roe at Butler was amazing at pinpointing my frustrations and managed to teach me patience while also giving me belief that I could return to the type of performances I was accustomed to. 

I find sports psychology to be an under utilized aspect of our sport. Lets be honest everyone gets nervous and has probably bottled or given up in a race or two but very rarely do runners go away and try and fix the cause for their lack of performance. Before I spent a decent amount of time with my sports psychologist I would usually put a bad race down to the fact that "it wasn't there today" or think of another reason such as a delay in the racing schedule. Obviously there is always going to be a time when you are feeling heavy or a injury hits you during a race. 

Clearly I have had my fair share of bad races. After experiencing a number of bad ones and realizing that I was fragile mentally due to my history I was determined to find ways where I could change they stinkers into solid performances. The most powerful technique that I have found to work for me is journaling about your race before and after. Prior to a race, If I am feeling nervous I will reread certain parts of my sports journal such as a race that went really well or the previous few entries. Usually this will give me certain key phrases and actions to concentrate on when I arrive at the racing venue.

For example, before my 3km race at Bloomington I wrote about my last best race which I considered to be Mt Sac when I ran my 3.40. When I wrote about that race I noticed that I wrote the word 'control' frequently. As a result I wrote that down on my hand and anytime I had a negative thought in my warm-up I'd repeat the word 'control' to myself. I feel like this small little technique along with others helped me stay positive, composed and in control. 

If anyone has any questions concerning sports psychology I will do my best to help but I would recommend purchasing the above book or going to see a sports psychologists as they will be able to tailor certain coping strategies etc specific to your needs as an athlete. 

On another note, I fly home to Edinburgh tomorrow from Indianapolis and look forward to racing back in the UK. My Sunday long run this week was very encouraging and can't wait to sink my teeth into some speed sessions over the next couple of weeks. 

Below is a picture of the first lap of the Gladstein 3km a couple of weeks ago when I ran 8.01. The pacemaker is in the process of hitting a 30second 200m so I decided to lay off that.