While training for big races I come up with little mantras that seem to become my theme for the race.
1st marathon."My feet can't fail me now" in a dixieland chant.
1st Half IM "I believe in my training"
IM "What else would I rather be doing"
Got any of your own?
2 comments:
I make up mantras while I'm racing. In the last one, I had one when I started to run: "These muscles are ready to go. These muscles are ready to go." There was an imaginary two-beat drum thingy in between each one. It was weird, but I was having a hard time transitioning from the bike to the run, and I needed to remind myself that my run training was solid.
In the second tri I ever did, I came up with one for the swim. The water was kind of green (ew?) and the sky was bright blue, so I just keep saying "Green," when my head was in the water), and "Blue," when I was breathing--and I was breathing on every stroke because I was FREAKING OUT. The focus on color helped because it was so simple.
It works. You're smart to have yours figured out ahead of time.
Last night, before I read your post I mentioned an old tour mantra whilst blogging; "I'd rather have a life than a living." I've scrapped that one, so I suppose I must come up with another before Aug. 12th. When things get tough, I tend to really focus on my breathing and opening my chest for the inhale, but sometimes the mind still begins to wander (and sometimes to less than desirable places).....enter mantra...now I must think of one.
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