Be Able to Relax and Focus on What Matters Most: Mental Attributes of Elite Runners #10/15
#10 — Be able to relax and focus on what matters most.
While in stress-mode, organs and tissues behave differently than normal. For a brief period, that’s fine. But we’re not designed to spend our life regularly in “fight-or-flight.” This is why adrenaline rush is deceptive wording. Only in extreme circumstances is it useful. Employing it once a week for that big workout or race day is counterproductive and ultimately corrosive.
Stress-mode is not a healthy place to be. Spending too much time there accumulates wear and tear across our entire bodies, which we measure as allostatic load.
Composure is peace. Peace of mind. Peace with the present. Peace with the unknown future.
Olympian Ron Daws, is his autobiography, The Self-Made Olympian, described his excitement level before the 1968 US Olympic Marathon Trials as akin to “one who waits for the bus.” The race was no big deal to him, he was composed and at peace.
Your training should prepare you to show up on race day, punch the clock, and get the job done at the desired level of proficiency. If that is not the case, you are either 1) approaching your racing wrong or 2) not training in a way that is effective.
World-class runners are “working-class” types. There is no magic on race day for them. They have a job to do, like the teacher, chef, or cab driver. They show up as they are, race hard and kick. Go home, rest up and race again. No 1,000mg caffeine energy drinks, magic, or elaborate social media posts required.