TRAINING 11 RUN WITH GIULIA

Giulia is ready to share the training program to prepare the race Marcialonga Coop 26km or a leg of the relay 10km. 

RUNNING PROGRAM WEEK #11 >>

Are you registered yet for the Marcialonga Coop. Enter now!

REGISTER FOR MARCIALONGA COOP >

REGISTER FOR THE RELAY RACE >

theme of the week

THE ANXIETY BEFORE THE RACE

What thoughts does fill your mind before the race?

For many, the pre-race tension is a nightmare: what will happen to me during the race? Will I be able to get there? Will I be able to meet the expectations? Maybe I have not trained enough? I'm not up to do it, I'm not good enough, I am not able to do it.

If you have these thoughts, we reassure you: this is normal.

From a technical point of view, it is the physiological activation of emotions and this includes both what happens on the psychological level and what happens on the physical level: the increase in breathing, the increase in heart rate, sweating, and the urge to go to the bathroom.

You can transform these emotions into energy.

On a psychological level, you must be aware that the negative thoughts are the result of an emotional process and can be "won" with many positive thoughts. Let's take some examples:

Will I be able to live up to expectations? --> I know I can do it, I am prepared.
I am not trained enough. -->  Maybe I do not improve my best time but crossing the finish line will be a great satisfaction.
I'm not up to par. --> But I could try.
It is helpful to write down the negative feelings and add a positive thought alongside.

On a physical level, to calm the accelerated heartbeats or the feeling of breathlessness, it could be useful to do some active stretching or to jump or dance listening to the music at the start; mentally singing a song can also be a great help. Last week we talked about breathing and in particular about the diaphragmatic breathing; remember that this is particularly useful in the relaxation phase, it calms tense nerves and avoids the risk of apnea.

The start is the moment to release the tension and usually a large dose of energy but it is useful to know that this energy must be dosed and not wasted. Do not start too fast but enjoy what's going on around you and use your energy and positive thoughts throughout the race.