By our Sport Psychology Partners at Fit-Think

It is inevitable in your training and during an event that you will face setbacks. From twisted ankles and muscle cramps, to getting lost, or experiencing low motivation, the challenges can seem insurmountable. Having a well-prepared sports psychology toolkit is invaluable.

*Embracing the journey ©No Limits Photography*

The Physical Versus the Mental Game

Trail running is a gruelling physical endeavour pushing the limits of the body's physical endurance capabilities. However, any experienced trail runner knows the mental game is often more critical. Once fatigue sets in, the mind quickly becomes your biggest obstacle. Negative thoughts, self-doubt, and lack of motivation act like invisible anchors when you need determination most.

*Finding ways to adapt to the unexpected ©No Limits Photography*

Developing Mental Toughness

Developing mental skills and awareness as part of your preparation is critical to future success. This includes building mental toughness and resilience to evaluate and overcome setbacks. Techniques like positive self-talk, imagery, and mindfulness can re-focus your mind, squash defeatist thoughts, and re-ignite motivation. Having coping strategies prepared makes getting derailed by psychological challenges less likely.

*Regroup and share your journey ©No Limits Photography*

Practise Failure

While it seems counterintuitive, intentionally experiencing and overcoming failure in your training allows you to learn how to rebound from setbacks during actual events. Consider the likely setbacks and create safe scenarios to practice them. Getting lost? Running out of food or water? Practice scenarios enable you to test recovery routines and refocus before ramping the intensity back up. Embracing failure as essential training embeds your abilities to stay composed, quickly reset, and optimally respond amidst adversity. It builds confidence based on proven bounce-back skills.

Being Rational

A frequent stumbling block athletes face is having irrational thinking patterns. These are rigid, extreme, and illogical. For example, “I must finish this training session”, “If I don’t win, then I am a failure”. Psychologist Albert Ellis proposed that it's not events or situations that directly cause emotional disturbance, but irrational beliefs about those events. By learning to identify and dispute irrational beliefs, we can replace them with more rational beliefs leading to healthier emotions and behaviours. In sport, more flexible beliefs allow better responses to dynamic and unexpected events, e.g., “I would like to win, but I can cope if I don’t” or, “It is important for my progress that I keep training, but I may not always be able to finish each session.”

*Adventuring through the Welsh Mountains ©No Limits Photography*

Learning from Setbacks

Another critical mental skill in sports is the ability to refocus quickly after making a mistake. The best athletes in the world make errors during competition - a missed shot, a dropped ball, a strategic blunder. What elevates them is their capacity to put mistakes behind them, refocusing on the present. Dwelling on a mistake, letting it rattle your confidence or concentration, can snowball into errors compounded in poor performance. Refocussing strategies can include stopping, taking a deep breath to avoid impulse reactions or using phrases like, "What next?" to consciously focus on your next act. Building a post-performance routine into training programmes can also help you learn from mistakes.

*Find your own rhythm ©No Limits Photography*

Taking Responsibility

Developing an accurate, objective understanding of your unique competencies is critical to maximising your athletic potential. Make an honest inventory of current strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities. Knowing precisely what your strengths are, you can capitalise on them. Having a clear picture of your limitations enables targeted improvements or technical adjustments. This competency analysis requires humility and growth-minded self-criticism. With a realistic and adaptable understanding of your athletic competencies, optimising your personal brand of excellence is possible. Visualising three pillars of self-confidence; competence, control, and social connectedness, you now have a solid foundation for racing, whatever your performance goals.

*What does your journey look like? ©No Limits Photography*

The world's most accomplished endurance athletes have optimised their physical capabilities and mastered psychological skills to remain focused, confident, and motivated through sufferfests that would break the average person. Regardless of your level, incorporating sport psychology is an essential part of a trail runner's training regimen. Developing mental fortitude provides a powerful edge amidst the challenges of epic trail adventures. Embrace the rewards of the experience, and cross that finish line with a huge smile.

*Looking after yourself out on the course ©No Limits Photography*

Ourea Events provides an exclusive sport psychology partnership with FitThink to race entrants. For more details on the support options and packages available, visit www.cormackpsychology/fitthink

Taking time to think about thinking is the first step to mental resilience!

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FIT THINK

Using Your Mental Game to Overcome Setbacks