Blog 3: The Mental Game of Endurance
Part 3: Tools & Techniques for Staying Mentally Strong on Race Day
Today Dr. Keirstyn from Endurance Therapeutics is going to explain tools and techniques to building your mental strength for race day!
Race day amplifies everything. The stakes feel higher, discomfort is more intense, and your brain will find every excuse to slow down.
Athletes who perform well have practiced tools to manage these challenges.
Pre-Race Mental Prep
1. Visualization (3-5 Days Before)
What to Visualize:
Standing at start line, calm and ready
Executing pacing plan through each section
Managing discomfort in middle miles
Finishing strong
How: 5-10 minutes, eyes closed, engage all senses. Visualize overcoming specific challenges.
Why It Works: Your brain doesn't distinguish well between imagined and real experiences.
2. Cue Words (Prepare 2-3)
Examples: "Smooth," "Strong," "Trust the training," "Hold pace"
How to Use: When negative thoughts spiral, repeat your cue word in rhythm with breathing or stride.
Why: Interrupts negative patterns and gives your brain neutral focus.
If you are someone who has a hard time with nerves, I highly recommend writing down a race plan the night before. Listing these words for when the pain presents itself not only allows for you to be prepared during the race, but also can help calm your thoughts!
3. Pre-Race Routine
Same warmup, same food timing, same music or silence. Routine creates predictability and reduces anxiety.
In-Race Strategy 1: Pacing With Intention
Early Race (First 25%): Effort feels easier than expected. "Banking energy, not time"
Middle Race (25-75%): Effort increases, pace stays steady. "Execute the plan, trust training"
Late Race (Final 25%): Everything hurts. "Finish what I started"
Mindset: Pacing isn't about how you feel — it's about executing the plan you made when thinking clearly.
These are also great to write down the night before so you feel prepared!
In-Race Strategy 2: Chunking the Course
The Problem: "I still have 10 miles" creates mental fatigue.
The Solution: Break everything down into small achievable goals that you can manage
Mile by mile: "Just get to the next mile marker"
Aid station to aid station
Landmark to landmark: "Just get to that tree"
Why: Your brain can tolerate anything for a short period. Shrinking focus makes effort manageable.
In-Race Strategy 3: Internal vs. External Focus
Internal: Body awareness (breathing, turnover, heart rate)
External: Environment (other runners, scenery, markers, fans cheering)
When to Use Each:
Internal: Dial back effort, reset form, check fuel/hydration
External: Stop negative spirals, manage high discomfort, fight boredom
The Skill: Switching intentionally between the two to make them work for you.
Managing the "Dark Moments"
This is one of my favourite things to remember with racing (and training sometimes).
The pain will come. It’s just a matter of when. Invite it when it does, it’s proof you’re right where you need to be.
Where It Usually Hits:
5KRace: 2-3km
10K Race: 5-7km
Half-Marathon: 16-18km mark
Marathon: 28-32km mark
Multiple times in ultras
What It Feels Like: "I can't sustain this. Why am I doing this?" or “It’s okay I don’t really care that much anyway”
How to Work Through:
1. Expect It: Knowing it's coming removes shock
2. Use Cue Words: Redirect from negativity to action
3. Check Body, Not Feelings: Are you actually slowing, or does it just feel hard?
4. Bargaining Game: "I'll reassess at next mile marker" (usually feeling passes by then)
5. Remember Everyone Hurts: The person passing you is suffering too
The Truth: Dark moments are temporary. Stay in the race mentally for 10-15 minutes and it shifts.
Post-Race Reflection
Too many athletes skip this part. There is always something to be celebrated from a race, even when it went poorly. And even more so, there are many things to learn when you have a bad race. Writing down your thoughts while it is still fresh helps you cherish the high lights and learn from what may feel like failures at the time.
Within 24 Hours, Answer:
What mental strategies worked?
When did I manage discomfort effectively?
Where did negative thoughts take over?
What would I do differently?
Why: Mental skills improve with reflection and its all part of the process. Isn’t one of the main parts of sport to learn and grow anyway?
Takeaway
Mental tools only help if you practice them. This week, pick two tools and use them in your next hard workout. The more you practice them the stronger of an athlete you will become. Annnd you also may begin to enjoy the process even more!
If you are wanting to level up your performance both physically and mentally, reach out to Dr .Keirstyn at Endurance Therapeutics today or book an assessment!
Next Up: Part 4 — The Psychology of Setbacks: Injury, Bad Races & Burnout