Attitude is Everything

Remember when you ran your fist mile?

It was hard but when you pushed through, you suddenly found yourself with a new confidence you didn't have before. No matter what, you knew you could run a mile without stopping, and there was no going back. You ran 3, then 6, then maybe you started running further, marathons, even ultras! It all started with that 1 mile, and the feeling you had from accomplishing it. It wasn't easy but you did it because you believed in yourself.

The power of a positive attitude and outlook can be the difference between completing a distance and a DNF. Giving that push on your final mile, or settling for a time you didn't want. When you believe in yourself and you're abilities your mind will tell you that you can, and you will try harder. If you believe you can't, then you may not even let yourself try.

If you are struggling to stay positive, surround yourself with other positive runners. Running with a group can enhance your training both in performance and in attitude. Other runners know the struggles of running and will cheer you on when you need it. Having a partner while you do your harder training runs can keep you from quitting early or slowing down. Letting someone hear your complaints and tell you when you need to suck it up, can be pretty valuable when you are ready to throw in the towel.

Positive thinking and positive self talk can help to get you through the toughest of events. During a race there are points for every runner when it would be easy to back off or just quit. By telling yourself that you can do it, and repeating that in your head you can keep yourself moving forward. If you can't stop thinking of the pain or the things that are going wrong, you may not be able to shake the negatives, and you have a higher chance of failure.

A positive attitude isn't about winning every race, or achieving every goal. It's actually sometimes the opposite. It's through our failures that we discover the most about ourselves. Staying positive in the face of failure, learning something from it and trying again is truly having a champions outlook. If you cannot learn from your mistakes you cannot grow as an athlete.

Stay positive friends,

-See you on the road