Morning Team,

Today’s post discusses the inevitable (self-sabotaging) performance limiting period in endurance events when your brain generates emotions like; damn my legs hurt, why am I hurting myself like this? I don’t need this sh^t! or, at worst, just get me out off this friggin course – NOW!<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/yyyyy.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2709 " src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/yyyyy-300x201.jpg" alt="SONY DSC" width="208" height="139" /></a>

Hopefully I’ll offer a few tools to overcome these likely (and usually illusory) emotions.

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<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;">This Sunday will see over 20, 000 tackle either the 9km Bridge run, the 21.1km Half Marathon or the Sydney 42.2km Marathon.</span>

<span style="color: #008080;">I have 28 runners involved – and Gus.</span>

<span style="color: #008080;">I wish my well prepared first timers, and also my seasoned campaigners all the very best.</span>

<span style="color: #008080;">This post is for you.</span></blockquote>
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Right then, let’s say everyone has prepared reasonably well. As in, slowly mounting miles on feet, naturally increasing speed, and efficiently adapted to metabolise and favour stored fat for energy. Oh, and overcome the staple of preparations – an Achilles injury and of course man-flu.

Based on my experience, being, 1) courtesy of more than a few epic fails - and 2) countless candid chats with endurance super stars, the only dead certainty on race day will be the (potentially) performance limiting brain emotions which you’ll create and will likely hit somewhere between the 60-90% mark relative to the events full distance.

I should clarify – I refer to the probable challenge faced for those pressing towards their <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-1111.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2711 " src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/run-1111-216x300.jpg" alt="run 111" width="152" height="211" /></a>best performance (on that day). For example, I’m running the 9km event with my 14 yr daughter, hence, I shouldn’t, well....I hope not anyway, reach that point of negative emotional kick back (actually.........on further thought, I still might!!!!!).

So why does the thought of SLOW-STOP-GIVE UP usually hit between 60-90% relative to the distance of your event? Well, you’ve already collated a tun of work (relative to you), and the finish is nowhere in sight. So you start to doubt your safety, or motivation for maintaining your current pace to the finish line.

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<blockquote><span style="color: #993366;">You’ll be asked to answer a question – usually asked by a little devil that sits on your right shoulder – I don’t know why he sits there.</span></blockquote>
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You’ll be encouraged to slow, stop or pull the pin altogether. Your concerns – or reasons – for pulling the pin could range from anything like – sore legs (namely: quads, Achilles, calves, knees), gut aches, feeling hot, feeling cold, cramping, blisters, chaffing, muscle strains, back aches, hypo-glycaemia and feeling hungry, dehydrated, loose GIT, burning muscles, or just simply you feel s^&amp;thouse. Maybe a few of them.

Now, at this point I’ve noticed the better athletes, 1) don’t generate the limiting invitations, <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/athththt.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2262 " src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/athththt-300x225.jpg" alt="athththt" width="268" height="201" /></a>and 2) if they do, they have the ability to dissociate from them quickly allowing for continue top end pace on. Others however will concede that something really is wrong, and believe that slowing or giving up will solve the problem.

Brain (behaviour) research suggests that 9/10 times we’re asked that question (in a safe endurance race), the perceived physical breakdown or weakness is in fact a myth – an illusory emotion produced by the person. It’s believed irrespective of your emotional beliefs at the time, you are in actual fact physically more than equipped to continue at your desired pace. It’s simply your healthy brain doing it’s job to protect you at all costs. It’s your emotions signalling that hey perhaps you’re getting close to placing your well-being in danger.

These negative (potentially performance limiting) emotions are said to kick in at about 50% near to death - with 98% near to death being you’re about to have no choice in shutting things down. Meaning, basically, you have a huge reserve to call upon. If you except (or believe) the first sign of discomfort (again – let’s say 40-50% near to death), and you accept that in actual fact you really are close to hurting yourself – then you will slow – or stop. And most do.

So why do we now know that in 9/10 times it really isn’t a physical limiter within the 60-90% mark of the race distance? Well, I’ve stood at the finishing line at hundreds of races and seen people who claimed to be cactus only 3 kms earlier, run the last km in world record time – high fiving the crowd hit the line with a photo now used in next year’s race promotion.

Obviously if you’re crook you’re crook. I’m just saying that more often than not you can endure – without placing your wellness at risk – far more than perhaps you believe. Your physical attributes are far less vulnerable than you really believe.

So how do you dismiss and dissociate from these negative feelings and continue pushing on?
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<span style="color: #008080;"><span style="color: #993366;">1. BELIEF, BELIEF, BELIEF</span> – Once you’re fit the sole purpose of training becomes and an act of belief. We repeat consistently the same course at our desired pace under race –like simulated pressure – until it is rote learnt. When one toe’s the line – they’re not battling nerves – and certainly not doubting their performance – it just happens.</span>
<span style="color: #008080;"><span style="color: #993366;">2. MOTIVATION</span> – you either want it or you don’t. It either means something to you – as in you consider continuing at this pace of value – or, if it doesn’t really matter – more than likely you’ll bail. I suspect if you asked me to give everything I’ve possibly got into racing a 10km race with 8 weeks of perfect preparation, my aging body would knock out around 35.00. Now then, let’s say with limited preparation and a pre-race calorie hit of pizza &amp; beer on a minimal night-before sleep, I reckon if you said that one of my kids would die if I don’t run 33.30 – then I’ll run 33.25.</span>
<span style="color: #008080;"><span style="color: #993366;">3. BUILD BRAIN FILES</span> – In training, you have to practice re-directing negative thoughts towards something else – what? I tend to focus on form. Where my body is in space. </span>
<span style="color: #008080;">More of this in another post.</span></blockquote>
Good luck and see you at the finish line – I’ll have my camera ready.
BP