Focus for Fast

When I'm preparing for a race that I know is going to be tough I often use a mantra to get me over tough spots in training or to help me in the race it's self.  Unfortunately when you let your mind wander you tend to back off on your pace.  We can all go harder and faster than we think we can but it requires concentration.

I thought about this topic as I was reading over the results of the women's 20K race walk olympic trials.  The young women who won had a mantra, "Dream-Believe-Become".  That is just awesome and so very true.

To go fast we must focus on our pace, for some of us fast is a lot slower than it is for others but to stay on our personal fast we have to keep focused on it.  I had one of my best races ever this spring in Louisville, it was 10 miles and the middle 4 miles were in some serious hills.  As I was going as hard as I could up that steep hilly road I was hearing that song from Madagascar in my head, "Got to move it move it".  A Disc Jockey on the side of the road was playing that and it stuck and it worked.  I never let up on those hills and had a great race.

When you need to motivate your self to get that one more interval on the track or one more mile on the treadmill or need to pick up your pace for a kick at the end of a hard race, think of something or someone that inspires you.  For me it's my friends that win races from around the world.  Or I will think of my goals and tell myself "Ok if you want it then right here is where you earn it".

Thanks for reading.