Put the pain in its place

How do the top runners handle the discomfort of a tough race? Here are their strategies

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

‘The best way to deal with pain mentally and physically is to prepare myself in practice,’ says University of Houston middledistance runner Drevan AndersonKaapa. ‘Once I get to the race it is nothing more than an extension of what we have already been doing in practice and living out personally.’

BELIEVE IN YOUR TRAINING

Have confidence in the work you have put in and remind yourself of that before and during the tough part of the race. Elite runner Jenny Scherer found her confidence boosted by her coach. ‘Prerace my coach would give me a positive pep talk, touching on all the hard work I’d done to prepare for the race and giving me an extra boost of confidence,’ she says. ‘I think it helps to have full faith in your coach and the plan you have executed to get to where you are.’

SEGMENT THE RACE

Jackie Areson, a world indoor finalist, uses a variety of coping methods. ‘ When it really gets tough, break the race down into manageable pieces,’ she says. ‘Focus on getting to the next 200 or even the next 100m.’

TAKE YOUR MIND AWAY

Elite miler Tommy Schmitz tries to stay relaxed and distract himself from what is to come. ‘For me, preparing for the pain means getting away from the thought process and going elsewhere, whether that’s a joke from a friend or talking to the crowd,’ he says. ‘If I think too much about the race, I’ll psych myself out.’