Your Mental Game: It’s all in your head!

by Ashley Samson, PhD, CMPC
University of Kentucky Kinesiology & Health Promotion

Most of us can recall days in which we feel like our run just flows perfectly and it feels effortless. Everything falls into place, our pace is spot on, and our bodies feel as fresh as ever. The outside world fades away and it’s just you and your miles ticking away.

And then there are the other days…. The days in which your mind is all over the place, your legs feel dead and your lungs forget how to work properly. Why does this happen? What changes from day to day? How can I make more days like the first example?

The answer is sport psychology.

As runners, we know that our mind can be an incredible ally or our worst enemy in performance situations. We have all casually mentioned in conversation that it’s “all in your head,” but what does that really mean? Can we really “train our mind” so that we can perform at our best every time, not only in sports but in life in general?

The answer is a resounding yes!

Sport Psychology started in the late 1800s when a scientist named Norman Triplett noticed that competitive cyclists always seemed to post better times when there were other cyclists present, rather than when they were racing for time alone. This led to many studies and the birth of sport psychology as a scientific field.

Since then, researchers have studied many factors related to the psychology of peak athletic performance such as personality traits and how they can impact performance, mental skills for peak performance, and team/social facilitation of high performance. At its basic level, sport psychology is the study of the psychological antecedents (what happens before) and consequences (what happens after) of sport participation.

Examples of antecedents include things like goal setting, anxiety control, concentration, and self-talk, while consequences mainly refer to dealing with the effects of a particularly good or bad performance. An easy way to think about sport psychology is that it’s like “strength and conditioning” for your mind. Most athletes work with a strength coach to prepare their bodies for the rigors of competition. Working with a sport psychologist can prepare your mind for the rigors of competition in the same way. 

Researchers over the years have discovered that it’s not a particular personality trait (or even physical attribute) that makes someone a better performer, but rather that they have a higher level of mental skills use.

Of course, in the running world physical skills are necessary for success, but the best runner in the world will never perform to their ability without the use of mental skills. Mental skills include such things as goal setting, self-talk, imagery, concentration, confidence, resilience, and anxiety/energy management.

Just like any physical skill, mental skills can be learned and must be practiced in order to create the desired effect. In this monthly guest column, I will teach you about a new mental skill each month, how to learn it, and how to incorporate it into your daily life, whether for running or any other area.

By following the guidelines given and practicing these skills regularly, you can be well on the way to reaching your own peak performance!