I’ve wanted to write about positive self-talk since the Garry Bjorkland Half Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, especially after coming off of a very difficult and disappointing experience at the Boston Marathon. The odd thing about what I experienced in Duluth is that it wasn’t planned. I’m not exactly certain how things really came together, but they did, and one action I took that day in particular has stuck with me since then, giving me a new sense of confidence that I can truly run the race I want to run if I put my mind to it.
The morning of the race we woke up at 4am in Duluth for a 6am start time and I was feeling pretty good. I was perfectly tapered (no golf or yoga the prior week), I didn’t have sore legs or tight muscles, and I was riding the last wave of my Boston Marathon training, so I was feeling fit but not over-trained. I was hoping for an unrealistically fast time, but a PR and a strong finish was what I was really after (I’m notorious for starting out strong and slowing down at the end of a race…something I’m working on). When we arrived at the start area, we had close to 1-hour to relax, warm up and head to the start line. Just before heading out on my warm-up, I looked out over Lake Superior and saw probably one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen in my life. This was the view that calmed me:
The field in this race was very strong. I was ranked 30th in a large group of women, so I wasn’t expecting a top placing (top 10 receive prize money). The race started out fairly fast and I very quickly made the decision that I was going to run my pace according to my watch, not the other runners (at least in the beginning). I really didn’t want to mess this up. At mile 1 my split was 5:56, a little fast; mile 2 was 6:00, right on target; mile 3 was 5:57, and that’s when I became aware – my mind, body and breathing were in complete rhythm. Out of nowhere, I had just discovered that I was repeating to myself variations of “you are fit, focused, strong and recovered!” or “you are fit, fast, recovered and focused!” and it was helping me keep my mind and my body in the race.
Over and over again I repeated these words for the remaining 10 miles. I thought I was going crazy, but at the same time, the positive self-talk was allowing my mind not to wander into negative territory as it so often does when you are in pain and pushing yourself to the limits, and it helped me find a stable rhythm with my breathing; something I typically have trouble with in races which often results in a horrible side-stitch that I cant kick. This race stands out to me because, for the first time ever, I finished as strongly as I started. My paced quickened at the end and when I crossed that finish line, I knew that I had given my all; something that I have trouble doing when I am blocked by negative thoughts or nagging pains.
I was introduced to the concept of self-talk in a class I took at work called 'Investment in Excellence'. Many things can initiate the action of self-talk, but for me on race day, it was initiated by developing a positive affirmation for myself – “Because I am fit, fast, focused and recovered, I place top 10 at the Garry Bjorkland Half Marathon.” The theory behind the effect of these positive affirmations is that you are changing the internal dialogue between your subconscious mind and your perceived mind, so if you subconsciously don’t believe you can achieve your goal (based on your beliefs, values, experiences, etc.), then achieving your goal may be impossible. But, if you can change what you believe by altering how you perceive things to be, then you can eventually change subconsciously how you think. By focusing on my positive affirmation that day, I think I was able to change what I originally perceived my abilities to be, and although I did not place top 10, I placed 15th, which, for a race where I was ranked 30th, I can say I am very proud of.
When I first took this class, I kept thinking to myself, “I never have negative self-talk” but when I look back on it now, my entire Boston experience was plagued with negative self-talk and I didn’t even know it. No matter how positive I think I am, negative self-talk exists in me. My goal for my next race, the California International Marathon in December, will be to write down my positive affirmations, and practice them every day, so when the time comes to toe the line, I will be able to effortlessly spend the next (less than) 2:44:59 reciting to myself positive thoughts (the standard remains 2:45:00 for 2020!!). I will not let negative self-talk plague my next attempt at qualifying for the 2020 Marathon Olympic Trials.
Tips on Writing Positive Affirmations
There are many recommended ways to write a positive affirmation, but I like to make it as simple as possible. Below are some of the guidelines I follow when writing my affirmations:
1. Write your affirmation in first person
2. Be in the present tense
3. Be time/place-specific
4. Use positive adjectives that describe your strengths
5. Make your affirmations short so they are easy to remember (I usually stick to one sentence)