Mentally Ready to Race: How to Prepare your Mind to Race your Best
- Blake Collins
- 11 minutes ago
- 5 min read
A critical aspect of training for all runners is not just the legs, but their minds, too. As we head into the fall Cross-Country race season, it’s completely normal to feel nervous about competition, but we tell our runners that nerves are actually a good thing! When your stomach feels weird or you say you “don’t feel right” before a race, it usually means your body is releasing adrenaline into your system in preparation for the race to come. That’s your body’s way of saying, “This is important.”
What matters is how you handle those nerves. Some runners let their minds slip into worry. They start comparing themselves to others or thinking about what could go wrong. That’s when nerves turn into fear, and fear can stop you from doing your best. But if you learn how to manage those thoughts, you can turn nervous energy into race-day confidence. This deliberate practice and preparation of your mind is just as important as the physical training of your body. To truly succeed, you must be mentally ready to race!
🎯 Seeing the Race Before It Happens
One of the most powerful tools we teach is visualization—using your imagination to picture how you want the race to go. This might mean seeing yourself getting out strong, running smooth and steady in the middle, passing tired runners late in the race, and finishing with a big kick.
Thinking this way helps you focus on what can go right, instead of what might go wrong. It’s not about getting hyped up or nervous too early—it’s about making a mental plan. And when race day comes, that plan helps you stay calm and ready.
💭 What to Say to Yourself When It Gets Hard
All runners—yes, even the fastest ones—have moments of doubt. Sometimes that doubt sneaks in before the race starts. Sometimes it shows up right in the middle of the course, whispering excuses like “slow down” or “you can’t do this.”
But here’s the truth: you’re in control of those thoughts. You can push back.
At Striders, we teach our athletes to use mantras—short, powerful phrases they repeat to themselves during a race. Things like:
“Run strong.”
“Smooth and fast.”
“You've got this.”
These simple reminders can help chase away the negativity and bring your focus back where it belongs: the race in front of you.
🧠 Staying on Task—Even When Your Mind Wanders
Coach Mike Smith, the head coach at Northern Arizona University, says that one of the biggest differences between average runners and great ones is the ability to stay focused. All runners lose focus at some point—it’s totally normal during a long, hard race. But the best runners know how to snap back when their mind starts to drift.
If you find yourself daydreaming about the finish, wondering what people will think, or just getting lost in the discomfort, try this:
Focus on the runner right ahead of you and try to catch them.
Do a quick check of your running form.
Count backward from ten.
Lock in on a tree, a curve, or a teammate’s voice and stay there.
All of these can bring your brain back to the moment. You can’t always stop your mind from wandering—but you can train yourself to notice it and come back to the task at hand.
🥳 Races Are Celebrations—Not Tests
Race day isn’t something to fear—it’s something to look forward to. You’ve put in the early mornings, the long runs, the strength work, the recovery, the nutrition... and now it’s time to show it all off.
We tell our runners all the time: training is the hard part. Race day is the fun part. It’s your chance to celebrate the work you’ve done and feel the power of running with your teammates beside you.
🔁 Routine Builds Confidence
One of the best ways to stay calm before a race is to stick to your routine. At practice, we warm up the same way every time—jog, drills, swings, dynamic stretches, build-ups. We do this on purpose. It gets your body and mind ready for work.
On race day, that routine should feel just as familiar. Stick with what you know. It helps everything feel normal, even when the nerves try to tell you otherwise.
🎽 Be Smart, Be Ready
Preparation isn’t just about running. It’s about the little things: Double-knot your shoes. Walk the course before the race. Know where the hills and turns are. Don’t try to lead the race unless you know you’re ready to hold it. Stay patient. Run your race.
When you know you’ve done everything you can to prepare, there’s less room for fear. You’ve trained. You’ve planned. Now all that’s left is to go do your job.
🔥 What It Means to Be “Clutch”
Some runners seem to race their best when the moment matters most. We call that being clutch—and here’s the best part: it’s not magic. It’s a skill, and it can be trained.
Clutch runners don’t panic—they rise to the challenge. They choose the middle of the hardest part of the race to give more, not back down. They focus only on what matters. They believe that the outcome is still in their hands. They don’t give in to doubt. They refuse to let go.
You can learn to be that kind of runner. You just have to train your brain the same way you train your legs.
🏆 Why Some Athletes Succeed
The runners who grow the most and race the best usually have five things in common:
They show up every day.
They work hard.
They listen and are coachable.
They pay attention to the little things.
And they keep a balance between running, school, family, and fun.
These habits aren’t flashy, but they’re powerful. They build confidence and lead to big results.
🚫 Why Some Athletes Fall Short
On the flip side, runners who struggle usually fall into these traps:
They skip practice.
They give half effort.
They ignore good advice—or listen to bad advice.
They look for shortcuts instead of putting in the work.
They fail to make running a priority.
Race day is never random. It’s a reflection of your training days. If you’ve taken care of business day after day, don’t be surprised when you succeed.
💬 Final Thoughts
Feeling nervous is okay. It means you’re human, and it means you care. But nerves don’t get to be in charge. You do.
At Striders and ORXC, we train our athletes to think like champions, run with joy, and support each other no matter what the clock says. You’ve trained for this. You’re ready.
So take a deep breath, trust your work, and
run WILD!
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