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Racing hurts. No matter if you are an elite athlete with the perfect form, world records under your belt, and making it look like you're not even working. Anyone out there testing their limits will inevitably experience a certain degree of pain before you cross that finish line, it's just a part of racing. Athletes that take part in racing sports, be it running, speed skating, swimming or cycling, when they toe the line they know they are going to be demanding everything from their bodies and to do that will have to push past the pain barrier, testing their threshold.
The pain you feel when you are going at a hard effort is actually a safety mechanism put up by your brain; it senses that your muscles are tiring and will inform you that they are much closer to failing than they ever actually are. You will think you can't possibly go one step further but physiologically you are not in danger the second that your brain starts yelling at you to stop, or even soon thereafter. Everyone has a different pain threshold and some athletes have become famous for their grit, determination, and seem to actually thrive on the pain. Athletes are continually working against that pain to outlast their competitors; the first one to break and give in is going to be finishing behind.
Pushing back your own pain barrier is possible and this will come with practice and also by shifting how you think and interpret those messages coming in from your brain. You don't actually have to like that pain to ignore it or at least be able to partially numb it; and most likely even people who say they like it don't really but have just changed how they think about it. They may not necessarily enjoy the burning in their legs but they tell themselves that the burning represents their ability to inflict the same kind of pain on their competitors and that they will be able to outlast them. They also recognize that by pushing onward when their brain begs them to ease back is going to allow them to achieve their goals. This post alone won't cover all of the tips and ways you can increase your pain threshold but it will be an ongoing topic, and here are a few ways you can start to embrace and push through that pain.
1) Practice. You simulate the pain you will feel on race day in your hard workouts. These are great ways to practice pushing through the uncomfort and still do your best to hit the times and intervals as you tire and your brain tells you to stop. As you continually do this you will get used to ignoring the messages and your tolerance for them will grow.
2) Take confidence from your workouts. As you continue to improve in your workouts and push past the pain cite those especially grueling workouts that you completed as a source of confidence. That way when you do get to the point in a race when you are temped to give up, you can think back to those times and workouts and tell yourself you've already been through this kind of pain before, were able to fight through it then, and you can do it again this time.
3) Think of your goals. Yes, your brain will tell you that it doesn't really matter if you slow down and just take it easy now, so what if you don't hit your intended time or placing, that's okay. But I'll assure you that if you do cave into that voice after the race you will be kicking yourself for doing that. A race is painful, yes, but it doesn't last forever; think of how proud you will be when you finish and know that you gave it your all. Envision that feeling and use it to combat that weak voice telling you to stop.
4) Chant your way to the end. Come up with a mantra that you can focus on when the going gets painful. It should be something rather short, simple, and can even be as corny as, "I think I can." When you block out all other thoughts with a repetitive line you will not only be encouraging yourself but giving that nagging voice tell you to stop less space in your thoughts.
These are just a few ways you can begin working on breaking your own pain barrier and there are many others unique to each individual. As you keep training you will come up with your own mental devices; test out various ones and you'll find which works best for you!
The pain you feel when you are going at a hard effort is actually a safety mechanism put up by your brain; it senses that your muscles are tiring and will inform you that they are much closer to failing than they ever actually are. You will think you can't possibly go one step further but physiologically you are not in danger the second that your brain starts yelling at you to stop, or even soon thereafter. Everyone has a different pain threshold and some athletes have become famous for their grit, determination, and seem to actually thrive on the pain. Athletes are continually working against that pain to outlast their competitors; the first one to break and give in is going to be finishing behind.
Pushing back your own pain barrier is possible and this will come with practice and also by shifting how you think and interpret those messages coming in from your brain. You don't actually have to like that pain to ignore it or at least be able to partially numb it; and most likely even people who say they like it don't really but have just changed how they think about it. They may not necessarily enjoy the burning in their legs but they tell themselves that the burning represents their ability to inflict the same kind of pain on their competitors and that they will be able to outlast them. They also recognize that by pushing onward when their brain begs them to ease back is going to allow them to achieve their goals. This post alone won't cover all of the tips and ways you can increase your pain threshold but it will be an ongoing topic, and here are a few ways you can start to embrace and push through that pain.
1) Practice. You simulate the pain you will feel on race day in your hard workouts. These are great ways to practice pushing through the uncomfort and still do your best to hit the times and intervals as you tire and your brain tells you to stop. As you continually do this you will get used to ignoring the messages and your tolerance for them will grow.
2) Take confidence from your workouts. As you continue to improve in your workouts and push past the pain cite those especially grueling workouts that you completed as a source of confidence. That way when you do get to the point in a race when you are temped to give up, you can think back to those times and workouts and tell yourself you've already been through this kind of pain before, were able to fight through it then, and you can do it again this time.
3) Think of your goals. Yes, your brain will tell you that it doesn't really matter if you slow down and just take it easy now, so what if you don't hit your intended time or placing, that's okay. But I'll assure you that if you do cave into that voice after the race you will be kicking yourself for doing that. A race is painful, yes, but it doesn't last forever; think of how proud you will be when you finish and know that you gave it your all. Envision that feeling and use it to combat that weak voice telling you to stop.
4) Chant your way to the end. Come up with a mantra that you can focus on when the going gets painful. It should be something rather short, simple, and can even be as corny as, "I think I can." When you block out all other thoughts with a repetitive line you will not only be encouraging yourself but giving that nagging voice tell you to stop less space in your thoughts.
These are just a few ways you can begin working on breaking your own pain barrier and there are many others unique to each individual. As you keep training you will come up with your own mental devices; test out various ones and you'll find which works best for you!
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