Ritual, repetition and speed skating

Building mental toughness one step at a time

The alarm goes off and you don’t want to get up. It’s cold and dark out there, and the little voice inside your head reminds you that it’s nice and warm under the covers. That voice tells no lies, by the way. 

It will be cold when you get out there. Really cold, like, single-digit, don’t leave any skin exposed, kind of cold. You get up anyway because you’re running this morning, and you’ve trained yourself over the years to just get on with it, no matter what forces are pulling you back to the comfort of your nice, warm bed. 

You mumble and grumble a bit before heading downstairs to make your pre-run meal. It’s the same thing you always eat before you run. In fact, it’s so ingrained in your muscle memory that you don’t even have to think about peeling the banana, putting the English Muffin in the toaster, or making the coffee. 

Your pre-run ritual may vary. Maybe you don’t eat anything at all, or maybe you run at a later time of the day. No matter how you get ready, chances are, you’ve  created a system that works for you on a subconscious level. 

Give yourself a pat on the back. Even before hitting START on your watch and taking your first steps, you’ve already accomplished a great deal. By setting an intention to go out for a run and following through on that commitment, you’ve cleared a challenge that flummoxes many. 

This is how you build mental toughness.