Race Self Talk
What you say to yourself during races can have a massive impact on your performance. Your self talk during races can psych you up or psych you down depending on your wording and what the phrases mean to you. Short and simple cue words can go a long way when you find yourself in a lull of the race, or simply need a reminder to keep racing hard. Here are some examples of what I find saying to myself both before and during races to stay focused and to continue pushing hard.
“Work to do”
“Attack”
“Everybody is dealing with the same”
“The body can handle it”
“Smooth”
“Right here”
”Breathe”
“Stay in the fight”
“Race the race right in front of you”
“Cmon, keep digging”
“Keep pushing”
“I challenge myself to stay in this race”
“Execute the process as quickly and as efficiently as possible”
“It’s go time”
“I’m going to stay on this wheel”
“I’m going to attack”
“Fastest lap”
“Calm, control”
“Haven’t seen that finish line yet”
“How will I feel about this race when once it is over?”
“Trust your training, let the skill happen”
“Powerful”
“Explosive”
“Keep hurting, this is for the win”
“This will be worth it”
“It should be hard”
“Just make it through the next section”
How about you? What are some things you say to yourself during races to maintain your effort and focus?