How To Push Harder | 6 keys to run hard

Posted On 29/08/2020

Want to know how to push harder?

How Hard Can You Push When No One Is Watching?

6 Keys To Pushing Harder

1. Fear & Inexperience
2. Go Out Too Hard
3. Prepare Your Body
4. Train The Mind
5. Remove Decisions
6. Have A Big Reason

1. Fear And Inexperience

Do you remember your first big event?

I remember my first marathon.

I was so scared of the distance I trained so hard. Pushing my training beyond what I thought I could do. Hoping it would get me through race day.

We might go faster in future races. Often that first race is the one we push ourselves further than our fitness level dictates

2. Go Out Too Hard

Go out  too hard and hold it.

You may crash and burn, or you may surprise yourself and hold on.

Even if you can’t hold on, you might still be faster.

“Athletes may often perform at perceived workloads which may be below their physiological capabilities” – more on this soon in point 4

3. Prepare Your Body

When your body is able to handle more you can push it further.

You are always in the mix and an exceptional performance will be so much higher.

Raising the floor on your fitness brings you closer to those high level, exceptional performances.

Knowing your body is prepared gives you the confidence to keep pushing.

4. Train The Mind

Fatigue is rarely true muscle failure. It is strongly controlled by the mind,

Train the mind by practicing pushing yourself a bit out of your comfort zone. Repeat this and keep progressing.

Practice, repetition and progression.

This will release the restrictions your mind puts on you as learn you can do more.

5. Remove Decisions

Take away decision points.

Brain power uses a lot of energy.

“Fatigue increases the perception of future effort during decision making”

Have a support team or system set up that reduces your decision points. Don’t give yourself choices. Have the gear at checkpoints sorted before you get there.

6. Have A Big Reason

A big motivator can take you so much further.

What are you pushing for?

Letting a team down is bigger than just yourself.

Raise money for a charity. Doing it to mark an occasion, an accomplishment such as turning around your fitness. Even just proving to yourself you can do more.

I chase a feeling.

Pushing Your Limits

I chase a feeling.

This is not for every day. Both your mind and body need recovery to absorb the stress and rebuild stronger.

Training should be designed to build you up.

When you really want to push your limits there are ways to get better.

The next step is to create a goal to see how hard we can push ourselves

Keep on running