Racing Psychology

When I first started entering races, I would often get too worked up about them. I'd set expectations, get nervous, etc. However, after reading Matt Fitzgerald's book, "Brain Training for Runners", I've taken a different approach:

As with most things, it's important to look at the big picture. The overall goal is to become a faster and better runner. Races are simply an extremely useful tool for achieving this. A race is your most intense workout -- where you break through your normal effort and see how far you can push yourself. Time goals are fine, but you should never hinge a lot of importance on one specific event. You never know what is going to happen on one specific day, but you certainly have control over what your are consistently working towards over time.