Mid-race anxiety: A strengths-based approach

This is a follow-up post to my pre-race anxiety guide. If you find that you are an athlete who struggles during a race- feel free to start here. My final guide in this series will focus on the post-race blues. 

The Office "Fun Run"

So, now you're in the race. You made it to the start line, the gun went off, and things seemed fine…until they didn't.

Maybe you're a few miles in. Maybe you're 50 miles in. Suddenly, something feels "off." It might show up as a sense of dread, repetitive thoughts about something going wrong, or physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, or a sudden increase in heart rate that seems unrelated to your effort level.

Anxiety can take many forms, and no two athletes experience it exactly the same way. Some runners become consumed by fearful thoughts, while others experience predominantly physical symptoms. Although we don't fully understand why these responses vary so much from person to person, anxiety is generally understood to be part of an ancient survival system designed to keep us safe.

When your brain perceives a threat, it activates the sympathetic nervous system that is often referred to as the fight, flight, freeze, or submit response. The challenge is that this system isn't particularly good at distinguishing between different types of threats. To your nervous system, a charging lion and the prospect of hours of physical exertion, uncertainty, and discomfort can trigger a surprisingly similar alarm.

In essence, your brain is sounding the alert:

"This is hard. This could hurt. Maybe we should stop."

Under normal circumstances, this response is incredibly adaptive. It helps protect us from danger and conserve resources when our well-being is at risk. However, during an endurance event, the very system designed to keep us safe can become an obstacle. The discomfort, fatigue, uncertainty, and vulnerability that are inherent to racing can be misinterpreted as signs of danger, causing anxiety to rise even when you are performing exactly as expected.

Understanding this can be incredibly helpful. Rather than viewing anxiety as evidence that something is wrong, you can begin to see it for what it often is: a well-intentioned alarm system that has become overprotective.

We can turn off this “alarm system” based on symptoms and thought processes. Here is an example of the types of anxiety I see the most:

Physical health anxiety

Physical- lightheadedness, heart racing, trouble catching your breath, nausea (*not attributable to physiological factors like too many gels, caffeine, lack of fitness). 

If you suspect that what you're experiencing is anxiety rather than another physiological issue, there are a few steps you can take.

1. Narrate What Is Happening

One of the fastest ways to reduce fear is to make sense of what you're experiencing. Anxiety thrives on uncertainty. When we don't understand what is happening in our bodies, it is easy to assume the worst.

Start by slowing things down. This may mean physically backing off your pace for a few minutes, or it may simply mean slowing down your thoughts while maintaining your effort. The goal is to create enough space to assess the situation rather than react to it.

Try narrating what is happening as if you are going to explain it to someone else making sure to connect the body sensations to the anxiety:

"I'm feeling anxious right now because this race is important to me. My body is sounding the alarm because it knows this is going to be difficult."

The objective isn't to eliminate the feeling. It's to understand it.

2. Conduct a Quick Body Scan

Next, take inventory of what is happening- and what isn't. Anxiety tends to narrow our focus onto a single sensation and convince us that it is evidence of danger. A body scan helps broaden the picture.

For example:

"My heart is beating fast, but it isn't painful. My breathing feels uncomfortable, but I am still moving air. I know where I am. My legs feel strong. I don't have symptoms that suggest a medical emergency."

This exercise helps separate discomfort from danger.

3. Remind Yourself What You Know

Anxiety often causes us to forget important facts. When this happens, reconnect with the evidence that supports your ability to continue:

"I've trained for this. I've completed difficult workouts. I've prepared for this race. I am capable of handling hard things."

4. Shift Your Attention Outward

If you continue to find yourself trapped in a cycle of anxious thoughts (even after the positive self-talk exercise described above), redirect your attention away from yourself.

One of the most effective ways to do this is by helping someone else. Check in with another runner. Offer encouragement. Ask someone how they're doing. If appropriate, help pace or support another athlete for a stretch. Anxiety pulls our attention inward. Connection pulls it back outward. Often, that shift is enough to help us regain our footing and return our focus to the task at hand.

"I Don't Belong Here" Anxiety

Another common form of race anxiety is what many people refer to as imposter syndrome.

Athletes of all abilities experience it- from first-time marathoners to elite competitors.

This type of anxiety shows up when you compare yourself to those around you and conclude that you are somehow less capable. Maybe another runner looks fitter. Maybe you assume they have a more impressive running resume. Perhaps the race starts faster than expected, or a runner effortlessly surges past you. Suddenly, your mind begins filling in the blanks. The internal dialogue might sound like:

"Why am I even here?""Everyone else looks more prepared than I do.""Who am I to think I can do this?""Why am I spending so much time away from my family for something I'll probably fail at?"

When this happens, it can feel like you've uncovered a devastating truth about yourself. However, more often than not, you've simply triggered the same alarm system we've been discussing throughout this guide. At its core, your brain is trying to protect you.

Part of that protection is physical…your mind wants to avoid the discomfort and uncertainty that come with pushing your limits. But part of it is social as well. Human beings are wired for belonging. For most of our history, acceptance by the group or “tribe” was essential for survival. As a result, situations where we risk judgment, failure, or embarrassment can activate the same threat-response system that responds to physical danger.

The good news is that the approach to managing these thoughts is similar to managing other forms of anxiety: slow them down, examine them, and challenge their credibility.

For example, if you find yourself comparing your physique to another runner's, you might respond with:

"I've been training for months. My body has adapted to the work I've put in. I know I'm capable because my training has demonstrated that. I don't need to look like anyone else to perform well today."

The goal is not “trick” your mind but instead focus on the things we know to be true and derive confidence from that. 

For many experienced and elite runners, I often encourage an even simpler mind exercise in these moments of doubt: "Why not me?"

Instead of searching for evidence that you don't belong, look for evidence that you do.

Operate from a strengths-based perspective. Focus on what you do well and commit to executing it. Maybe you're strong on climbs. Maybe you're patient early in races. Maybe you're mentally tough when things get uncomfortable. Lean into those strengths. Trust them. And when you encounter parts of the race where you feel less confident, offer yourself the same grace you would offer another athlete.

The runners who perform at their best are not necessarily without doubt. However, they know where their strengths are. They use this to build confidence and execute what they know is possible based on their training.