Almost all athletes find themselves performing mental somersaults in the midst of hard racing. And, once we’re done, almost all of us think we could have gone harder if only we’d been mentally tougher. While not every mental strategy works for every person, here are a few techniques to test out in your next race. It’s good to have a bunch of different things and tools to think about how to attack each competition in a different way. One of these following tools could get you to the finish faster on race day. Breathe and relax before the event as much a you can and know you are prepared for the distance. Get in the zone and practice pace and rhythm during the competition. The fly and die technique is both inefficient and very painful so make sure to get into a solid pace during the event and hold a speed you know is within your limits. Races are not won on race day but in the hundreds of hours you have spent on training for the months leading up [...]