Overcoming My Fear: Fastest 10k Race in 2 Years! 

It’s scary to race because you know you are about to push yourself to the point of hurting or just wanting to quit. Lots of emotions happen during that time. You finish and you are relieved. That’s how it is for me anyways

Honestly, to hear a professional athlete speak with this clarity is amazing for us amateur athletes. Thanks so much Stephen. An amazing ambassador for running.

Dear Stephen, I am a runner myself but that’s not the only reason why I love your channel. Your videos, and this one is no exception, go beyond running: you have explained here how to face fears in life in general. Thank you for your content! Respect and admiration for you 👍

Absolutely speaking my language Stephen. I’ve pretty much hated racing since I started 13 years ago. I talk myself out of it all the time. I train hard, I run well in training, and then go and waste my fitness by doing bugger all 🤦🏻‍♂️ Basically, I never feel ready. Always think I need a little more time in training. I’m certain it’s a fear of being exposed in a way. Like EVERYONE will know exactly where you are fitness wise. It’s harder as you get older as you’re continually competing against your younger self.

This video dropped at the absolute best time, I kid you not. Literally in the other tab of my browser I'm looking at the past finish times of a 10k happening this weekend - one that I signed up for on a whim on Monday. I've been running the course all this week, overthinking my goal finish time and worrying about every little detail on something I didn't know existed until five days ago on a work trip I almost didn't go on. THANK YOU. This Saturday I'm going to run a 10k fast. I don't care about the time, or the temperature, or anything. I'm going to have fun now, and I have you to thank for this.

Great advice, just go run "pretty hard" or "tempo" on your reps, and don't focus on paces. This was one of your best talks IMO. Thank you! It's just what I needed to hear.

Well done Stephen!

Anxiety is excitement with judgement. I've been away from the sport for quite some time and most of the runners in my age group have never stopped training and racing. They are strong. I was comparing myself to them and frustrated with my setbacks and hiccups and with the few races I entered there was a feeling of expectation and the inevitable anxiety. I now understand my own expectations were affecting me and almost crippling me. Running to effort seems like a good idea otherwise doing reps, say 5 min reps or 10 min reps at a certain pace creates pressure and especially when the body is either fatigued or not capable. Many years ago at the track in Aldershot, a wonderful coach, Ron Stonehouse, pulled me off the track having only run 3 x 300 m when I had another 7 to do. When I asked him why he said I was running too fast. The purpose of training, "is to build you up not break you down." I have to remind myself over and over again. Thanks for your honesty Stephen (and your authenticity) 🏃‍♀️

A great video and ideal for all of us that need a reset. Brought back memories of when i ran the Hitchin Hard Half marathon in the mid 80s. I got round in 1:21 and change, the winner was 10 minutes faster. I was so demoralised and thought i was rubbish so quit for 2 weeks. After that, although i did run and occasionally raced i always felt humbled by faster people even though i was in top few %. Psycology plays such a lot. Now at 63 im grateful that i can run 10 miles even at an 8m/ m.

10k pretty hard and just another Sunday. These are mantras everyone can live by.

I love to train but not race. So I just don’t race anymore. I raced for many years and now at age 56 I don’t need that pressure and anxiety. I’ve never loved running more!

Great video and super relatable. I have a real fear of racing and have ‘performance anxiety’ and this has really helped 😊

Great video. When I 1st started running I loved every new race as a new experience. Then a bad thing happened I won a 12 hour race. It changed me from joy to stress. I’m going back to a similar 12 this October with 1 purpose of the love and joy.

One of your best ever videos yet. Good tips for everyone. I really struggle with the mental resilience side of running but your channel helps greatly. Thank you😊.

Stephen you always come at the right time ❤

2years ago I ran a 43:48 in a 10k trial. I was very proud of myself. All those intervals and hill repeats and the boring track sessions paid off. Then 2 weeks before my first marathon since 15 years I hurt my foot badly which stopped me from running. After about 4 month doing nothing my fitness had decreased so much that I got depressed. For another 8month I stopped any sports, gained 20kg and felt like shit. Until I got a cheap pair of jumping stilts and tried to run with them. This brought me back to running and I even started swimming recently. Lost 8kg, ran twice a week, did more trails and running became fun again. Why? Because I stopped torturing myself, if my HR rose too fast I walked. In the beginning I almost only jogged downhills, I enjoyed nature, stopped to make some photos. I try to run a different route every time and explore every little bit of my area. If I can't run for a week it is no longer the end of the world. Because the one lesson I learnt was: if I can't enjoy the training, this is a lot of lost time of life quality. That doesn't mean that I don't do thresholds, but I wait for my body to tell me when the time is right. I literally do a little taper before every run. Every (little) injury is healed after 4 days. This is what I would like to share: Wait until your body is literally craving for a run (as a beginner).

I get really anxious before races. I always want to do my best, of course, and I don't want to let myself down. Or for people to think I've slowed down or soemthing. But I just tell myself pretty much exactly what you said - "It's just another run. I know I can run. I do it all the time". Once I cross the start line, I'm fine.

This one hit a nerve for me. Super helpful, thank you!

Currently not allowed to train/race but love watching content from people like yourself Stephen. Shows if you keep a positive mindset all will be okay 🙏

Hi Stephen, great little video! Im not a runner but compete in a different sport and I find all your information so relatable, both mental and physical prep. That feeling of training/competition can be a tough bartier to manage especially with all the external factors leading up to a big event, but that saying "its just a little bit harder than most days" is something that stuck with me. Thanks for the content!

I run to the effort for the distance and try to maintain that effort. Pace/time look after themselves. Also remain flexible for a session, if can’t face what’s planned, I do something I do feel like doing. The apprehension is thought of the effort required but usually fine once get going.

Thanks Stephen I love races it pushes me to achieve , it makes me prepare, it makes me work towards a goal….I feel so grateful I still have the drive and enthusiasm for races and as I approach 70 it’s getting stronger…..thanks for your honesty and great advice.👏

Thank you Stephen. This was a great help to me in advance of my half marathon this weekend.

Was wondering when the next video would be ! 😜

Merci Stephen, once again you hit it just right!

Thanks for this. Great video

This discussion around the mindset of race anxiety is fascinating. I need to push myself more to races personally.

10k this weekend. Thanks for helping me frame it. I can do 10k prettt hard

thank you for this video. spot on on most races should just be part of your journey and iboosting fitness, and only to hone into a couple.

God bless you, Stephen. Just what i needed to hear.

So honest of you to say what many runners feel. I think racing infrequently when I was a younger athlete. Ron Hill has been an inspiration for me. He said the race. Is the best training. We should do it more regularly to accustom ourselves to what it feels like.

Thanks for an amazing video.

Great stuff, Stephen. Just what I needed to hear

Thank you. This video brought a big smile to my face. Well done!

Thank you for the great video Stephen we love you!!

Scully, I don’t want to come off negatively, because I’m a massive fan. I think you have a similar mindset to Rory McIlroy. You both know you can do it, but come the big stage, you mentally defeat yourself before you start. If you relaxed and let your natural talent take over, you’ll get it done.

Great words, thanx🙏🏽

So intelligent, so insightful, such brilliant advice steven, thankyou! You are like the steven Hawkins of running

Also this came at a perfect time. Blew up in my final marathon long run today but just need to run a marathon hard and drop the time expectations.

Your content is so good, superior as your running 👍🏻

Inspiring stuff. Thanks for sharing!

Stephen, your video couldn't have come at a better time! In the last 2 weeks, I signed up for two HM's (both will be my very first running races, besides Parkrun😅). I've been feeling nervous and anxious to the point of it affecting my sleep, which is completely unproductive and affects training. I get in my head with self-doubt, thinking whether I am ready and are the races too soon (as I am a returning runner, after some time away post kids). I used to just run leisurely as a decent runner. Returning back to running, it's still an enjoyable hobby, but I am training towards races this time. I used to perceive running as simple - one foot in front of the other. I guess it still is...however this time with more research, I have really over complicated running, learning about: heart rate zones, running techniques, training plans etc. On top of that, I've put unnecessary pressure on myself, with setting a goal race pace and finish time that I don't want to fail. You've really hit the nail on the head when you said the human brain likes to over complicate 🤣. Going forward, i'm going to strip this all back. Just focus on good recovery, consistency, and sleep. If these go well, race day is just another run - 21km pretty hard 😊. Thank you for your wisdom. I really enjoy following your videos and appreciate you sharing knowledge with us from a very genuine place 😊.

i love to race. I'm no where near your level, my fastest 10k was a really low 50min. But i love competing, and i can hook on people that are slightly faster than i'm. I was not really nervous going into a race, and never as soon as a race starts. What would make me nervous is knowing i have to race someone and don't have a clue how fast they are going to be. Part of why i like engineering so much. It's a constant competition, and you usually have a pretty good picture of what your competition is apable of.

Well done. I am very envious.

This has been the story of my 8running) life. Always too uptight and anxious before racing. Never performed to my potential and dedication. Now in my older age, running is fun, because I don't race any more.

So much pressure until I broke 3:00. Now I love the entire experience. Travel, friends, dinner and after party. Could careless about time

Watched this before heading out the door for a 16 mile run. Just another Sunday!

For most of us, we cannot win organised running events. We run as best we can given our physical condition, our perceived fitness and our 'race' pacing. The pressures we put on ourselves to 'perform' are illogical since 'who cares?'. Really. If we can dismiss these pressures and just enjoy the 'experience' and the challenge then we are more likely to perform as we would want to. How to we do this? Aye, there's the rub!

Keep er lit 💪💪💪

I’ll be running 10k pretty hard on Sunday!

This was so interesting because I have had the exact opposite experience in regard to racing and training. I love racing and until very recently did not enjoy training. I did the training because it gave me the best chance to do well on race day, but I didn't love it. I love that feeling in your stomach right before a race starts. I understand now that to make training more enjoyable I tended to treat training just like a race and I would go so hard in training all the time. I now know that I was sabotaging my races, and I have done a 180-degree change on my training is now mostly easy runs at low HR and have seen some success in my racing. For those that are more like me and love racing but not the training, think of the training as an extension of your race and try to make each run count. That might mean really locking in on your HR and making sure you don't go above a certain HR the whole run and make it a challenge to do your best effort in training just like you want to do during a race. You might be surprised at your results if you put your best effort in to training and doing the work that will help you the most instead of just running every run with the goal of beating yesterday's time.

From seeing the results and race techniques of people like Michael Johnson and Femke Bol, would you consider starting the race at a slightly more relaxed, slower pace (maybe 5:00+/m) and saving yourself a bit more for the push at the end? Your first mile was the fastest in this race, and while it turned out well, this might not be the best approach? Just a thought, and might help with the nerves etc. Whenever I'm not looking forward to something I tell myself, I'm just going to take it easy in the beginning.. and I end up having the best sessions!!! Use the next race as not important. Consider it a training race, and take the first 10-20mins easy. At some point you will feel like going faster and then when you feel it.. start pushing! I wrote this as the video was playing, and by the end I think we might be on a similar page! Always love your videos and advice! 👍

I think you will love Steve Magnuses book “Do hard things”.

Yes Scully love it thx❤❤❤

Hello Stephen! Great content. Myself and my husband are visiting Belfast soon and would like to know of running routes in Belfast. Nothing to traily though.

Problem for me about racing is competing against my training partners. We’re still in Highschool but they are two years younger than me. Anyway, we’re about the same speed. When we’re training I’m faster most of the times, overall I’d say I put in more effort: run more miles a week, am constantly doing longer tempo sessions on the weekends extra. But when it comes to racing they’re faster than me nearly every time. Haven’t figured out the exact problem yet, I feel like I’m capable of so much more but just can’t show it when it comes to race day. In training I have gotten so much better, but some of my my pbs are still from three years ago (this has to mean something as a teenager where your body is technically developing to become better). Maybe part of the problem is that I’m more worried about our placing, the times of my training partners, than just giving all I have that day. In the past when I won races at the age of 10, I didn’t care too much about anything. Just giving it all I got, enjoying others cheering for me.

Fucking legend 🎉 congratulations 🤘

Hello Stephen. Which under armour shoe do you suggest for dail training and which shoe for racing? Thank you!

I hope you won your race!

That's my biggest hurdle right now, I know my body is capable of producing great results but There's some barrier in the back of my mind knowing that I'll have to push extra hard and get out of my comfort zone. I get anxious everytime, and when Im over thinking while running I mess up my form and my mentality becomes super weak. How do I fix this, Ive been stuck on my 800m pb since a very long time.

Hi Stephen, thank you very much for all your great tips👍! That's why I also bought your marathon plan 😁. My race is coming up 😵‍💫 Now I'm already in week 15 🥳: here, however, the Friday in week 15 is unclear 🫤 to me: are it 14k in total (7x (1K mara + 1K slower)) or 28k (14x (1K mara + 1K slower))? Would make a big difference 🥴😉… maybe you explain it in the plan?

Is it okay to run at threshold pace in 80% of my run ?

I disagree... you don't want to let raceday get to you too much... but it's not just another day and your mind should be prepared that it's not

I just bought you master plan and marathon plan. I like the classes teacher , just a question, if you can help me. The plan is 16 weeks , my marathon is in February 2025 , I still have two months before I start the 16 weeks training . What training should I focus in the two months before I start the training to help me in 16 weeks ? Thanks

First

Being a PRO? If you don't perform at a specific level, you might loose your paycheck. That is scary and should motive a person across all spectrums of working for a living...

Hmmm. Run as to Run, no one cares if you PB or not.