It was not until I began coaching that I realized that, for some individuals, racing is a difficult task. I recall being frustrated by my collegiate athletes who just did not seem to compete as well as their training indicated they should. It finally occurred to me this summer while coaching a 42-year-old newcomer to the sport that pushing the body to exhaustion is not easy for some. In addition, the ability to focus amid mounds of pre-race nervousness and perform the proper race strategy may only come after months or years of mental training.

After an okay from his doctor, months of distance runs, interval workouts, and speed work, my masters division runner (who will remain nameless in order to preserve his ego!) was ready to race. After a disappointing 800-meter race at the PVTC All-Comers in June where my athlete finished back in the pack and slower than what I thought he was capable of running, I decided to have him run an 800-meter time trial the following weekend. I wanted to determine whether his finishing time was due to his inexperience in racing or his fitness. I ran the time trial with him in order to simulate a race situation.

At a local high school track, we started the time-trial in separate lanes. After starting in lane three, he was instructed to break to lane one. After we rounded the curve and approached the break-line, I moved into lane one while he incorrectly moved into lane two and stayed. Noticing the error yet trying to maintain my focus and pace, I silently observed him until we rounded the second turn of the two-lap trial. At the beginning of the straightaway I blurted, "Get in lane one!" He immediately moved in front of me as I commanded. As we ran through the 400-meter mark he announced, "62!" When we ran around the third curve I felt his pace begin to slow so I made a move to go around him. He responded to my move by quickening his pace. On the backstretch I noticed that he seemed to be running just fast enough to keep me from getting in front of him, but he seemed to not want to commit to an even faster pace. Around the final turn, I was still running on the outside of his shoulder, but as we got to the final straightaway he picked up his pace and opened up a lead. He finished well ahead of me in a personal best of 2:11. I ran 2:15.

On all accounts the time trial experience seemed to answer all of my questions regarding why he was training better than he was racing. It appeared that he was losing focus during his races, as in the time trial when he neglected to move to lane one. Failure to run close to the perimeter on an oval track will cost a runner seconds on his final time. Looking at his watch during the trial was another costly error. It is ill advised to look at your watch while racing. Along with losing seconds, a runner may also lose footing racing so closely amongst other competitors. Finally, my runner's most serious mistake was running just fast enough to keep me behind him until he felt confident enough to put on a final kick. He seemed anxious about pushing his physical limits.

The basic idea behind racing is for a runner to complete a given distance with just enough energy left in the legs to cross the finish line at a competitive pace. If a runner races incorrectly the runner either has too much energy at the end of the race or ran too fast during the race and is unable to finish and must walk/jog across the finish line. Ideally, in the final straightaway of a race, a runner should have just enough energy to pick up the pace for a final kick across the finish line. After crossing the finish a runner should show obvious signs of intense fatigue, which includes: bending over, gasping for air, staggering, or seeking fluids.

Unfortunately, my runner's time trial may have answered many questions, but it did not cure the problems. At the following All-Comers meet, my athlete again raced in the 800-meters. He had another disappointing finish, running much slower than his personal best. He appeared to lose focus and allowed less-fit runners to jump ahead of him at the start. His anxiety may not have allowed him to run the faster pace that he was capable of running. I was pleased that he ran faster than his last meet performance, yet he was obviously capable of better. I am confident that after a few more races he should be mentally ready to race.

I was fortunate to have the luxury of youth during my beginning days as a track athlete. Youngsters tend not to worry about whether they can make the distance or how bad the race will hurt or even how fast they are running. I do recall pre-race jitters, but I always managed to use my nervous energy to my advantage. As a child I loved to race. It was my talent for the sport that kept me interested in the sport of running. I did not become race savvy until I matured, learned from many mistakes, and received years of coaching.

Now as a mature runner with hundreds of races in my past, I always run as hard as I can yet manage to make it to the finish line. I do confess that I tend to make the mistake of racing too fast not too slow. I have a game plan for every race I enter. I never wear my watch during a race. If I do not get the split, I do not care. I am only concerned with the final outcome. Often, I do not even care about the time. I just want to win the race or finish where I think I should. When possible I hug the curves and run close to the pole if I am in a track race. Why run farther than you need to? On the start line, I always sprint off in order to get a good position in the first few meters of a race. Poor early positioning in a race is time consuming and often difficult to correct.

It appears that successful racers seem to combine their born talents with hard mental and physical work. Training the mind to handle the stress of racing will improve a well-conditioned runner's performances. The key to competition seems to exist somewhere between learning how to set a race pace that is best suited for you and your conditioning while not being distracted, unfocused, and anxious about racing. Just relax and race!

View a George Banker photo gallery of Alisa Harvey in action over the years.