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Running can be tough, not just on our bodies, but on our emotions and psyche.\\xa0

This is especially true whenever we experience any perceived setback; injuries, a rough workout or a less than desired performance in a race.\\xa0

We all talk to ourselves, whether we\\u2019re aware of it or not, but many people don\\u2019t realize that this self-talk actually affects our performance. This is both good and bad, depending on the type of self-talk in which we engage ourselves.\\xa0

If we habitually beat ourselves up after a setback, this can become detrimental to our running. On the other hand, if we use more positive self-talk, even after a setback, we can recover from it that much better.

Evie Serventi, a competitive runner and swimmer, is the Deputy Editor of Running Fitness magazine in the UK and is also a Sports Psychologist.\\xa0

In this episode, she talks to us about the importance of Mental Training and shares with us techniques that she recommends for training our brains to help us run better and to not sabotage the effort we put into our physical conditioning.

As you will hear, Evie and I have a wonderfully close relationship. She has been a tremendous resource for me and I think you will come away with actionable steps that will get your brain and body working more effectively together.

Here are some of the topics we\\u2019ll discuss today:

• How running is helping refugees cope in England
• How Evie has helped Tina PR
• How to be aware of our self-talk and use it to perform even better
• Self-encouragement vs. Excuses
• How to use \\u2018Check-ins\\u201d to become aware of our mental states and adjust accordingly.
• How could a running diary help?
• What is \\u2018Reframing\\u2019 and how can we use it to improve our performance?

Questions\\xa0Evie\\xa0is asked:

4:40 Tina\\u2019s Big Announcement

7:05 Evie\\u2019s Big Announcement

10:10 Will running be a part of it?

12:08 How did you become Deputy Editor for Running Fitness Magazine?

16:33 How did you get into sports psychology?

19:47 What advice would you give to someone who, later in life, is considering making a big career change or going back to school for something new?

22:00 What about the refugee group you\\u2019re working with?

28:57 Why be kind to yourself vs. being tough on yourself?

34:26 What does \\u2018Be Kind To Yourself\\u201d actually mean?

35:26 Should someone work on this prior to a race or can someone start doing it once they are racing?

38:11 How can people start putting these \\u201cMental Bottles\\u201d into practice?

42:14 How do you avoid letting \\u2018being kind to yourself\\u2019 turn into just making excuses?

45:04 What\\u2019s a good exercise for people to start with?

48:32 \\xa0What other mental strategies would you suggest for those thinking that they are struggling in various ways.

52:27 What are your future plans, website, other info?

55:05 Are you still taking on new clients?

59:13 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by\\xa0Evie:

\\u201cRun your own race; control what you can control.\\u201d

\\u201cGet comfortable with being uncomfortable.\\u201d

\\u201cIf you want to do something, you find a way.\\u201d

\\u201cThe risk, though with (motivating yourself via) negative emotions, or feeling angry, even if you feel that they\\u2019re positive at the time, is that they\\u2019re generally not sustainable.\\u201d

\\u201cSelf-talk is part of your mental training.\\u201d

\\u201cThere IS a lot you can control about your own performance and your own actions. You can\\u2019t control the weather, you can\\u2019t control the amount of runners, the speed of the other runners. But what you CAN control is your attitude and the way you approach the run.\\u201d

\\u201cKeeping a diary of what you\\u2019re thinking, during a run, after a run / post-run thoughts, can often be quite revealing and help you in terms of \\u201cWhere do I start? I\\u2019m not confident and I don\\u2019t feel like I\\u2019ve got the mental toughness to do this race.\\u201d

\\u201cAsk other people; observe what other people who you think have mental toughness do. How do they train? What do they wear? What sort of statements do they say? What sort of language are they using?\\u201d

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

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Mentioned in this podcast:\\xa0

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Fast Feet Forward

Fast Feet Forward (FFF) is a pilot research study lead by Dr Ana Draper for Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust in collaboration with Virtual Schools Kent and a small local charity, Kent Kindness. The study involves a sport-based early intervention trauma group protocol for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) who now live in Kent. The idea behind the intervention is to coach a group of young (male) asylum seekers through a series of running drills and fast feet movements to help them process trauma - trauma which they may have experienced back in their country of origin, on their journey to the UK, and ongoing trauma as a result of the stressful immigration process taking place.

RTTT Podcast: Katy Sherratt - The Power of Running to Overcome Homelessness

Email Tina for daily check in questions tina@runnersconnect.net

www.evieserventi.com

Connect with Evie on LinkedIn

Follow Evie on Twitter

Follow Evie on Facebook

E-mail Evie

Tina\'s Website / Blog

Book: Runner by Lizzy Hawker

Saucony Triumph Shoes\\xa0Use coupon code\\xa0TINA for 10% off

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