Farewell Sport Psychology Tips from Hayley Russell

Sadly, this is my last Motion Expert article for The Connection and the TCM Blog. I'm making space for some new voices on the TCM Motion Expert team now that I've left Minnesota to be Assistant Professor of Human Kinetics at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia in my native Canada.

I have loved connecting with runners throughout my time writing as a TCM Motion Expert! I thought, for my last post/article I would share my three favorite sport psychology tips for runners and a few of my favorite running reads.

Practice what you want to do in a race in your training runs.

If you’re looking to implement any mental skills in your races, make sure to practice them in your training runs. Like building physical fitness, developing mental skills takes time and practice! 

Let go of the things you can’t control. 

Runners often get caught up on things they cannot control, like checking the weather repeatedly before the race. Focusing on things we cannot control can exacerbate anxiety and is not particularly productive. Instead, focus on what you can control!

Practice gratitude for running. 

Gratitude is about recognizing the good things that happen. Practicing gratitude can improve both your performance and experience as a runner. You can work gratitude into your running routine by writing things you’re grateful for in your training log, or doing gratitude intervals while you run (focusing on something you're grateful for for a specific period of your run). Gratitude has been found to help runners improve enjoyment, performance, and overall well-being!

I love to run and I also love to read about running! Here are some books I have really enjoyed (including a couple by Minnesota runners!) that may educate, inspire, or challenge you!

Do you want to become a more mindful runner?

Read Mindful Running by Mackenzie Havey

Do you want to improve your confidence as a runner?

Read Strong by Kara Goucher

Do you want to think critically about the world of running? Read: Running while Black by Alison Désir

The Longest Race by Kara Goucher

Good for a Girl by Lauren Fleshman

The Race to be Myself by Caster Semenya.

This article originally appeared in The Connection, TCM's weekly e-newsletter. Subscribe here.

Twin Cities In Motion thanks Hayley for her contributions to the organization over the years. We wish her all the best in her new position. Read all of Hayley's archived Motion Expert articles here.

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Hayley Russell, PhD, is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, runner, and professor of health and exercise psychology. She is one of the team of Motion Experts TCM has gathered to help its subscribers and participants get the most out of their running. You can reach Hayley at: [email protected].