As with any sporting activity, mental strength is a key factor in trail, just as important as kit preparation or physical training. As the kilometres pile up and muscles ache, it is the mind that determines whether you will be able to finish the effort. But mental strength can also be trained and built up gradually, just like the body. Building mental strength is therefore essential in trail, as in many endurance sports, to maintain willpower and self-sacrifice during the effort.
How to bounce back after failure or a DNF?
If you were unable to succeed due to a physical issue, you first need to recover and fully regain your capabilities before finding your enjoyment and motivation again. If it was mentally that you faltered, try to identify the causes of the setback. What didn't work? Then put it in perspective and build on it. Everything you have done is an asset and a foundation on which to build your next success. Finally, remember not to put too much negative pressure on yourself — it's a sport and a leisure activity, and it should remain a source of joy and wellbeing for both body and mind! Building mental strength also comes from the simple pleasure of doing an activity that suits you and makes you happy!
Before a trail: preparing and building mental strength by setting goals
The essential source of a strong mindset lies in desire and motivation. And one of the key drivers of both is the setting of a goal. A long-term goal could be completing a dream route, taking part in a flagship event, or achieving a specific performance. Set yourself a few major key goals for the year — choose them carefully. There's no point setting unachievable goals, but they must also contain a healthy dose of ambition and be part of a progress-driven approach. Over the course of a year, set yourself a maximum of 2 or 3 key goals. You can then break your season down into smaller time blocks, each with goals of lesser importance that serve as intermediate steps towards your main goal for the year. For each outing or training session, also set yourself a small goal: completing a given route in a set time, covering a certain number of kilometres…. By practising hitting a small goal at every outing, you train your mind for more ambitious goals — and above all, to act as a relay for the body when it tires. Building mental strength therefore comes through the achievement of multiple small, progressively greater goals. Before a major goal, it is essential to prepare mentally. Visualise the route in your mind, identify the tough sections, and draw on positive memories — the trails that went well — to give yourself the confidence needed to approach the start line.
During the trail: self-confidence and intermediate goals
The start is often a relief, sometimes even a gentle euphoria. But as the kilometres rack up, the body needs motivation as fuel. Visualise the intermediate milestones in your mind: a summit, an aid station. By breaking down the challenge into small chunks, you keep yourself in the realm of the achievable and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Also remind yourself that you have never been so close to reaching your goal, and that the efforts still to come are nothing compared to those put in during the long preparation you have done. If difficulties arise and you feel on the verge of a mental breakdown, try to visualise the positive feeling you will have when you reach your goal. Tell yourself you deserve it and that you have worked hard to get this far. Finally, repeat to yourself inwardly: "I will do it" — not "I can do it"!After the trail: a new goal!
Once the euphoria of the finish has passed, the athlete can sometimes feel a slight low: the tension drops, the adrenaline fades. You can sometimes feel empty, and morale can dip in the weeks that follow. First, enjoy the pleasure of having achieved your goal and share your feelings and emotions with others, with those close to you. Then comes the time to move towards something new and set a fresh goal. Mix things up — don't go back to the same one year after year. Motivation also comes from discovery and novelty, which spark interest and excitement.
How to bounce back after failure or a DNF?
If you were unable to succeed due to a physical issue, you first need to recover and fully regain your capabilities before finding your enjoyment and motivation again. If it was mentally that you faltered, try to identify the causes of the setback. What didn't work? Then put it in perspective and build on it. Everything you have done is an asset and a foundation on which to build your next success. Finally, remember not to put too much negative pressure on yourself — it's a sport and a leisure activity, and it should remain a source of joy and wellbeing for both body and mind! Building mental strength also comes from the simple pleasure of doing an activity that suits you and makes you happy!
