An ultra-marathon is psychologically demanding as well physically. It is therefore important that individuals are mentally prepared in order to be successful. Each competitor will have different motivations for racing, so it can be said that control, commitment, challenge and confidence is key building up to the event as well during. It is well established that mental toughness is the primary factor that athletes need (Crust & Clough., 2005). Research has stated that having a greater mental toughness is associated with blocking out pain more effectively. The personality trait hardiness has also demonstrated to increase mental toughness, and this can be improved by self-image (Rosenberg et al., 1989). An effective intervention could therefore be practising imagery prior competition. An example would be, an athlete imagining winning the race and thriving of the audience’s responses. This has been suggested to also improve confidence (Martin et al., 1999).
References:
Crust, L., & Clough, P. (2005). Relationship between Mental Toughness and Physical Endurance. Perceptual And Motor Skills, 100(1), 192-194.
Rosenberg, M., Schooler, C., & Schoenbach, C. (1989). Self-esteem and adolescent problems: Modeling reciprocal effects. American sociological review, 1004-1018.
Martin, K. A., Moritz, S. E., & Hall, C. R. (1999). Imagery use in sport: A literature review and applied model. The sport psychologist, 13(3), 245-268.
The Science behind Running 