Tips on staying focused during races?

Good thread, I have similar problems too. That's why I am more middle distance I believe. Something that is really key is to just hit splits and focus on every split perfectly. Then when it is the final 2 laps, just race!

Hurt like heck now or feel like heck later.

Caffeine. Take it before any race over 10k, you'll be able to zone out no problem.

Bumpy

Train hard, win easy.

There's a saying in Kenyan running circles that their training is far harder than what they experience in racing. "Racing is the easy part" they say.

Geb also said once that you must win against yourself before you try to win against others.

Basically - train to win mentally first before you ever step on the start line, then the race itself will be cake. After all - if you've run to the mountain a thousand times...one race up the same mountain will be easy.

Stab a knife into your scrotum, the pain will focus you very quickly.

I usually strap a stick to my head that holds a twinkie dangling from a string just out of my reach in front of me. I don't even think about the discomfort during the race because I'm so focused on trying to catch my snack.

Jesus. Pray to Jesus. It will keep you focussed.

My only PR - a sub 14 5K - was because I had Jesus in my heart that day. I couldn't hear anything around me. All I heard during those 13+ minutes were the words of Jesus egging me on to give my best and to leave the rest to him. I gave myself to him and he rewarded me for my faith and patience.

Old_GOP_Runner wrote:

Jesus. Pray to Jesus. It will keep you focussed.

My only PR - a sub 14 5K - was because I had Jesus in my heart that day. I couldn't hear anything around me. All I heard during those 13+ minutes were the words of Jesus egging me on to give my best and to leave the rest to him. I gave myself to him and he rewarded me for my faith and patience.

You don't just have one PR, you have countless PRs. In your 5000 you set PRs at every distance from 1 to 5000meters.