Dominate the Run Test
How to Unlock What Your Body Is Truly Capable Of:
1) Your Body Can Do More Than Your Brain Thinks
If you’ve ever felt nervous before a run test or conditioning day — you’re not weak. You’re human.
Your heart rate jumps before you even warm up.
Your stomach feels tight.
Your brain starts running scenarios before the whistle even blows.
That’s not a sign you’re out of shape.mThat’s anticipatory stress — your nervous system spending energy before the work even begins.
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Dominate the Run Test
Here’s something most athletes don’t realize:
👉 Your body usually has more capacity than your brain gives it credit for.
👉 A powerful mindset doesn’t overpower the body — it allows the body to access what it’s already capable of.
👉 When stress stays unchecked, it quietly drains performance before you even take the first step.
The goal isn’t to eliminate nerves.
The goal is to use that nervous energy intentionally — instead of letting it run you.
Let’s talk about how.
🧠 Step 1: Understand What’s Actually Making Run Tests Feel Hard
Run tests aren’t just physical. They’re a mental experience layered on top of discomfort.
What usually makes them feel heavy:
Anticipating how uncomfortable it’s going to feel
Worrying about how you’ll stack up
Letting your thoughts jump too far ahead
Tightening up instead of staying loose and rhythmic
Burning nervous energy before you even start
Your nervous system doesn’t know the difference between a real threat and a perceived one.
If your brain senses danger, pressure, or fear — your body reacts as if something is wrong.
Heart rate rises. Breathing shortens. Muscles tighten. Energy leaks.
That doesn’t mean anything is actually wrong — it just means your system needs guidance.
Awareness alone helps you stay grounded instead of reactive.
🎯 Step 2: Stay in Your Lane — With Purpose
You probably already have a general sense of where you fall in the pack.
That’s okay.
The key is how you use your surroundings:
✔️ You can use someone in front of you as motivation to stay engaged and push when needed.
❌ You don’t want comparison to hijack your confidence or emotional state.
Your race is still with your own standard — not the person next to you.
Use others as energy, not as pressure.
Your main job remains:
Stay connected to your breath
Stay relaxed in your body
Hold your rhythm
Trust your training
That’s how you keep your nervous system steady and your effort efficient.
🧩 Step 3: Break the Challenge Into Small Wins
One of the biggest mental traps during conditioning is thinking too far ahead.
Your brain hears:
“Ten more minutes.”
And instantly wants out.
Instead, shrink the focus:
“Just get through the next minute.”
“Just stay smooth until the next marker.”
“Just hold this rhythm for one more lap.”
Small wins keep your mind calm and your body moving forward.
Momentum builds confidence — not the other way around.
💬 Step 4: Your Self-Talk Shapes Your Performance
What you say to yourself affects how your nervous system responds.
If your internal voice sounds like:
“This is terrible.”
“I can’t keep this up.”
“I’m behind.”
Your body tightens and burns energy faster.
Try replacing that with:
“I’m steady.”
“This is uncomfortable, not unsafe.”
“I can stay here.”
“My body knows what to do.”
Confidence isn’t hype.
It’s calm clarity under stress.
🎥 Step 5: Visualize Before You Ever Step to the Line
This part is huge — and often overlooked.
Before your run test, take 2–3 minutes to mentally place yourself there.
Actually imagine:
Walking to the line
The temperature of the air
The sounds around you — voices, footsteps, whistles
The feeling in your body as you start moving
Your breathing staying steady
Yourself handling the uncomfortable moments with control and confidence
Your brain doesn’t fully distinguish between imagination and reality.
When you mentally rehearse an experience, your nervous system treats it as practice.
When the real moment arrives, it feels familiar — not threatening.
That alone can dramatically reduce anxiety and improve execution.
✅ Your Pre-Run Mental Reset
Save this. Screenshot this. Use it.
Before your next run test or conditioning day:
✔️ Take 5 slow breaths
✔️ Remind yourself: “My body can do more than my brain thinks.”
✔️ Visualize the environment, the start, and staying calm under effort
✔️ Use others as motivation — not pressure
✔️ Break the work into small segments
✔️ Choose steady, confident self-talk
This is how you align your mindset with your body’s true capacity.
We hope this helps.. send this to a teammate who might need it too. 💪
More mindset tools like this weekly. Stay tuned!
