For many of us, January is spent working towards achieving our new year goals. This requires resilience and an ability to push ourselves into unfamiliar territories. Albeit to a more extreme level, these same psychological skills are required for individuals who participate in ultramarathon events such as the Montane Winter Spine races, starting this weekend.

Labelled as “Britain’s most brutal endurance race”, the Montane Winter Spine (268 miles), and Spine Challengers North (160 miles) and South (108 miles), require participants to race up the Pennine Way during unpredictable winter conditions.

During this event, competitors are likely to experience numerous stressors as they push their limits and navigate unchartered waters. Insufficient management of these stressors may have detrimental consequences for their performance, well-being, and ability to finish. Outlined below are some strategies that could be used to help manage some of these stressors.

The magnitude of the event

Breaking it up into manageable “chunks” by setting multiple small goals (e.g., into 20-mile sections, or reaching specific locations) can make the event seem more manageable.

Fatigue

Making tactical and technical decisions during the event is important to maximise performance. As the participants start to tire physically and mentally, their ability to make these decisions can be impacted.

Pre-event preparations can help the competitors make rational decisions when experiencing fatigue. For example, having prior knowledge of the route, and having the route loaded on to a GPS device, can ease navigation decisions. Developing ‘if...and then...’ statements can help prepare for different eventualities that may be experienced during the race. For example, if weather conditions deteriorate, then I can take shelter in this location. Having a plan of where, when and how long to sleep may help reduce sleep deprivation.

Pain

Participants are likely to experience pain and discomfort, which can be difficult to manage and may lead them to questioning their ability to continue. This pain is reported as a normal experience for ultramarathon athletes.

To manage the pain, competitors can use strategies such as acceptance of the pain, restructuring negative thoughts, positive self-talk and positive imagery. Diverting attentional focus away from the pain to the environment, running mechanics or rationale for participating in the event can also be a coping mechanism used by competitors.

Interpersonal Expectations

Some competitors will be favourites to win. Whilst expectations from others can enhance athletes’ confidence and motivation, they can be unrelenting and difficult to manage, and can have short-and long-term detrimental consequences, such as fear of failure or perceptions of pressure.

To manage such expectations, the participants are advised to focus on controlling the controllables (factors under the participants direct influence such as nutrition and sleep) as opposed to focusing on the expectations and avoid hearing or seeing the performance expectations in the media. The participants’ support networks should also carefully consider the expectations and messages that they are communicating to the participants and the consequences that these could have.

Loneliness

Competitors are likely to spend a lot of time in solitary. Whilst some individuals like this, for others grouping with other participants or having social support to cheer them on along the route can increase perseverance during the event, enhancing mood and motivation. During difficult times of the race, listening to music and podcasts, and having support networks such as messages or phone calls, could also reduce loneliness.

During the long and demanding event, the participants’ bodies may tell them to stop. They will need to demonstrate resilience to persevere through this. Getting to the finish line could be a battle between their body and mind, as much as it will be a race between one another.

Dr Helen Heaviside is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Leeds Trinity University.

Photo credit: Bradie Dean / BDphotography.