The following ideas were inspired by "Afraid to Race" by Brendan Hackett.  The original article appeared in the British Milers Club News, Spring 2000 edition. 

Doing your best is what is most important.  The most important person to please is yourself.   Apart from your spouse, immediate family, a few close friends, and perhaps teammates (if applicable), few people other than you REALLY care about your performance. Moreover, even these people in your inner circles don't care as much as you do. Essentially, you are racing for you. 

Set targets that are challenging to you and not based on somebody else's opinion.  Again, you are racing for you. If the goal isn't personally meaningful, chances are that it won't be achieved. 

Develop a positive approach.  The self fulfilling prophecy is one of the most powerful mental tools ever invented. While thinking positive thoughts is not a guarantee that you'll achieve a peak performance, thinking negative thoughts is almost a sure fire way to achieving a personal worst. 
  
Avoid making excuses and take responsibility for your actions.  Rather than doing that extra ten mile run the day before you race, rest if the race is truly important to you. Avoid doing things that may give you an "out" if you perform poorly in an upcoming race. 

Seek challenges and prepare for setbacks. You'll have good days and you'll have bad days - that is sport.   In either case, treat every race as a learning experience. If you do well, reflect on things that got you there.  Ditto, if you do poorly.  Strive to repeat the plus factors and to avoid the pitfalls. 

In the final analysis, recreationally competitive runners need to keep the following in mind: 

"Hey, this ain't the Olympic Games, now is it?" 

Keeping this little tidbit of wisdom in mind will keep your racing in perspective. 

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