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Most runners let self-doubt sabotage race-day confidence, until they learn how to rewrite their mental story.
In this episode, running coach and mental training expert Claire Bartholic shares how to turn pre-race anxiety into activation, excitement, and fuel for performance.
You’ll learn:
🌀 practical tools runners can use to build mental strength, including positive self-talk, visualization, training logs, and simple breathing techniques.
🌀 how to handle uncertainty, silence negative thoughts, and create non-time goals that make racing feel more joyful and sustainable.
We also discuss the shift to a more relaxed method of training aka Type B Running for mental or physical health.
Specially, we touch on:
🌀 How to gracefully shift from intense marathon training to a more "Type B" approach to training
🌀 Tips on maintaining your self-identity while embracing a happier, more fulfilling running journey
Whether you’re training for a marathon, recovering from burnout, or just want more confidence on the line, this conversation will help you run smarter, calmer, and with more belief in yourself.
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RESOURCES:
· theplantedrunner.com/reset
· theplantedrunner.com/beginwithten
· Planted Runner Podcast
· Instagram: @theplantedrunner
TIME STAMPS:
2:03 — Claire explains that what many runners call nerves is really activation, which reframes race day anxiety in a more useful way for marathon mental prep.
3:02 — She expands on the idea of pre-race activation and explains how naming the feeling differently can improve running mindset and race day confidence.
5:46 — Claire shares a simple self-talk phrase, “I choose to feel excited,” that runners can practice as part of positive self-talk and mental strength training.
7:21 — She breaks down self doubt as a story runners tell themselves and shows how confidence before a race can be built through repetition and mental toughness.
9:16 — Claire talks about building running confidence with small steps, tracking progress, and using a training log to reinforce marathon training tips that actually work.
12:09 — She explains how bad races and setbacks can become learning tools, helping runners recover from disappointment and strengthen their race failure mindset.
14:48 — Claire says the biggest marathon skill is uncertainty tolerance, which is a powerful lesson for race day mental prep and long distance running.
15:56 — She recommends guided visualization, including imagining everything that could go wrong, as a way to reduce running anxiety and prepare mentally for race day.
18:27 — Claire shares why deep breathing is an underrated tool for runners, especially for calming the nervous system before a marathon or hard workout.
19:50 — She introduces non-time goals as a way to define success beyond pace, giving runners a smarter race day strategy and stronger marathon goals.
Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.
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