Competitive racing is mostly a mental (rather than a physical) game. Having plunged into a sport that requires individual responsibility, we accept our racing experience with an eye to learning from it.

This course will give students an overview of an experienced racer’s thinking as it evolves during a year of training and racing. Students will prepare for three class sessions by reading pertinent chapters in Running by Feeling, Brian Clarke’s running comeback memoir.

Chapter 1. A Preliminary Skirmish (Session 1)
Chapter 13. The Mental Side of Racing (Session 2)
Chapter 21. A Strange Victory (Session 3)
Chapter 22. The Play Spirit in Running (Session 3)

During class, students will share their various racing experiences, contrasting them with Clarke’s, to become increasingly aware of their own thinking and how it affects performance. In the process, they will address the following question: Is there a right way to think about racing? And how do we get there if we aren’t there now?

Note: The first class session carries no obligation to attend sessions 2 and 3, but is intended as an orientation. The easiest way to sign up is to pay the course fee (see below);
it is fully refundable if you decide not to participate.

$30 for newcomers, $20 of which will be refunded after the course depending on your attendance and the quality of your work.