#mental tips

I wanted to do my part in adding a few more tips for trans girls! I myself am FTM, but I wanted to help out the ladies out there :) These are mental tips just in case some of you are feeling mentally dysphoric and don’t know what to do about it.

If your “inner voice” sounds masculine, it’s not because you’re not a girl! It’s only because you’re used to a masculine voice, so listen to female voices and train your inner voice to sound like them, and keep reminding yourself to do it. Over time, it’ll become habit and you might not feel dysphoric about your “inner voice” anymore!

This might just be a me thing, but I feel dysphoric when I automatically assume that a stranger online is my AGAB. So just like the tip above, if you train yourself to assume that an online stranger is a girl, then you may feel less dysphoric :)

And the last tip I can think of: Study how cis women behave idly. Watch YouTube videos with cis women in them, like story-times or other full-/half-body commentary. You can try to pick up some idle habits from this by, once again, training yourself. Muscle memory is key, and soon enough you’ll develop those idle habits on your own!

The most important skill in golf is not what you think. To excel in golf, we need to develop skills on the green, off the tee, from the fairway and from hazards. The ability to hit solid shots from difficult lies is also a great skill to master. Yet, my experience tells me that, although important, the most important skill in golf touches all these areas without overshadowing any. Seems like a…

Have you ever wondered what process produces the best results in golf? After all the practice, research, and effort golfers put into their game, it is amazing that we are not all heading for the tour. Interestingly, I use a technique that I think will be beneficial to all amateurs that produces great golf shots. My process is simple, easy to use, repeatable and sustainable. Is that not something…

RACING FLATS. Are you thinking about trying racing flats? They could have a positive impact on your next performance. Perhaps someone has suggested them, or you were at a race and saw the “fast” people at the front with racing flats. They could possibly benefit you, and here are some thoughts on using them.

THE PROS. Racing flats are lighter shoes which improve running efficiency. Anything that improves efficiency decreases energy.  There is also a psychological benefit to putting on special racing shoes minutes before the gun goes off. 

THE CONS. Because they are lighter, they have less cushion and support, which could possibly lead to an increase in injury. Wearing flats can also increase recovery time after a race.

ARE THEY RIGHT FOR YOU? I would not suggest racing flats for anyone who has an ongoing injury or if they are injury prone. The risk isn’t worth the possible benefit.  Although your physical size is a consideration (the heavier the person the greater the force), running form is a bigger factor. Some big runners are light on their feet, and some petite runners slam their feet on the ground.

ADAPT. If you do decide to try them, be sure to allow your body time to adapt.  I did a few track workouts in flats before racing a 5k in them.  Eventually, I worked up to racing a marathon in them. This process took a year.

SAYONARA VERSUS HITOGAMI. The Hitogami 2 and the Sayonara 3 are both options to consider especially if you are new to racing flats. SPECIFICATIONS.  The Hitogami weighs a little less, coming in at 6.3 ounces versus the Sayonara at 7.3 ounces. The heel drops are similar, with the Sayonara measuring at 7.9 mm and the Hitogami at 9mm. MY IMPRESSIONS. When I wear the Hitogami, I FEEL fast. The shoe feels light, and close to the ground. Even though the Sayonara is light compared to other trainers, this felt like a light weight trainer to me. There was a lot of shoe there, and I wouldn’t want to race a short distance in them. If you are considering trying flats or lighter shoes for the first time, the Sayonara would be a wise choice. I would also suggest the Sayonara to someone who is racing longer distances (10 miles-marathon) or if the course is hilly. The Hitogami’s are excellent racing flats that have enough cushion to use for longer races. I have used them from a 5k up to a half marathon. I also like using them for track workouts. They have enough cushion that I don’t feel destroyed the following day. As a master’s runner, recovery is crucial to my success. I do think Mizuno shoes run a little narrow, and I had to relace shoes in order to have the proper fit (my feet are wide though!).

I have completed over a dozen marathons and I keep hoping for the perfect race. I have come to the conclusion that I won’t ever experience it, especially when racing the marathon. There are far too many factors that impact the results: training, injury, mileage, diet, strength, layout of course, weather, crowd support, hydration….and although the athlete can prepare for some of these factors, we can’t control them all.

The good news is, we don’t have to. In 2015, I ran three marathons and each had less than ideal conditions. Boston was cold, rainy, and windy (See photo above), yet I managed to obtain a PR.  At Grandma’s Marathon in June, is was cold and rainy, yet I was able to PR again. In October, I ran Chicago in the American Development Program (this allowed me to start right behind the elites, but they never allowed us to warm up).  It was also warm and windy that day, and yet again, I managed to PR.

Bob Bowman, is the coach of the Olympian swimmer, Michael Phelps.  He had some interesting methods of preparing Phelps, mentally. One example is when he purposefully stepped on Phelp’s goggles and cracked them. Because Phelps was prepared, he knew the stroke count and could swim blindly. This prepared him for the 200m butterfly at the 2008 Olympics. His goggles filled with pool water, so Phelps proceeded to not only win gold, but set the world record with chlorine filled goggles. Bowman has two great sayings that have helped me race well: Be familiar with chaos and Prepare for the unexpected.