xi, 342 pages : 21 cm Portions of your brain fight for control all the time and that's when bad things happen: you get crazy nervous before a race, you choke under pressure, you quit when the going gets tough. Marshall and Paterson help you take control of your brain so you can train harder, race faster, and better enjoy your sport. They provide practical, evidence-based solutions to the most common mental challenges athletes face Includes bibliographical references and index The basics. Hello, Brain! : a peek inside your 3-pound lump of crazy -- Heart : hone your passion, motivation, and identity. I wish I felt more like an athlete : tackling the flawed thinking around your athletic identity -- I don't think I can : building confidence and self-belief -- Setting goals is not your problem : the secret of doing -- Wings : deal with obstacles, setbacks, and conflict. Other athletes seem tougher, happier, and more badass than me : the power and peril of comparison -- I feel fat : dealing with body image in a world of athletes -- I don't cope well with injury : how to respond to setbacks, big and small -- People are worried about me : exercise dependence and the incessant need to do more -- Fight : get stuck in with new battle skills. I don't like leaving my comfort zone : how to cross the fear barrier -- When the going gets tough, the tough leave me behind : resisting the urge to quit -- I need to harden the f*ck up : learning to embrace the suck -- I keep screwing up : developing Jedi concentration skills to become a better athlete -- I don't handle pressure well : how to cope with stress, anxiety, and expectations on race day