There are various sayings about how running an ultramarathon allows a person to experience a lifetime in a day. This reflects the emotional highs and lows athletes face during such long and arduous events. How a runner copes with these emotional swings and challenges can have a huge impact on both how they perform and how they experience a race.
Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the capacity to recognise, understand, manage, and use one’s own emotions in positive ways to overcome challenges, relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathise with others, and defuse conflict. It also involves the ability to recognise and influence the emotions of others. As coaches, not only can we improve our relationships with our athletes through developing our EI, but also model behaviour that could directly benefit our athletes as well.
While there has not yet been much research directly looking at emotional intelligence in trail and ultramarathon running contexts, Nicolas, et al. (2019) found after a mountain ultra-marathon race, athletes with higher levels of EI exhibited better emotional adjustment during the recovery period, experiencing less dejection and anxiety, and more happiness and excitement. During a 282km stage race, Lane & Wilson (2011) found that athletes high in trait emotional intelligence reported experiencing more pleasant, and fewer unpleasant, emotions during competition. This suggests that EI may explain why some athletes cope better with the challenges of ultramarathoning. In more general sporting contexts, EI has been linked to better emotional regulation, physiological stress responses, psychological skill usage, and athletic performance. This suggests that athletes and coaches with higher levels of EI are better equipped to handle the emotional and physical demands of trail and ultramarathon running (Laborde et al., 2016).
So, how can we actually develop our own EI and the EI of our athletes?
A lot of developing EI stems from self-awareness, built by reflecting on your emotions before, during, and after runs or coaching sessions. Journaling may also help to track feelings, reactions, and triggers. Of course, it may not be practical to reflect and journal after every coaching session or run, but scheduling these activities on a regular basis will still be beneficial. It may also help to practise mindfulness techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or body scans to increase awareness of thoughts and emotions.
With better self-awareness, we’re able to then develop better self-regulation. Relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation or visualisation, may help with managing stress and anxiety. Reframing negative thoughts into positive ones can be very effective at developing resilience – for example an athlete thinking “I can’t do this anymore. This is too hard, and I’m too exhausted to keep going,” can reframe this as “Every step takes me closer to the finish line. I’ve trained hard for this, and feeling challenged is a part of the process. This is an opportunity to test my limits and grow stronger.”
Empathy is crucial for coaches to better understand their runners, as well better communicate with them and defuse any potential conflicts. See the “Communication Skills” section for more on active listening. You can also practise empathy by putting yourself in others’ shoes and considering their experiences and feelings (not just with your athletes, but in all contexts – the more practice, the better!).
We’ll dive into more depth with motivation for athletes in the “Sports Psychology” section, but it’s important for coaches to also identify their intrinsic motivations for coaching, such as personal growth, achievement, or passion for trail and ultramarathon running. This will help you set meaningful goals that align with your values and aspirations. Don’t forget to also celebrate progress along the way! It may help to find inspiration from others, whether it’s fellow runners, coaches, or mentors, and use their stories to fuel your own drive and determination.
By incorporating these strategies into your coaching and your athletes’ training, we can improve both coaching and athlete outcomes while cultivating a positive and supportive environment.
Key take-aways:
- Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the capacity to recognise, understand, manage, and use one’s own emotions in positive ways to overcome challenges, relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathise with others, and defuse conflict.
- Improved EI can improve both athlete performance and experience, and enhance the coach-athlete relationship.
- EI can be improved through developing self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and motivation.
Nicolas, M., Martinent, G., Millet, G., Bagneux, V., & Gaudino, M. (2019). Time courses of emotions experienced after a mountain ultra-marathon: Does emotional intelligence matter?. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37, 1831 – 1839. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2019.1597827.
Lane, A., & Wilson, M. (2011). Emotions and trait emotional intelligence among ultra-endurance runners.. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 14 4, 358-62 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2011.03.001.
Laborde, S., Dosseville, F., & Allen, M. (2016). Emotional intelligence in sport and exercise: A systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 26. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12510.