Motivation
Motivation is probably one of the most familiar concepts in sports psychology. It is the psychological force that drives individuals toward their specific goals. There are three key aspects of motivation: the activation of a behaviour, persistence of a behaviour, and the intensity of the actions taken. Activation refers to the decision to initiate a behaviour; this might simply be committing to training for an event or working with a coach. Persistence then refers to the continued effort toward that goal, even in the face of obstacles. This is a crucial aspect, as while beginning a training plan is easy, sticking to it is much harder. Finally, intensity refers to the amount of effort and concentration that goes into pursuing a goal.

If an athlete tells you they are feeling unmotivated then typically this means they are struggling with persistence and consequently the intensity of their efforts are dropping. It’s also worth noting that while we associate higher intensity efforts with an increased likelihood of attaining a goal, in a sport like ultramarathon running, we can also deal with hyper-motivated individuals. They might sometimes need help with keeping that intensity under control to ensure they don’t do too much and burnout. So, in this section we’re going to take a look at how coaches can best set up an athlete’s environment to foster healthy, long-term motivation.

Self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) is one of the most prominent theories of human motivation that explains our inherent growth tendencies and psychological needs. It is a comprehensive theory, and in this section, we’ll break down some of its key components and how they apply to training for trail and ultramarathon events.

There is a key distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable, while extrinsic motivation involves performing an activity for external rewards. An intrinsically motivated runner might run and compete simply because they love running, or they are inherently motivated by challenging themselves and the process of training and racing. On the other hand, an extrinsically motivated athlete will be racing to impress others, to win accolades and respect, or even simply to win prize money.

Self-determination theory posits that intrinsic motivation is a more powerful and far more sustainable motivator in the long-term. An intrinsically motivated athlete is more likely to experience high levels of satisfaction and better general psychological health. This is crucial in trail and ultramarathon running, as long-term commitment is necessary for success. While extrinsic motivations such as rewards and recognition can still play a role, they are less effective at sustaining long-term participation. So, it’s important to talk to your athletes and find out what is motivating them. Are they doing it for themselves, or are they doing it to impress others? It’s okay if there are some extrinsic motivations, but we should also try to foster some intrinsic values to motivate training and racing.

The next core principle of self-determination theory is that people have three basic psychological needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Fulfilment of these needs is crucial for mental well-being and motivation. Our coaching style has the capacity to influence all three of these psychological needs.

Competence refers to one’s capacity to perform tasks and meet challenges. If an athlete is constantly falling short of their goals, then they’re probably not going to feel particularly competent. As a coach, we are there to challenge our athletes, but it’s important that we are realistic and allow athletes to taste some success both in training and races, as this sense of competence will fuel their motivation. That may not always mean winning; seeing signs of improvement or meeting challenges set before them is sufficient. If an athlete tells you they’re not feeling very motivated, giving them a session that they have a low probability of completing will probably not make them feel more motivated. Conversely, when an athlete is feeling very motivated then it might be an appropriate time to try a more challenging session.

Autonomy refers to an athlete’s sense of control over their training, racing, and life in general. While it is our job as a coach to help guide our athletes, it’s vital that we still give them a sense of control over their training and races. We can support this sense of autonomy by offering our athletes choices, acknowledging their feelings, and providing them with a rationale for any decisions we make (or training sessions we give them). It can be useful to ask your athletes for their input before you offer your own, particularly when deciding on goals. If you are deliberating between some potential avenues you might pursue in training, it can be helpful to talk to your athlete and get their opinion. For example, you could ask them what they feel they need to work on for their next race. If they tell you they need to work on their flat speed, for instance, they’re probably going to be much more motivated to do flat speed work.

Relatedness refers to a sense of connection with others. In the personality section, we discussed extroversion and introversion, and this may affect the degree to which one needs to feel connected to others to feel motivated. However, to some degree, everyone needs to feel like they relate to a bigger picture and that they are not completely isolated. You will have a connection with your athletes, and it can be quite healthy to develop a professional friendship with many of the athletes you work with. It can also be beneficial to ensure your athletes are finding ways to connect with the wider trail and ultramarathon community. That could be online, or that could be in person; it might simply be making friends at races, it could be joining running groups and organisations, it could be having regular training partners, or it could be engaging with running-related social media.

In later sections, we will discuss factors like resilience, burnout, and how stress might impact an athlete’s day-to-day motivation. While it’s normal for motivation to fluctuate, by fostering intrinsic motivation in our athletes through focusing on their sense of competence, autonomy, and relatedness, we will set them up for healthy, long-term participation in trail and ultramarathon running.

Key takeaways
1. The three core aspects of motivation are activation, persistence, and intensity
2. Motivation for running can be intrinsic or extrinsic
3. The three basic psychological needs are competence, autonomy, and relatedness

Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. The American psychologist, 55 1, 68-78 . https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68.

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