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PHOTO BY SARA FORREST, COURTESY OF - - - - Mental stress is an often-underestimated component of of component often-underestimated an is stress Mental What stunned Barringer and her fans alike was that there there that was alike fans her and Barringer stunned What had nothing to do with Barrin The problem, however, says that run Sports psychologist Sharon Chirban, Ph.D., a being from gone somehow had “It agrees: Barringer much that’s important in my life. It had become the symbol for for symbol the become had It life. my in important that’s much point.” that to career entire my of culmination the much so With Chirban. to according athletics, professional the by falls mind the sometimes body, the training on focus thought negative that way hard the learned Barringer wayside. patterns can have disastrous physiological effects. literal nightmare. She remembers feeling disconnected to re literal nightmare. She remembers feeling disconnected Barringer had ality and confused. Fans were equally stunned; NCAA history, been perhaps the most consistent racer in track as well setting collegiate records in indoor and outdoor in the as cross country with seeming ease. Her performance 3,000-meter , 2008 Olympics’ inaugural women’s record in where she placed ninth and secured the American the event, made Jenny appear unstoppable. the during happened what for explanation obvious an wasn’t her train free from injury, championship. She was healthy, weeks the in resting properly been she’d and track on was ing leading up to the race. body. ger’s arousal,” “regulating calls she what at skilled very become ners situations race high-pressure in composure maintaining i.e. patterns thought certain But effectively. compete to order in full-blown case, Barringer’s in or anxiety, into arousal turn can something into race that made had Jenny head, her “In panic. stakes the raised “She’d Chirban. says was,” it than more much she that winning, beyond far goal her setting even high, so anxiety.” accompanying the process longer no could so of end the career, college my of end the symbolizing to race

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win CO . set an impossible pace to follow, annihilate the set an impossible pace to follow, collegiate runner the United Sates has has Sates United the runner collegiate to needed Barringer Jenny seen, ever order in mind and body her connect potential. to reach her full Otto By Jayme Arguably the most accomplished accomplished most the Arguably 6WURQJIURP had high hopes for the 2009 NCAA Cross Country had high hopes for the 2009 NCAA Cross oeing the line for her !nal race as a college athlete, head buzzed. The four-time Jenny Barringer’s champ National Collegiate Athletic Association

The 24-year-old describes the experience as a shock, a The 24-year-old But her facial expression wasn’t the only thing amiss. But her facial expression wasn’t At the gun, Barringer charged right to the front. She At the gun, Barringer charged right to the

WOMENSRUNNING   national television, well let’s just say it couldn’t have been a say it couldn’t just national television, well let’s more inopportune time.” “It was the most tragic race of my career,” Barringer recalls “It was the most tragic race of my career,” from her home in Monument, Colo. “And the fact that it was my collegiate !nale, an NCAA Championship and on TRANSFORMING TRAGEDY TRANSFORMING T !nish line in 163rd place. focus. The harder she tried to compose herself, the more she faltered. She fell, hyperventilating. Barringer got up and collapsed several more times before eventually crossing the In the lead just after the halfway point, Barringer suddenly slowed. She looked dazed. She stumbled. Spectators could almost see her struggling to rearrange her thoughts and to Like she wasn’t having any fun. Favored heavily to win the having Like she wasn’t season, Jenny championship, a storybook ending to a perfect happy. should have appeared more relaxed, even ran in her typical con!dent style, but those who knew her maybe. would say that she looked different. Perplexed, addition to thinking urgent thoughts: course record, dominate by 30 seconds—minimum autumn day was sunny, the 6k course wound through grass autumn day was sunny, her trademark and dirt and Jenny had her hair secured in were extreme. In ponytail. But this time, her pre-race jitters Championships. The stage was set for peak performance: the Championships. The stage was set for peak MAKING A “Sometimes without a setback, you COMPLETE can’t really learn the lesson.” COMEBACK “It was so dif!cult

to just shut things mindTIPS FROM SPOR >>>TS down when I was PSYCHOLOGIST, SHARON probably in the best CHIRBAN, PH.D. Manage the “vanity variable.” Caring shape of my life,” what people think is a tough obstacle. Set expectations lower than your prior level of performance. It always takes longer to come back than expected. Forget your tough work ethic when recovering. Less can be more in a comeback. Remember that comebacks are based on a careful process. Desired results come to those who are patient.

PUTTING PERFORMANCE offer a truly unbiased perspective, one and 11 seconds, she solidi!ed the LEASONS LEARNED the mind can result in equal, or even INTO PERSPECTIVE not motivated by your performance or fact that Jenny Barringer was back in Barringer’s last race of her collegiate greater stress on the body—and vice- money,” Barringer says. everyone’s mind—including her own. Following a career-low performance, FROM career and the !rst of her professional versa—according to Chirban. an athlete may wish to step back from In order to ensure she was both career came chock-full of life lessons. Barringer’s mental shift is per-

LEFT bodyTIPS FROM JULI >>> BENSON, the sport in order to relax and lick physically and mentally strong, Bar- SETBACKS REQUIRE In the NCAA race, mental anxiety haps the key to her entire comeback. lingering wounds. Instead, Barrin- ringer waited nearly half a year before STEPBACKS P FORREST. SARA BY PHOTO : gave way to physical debilitation; Beyond the break from running she JENNY BARRINGER’S COACH ger blazed back into the spotlight. kicking off her comeback on May 1, But by June her performance began in her !rst pro race, physical strain took in July, past the cross-training and Cross train to maintain !tness. Con- Within days of her ill-fated race, 2010 with a 1,500-meter race at the deteriorating, this time physically. resulted in the mental stress of a tough core-strengthening she focused on for sider water running, elliptical training Barringer announced that she’d Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. After !nishing a disappointing third in decision. Jenny was quickly learning the remainder of the summer, and even or biking to simulate running. signed with an agent. A month later, It was her !rst race since the 2009 the 5,000 meters at the USA Outdoor that each was the "ip side of the same beyond getting back up to her full mile- Prepare your body to return to run- she agreed to a multi-year contract NCAA Cross Country Champion- Championships, Barringer announced coin–the place where mind and body age this past fall, Jenny’s most profound ning by improving "exibility. Carve 20 with New Balance, and a month after ships, and she had been working hard that she was ending her season due to a intersect. changes have happened inside her head. to 30 minutes into your daily routine that she selected Juli Benson, the Air in spring training, concentrating on stress reaction at the head of her right HOTO Tapping into that mind-body Even for a steeplechase champion, that’s to stretch. This can be a good time to Force Academy’s head cross-country controlling any potentially crippling femur. Even those close to her were connection can be tricky for even the no easy hurdle to overcome.

try yoga or Pilates as well. coach, to guide her through her !rst nerves. “You don’t want to step up to surprised. Barringer admitted that she’d BY most seasoned runners. And up until Barringer is con!dent she’ll come PETERZ P professional season. Jenny was eager the start line in your !rst professional been trying to hide a nagging pain, this point, Barringer didn’t have any back stronger on all levels. Her time off Enhance your running with strength to shake off the shadow of her last [competition] feeling like you have but at this point, she needed to let her disappointing experiences to draw has given the athlete space to concen- training. Find a quali!ed trainer who collegiate competition. something to prove,” she says. injury rest. HOTOGRAPHY upon to help negotiate that tenuous trate on herself as a runner, and as a can ensure correct form. To be closer to Benson, Barringer Barringer kept her anxiety in It was a choice Jenny agonized relationship. “Jenny [had] almost been woman as well. In October 2010, Jenny Strengthen your core to help with moved to Colorado Springs, and into check during the race start by relying over. “It was so dif!cult to just shut too lucky, having such a seamless ride married, and she is now starting a life proper form and posture while running. the Olympic Training Center. In her on advice from her father, a profes- things down when I was probably in for so long,” Chirban says. “Sometimes with her husband. “I’m . P . Ease back in when you begin running new home, Barringer began working sor in Oklahoma, who told her that the best shape of my life,” she says. It HOTO without a setback, you can’t really now,” she laughs, “It’s a whole new me.” again. Your cardiovascular system will with a sports psychologist, and found she shouldn’t let any one day in her was also the !rst important decision learn the lesson.”

BY be ahead of your body at !rst. the sessions to be quite powerful. life de!ne her. She steered clear of a Barringer made completely on her own. The lesson here is that it’s critical Award-winning freelance journalist,

SARA “The service that a sports psycholo- tempting trap of thought patterns that “As a pro, your doctors and trainers for an athlete to always be listening Jayme Otto writes about the people, For more tips on making a comeback gist provides above all is that she is would mark this race as setting the will let you train through whatever FORREST to the inner voice that communicates places, ideas and events that are changing check out “Be a Comeback Queen” not your coach, your sponsor or your larger tone for her entire professional you think you can train through,” she when her body or mind is overtaxed. the way we think about our world. Follow on page 26. agent, and therefore has the ability to career. When she won, in four minutes explains. “It was my call to step back.” Since the two are interwoven, stress in her adventures at jaymeotto.com.

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