Rebuilding Self-Confidence and Running Performance
Jéssica Fazzio reflects on the challenges of resuming training cycles, overcoming crises of confidence, and embracing new chapters.
After struggling for two years to lock in marathon training cycles, Jéssica Fazzio shares her process of rebuilding self-confidence and performance. The athlete reflects on replacing anxiety with curiosity and valuing the invisible gains that your watch never captures.
Getting back into a solid training routine after a period of instability is a challenge that extends far beyond the training plan. When work schedules and life demands disrupt consistency, returning to intense marathon cycles requires, above all, rebuilding your self-confidence.
The Crisis of Confidence and Fear of Flukes
Being away from your physical peak often triggers uncomfortable inner questions. Even runners who have achieved remarkable milestones, like standout marathon times, can be haunted by the doubt of whether those past accomplishments were just isolated strokes of luck or fleeting inspiration that will never happen again.
To overcome this mental hurdle, the path forward requires gradually reconnecting with the raw challenges of outdoor running. Swapping the predictable environment of the treadmill for hilly terrain and tackling long runs at locked-in paces rekindles the drive to test your limits—not out of a fear of failing, but out of curiosity about where your body actually stands.
The Pitfall of Comparing Yourself to Your Past Self
One of the biggest mistakes when rebuilding mileage is putting excessive pressure on yourself based on past times. At the SP City Half Marathon, for instance, running near 1:30 served as a helpful benchmark without the weight of chasing a perfect outcome, showing that progress happens organically when your mind lets go of rigid numbers.
Breaks along an athletic journey—whether caused by career demands, injuries, or personal changes—invite runners to accept that they are no longer the exact same person they once were. Taking a step back does not erase accumulated experience; it simply creates room to build a new version of yourself within your current reality.
The Victories Your Watch Can't Measure
When preparing for major challenges like the New York City Marathon, the maturity earned through difficult phases becomes a game-changing asset. Resilience, patience, and the ability to handle frustration are invisible gains that never appear on GPS metrics or social media, but they ultimately define longevity in the sport.
Ultimately, sustainable peak performance depends on regularly revisiting why you started running in the first place. When your core motivation centers on finding strength, calm, and presence within the process itself, finish times and PRs stop feeling like heavy burdens and return to being a natural byproduct of the journey.