Posts in the Goals Category at , Page 12

When Forcing Yourself to Feel Like You Don’t Belong Works: Running and life goals achieved by feeling like a ‘poser’

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

In life, and in running, there will be times when you feel like you’re in over your head. Or that you are afraid the people around you will certainly sniff you out as the ‘poser’ you feel you are…that you really don’t belong, that you don’t have enough experience, credits to your name, accolades, etc. You can choose to dodge these types of situations, but if you do I’m willing to bet you’ll miss out on achieving something greater than you expected.

Run curious of what you CAN achieve when you force yourself to be in situations where you feel like a ‘poser’…then fake it til you make it. 🙂

In running, a sure-fire way to get better is to train with people who are better than you. Sure, you can have the ego boost of being the top dog and pace-setter for a particular group, but where is the fun in that? I always loved being the chaser, myself; that makes you hungry for more, for faster times…it’s the thrill of the hunt, right?

Being at the slower end of the company you keep, dare I even say the slowest, can surely be daunting though. If you’re new to the group your knees are probably quaking before the warm-up, anticipating that these fleeter footed runners were certainly sniff out the poser of the group. Maybe they even know your PR’s and in your mind you imagine what they are thinking, “Who in the heck do they think they are…they don’t belong with us…they aren’t good enough to even share the track with us.”

The honest truth is that humans can be pretty self-centered without meaning to or even be aware they are thinking that the world is revolving around them. They can be the most benevolent of people but there are times when we over-amplify the importance of ourselves. What I’m getting at is as you IMAGINE those others are thinking about you, they are probably actually thinking of themselves. those other runners most likely are thinking about the workout ahead and the splits they want to hit…not your presence.

But then again, worse case, even if they are thinking you ‘don’t belong’ then who really cares? If you want the BEST from yourself, toss yourself into the deep end on PURPOSE. You can run the risk of sinking but more often than not, when forced you’ll at least learn to doggie-paddle. That doggie paddle will most likely turn to some semblance of a stroke and eventually you will swim.

Truth is, runners tend to be awesome company and will welcome you onto their team. 🙂

With running, when you train smart, push yourself, are consistent, and ask more from yourself you generally improve. You may end up surprising yourself in actually becoming the fastest runner of the very group you once felt you were an idiot for thinking you even belonged sharing the same track with.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is scary, yes, but goals that demand the kind of work that offer a fulfilling reward aren’t achieved by feeling comfortable. So fellow kiddies, let’s dive into the deep end of the track and get swimming. 😉 [Extra credit to those who made sense of this totally mixed metaphor…haha!]

1) What is an instance where you felt like a ‘poser’ when it came to running?
The first day I went to my high school’s track practice…if you were keeping tabs on my Facebook Page I explained it was my dad who helped me get out there and just run.

2) When was an instance where you felt like a ‘poser’ in other life?
Actually, anytime people say, “Oh, you’re an artist!” It’s taken a lot of mental conditioning to not blurt out, “Well, actually, ummm, I dunno, I like doing art, but I’m not sure if I’m an ‘artist’ artist.” 😛

3) If you run in a group, where are you typically: front, middle, chaser? If you run alone, how do you ‘stretch’ yourself to run with ‘someone faster than you’? If you don’t try and run with someone better than you for the sake of ‘chasing’ that’s cool too, but do you want to try and state a goal of attempting that stretch??
I’m a bit of a solo runner for the current, but I use the treadmill and force my slow butt not to fall off the back for some tempo runs. 😉 Good old tready has enough power to certainly run the belt faster than me!

Racing Nerves: Thrilling, Addictive, Anxiety-provoking, and Potentially One of Your Greatest Assets

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Cait — 22 Comments ↓

“Do my legs normally feel this tired before my race?” I think this is a question that has run through every runner’s head during their warm-up at some point or another. In fact, I know some runners actually take it as a good sign that their legs feel like lead…the worse they feel before the gun goes off the better they feel once they’re off.

Nerves. You can’t avoid them in or sport; or rather, if you CARE about how you run and race you can’t avoid them. All that nervous energy, the excitement, the buzz, the flood of endorphins not only ensure you care but they are the the emotions that those who race thrive on…are probably addicted to. I’ve commonly written that there is a difference between running and racing; the runners who crave those races, NEED that buzz, know exactly what I’m talking about.

I recently wrote an article featured at Competitor online: Putting Your Nerves to Good Use. Check it out there, as it has tips to channel your nerves into a positive way to elevate your performance; but, as I am one who generally isn’t ever short on words, I have a bit more to add on.

“Nerves…many seem to to think these are ‘bad’ to have. Instead, they are NECESSARY,” Jim Bauman Ph.D, Sports Psychology, I have quoted in that article. He has it dead on and went on to add, “Bottom line, this energy IS the drug of sport. Those minutes and moments before a competition are difficult to replicate in other areas of life events. As much as athletes frame this as an aversive event, it is exactly what they miss most when they leave sport.”

Again, spot on. I think when athletes regard this nervousness and energy with a sense of hesitation and anxiety, it isn’t so much the actual event they precede, but rather a competitor dreads the window of time leading up to before the gun being fired…having the actual nerves around, bringing that flurry of thoughts into their mind. They ‘dread’ it the same way they ‘dread’ the anticipation of a hard workout because they know it will hurt. The pain of exertion is a given, a constant, but a part of running, and racing, is coping with this given. Coping often means a degree of denial before the hurt and pain actually starts…we have to lie to ourselves, say it won’t be ‘that bad,’ otherwise we may talk ourselves out of actually starting.

Racing takes that ‘dread’ and anxiety of starting to a whole other level because a lot more is at stake; the times, the places, our performance means a lot more to us than just another hard workout. We CARE more about the outcome of the event.

Usually with nerves they start to climb days (for some, even weeks) before the race…running takes a lot of training if you want to race well, so us runners have a LONG time to focus on a particular event and seasons last multiple months. So the climb starts, but the rate of that climb escalates the closer you get to the race; the anticipation gets to a point where we nearly think we will explode RIGHT before the gun goes off. Then, just before you think you can’t last a second longer…CRACK…and the nerves seem to disappear. Nerves dissipate and are replaced by ‘performance’ mode, where you focus on the actual doing.

Or at least the nerves should be pushed from your mind. But, nerves are a tricky bugger and hard to handle; that’s why they are a common source of anxiety for runners…because runners know that if NOT properly managed their nerves can be their undoing. Nerves can be a runner’s undoing or they can be one of their greatest assets…channeling those nerves positively, in a way to step up your ‘game’ after the gun goes off is a powerful tool in running and racing.

The funny thing with doing this, is that the ‘gamers’ of our sport often find it difficult to put into words the ‘hows’ of what they do. It sort of comes naturally to them without their being so cognitively aware, they don’t really know what they are doing differently, they just DO. A sports psychologist makes it their job to investigate the ‘hows’ and explain it to others. “We work on embracing this energy,” explains Bauman on his approach in working with his elite athletes, “Whenever we put ourselves on the line with performance being a key to why and what we are doing, the brain kicks in…the fear response is alive and well…we are going to run or fight.”

Nerves put athletes in a tricky spot, we have to battle nature, instincts and make sure that we don’t cross the line from the ‘fight or flight’ response and into the ‘panic’ response. “A characteristic of panic is ‘freezing’,” states Bauman.

So these nerves; there is good reason to regard them with a mix of dread and adoration. They can freeze you up, they can tie your stomach in knots, they can make you feel like you’re going to explode if the race doesn’t start NOW. Though, they also give you that buzz, make you feel alive, they make you want to jump out of your skin in a good way…and they are addictive…they are a thrill.

Racing is a thrill…CRACK.

1) Can you put into words what your nerves feel like before a race or hard workout?

2) How do you manage your nerves? Do you have a pre-race ritual that helps keep them in check?

3) If you consider yourself a ‘gamer’ can you try and explain the ‘how’ of doing that?

Runners Create Their Own ‘Possibles’ All the Time: Dude, it’s just a car…get over it, suck it up, and go run

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Cait — 24 Comments ↓

Runners, it is my firm belief, tend to have a different set of ‘possibles.’ More correctly they can set their sights on what a ‘normal’ person would think of as IM-possible, put their head down, get to work and keep plugging away. I also believe runners tend to be more stubborn, grittier, and have a higher pain tolerance than most folk…honestly I think it’s because we’re just so used to suffering with running everything else in our mind gets a little skewed. “What, that blister takes up nearly my entire arch, just a minor flesh-wound, Neosporin that sucker and put your running shoes on!” 😉

I like to make light of my who car accident debacle because I just do that. I poke fun and joke around at things even if logically they aren’t that funny. It’s a coping mechanism probably, I mean it’s much easier to keep moving forward and stay positive if you’re able to laugh at yourself EVEN at your worst.

I don’t like to talk too much about my whole car accident though, mostly because I don’t want people to think I’m ‘working it’ or like I’m bragging. Sure, yes, I’m kinda proud of the fact the doctors were floored when I finally came back to report I could run again; the surgeon was sure I wouldn’t even walk right. BUT, the thing is, runners all around, all the time are constantly doing these sorts of things.

Dick Beardsley has an insanely inspiring story, he was a pivotal person who kept me going and instilled in my mind that I’d run again. I will forever be grateful to him. There’s the stories of the runners who have actual amputations and run with some awesome prosthetics.

Even without crazy accidents runners are ALWAYS redefining what is possible, the proof there are in the record books. Do we not in fact keep shaving those times down lower and lower? Are there not constant debates on if we really will see a woman break such-and-such time, will a man dip below the two hour mark for the marathon?

Runners are always faced with injuries, surgeries, that raise the question if they will ever get back…and then will they get back to the shape they want to be. The thing is, when you have running stripped away from you, brutal as it is, when you look into the ‘possible’ future of what you’re life would be without it, you probably don’t like the picture you see. When you shudder at that picture you often make a pact with yourself, “If I get back to running, in any form, I will not take it for granted.”

I’ve been there, lots of people have, and I think it are those haunting images of what a life without this running, our little drug of choice, are that keeps us going to redefine ‘possible’ and then create our OWN ‘possibles.’ So even on those crap-tastic runs where we feel anything but on cloud nine, we appreciate them deep down.

Not that anyone should, or has to settle for just running alone. There are still times, PR’s, races, titles, hopes and other goals that can be chased; things that take training, not just running. I love watching and hearing about people creating their own ‘possibles’ there and chasing those goals…but I also know running presents incredible highs and lows. Our sport sort of runs the line like an EKG with all those spikes; heartbreaks on the heels of triumph and vice-a-versa.

Runners can get lost in those lows sometimes and their goals abandoned, the sport can break them; to avoid that takes unwillingness to get stuck in a depressive rut during those lows. Keeping perspective and remembering that a life without running at all, on any level, is not the picture of a future you have envisioned for yourself.

Perspective: Be grateful for the run. When you’re nervous before a hard training run, race, or don’t even want to get out the door…strip it down to the bare bones, the root of it…be grateful for the simple act and remember why you do it. Chuck out the window unnecessary pressure, stresses, or worries, put your head down and get to work on creating your OWN ‘possibles.’

1) Was there ever a time, event, or injury that begged to question if you’d get back to running as your former self?

2) Was there ever a time or injury that seemed to drag on so long you thought it would never end? How did you deal with it?
Day by day, people…only way! 🙂

3) Where is your running, are you running just for the fun and love of it or are you training? What keeps you going and why do you do it, when it’s all stripped down to the bare bones?

4) What is a ‘possible’ you are currently working towards creating for yourself?

5) What is one ‘possible’ that you achieved and are proud of that others thought of as IM-possible?

Running Better Without Your Head: Without that mind getting in your way you could be running faster

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

“Off with her head!” the Red Queen shouted. Which begged me to question, “Would I actually run better sans my head?”

He's running without a head! 😉

Bear with my train of thought for just a moment, outside of losing those 8 pounds of noggin and getting a lower racing weight, I will go out on a limb and say that there are some athletes who would run better without that pesky mind of theirs. Sometimes if you want to run better or get something done you need to just, well, go ‘off with your head.’

In previous posts I’ve covered how important getting your mind in check is when it comes to running, training and racing. I’ve covered visualization to improve your performance by harnessing some of that mental energy as well as means to quell pre-race nerves. Today’s will be different because it’s actually about disconnecting from your mind. Don’t worry I won’t drag out the guillotine.

“I’m here so that you don’t have to do any of the thinking, just focus on the running,” this is something a coach once said and if you’ve found a trustworthy and reliable coach I tend to agree with the statement. Of course it’s important to pick the right coach, but once you do it’s about trust and putting the reins in their hands. That way you can tune-out your brain.

* Don’t question: Some athletes play the ‘why’ game so much that they never are able to put faith in the training and program they are doing. “Why am I doing this workout?”, “Why is he having me do this, so-and-so does this instead?”, “Why can’t I just do 4 repeats and not 5?”, “Why can’t I do 10 repeats instead of 5?” and so on. Your mind can play the ‘why’ game forever and when you do that you can’t establish trust, then confidence in your training and ultimately YOURSELF. When you don’t have confidence in yourself, come race day you should be nervous.

* Don’t negotiate: When you’re in the middle of a workout, or a run for that matter, it’s going to hit a point where it hurts. Your brain will start to negotiate with you, “Maybe this pace is too fast, let’s slow it down”, “Maybe I can’t really do all the repeats, maybe I’ll stop now.” Let’s be honest, your mind will search for any excuse, but if you go in with the mentality that you TRUST your training program, your coach if you have one, then your approach shouldn’t be one with any room for doubts. It’s not a question of IF you will be able to do the workout, it’s a GIVEN that you’re capable of it. Now, you may not actually physically be able to hit the paces sometimes, that happens, but there needs to be a SHIFT in your thought process at the start. Your brain is taken out of the equation…you are supplied the given workout and your legs get to running.

* Just function: As just explained above, to a degree, some of the best athletes just function as droids. They aren’t the ones coming up with the workouts, they don’t have to obsess and worry about what they should be doing; that frees up a LOT of extra mind energy. That energy then is able to be focused and channelled into actually DOING what they set out to achieve. Not all of us are blessed to be in that position, and I know plenty people don’t have coaches at all. Still though, you can adapt the philosophy to your situation. Plan ahead: as in if you have a race planned to run, work backwards and set up your training weeks in advance. Nothing is set in stone, but limit how much adapting you do. If you have a full season of workouts planned, allow yourself to reassess the upcoming week’s training on Sunday night but from there try not to do much adjusting to the plan. Wake up that day, see the workout, and let your body get to work.

It’s impossible to tune-out your mind completely and you wouldn’t want to do that totally of course. Though over-thinking gets in the way of many a talented runner; because ultimately it never gets them to a point where they can establish TRUST in their training, FAITH that they are capable of achieving their goals, or CONFIDENCE in themselves.

So, what do you think, do you think you’d jump on the Red Queen’s proposition?? 😉

1) How do you approach your own training? Do you create your own training, do you just come up with the day’s run on the spot, are you part of a team?

2) If you have a coach, how did you connect with them? Are you able to put full trust and training duties in their hands or do you tend to play the ‘why’ game a lot?

3) What does the idea of dissociating from your mind translate to you? Do you think there is a way you can incorporate the idea into your own training to improve your running?

4) Do you wonder how I thought up this lopping off your head business?
Well, I was watching on drool-worthy Johnny Depp in the latest Alice in Wonderland during my treadmill run. 😉

Runner ‘Tells’ and What Warrants Bragging Rights?

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Cait — 25 Comments ↓

Runners have tells. I’m going to get the obvious ones out of the way straight off the bat because they are like getting points for just putting your name right on the SAT’s:

* They tend to be lean (I’m not using skinny for a reason…lean means you have muscle, baby!)
* They can shock their friends by being able to eat like football players
* They have a ridiculous amount of shoes and athletic clothes crammed into their closets…so much so that the ‘strays’ tend to leak into the rest of the living spaces. Shall we play who can spot the running shoe?

So duh, we’ve got stereotypical body types…of course that’s not to say one HAS to look like an Ethiopian to be a runner. But even so, find me a ‘real’ runner who’s clinically obese and we’ll chat.

But runners have other ‘tells’ in life, traits and habits. Some you can see, some you pick up on after spending some time with the person. Some take a little digging, but let’s face it, our neurosis typically bleed out eventually…

* Watch tan.
* They double lace any shoes out of habit. Umm, what runner doesn’t harbor the fear of an untied shoe coming at the worst possible moment? Heck, any moment at all, it would cause annoyance or even *gasp* warrant interrupting a run to re-tie.
* Uncommonly familiar with the metric system. C’mon, most Americans are too lazy to brush up on the whole meters and kilometers to miles thing.
* Often know back-routes while driving. We’re really just working off of the mental road map of our running routes.

* OCD in some way. Now not ALL of us actually come with an bona-fide diagnosis, but most runners have some kind of quirk…be it with numbers, having something placed a certain way, something. It can take some real Sherlock Holmes sleuthing, but if all else fails ask to see their training log.
* Shockingly ‘out for blood.’ Even the most demure runner, that kind looking and seemingly harmless girl sitting next to you, has a blood-thirsty competitor inside her. This can mean they are insanely competitive even at Chutes and Ladders, girl hates to lose. But even if it’s not board games they get all too hung up on, I’ll guarantee you that if they are laced up for a race, it’s GO time.

Not all runners will outright talk about fitness or exercise in normal conversations, they don’t have to brag on how many miles they whipped out while other people were mowing the lawn…well, not all of them anyways. Not just because some are humble, but the best ones can actually surprise you in how much they are, I think in part to ‘real’ runners there is a gap in perspective.

To one runner a short four-miler is just that, some would even be ’embarrassed’ if they had to call the workout short that day and not speak of it because they were in fact upset it was only four. It’s all relative. Another reason is that runners tend to be highly motivated and goal-driven, they reserve ‘bragging rights’ for things that even that hypercritical inner-self is proud of. A dose of that never-settling, never-happy attitude keeps us going and is a good thing. (Not so much so that you never recognize a job well done though.)

Thus, until you get the blatant, “I’m a runner” admission or they do in fact have that awesome running feat achieved they feel entitled to share, you can still spot a runner. 🙂

1) What are some of your runner tells?

2) Do you fall into any of the above traits? If not, which do you differ and plead your case.

3) Do you tend to talk about your running with non-running people?

4) When do you give yourself permission to ‘brag on yourself’? Or is that not really that hard for you? 😉

Run Like No One is Watching: Understand your pressure and use those race day nerves to your benefit

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

I love 80’s music, certain songs come on and instantly I feel compelled to yell horribly off key and bust into what I’d try to call moves. I’m the dork in the car who sings along to the music, jiggling in her seat, and fooling herself into believing the windows are as tinted as a rock-star’s limo. Surely it’s fun and easy to dance like no one is watching, but do you run like no one is watching?

You make running look good, and running makes you look good too! 😉

Running is one of those incredibly unique sports that is for the most part solely up to you. You’re in control, the opportunity to succeed and improve is in your hands, the workouts are yours to do or skip, when you step to the line in the end it’s a race between you and yourself. There can be the team aspect of course, running is also one tight community; your teammates and coaches are there for support and guidance but again it comes down to you and those legs. Are you tough enough to run like no one is watching? Are you brave enough to dream like no one is watching?

Pressure. Stress. Nerves. These are all completely normal for races, hard workouts, stepping into a new training group, and plenty of other situations. You want to do well, you have goals you’d like to achieve…you don’t want to make a fool of yourself. You won’t want to look like you don’t belong. You don’t want to publicly fail. You don’t want to fall short of your goals in front of everyone else. That last one is the blaring reason so many can be afraid of setting, or stating, their goals in the first place.

Pressure, stress, and nerves are a few of the biggest hurdles in life and in running. Taken to the extreme they are what cause athletes to have to down bottles of Pepto at the starting line and they are the things that cause runners to just ‘choke.’ BUT they are also a good thing, they indicate you care enough to want to do well and that NOT accomplishing what you set out to do matters to you. In order to use this pressure, stress, and nerves to your benefit you have to ask yourself: Where are they coming from?

* Internal: These stressors are coming from you; you are the driving source behind these feelings. You are the one who feels compelled to put yourself out there, do the work, hit certain times, places, and goals.

* External: Outside sources of stress fall into this category; these are your coaches, parents, friends, teammates, random people in the stands, anonymous commenters on some message board.

* Both: Here is the tricky part, it’s easy to get these two interconnected and so woven together even you have a hard time differentiating where this stress and pressure is coming from. You could be placing extra pressure on yourself because you want to do well for your coach; even though they haven’t said a thing you’re assuming it’s there and then it manifests itself. Conversely maybe your coach really did point blank say things to you and place that pressure there. It’s up to you to figure that out.

Stop and think of your running, your personal goals; then find out WHERE any expectations of yourself are coming from. In the end the driving force needs to be from YOU. Running is too grueling a sport to last if you’re doing it for anyone other than yourself.

Even if there is stress and pressure coming in externally it is again up to YOU to manage it or block it out. Managing it means that most likely at some point you’ll have team goals or a healthy amount of expectations placed on you from a coach or someone who matters; that can be a good thing and propel you to push yourself so long as you channel it in the right manner.

Having a coach or teammate tell you that you can run faster than you think allows you to dream big enough that you aim higher. Having an anonymous commenter say that you suck and will burn out is something to ignore, don’t allow those words to trickle into your thoughts and add unnecessary stress for your next race.

It’s hard to battle nerves and anxieties…but running should be a passion and opportunity for you to watch your own hard work pay off. Ultimately, who really cares if someone in the stands does watch you crash and burn if you have a bad race? Running like no one is watching means that you had the courage to set a goal for yourself, work for it, and line up with the intention to go for it. In every race, run, or workout there is the possibility that you’ll achieve your goal for the day, but there is the chance you’ll fall short. There is always another race, workout, run…YOU can be upset if you missed that goal and use it for motivation to do better next time (learn from the experience) but YOU would be the one relishing if you achieved it.

Are you tough enough to run like no one is watching? Are you brave enough to dream like no one is watching?

1) How do you manage any pressure, stress or nerves associated with running, hard workouts or races?

2) How do you balance having just enough of these coming internally and channel them to propel you to do better and achieve certain goals?
I’ve always loved running myself and if anything always my own toughest critic; but was able to turn my ‘stress’ into excitement to run well and step it up when I got to the line. Tough to explain, but I guess I remained confident in myself and remembered previous workouts to indicate that I was capable of achieving such-and-such goal.

3) When it comes to external pressures; what are some instances where you’ve used that to improve your running and performance? What are some cases where it stood in your way?
I’ve had a couple awesome coaches who believed in me and when they told me I could do so-and-so I trusted them enough to then force myself into believing. 🙂

Let’s Get Hyped: 5 Strategies to Talk Yourself Up into the Running Zone

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

Handling pre-race (or pre-hard workouts for that matter!) anxiety and nerves is something every runner deals with. There is always a certain level of pressure regardless of the situation; some pressure is a good thing because it allows us to elevate our game to the necessary level.

There is a swell of emotions all warring inside ourselves regardless of outward appearances; the difference between the runners that you can see this tumult in their faces from those you can’t is how well the athlete is able to channel, compartmentalize, and utilize these feelings to their benefit. All of the nerves, the wanting to do your best, the fear of wondering if you’ll be able to handle the pain, wondering if you’ll beat so-and-so, hoping you hit a certain time, questioning whether you need one more bathroom stop…all of that is normal, but depending on how you handle and cope with everything going on inside your brain translates to how well your body is able to perform.

Running is a mental sport. Here are five tips that I feel work to getting a handle on your brain before a race or hard workout so that you can put them to work, to HELP you step up and be the gamer you want to be:

* Visualization: I did an entire post on this but the power of self-visualization is one that I feel is huge. the thing though, is that it works with practice and something you should be doing before the actual event/workout in order to hone your skills. Start in a quite room and imagine going through the race or workout just as you’d like it to play out; from the last stride of your warm-up to battling through that last interval. Anticipate the pain and practice staying relaxed. Do this enough and begin imagining on your warm-up for the race and workout and then remember how that relaxed feeling felt.

I SWEAR it doesn't hurt that much. 🙂 Just keep telling your legs that.

* Mantras: Many runners have a short phrase or saying that means something to them. It can be anything from ‘I am strong’, ‘Smooth, relaxed, fast’, ‘I am going to kick butt,’ to others like ‘Make it one more step then one more mile’ or ‘Chocolate chocolate chocolate’ chanted in time with your footfalls. The thing is to pick something that resonates with YOU so that when you repeat it to yourself when you’re tired, hurting mid-race, or nervous just before the starting gun. It reminds you of the runner you want to be and that your hard work is FOR something.

* Repetition: Constants feel safe, they are orderly when other things may be feeling out of our control. Having something we know we can rely on because it is always the same works to relax us and give us something even, sane, and logical to focus on. It works as a distraction. Have a warm-up routine including easy running, drills, strides and stretches that you do THE SAME way each and every hard workout and race. Get it honed to the point where your body can go through the motions on auto-pilot; though as you go through each step just focus on the moment, the single drill, the process. Then push any anxiety or jitters out of your mind…stay in the present and let the future take care of itself.

* Talk do your body: This one is a tip to do during the actual workout or race at the point where the hurting starts up. Rather than acknowledge that pain is present and only going to get worse (I mean let’s be honest we all know it will…hehe!) check in with the physical. Remind yourself to relax your jaw, your shoulders, check that your arms are swinging front to back and not across your body, do a form check. Count your strides and make sure you are being efficient there, ensure that your breathing is controlled and even. If you have to, shake out your arms for a quick way to relax any tension built up there. Channel your thoughts to physical things you can control and not the pain.

* Confidence: You might think you can’t force confidence in yourself but hear me out…to get to the starting line or point you are already has taken a lot of hard work. Running isn’t for slackers, so take confidence in your abilities and all you’ve done thus far. Think back to the hard workouts where you fought the pain and won out; remember beastly long runs you never thought you could do and you ran; remind yourself that you’ve done such-and-such workout before and that HAD to hurt a heck of a lot more than whatever you’re about to do. Finally, remember that running isn’t a ‘luck sport’ and that you’ve done all within your power to achieve the goals you set…be confident in yourself and your abilities and then be excited to perform at the level you DESERVE to.

The truth is that every single runner thinks the same sorts of things before a race and yes, even hard workouts. Everyone has doubts at times, nerves, and the same hopes that they do excel and perform well in whatever they are getting ready for. But you have to tune out all that white noise and chatter to zone in to the frame of mind necessary to achieve those things.

1) How do you hype yourself up to the gamer level for races or hard workouts?

2) How do you channel the nerves and use them to your advantage?
I would force the race out of my mind two days out from the event and then only begin to think about it again when I started my warm-up. From there I’d stay in the moment and focus on the routine of things.

3) How do you stay confident in yourself and your abilities?
Remembering other workouts where I was really tough and did well helps me a lot.

Running Motivation and Keeping Perspective: Don’t take your running for granted as it’s not always a ‘given’

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Cait — 27 Comments ↓

It’s really easy to take running for granted. To just expect that it will there waiting for us, that our next run is available at our earliest convenience. We can take advantage of it all we want, get a little miles grubby sometimes, blow it off other times, but no matter how we treat it assume it will come crawling back to us like a pathetic lover.

Getting a little too relaxed with your running relationship...taking it for granted?

Losing perspective is an easy trap to fall into, you get overly confident and secure in your body and its abilities, happens to the best of us. You’re feeling amazing in your workouts, you can no longer vividly recall the hot sting of an injury and being stuck cross-training, and running has turned into a ‘given’ in your mind.

A given. Thinking of it like that can lead to some lulls in motivation as well; naturally there are days where you’re not exactly relishing the thought of lacing up and sweating out the miles. That tempo run isn’t looking so tempting, you’re drained from a long day at the office, you’re wrestling with the urge to just blow off the date you had with running. You think, “Eh, who cares, I know it will take me back and be there waiting next time.”

That’s not true; and any time you need a little perspective on that talk to a runner who is just coming back from an injury. Their zest and zeal, their monstrous craving for any amount of running has reached a pinnacle point and their motivation is just as high.

For a moment, let’s imagine a charted line. An injured runner and their mood, their outlook on getting to run; when they first get the green light to go that line shoots up in a rocket climb. Each day they eagerly anticipate their sweat time and as they are able to run more and more it becomes a little more comfortable, familiar, repetitive. Time goes by and the line gradually evens out, it’s not flat-lining, but it’s leveling off.

Months and miles stack up and this runner’s line maintains normal ups and downs like an EKG; the small spikes and dips are the usual days when you feel great and looking forward to that run, the other days where your legs are tired and you need to force yourself to get out the door and into that first mile.

This is a good, steady state to maintain of course, you don’t want to be constantly injured but there is NOTHING like an injury to give your frame of mind a little kick in the butt. Injuries, when you come back to finally running, are like hitting a little ‘reset’ button in your brain. You promise yourself that you will no long be overly greedy with your miles and workouts, that you will be thankful for each one you can do, cherish them.

But let’s be honest, after the ‘newness’ starts to wear off we all get careless eventually and slip into the little ways we can abuse our running relationship. Not huge offenses always: more instances of motivation lulls, skimping on the stretching or exercises we are supposed to do to keep us healthy, these types of things.

Though when we start to act the snotty high school boyfriend to our meek, running girlfriend we need to check ourselves:

* The next time you’re not looking forward to that grueling track workout…remember the last time you were injured and how you focused on the big running goals you wanted to achieve when you got back. Time on the cross-trainer was made bearable because you imagined that when you could train again you’d put everything you had into it. Remember there is a runner out there currently on a cross-trainer making those same pledges; now that you’re on the other side of the fence, make good on the goals you set for yourself and start that first interval.

* Next time you are not thrilled to be going out for a run, you’ve had a long day…remember there is a runner out there, fresh off an injury excited to be able to just run for 10 minutes. Force yourself to at least match that, more times than not you’ll keep going longer.

* When you are stuck on the cross-trainer…remember there is a runner sidelined and just out of surgery. Stuck in the bed they are anxiously awaiting the green light to do just something.

* The post-surgery runner in surgery…remember that it is a contiguous cycle, you’re at one of the low points but it will climb back up. Now is the time to set your sights on the future, set the goals for yourself on your road to recovery. Of course they need to be smart, baby steps but always have something to focus on ahead of you. Then when you are back and running, looking at that hard workout, remember your time spent setting those goals.

The running cycle…can we cue the Lion King background music here for the circle of *running* life? 😉

Motivation will always be spiking like that EKG chart but don’t let yourself forget that running isn’t always a ‘given’ and it can be taken back a lot faster than you think. Be smart with your training and try to give yourself some ‘imagined’ perspective shifts rather than waiting for a stupid injury to give your brain the ‘reset’ for you.

1) What part of the running cycle are you in right now? Props to everyone at the top…shout it loud and proud!
I’m at the early coming back stages. 🙂

2) What are some offenses you are guilty of in taking your running for granted?
Wow, so many…but I like saying the term miles grubber so I’ll list that one.

3) How do you maintain perspective with your running; balancing smart training decisions and ensuring you get that next run in?

4) Name one thing that helps motivate you to get your run/workout in when you’re in a motivation lull.
Think of how I’ll feel when I’m done.

Running Curiosities: The quest to understand how to get the most from ourselves

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

Running curious. What could that mean? Well, if you’re like me you have had some pretty odd thoughts pop through your brain during all of those miles. But I’ve also seen some pretty crazy, even incredible, sights while running too.

Though running curiosities may not be limited to these two interpretations either; does running not teach us to be curious in wondering what could be? How much can we accomplish? What are we capable of, how far can we reach, how high can we dream? What goals can we achieve and how much can we overcome?

Running is a constant battle of the mind and body, mostly taming the mind or manipulating it in a way to keep going; going one second faster, going one step further, another PR, another mile. Your mind says, “No,” but you have to still encourage the body to “Go.” Go, Dog, Go! 😉

The longer you’re at this mental game the better you become at blocking out the distress signals from your brain; though it’s not always a linear learning curve, there are ups and downs. Like an EKG chart, some days you’re more ‘on’ and there are other days where your whining mind might win out too. That’s okay, we all have weaker moments, we are after all human. Just remember how you feel after those ‘weaker’ days, let down and frustrated, and the next time you feel the urge to give in remind yourself that you will, in fact, regret it later despite what your negative mind is yelling at you in the moment.

There are so many curiosities in running, intangibles that science is constantly trying to define, pinpoint, dissect, discover, and track, all in the effort to give us the answers to our questions. Why do we have days where our legs feel like lead for no apparent reason, why are there days when we feel magical and like we are running inhumanly, effortlessly? What’s the perfect way to taper, the smartest training plan, the perfect runner diet…why, why, why…

That is why all of those running magazines, journals, blogs, websites, and labs are there and why we swallow them up, devouring the information to fuel our training regimen, to further fuel this running addiction. To get the best from ourselves.

Running teaches us to get the best out of our bodies, but also our lives. That self-motivation, tenacity, resiliance spills into reaching and pushing ourselves to do better in other areas. Curious how that works.

1) What are some of the strangest things you’ve experienced on a run, seen, thought about, been a part of, or otherwise?
Have to say you should check out some of the awesome and hilarious things that went on during Britt’s run the other day! 🙂

2) What does running curious mean to you?

3) How does the curiosity to push yourself further translate to personal running goals? To other areas of life?

4) What is a physical curiosity tied to running that has sparked your interest as of late; an article you read about a certain workout, product, food, etc?

A Backwards Plot to Running: Would knowing the outcome sway your decision to start?

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

8:34:23 – She crosses the line, looks up at the clock. Slightly bends forward, hands on knees for just a moment before rising and looking up again, this time to the woman who beat her, then back at the track again.

8:00:02 – Crack. The starter gun goes off.

7:23:46 – She starts off on her warm-up, sweats on. Over the course of the next 45 minutes she’ll slowly strip off the layers until she’s down to just her singlet and racing shoes.

5 Days Earlier – Last tune-up workout. She finishes feeling sharp, confident, shares a laugh with her training partner as they cross through the line on the last interval just as the sunset dips below the stands of the local track. “That’ll do,” yells the coach from the sidelines…the laugh comes because she just muttered under her breath to her teammates, “That’ll do, Pig.” They all got the reference.

17 Day Earlier – It’s colder than usual, her skin pricks a bit as they all start out on their long run. Some of her training buddies, best friends, are wearing long sleeves but she’s only in a tank top…she knows she warms up fast and hates being overly hot.

45 Days Earlier – The rain is coming down hard, it burns her face as she makes a turn straight into the line of fire and she swears there has to be a little hail mixed in there. Blinking like crazy she laughs and thinks, “Only 10 more miles to go!”

53 Days Earlier – Just before shutting out the light she closes her eyes and thinks of a day in the future, not so far away, but one she’s had in the back of her mind for weeks, months, maybe years. She thinks of a time, the one burned in the back of her mind, it’s a time and a title, a finishing place that she envisions. She opens her eyes, looks to the wall on her right and the same time stares back at her, inked in black on a flimsy little post-it. It’s been hanging there for so long it’s lost it’s sticky and is taped to the wall with duct-tape.

I was watching a show last night and it was one of those backwards plot episodes and it got me thinking, “How would a backwards plot play out related to running?” What if we were able to watch our entire race play out but in rewind, we’d watch the finishers all sweaty and panting, some happy others disappointed, some puking, and ourselves mixed in there as well. We’d then see who makes which moves where, who went out too fast; our own moves, our own mistakes or smart moves. Then all of them, and us, at the starting line poised to start.

When you’ve got a certain race, time, title you want, one you’ve been focusing on for so long, I can see where having this ability to look into the future would be a little tempting. To know the outcome before you started, heck, to know the outcome before you even tried, maybe months or years prior. The question then begs to be asked, “If you did know how the race played out, would you even start? Would the end result be the deciding factor on if it was worth it to you to get to the line? Either way, would you sacrifice the journey?”

Some people may instantly say, “Yes,” if they knew they lost or fell short of their goals, maybe to them it wouldn’t be worth it to dump time and energy into the training. Maybe they would think, “Well, all that running and stuff wasn’t really worth it, I never did hit what I set out to do. The smart thing would be to invest that time elsewhere and put it to better use.” I guess I could see their point of view.

Even if you knew you were going to win, to come away with a new PR, would you just want to cut ahead to the finish? Skip all the workouts and runs along the way and just get to the good stuff? I don’t necessarily think you would if you really thought about it; no, I think you’d actually want to live in each and every second, footstep of that race, so you can relish it looking back. It would be reinforcement of all the hard work, sure, and motivation to keep striving going forward, that too. I think skipping all the hard stuff and grueling workouts to get to that point would cheapen those memories a bit too, strip down the meaning behind what you achieved.

I had a person once tell me, “You’re one of those runners who likes the training just as much as the racing, and it kills you every time you have to taper. You do it because you want to race well, but I know it drives you crazy too.” I own up to that, I’m stir crazy if I don’t work off all that energy, and I still love running even though I can’t remember when my last race was.

Every run, the crappy, the awesome, the in-between, the hilariously ridiculous due to elements, the ones you honestly have no idea how you got through because they hurt so bad, and those spent silent alongside someone but the entire time you’ve spoken with them unlike any other are all worth it in my mind. You learn, you meet people, you experience. Even if you knew how each and every workout and run was going to play out, say you were able to ‘see’ which were the ones you would crush and the others you would fall flat on, I’d still do them. Though I wouldn’t really want that magic eight ball eye for the bad ones! 😉

For racing, I think the unknowns keep us going, the quest for our goals. Sure, we fail sometimes, but we have other chances, other goals, no need to just chuck in the towel and call it all a waste. Even if you never hit something, or miss out on that title, time, team victory, the workouts and runs leading up to that point, no doubt you created lasting memories and are things I wouldn’t call a waste.

You also certainly learned about yourself too. Was that a waste?

In the end the journey is worth it too, not just the last second and ending credits. Nope, no backwards plot for this runnerchick.

1) What would a backwards plot running style look like for you, or what would you liken it to? Would it be a different take on the concept that I have?

2) If you could have the power to know the outcomes beforehand, would you take advantage of that or rather not know?

3) Would the outcome sway your decision or motivation to even start?

4) Racing aside, if you knew how every run was going to be or feel, would you decide to just not go out on certain days?