18 Replies to “Running Through to the End: The Mental Benefits of Getting Through a ‘Bad’ Workout”
I definitely relate to being more proud of workouts that were hard and horrible (really, that is the only way to describe some of them!) than those that were easy. I love the easy ones where everything just flows, but it’s when I can get through the tough ones that I really feel I did something worthwhile.
yes, you never can be sure when you will be in your zone. Sometimes you just don’t have it, even when you think you should, and you dont’ understand why your body reacts, or doesnt’ react. Sometimes your the windshield, sometimes your the bug, but run enough, and you’re gonna go splat. And there’s character building in running through them for sure. Thanks, great post. You just keep churning them out.
I am trying to think if there was ever a time I ran and didn’t end up in my happy place. I know I have done other workouts and ended up in a not so happy place for different reasons. As long as I am not injured or at risk of injury I just keep pushing ahead until I am done with the planned owrkout happy place or not because I know I will feel the happiness at some point of the day.
ohh 800’s. Why do you make me feel like this 😉 This is why I love doing harder workouts with other people. It gives you the kick up the bum you need to keep going. And if I look really terrible/ in pain quite often people will tell me to stop, which kinda gives me “permission” not to finish lol. But yeah generally if I know I’m not feeling it and keep going I will feel better at the end!!
I don’t have quite enough experience, yet, to know when to call it quits and when to push through, so I usually always push through. My biggest problem is that a lot of times I can’t redirect my thoughts or adjust “on the run” and, in stead, have to physically stop to regroup, which typically isn’t the point of the workout (ie stopping beyond any breaks allotted if there are breaks). I don’t know how I’ll ever do a 4 to 5 mile tempo. I don’t think I’ve ever done one continuously in my 3 years running…
Oh well! Just not my thing, but I would like to just be able to do them, like a normal person!
And, I have gotten better since my injury at stopping with injury pain. I would stop then. I’ve been committed to calling it quits when trying a few workouts coming back from my injury if something did pop up.
hey, running is a continued learning curve for all of us!! keep on working those tempo runs, and be sure not to get overly intimidated by them, sometimes we build workouts up so much in our mind that we create a beastly mental hurdle. try next time just telling urself u WILL get to four miles…just be sure not to go out too fast. 🙂
I definitely relate to being more proud of workouts that were hard and horrible (really, that is the only way to describe some of them!) than those that were easy. I love the easy ones where everything just flows, but it’s when I can get through the tough ones that I really feel I did something worthwhile.
haha…yea, sometimes i feel i need to come up with a whole new word for some of those really bad workouts…but i survived. 😉
yes, you never can be sure when you will be in your zone. Sometimes you just don’t have it, even when you think you should, and you dont’ understand why your body reacts, or doesnt’ react. Sometimes your the windshield, sometimes your the bug, but run enough, and you’re gonna go splat. And there’s character building in running through them for sure. Thanks, great post. You just keep churning them out.
haha…i do wat i can. 😉 here’s to trying to be the windshield as much as we can!
I am trying to think if there was ever a time I ran and didn’t end up in my happy place. I know I have done other workouts and ended up in a not so happy place for different reasons. As long as I am not injured or at risk of injury I just keep pushing ahead until I am done with the planned owrkout happy place or not because I know I will feel the happiness at some point of the day.
amen sister!
ohh 800’s. Why do you make me feel like this 😉 This is why I love doing harder workouts with other people. It gives you the kick up the bum you need to keep going. And if I look really terrible/ in pain quite often people will tell me to stop, which kinda gives me “permission” not to finish lol. But yeah generally if I know I’m not feeling it and keep going I will feel better at the end!!
i’m with u, having other people makes those hard repeats WAY better in every possible way. 🙂
I don’t have quite enough experience, yet, to know when to call it quits and when to push through, so I usually always push through. My biggest problem is that a lot of times I can’t redirect my thoughts or adjust “on the run” and, in stead, have to physically stop to regroup, which typically isn’t the point of the workout (ie stopping beyond any breaks allotted if there are breaks). I don’t know how I’ll ever do a 4 to 5 mile tempo. I don’t think I’ve ever done one continuously in my 3 years running…
Oh well! Just not my thing, but I would like to just be able to do them, like a normal person!
And, I have gotten better since my injury at stopping with injury pain. I would stop then. I’ve been committed to calling it quits when trying a few workouts coming back from my injury if something did pop up.
hey, running is a continued learning curve for all of us!! keep on working those tempo runs, and be sure not to get overly intimidated by them, sometimes we build workouts up so much in our mind that we create a beastly mental hurdle. try next time just telling urself u WILL get to four miles…just be sure not to go out too fast. 🙂
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