Posts in the Motivation Category at , Page 21

Running Through to the End: The Mental Benefits of Getting Through a ‘Bad’ Workout

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Cait — 18 Comments ↓

Run to your happy place. But honestly the route to that happy place may not always exactly FEEL like you’re running on clouds, does it? Pretty sure my answer to that question between intervals 3 and 9.99 would have been a resounding, “Heck no!” Though finish the cool-down, or the run, and I’m a firm believer that I’ve reached a happier place.

Workouts and runs are interesting because to a certain degree there’s always the ‘surprise’ variable; you can plan your hard and easy schedule but sometimes the legs have the final word in what kind of run it is. For hard workouts the goal is to push yourself, get better, see improvement, and you want to have some extra oomph in those legs.

There are times where your legs feel anything but oomphy and during certain training periods that’s just par for the course: you’re running more volume, more weekly miles can suck some of that spring, but sometimes you know the end result will get you where you want to be and you must gut out those workouts regardless and remember that by the time you’re sharper it’ll be worth it.

There are instances where the smart thing is to adjust the workout if it’s going awry BUT there are times where you need to plow forward not just for the physiological benefit of the workout but for the mental aspect. Someone once told me that the workouts they have been most proud of were not the ones that were their fastest but rather the ones that were going anything but stellar time-wise but they finished them anyways.

Today I got my booty worked over by the workout; I expected it and saw it coming, I’ve done a sparse number of actual harder workouts since my foot injury, I’ve been able to run more and I knew today was hardly going to feel like running on clouds. I knew that it was going to be important that I got through it though, and not just because that’s the only way to get over the ‘hump’ so that eventually the workouts will feel easier as one gets in better shape. Just a much of a factor is callousing the mind.

If the splits aren’t insanely off, you’re not in any injury danger, sometimes you just have to gut through it. Sometimes your mind will seek ‘outs’ and excuses to call it quits; there are instances where that is the smart thing to do but there is no avoiding that running hard hurts and if you cut out early too many times when there really isn’t a reason to then your mind starts to get better and better at talking yourself into ‘quitter mode.’ That’s not a habit you want to get into.

Sometimes you just have those workouts that turn into survival mode and the prime objective is to get through them. If you’re not in any danger of an injury and know in your gut the best thing is the plow onward then use all the positive mental thoughts and tricks and remember that come the end you’ll be proud of yourself for getting the work done. Run off of effort and even if the times aren’t exactly what you would have hoped your body will still get the benefits of a hard effort. Your muscles and cardiovascular systems were still stressed and that effort will pay off.

The main thing I can take away from today is that my foot is still feeling better and there is another run in me tomorrow. I finished that cool-down and you know what…was the journey exactly one where I was smiling the whole time? Hardly, BUT it sure got me to a happy place when I was done…I knew that it would and so I just kept running.

1) How do you handle workouts that aren’t going your way but you know you’re not in any danger of an injury and there isn’t a blaring reason you should stop? How do you talk yourself through gutting through the workout?

2) How do you asses times when you should adjust the workout, stop, or keep going?
Having a third party, like a coach, is often one of the best ways to get this answer. But if you don’t have one, do a body check for signs of injury, and then from there see how ‘off’ the splits are. If they aren’t insanely bad I’m usually one to say muddle through.

3) Running to your happy place…do you tend to have mood swings akin to a pregnant woman regarding how ‘happy’ you are with running: at the onset, mid-intervals, and then upon finishing too? 😉 Hehe. But has there ever been a time where upon finishing you were not in a happier place?

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. 🙂

One of the Biggest Culprits of Lost Time in a Race or Workout? A wandering mind…here’s how to catch it.

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Cait — 21 Comments ↓

If I weren’t attached to my runner legs I’m pretty sure I’d lose them. I take the saying, “I’m the worst with directions” to an entirely new level…I make blondes look like GPS tracking whizzes I’m sure. Today I passed the right turn I should have taken, the one that is less thank 2 miles away from my home and that I’ve taken dozens of times and wound up a tad lost or turned around.

Step to the line a gamer and STAY that way during the actual race too. 😉

It got me thinking though, do you know what one of the biggest culprits for lost time in races or when running workouts is? The case of the lost mind. It happens to all of us no matter how awesome you are with directions and it happens on the track all the time even though I’ll guarantee all of those runners know to turn left and keep running straight ahead.

What does a case of lost head look and feel like?

* Wandering Mind: You’re in the middle of your workout or race, say miles 2-5 of a 10k…the adrenaline and excitement of the first mile has worn off, you’re not quite close enough to the finish to ‘taste it’ and you’re stuck in the middle. Here is where your mind can JUMP on the opportunity to shut down, meander away from you and get lost. Your thoughts drift to random things, maybe even blank nothingness, but wherever it is it certainly isn’t at the task at hand. If you’re noticing that someone is wearing your favorite shirt on the sidelines and ignoring the fact that your form has turned to the Hunchback of Notre Dame, you’ve lost your mind.

* This hurts, I want an ‘out’: Naturally we all think of this but we have to ‘tame’ our mind to forget this and distract it; usually we focus on what we can control (breathing, form, stride, etc.) or look at the person ahead of us to distract ourselves from the hurt. If you get stuck in the endless loop of: 1) Why am I doing this? 2) I’m not even half-way there yet, how will I ever make it? 3) Today’s just not my day, I’ll just give up, who cares? You’re focusing TOO much on the pain and trying to come up with an ‘out’ for yourself. Be honest here, are you looking for an excuse or do you actually have a legitimate reason to stop?

Catch it! The sooner you catch your brain and wrestle it back from La-la-la Land the less time you’ve lost from your race and your workout. But if you wait to long, by the time you check-back in you could have only 100 meters left in the race, and really who can’t run fast for the last 100 meters? By that point you could have needlessly lost a PR or the place you hoped to run.

What SHOULD you be thinking during a race or workout?

* How is my form? Do a form-check.
* How is my breathing? Breathe from your deep belly, not shallowly from your chests, and keep it controlled and smooth.
* Where am I going? Look straight ahead, if it’s on the roads look for the tangents to run, actively be seeking and looking to the horizon. It may sound ‘dumb’ but never loose sight of where you want to go. This go tri-fold if you’re climbing a hill…look high to the crest and lock your eyes on that point.
* Who is ahead of me? Key in on who is in front of you, work on ‘picking people off’ or not letting a gap open up between you and the competition.

Zoning out and letting your mind wander are two different things. Zoning out is when you’re focused on one of the ‘good distractions’ just mentioned, you’re still present in the moment and ‘working’ the race.

Getting lost in life is annoying and a wast of time…getting lost during a race or workout is also a waste of time but you’re also jyping yourself. You’re there, the course is marked, don’t visit La-la-la Land. 😉

1) A wandering mind on an easy run isn’t necessarily a bad thing, here is where randomness helps break up the repetition and can work as a great way to stay consistent and GET the run in. Does your mind tend to wander a lot on easy runs?

2) How do you keep yourself from checking-out during a race or hard workout? Do you have a trick to catch yourself and pull your mind back to present?
I usually do a form check.

3) To battle the ‘cop-out’ and actively look for an excuse to toss in the towel for the day, how do you handle that?
I assess if I actually have an injury that would warrant a stop; if not then I remind myself how I’d feel in a few hours if I quit…probably not too happy with myself.

4) Anyone racing tomorrow? I know it’s been a big weekend for races, some have happened other are tomorrow! Good luck to those yet to race and if you already have, brag on yourself. 😉

No-Man’s Land – 5 Tips to Surviving the Runner’s Island of Desolation

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

Runners in lane one! I really wish there could just be a little track gnome with a megaphone who could shout this to clear out lane one from walkers and joggers so that any runners attempting to do speed-work wouldn’t have to try to dodge them, weaving in and out looking like some fellows who belong in the drunk tank. 😉

Sharing the pacing duties takes off a big mental burden.

Alas, alas, not everyone is as schooled at track etiquette as us, right? Today I’m riding a nice endorphin high thanks to getting out to the track myself. The track was loaded with people, which is how all tracks should be, running IS the best past-time after all. My friends head a local track group and it looked like there was a soccer camp going on in the middle of the field and the kiddies then bopped on over to the lanes as well.

I was just doing my own thing today and it did make me ache for a workout budding to help share pacing duties, not going to lie. I think that ache turned into more of a burning desire come those last ones! As any runner can attest having someone or a team for hard workouts make them infinitely *easier*. Well, that is unless you happen to be the one doing all the work.

Having the liberty of sitting behind your training partner, letting them worry about the splits and just keying in on their back takes off a big mental burden and for the most part you all end up clicking off times that are faster than if you were going solo but the effort felt the same, if not less. This goes triple time if there is some wind, tuck in and draft, baby, draft! 😉

Same thing applies in races, the best spot to be is right behind someone so you can ‘use’ them, save your mental energy and then when you feel strong enough blow on by them and then ‘use’ someone else. But you know the worst spot to be in a race, or workout for that matter? Trapped in No-Man’s Land, that empty space between groups or people is like the chasm that opens up on the track and swallows runners up whole. If you’re lucky the black hole island spits you back out, but sometimes you’re stuck there until the finish line.

Feeling tired and alone? Don't give up yet! 🙂

Sometimes you can’t avoid falling into No-Man’s Land, sometimes it’s a small field and no one is around your pace. But even so, there are a few ways to improve your chances of surviving No-Man’s Land, even getting out of it, but it takes some work and a portion of that is mental.

* Admit you have a problem. The first step is always being honest with yourself, right? 😉 That said, the moment you realize that you’ve fallen off the group ahead of you, looking back you don’t see anyone approaching, try to catch the No-Man’s Land trap as soon as possible. If you sense this early enough do all you can to cling on to that group ahead of you and hold on for dear life.

* Don’t beat yourself up. It aint gonna happen? So you’ve been dropped by the group despite your best efforts, that’s okay you can still key off of them. Do your best to keep the gap minimized, but DON’T start the negative self-talk or beating yourself up…if you throw the pity party too early chances are you’ll give up, slow down more, and then the race is basically over. Shake out your arms, relax, do a form check and just keep your eyes locked straight ahead, search for a body up ahead and don’t let the body leave your sight.

* Surge. This may sound crazy because chances are you feel tired, but doing a quick surge and gear-shift can work as a little ‘reset’ button. Going into a different speed will tap into your faster twitch muscles, thus using a different muscle group that isn’t as tired; when you settle back into your pace it may feel easier and you’ll feel a bit recharged.

* Use the catching pack. Sometimes the group from behind catches up to you: USE THEM. Stay positive and use their presence as a positive (not a negative by telling yourself how slow you’re going that they caught you) by letting them do the work. Let any ego go, tuck in, and allow them to do the work and pull you along. If you do this you may come to the point where you feel better and are able to blast past this group.

* Mindset. Worst case is you are left along in your No-Man’s Land island for the rest of the race or workout, it happens. Here is where your mindset and outlook is key. Assess the situation; if you know your legs just haven’t shown up for the day then remind yourself that goal times/paces could be out the window and if this is the case stop looking at the splits and times because they will only stress you out more and depress you. Instead, turn the race into a chance to work on other things: stay relaxed, keep your breathing controlled, focus on your form, and try to get the most out of the given day. If it’s not the legs and you physically feel good then again, focus on the tangibles: form, breathing, stride, running smooth. Use mental tactics, like mantras, to keep going and remind yourself that regardless of if you are alone or not, running is usually a race against yourself and the clock. Stay positive.

Hopefully these suggestions can help you slug through a race or workout if you’re solo or stuck in No-Man’s Land…even better I hope that some tips can actually help pry you out of that nasty solo island! 🙂

1) On your last race or workout were you alone for all, most, or some of it? How did you handle that?

2) Have you been stuck in No-Man’s Land recently, if so what did you do to still get the most from the race/workout, and were you able to get out of it?

3) What’s one of your biggest pet-peeves when it comes to people ignoring track etiquette?
Not to sound runner elitist, but I’m sorry, please stay out of lane one and don’t walk in a chain extending to lane three or four if you’re walking or jogging. 😛

Booty-Lock: The Runner’s Struggle Against Fire on the Butt

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Cait — 10 Comments ↓

Run like your butt is on fire…

Surely it FEELS like your butt is on fire at times, no? Nothing like the booty-lock shuffle induced from going out at a pace you probably shouldn’t have. Payback for making that pacing mishap can turn downright ugly come the later stages of the race or workout.

But fire on the bum isn’t solely reserved for the pacing blunderers, no, I doubt you could find any 400 meter runner who is able to escape it on the final sprint for home. Sprinters aren’t the only ones, and us distance runners aren’t immune…the tough this is that when our booty-lock sets in we usually have to stick it out for longer than a few hundred meters. 😉

So today’s post is a little mix-up mash-up of sorts in tribute to fire on the butt and booty-lock. The first picture set the stage…and then we move to the next one:

See, booty-lock IS worth it when it means a PR. Remind yourself that as you’re battling the booty-lock shuffle en-route to the finish line…just get there in one piece and you’ll get your reward.

Fire on the butt for training: Plyometrics are awesome for that and doing them, intentionally setting those fast-twitch muscle fibers alight will see you reaping rewards in the speed and power department. Even distance runners shouldn’t shirk away for ‘sprinter’ stuff…if you want to get faster you have to train to get faster, no?

The booty debate? I think across the board runners take the cake both literally and figuratively when it comes to having the best legs. Maybe I’m partial, but I know I’m proud of my legs not just because they are muscular but also for what the DO for me. I know sprinters tend to be blessed with a little more caboose, but distance runners aren’t too shabby of a backside view either, what say you?

In the end it’s worth dealing with the fire in the quads, butt, and even arms alike in the quest for getting the best from ourselves. But envisioning actual flames off our tush, well that’s just for some haha’s and hopefully a fun distraction and motivation for you the next time you’re waging the war on booty-lock. 😉

1) Let’s have some awesome booty-lock stories…what’s been a time where you were doing the shuffle for home? Was it because of bad pacing or it was just par for the course and racing hard? Was there a happy ending?
A time that stands out in my mind was a tempo I was running on the track, I felt good early on and stupidly dropped the pace too drastically for the second and third miles…enter fire on the bum and all over those last two miles. 😛

2) Favorite booty or bum exercises that you do? Which are you a fan of and how often do you do leg/butt strength type work?

3) Weight in on the booty debate, what is your favorite body part thanks to running, is it your legs, butt, or something else?

Blinded By the Light: Visions on the run

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

We have five senses. We can see the track as it veers left and stretches out before us. We can feel the rush of the wind as we cut through it in running stride. We can hear whatever noise that surrounds us, be it crowds cheering, traffic horns blaring or nothing but the whoosh of that wind. Our noses can also smell whatever happens to waft our way. Finally, we can taste the air as we deeply inhale what our lungs and muscles crave and we can actually taste the proof of our exertion, the sweat.

Sight, let’s focus on that one. There was a solar eclipse and for a moment, at the time when the sun shone unbelievebaly bright we are told to always look away or risk blindness. But let’s be honest, when we are told something is a definite no-no we HAVE to of course do it and look at this beautiful image that is such a taboo.

With running sight is a funny thing. There are runs where the entire time we’re struck by oddities that catch out attention on the route: things people do, things you catch them doing when they think no one else is looking…isn’t it great how a lone runner can become invisible to the world, the fly on the wall that can catch them in the moments they think they have all to themselves?

There are runs where I’ve been so wrapped up in other things that I’ve gone through the entire thing, gotten home, am taking a shower and honestly question how in the world I got out the door through the entire thing and back without any real memory of the events of the run. I was completely running on auto-pilot and my body knew the route all on its own, making each turn on muscle memory.

Other times vision is a distraction. There have been training partners in the past where I could close my eyes and paint a picture of their backs, about shoulder level, right where my eyes lock in during workouts and the entire time all I focus on is that tiny freckle between their shoulder blades and NOT letting a gap develop between me and that freckle.

I’ve done tempo runs on the treadmill and of course I HAVE to have something on the TV to distract me, but as the tempo progresses I’m paying less and less attention to the actual show but conversely I’m staring harder and harder at the screen. As I finish the tempo I have no idea what’s happening plot-wise but an outside observer would think I was completely engrossed in it…actually I’m just trying to NOT look down at the little screen closer to me, the one that really holds my interest but I can’t look at it. Because if I look at the treadmill’s screen I may risk something worse than just blindness, I could risk a chink in the mental bridge I’m trying to build to block out the pain. The fortress protecting me from myself, my own mind that would then tell me to stop.

Don't look at the sun, it may blind you! 😉

Vision for a runner is interesting and seems to be solely dependant on the given day, the run, and what you want to accomplish. But you have to appreciate all of them in their given form, as a completely open people-watching addict it is awesome when you stride upon pure gold and catch sight of something you really weren’t meant to see.

Long trail runs could imprint images that you remember for the rest of your life and seem to be far more breathtakingly stunning because you are running. For the moments and races where you actually don’t see anything but a blur or the freckle of the runner in front of you, sometimes those non-images are the most beautiful but only because of what happens after you cross the finish line.

1) On your last run, what did you see? Was it an auto-pilot run, did you catch something hilarious, discover a new trail, or were you staring at a freckle?

2) Pick one of the other senses and can you call up a particularly interesting memory tied to is?
When I was in high school the throw coach would usually set up a BBQ and start grilling up sausages and any other slabs of meat he could find to reward his shot-putters and discus chuckers. Now, because the 3200 was always run at the very end of the meet when all of his athletes were done, by the time I had my 8 laps to do the BBQ was in a roaring, smoking, meat-fest state. The smoke and smell of sausage and cooking flesh would be wafting full force right at the first turn and it would make my nose and stomach churn! Hehe. But I couldn’t hold it against my throws coach because he was just too awesome of a guy. 😉

3) If someone tells you that you can’t do something do you then have to do it? This actually can work as the perfect motivator if someone tells you that you can’t actually achieve a particular goal.

The Fascination of Mental Toughness: When we pass the point of running and into training it’s the mental aspect that really comes into play

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Cait — 8 Comments ↓

Getting back into running after any kind of break is rough sailing. Be it out of injury, post-season recovery, yes, even some are afflicted by the lazy monster, can we get a collective, “Ouch” from the crowd? That said, battle through those first couple weeks and then soak in the awe of muscle memory.

Bent over and panting...have you seen this scene before?? 😉

Runners, once you’ve been at this long enough, have pretty much conditioned our legs to bend to our will. The quads, hamstrings, calf muscles, core, and even those biceps alike, know the motions thanks to the hours of repetition; they can to a degree function on auto-pilot. So we suck it up those first few awkward runs, try to not look at the pace and cringe too much, and eventually slip into a more reasonable state of shape.

Getting to our own ‘casual’ running pace doesn’t take too long but then, as with any other runner out there who wants to race or test themselves, the work is as hard as heck. Training involves the intervals, tempos, repeats and pain. Training involves the mind games; the pendulum between good days and the days when you feel like utter crap are more extreme and the exertion level is felt to a higher degree. Training is far more uncomfortable.

I tend to talk a lot about the mental games, the importance of tenacity; tips and tricks about how to get through tough workouts, talking yourself into a gamer state of mind, how to NOT let your mind hold you back from achieving what you want out of your body. I think the reason I do is that the topic on the whole fascinates me; it isn’t something you can quantify, gauge it like you can a certain pace, there is no formula, you can’t tell by looking at a person or by doing any number of scientific tests just HOW mentally tough a runner is and where they fall on some kind of grit spectrum.

We look to examples of harriers that exude grit and toughness; their pained expressions, their ability to race outside of anything their workouts would predict. Some pass out after they cross the line, others are acknowledged by their own competitors as bada** racers, “They are tougher than anyone I’ve ever seen or raced.”

I, just as other athletes and runners, tend to soak up quotes, advice, stories of epic races and duels, surrounding the topic of mental grit because it is so mysterious. Just as others I’ve finished plenty of races and workouts and wondered, “Did I give everything I had? Was there even a fraction of a second where I may have given in, eased up just a bit to the pain?” Because it’s one thing to feel like you were beaten by your body on a certain day, sometimes it is just not in the legs for whatever reason. But it seems to sting a heck of a lot more to be beaten by the mind. THAT seems to be the worst.

Yet when you know you’ve definitely won the battle of the mind THAT seems to be especially gratifying and even to a degree more admired than the actual time or outcome of the race. Odd how there have been races where the runner who gets the most buzz and acclaim, who we seem to admire the most that day, was the person who had the most guts rather than the actual winner.

No matter what point you are with your running, no matter how many years you’ve been at it, the level you race at, if you even race at all…when you crest the point of ‘comfortable’ running and into ‘training’ running we are all in the same boat. Exertion is exertion. Tons of factors come into determining the paces, times, and titles but we are all uncomfortable together. Thus we ALL gravitates to one variable that is a common place we can improve upon, the variable that fascinates and mystifies us all: mental toughness.

That’s the one that can leave us questioning ourselves almost the most, “Did I get the most out of myself today or was there a point where it was my mind holding me back?”

1) What point are you at with your running; are you running just to run or training? Both are fulfilling in different ways and neither one is necessarily better or worse here.

2) Are you particularly interested in the mental aspect of running? What about it do you think piques your interest the most?
I love hearing recounts of runners telling me about their toughest races or workouts; I could hear ‘beastly’ moments and workout feats from people all day long. 🙂

3) Would you like to share one of your own beastly workout or race stories??

“I’m Better Than You” — Being confident in yourself doesn’t mean you have to be an ego-maniac

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

Running takes confidence. Running also builds confidence. Yet at the same time confidence is a tricky thing and something many of us struggle with. Reaching for our goals and accomplishing great things demands that we confident in our abilities yet at the same time society tells us to not be overtly or overly confident. The latter examples are what we then coin ego-maniacs, these are the people we joke about having heads too big for their britches and they take up a whole room between their bodies and their egos.

I will beat you. 😛

So we grow up with mixed signals about what is enough confidence and what is too much; usually it comes down to thinking highly of yourself but never actually voicing that you do. To put it out there means you are bragging and nobody like a bragger. What to do what to do?

Sports and running promote self-esteem because you can quantify the progress you make; hard work and perseverance lead to improvement and reinforces that work ethic. Yet, it’s not uncommon for runners to be afraid that they don’t measure up; doubting themselves as well as wondering what in the world they are doing thinking they can actually DO such-and-such. These are normal feelings and everyone has them to a certain degree at times, but get stuck in that circular, negative thought pattern and you wind up stuck.

To practice and promote a little self-confidence I thought we could play a fun little game. I’m going to call it Find Your Inner Rapper. Generalizing I may be, but I tend to think rappers are often pretty confident in themselves. I’m going to call myself Rev Runna CC…now pick your own name and let’s roll out.

* I want to to beat you. Pick a phrase that would be something you’d say at the staring line of a race, a workout, or even just going out for a run. Examples: I’m going to break 21 minutes in the 5k. I will not give up on this workout. I’m not going to let this dude next to me pass me. I’d like to go at least 30 minutes without walking for this run.

* Ditch the clutter. Check that phrase you came up with and cut out any of the following: like to, give up, I’m not, want to. Basically you want to pare out any unnecessary adjectives or verbs that aren’t calling immediate action…your phrase should be as short and to the point as can be. Why? Here’s a change to some of examples above: I will beat you. I will break 21 minutes. I will crush this workout. I’m better than him. (ie: guy next to you) I won’t walk. See the differences here? They all call action but they ALSO are all positive, reinforcing words. Even saying “I will not give up” includes the option of giving up and has you thinking it…ditch it.

* Crime and punishment. Rappers are not all thugs but for our game the rest of it goes that you mess with some of the ‘rules’ of society. Have fun out there, represent. (How many stereotypes can I cram in here and pretend I’m hard core??)

Remember folks, society may call it a faux pas, but it’s not a crime to see a runner on the street and think to yourself, “I could totally whoop on him.”

It aint a crime to warm-up with a friend, wish them luck on the starting line but when the gun goes off treat them as any other competitor and run your best. Just so long as regardless of outcome you wish them well and then cool-down together.

It’s not a moral offense when asked what time you want to run and not stumble, stutter, pause, or include the words: might, we’ll see if, I doubt I can but, probably won’t but we’ll see if. Let’s be short, to the point, and call on those action phrases.

It’s more than okay to blast your pump-up music and sing horribly off-key; even if there are profanities. I’ve found some explicit lyrics are at times called for to properly get your gamer face on.

Don’t feel bad if you find yourself smirking and filled with pride when you drop the sucker behind your panting like mad. You’re faster than him and you know it.

The bottom line is: THOUGHTS are not a crime. You can’t be penalized for thinking something even if it’s the most egotistical thought in the world. In fact, get a little cozy with some of those phrases and build up your runner self-esteem. You don’t need to say them to be fierce…just act on them.

Word out yo.

1) What’s your runner rapper name?

2) What ego building phrase did you come up with?

3) What crimes did you partake in? Others not listed are begging to be shared!

4) What thoughts do you promise to not feel guilty about all in the sake of boosting your running ego and drive to improve your performances?

5) Am I dork for this game?
A resounding yes from the crowd, please.

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.