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Jul
11
To the Pain
Filed Under Running, Training | Leave a Comment
Distance running is largely about learning how to manage pain. There are many runners who are physically fit but lack the mental toughness it takes to be great. These runners will never quite reach their potential.
Part of training is building muscles and stamina, but an equally important part is building mental toughness. Mental toughness will allow you to train harder and to race faster. Here are some questions to determine how mentally tough you are:
Do you always have enough energy left at the end of the race for a really strong kick–stronger than those around you? It could be that you will always have enough energy to do a fast sprint at the end. However, I believe that if you normally have that much energy, you could probably run faster for the rest of the race and get a better overall time. I certainly believe this is the case if you are always passing people at the end of the race. If this happens, try a different strategy. Go out a bit faster and pass people at the beginning. Find someone who is normally faster than you and stick with them. You may surprise yourself. If you have a weak kick at the end, at least you know you’ve left it all on the course.
When you go running on your own, do you find yourself running more or less than the goal you set out with? Running on your own can be mentally demanding. There is no one to distract you. There is no one with whom you can compete–only yourself. Usually you’ll have a goal of how long or far you want to run. Meet that goal! If you can, go a little further. Sometimes I will force myself to run a certain distance by heading in a straight line away from my house and not turning around until I’ve completed half of my goal. If I’m tired on the way back, I have to learn to face my doubts and negative thoughts and go all the way, after all, there is no short cut.
Have you developed ways to eliminate negative thoughts? Many runners allow negative thoughts to destroy them. This is evident when a “good” runner has a terrible race. A truly good runner can run well even when he or she doesn’t feel well. One way I maintain positive thoughts is by singing positive songs in my mind. Another good way I’ve maintained positive thoughts is by designating points on the course that are mine. For instance, for one race I found a turn out of which I decided I would accelerate. During the race, we hit that point and since I knew it was my turn, I gained an advantage over my opponent. A final way to find positive thoughts is to watch inspirational movies. Two that I recommend are Gattica and Rudy, but try to find your own.
Do you slow down when someone passes you? One strategy I use during races is to speed up when I’m passing. It can really destroy the mind of your opponent. But don’t get on the wrong side of that tactic! Know your strategy and stick to it. If someone passes you unexpectedly, either speed up or maintain your speed, but don’t slow down.
Do you find yourself looking back at the end of a race? Believe me, I’ve looked back and I know exactly what it means: “I don’t want to go any faster and I won’t go any faster unless someone is going to pass me.” Boston knew what they were talking about–don’t look back! Leave everything on the course. Don’t be lazy. Go as fast as you can so that the person that might be behind you gives up.
The Tour de France is in full swing. Michael Barry, a professional cyclist, wrote in a New York Times piece that:
Everybody in the Tour de France will suffer; the winner will probably be the one who is prepared to suffer the most.
The same is true for distance racing. Don’t think that it’s just a runner’s stamina that got him/her first place; it was also his/her mind.
Jul
6
The Importance of Stretching
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
One rookie mistake that many runners make is not stretching. Stretching is a fundamental part of running. You should stretch before and after every run. Not only does stretching feel good, it makes you less susceptible to injury, have a wider range of motion, and reduces soreness after hard workouts.
- To stretch more successfully, go on a 5-10 minute easy warm up. This causes the muscles to literally warm up, making them easier to stretch.
- When you stretch, you should go to the furthest that you can without overextending the muscle. Hold that position for 20-60 seconds.
- Stretch both sides of the body the same amount, not doing so can hurt your form and cause injuries that you are trying to prevent.
- Do NOT bounce when stretching. This often causes overextending of the muscle and can cause injury.
If you currently have poor flexibility, don’t worry! Adding stretches to your running routine makes you a more flexible person over time.
Stretching after your workout is another important thing to do. After a workout your muscles are warmest. They will take the stretches easier and it will feel great! Post-workout stretching reduces soreness later.
Add stretching to your routine. Some great stretches for runners can be found on this webpage.
Stretch you Curious Runners.
Jul
1
Nick Symmonds Qualifies for Beijing
Filed Under News, Quote, Running, Spotlight Runner | Leave a Comment
Nick Symmonds shot past competition to take first in the 2008 Olympic Track & Field Trials at Eugene,
Oregon. Symmonds ran the 800 in a time of 1:44.10, the second fastest 800 time ever run in the United States.
“It’s one thing to say that I have the potential to do it. It’s another thing to do it on the night everyone else is trying to.”
-Nick Symmonds
Something I admire about Nick is that he knows you cannot truly win unless you have to compete. I have known many runners who win races but do not run their hardest. They don’t set personal bests, they don’t feel tired after the race, but they get first place and are satisfied.
Run your hardest every race, don’t settle for what you know you can do. Remain curious.
Jun
27
The Running Shoe For You
Filed Under Gear | Leave a Comment
Finding the right shoes can help you immensely when you run. Running shoes without the right amount of support can hurt your feet and legs. I found an awesome in-depth article about running shoes: Finding the Right Running Shoes.
The article explains where to get shoes, what kind of shoes to get, and how your shoes affect you. A point of the article that needs to be repeated is go to a specialty running store. Store clerks at specialty running shops most often are runners themselves, and know exactly what you need. Answer their questions honestly and you will get the shoe perfect for you.
My favorite place to shop for shoes in my area (Boise, Idaho) is Bandanna Running and Walking. Everybody in the store is friendly and knows a lot about running. They allow me to take a test run of any shoes I try on. Bandanna even gives discounts if you run for your high school.
Find a shop in your area that you feel welcome and the people know what they are doing. You might meet a new person to run with, or hear about races you would normally not hear about, but most importantly you will get a good pair of shoes.
Jun
23
Running is Mental
Filed Under Quote, Running, Training | Leave a Comment
Using mental power in a race can be an excellent way to cripple the competition, but when you allow yourself to be crippled by other people you will lose. I have found many ways to use my mind in races and practices to help me reach my potential. I hope these will work for you:
- Plan your race ahead of time. Planning your race out in your head (even better on paper!) is a helpful way to keep you on track. Knowing when to speed up and when to attack makes it so that you can focus on form and breathing. Having a race plan also gives you confidence in what you do during the race.
- Tell yourself that you can do it. When you tell yourself that you are not tired and can speed up, then you are more likely to speed up. Focusing on the negative things means you are not focused on the important things. If you find yourself thinking negatively, snap yourself back on track! Relax and set your mind on breathing and form. Breathing and form are the best things to focus on during a race because they help you stay calm and help you run more efficiently.
- Bargain with yourself. Tell yourself that when you get to that certain turn or rock or tree that you will give yourself a break. Split your race up into sections and tell yourself what you will do during the next section. During a 5k your might say “I have 2 more miles to go. I can run a mile really fast, so I will run this next mile hard and see how it goes.” Giving deals to yourself will help you push your body.
- Focus! Keeping your mind on the task at hand is the most important thing you can do as an athlete. Do not let your mind wander, and when you catch yourself wandering away from the race, slap your mind into shape! Focus not only on your breathing and form, but on your pace and your place in the race. If you have goals set, which I highly recommend, think of those goals and push yourself to meet and break them.
These tips should be used at your practices as well as races. You would not race without practicing your running, do not go into a race without mentally exercising too.
“Once you’re beat mentally, you might as well not even go to the starting line.”
- Todd Williams
This quote is very much true. Any racer who does not have the will to win, will not win.
Go give yourself a mental sweat.
Jun
19
The Ballistic Finish
Filed Under Running, Training | Leave a Comment
My first 5k (3.1 mile) race was a huge success. I blame my success on my inexperience in racing. When I started the race I was behind most of my team. Questions popped into my head: “Am I going fast enough? Do I need to slow down? How far have I gone?” That is when I remembered advice given to me before the race by one of my brothers, “Start hard and set a quick pace. If you think that you can go faster then do it.”
This advice resulted in me starting hard and setting a quick pace. I had hit the one mile mark when I thought I had done only a half mile! Hitting that mark early made me think that I could go faster, and faster. Which I did. Increasing my speed throughout the race helped me achieve my race goal. When I started passing people near the end it helped me remain curious of my running potential.
My school’s coach has always told the cross country team to “Go ballistic at the finish.” Some runners think this means ‘when you can see the finish line, start sprinting.’ Personally, I believe it means during the last third of a race pick it up.
Finishing the last third of the race fastest, while all of your competators slow down, helps you to feel faster. Feeling faster helps you go faster. The end of the race is the most important part, and if you run it well you will feel great.
The article Finish Strong in Every Race from Runner’s World lays out a helpful training routine so that you can dig deep at the end of the race.
Explode and go ballistic before you see the finish line! Push yourself and remain curious of what you can do in the last third of the race.
Jun
13
The Runner’s High
Filed Under News, Quote, Running | Leave a Comment
Most distance runners have felt the awesome feeling of euphoria after a hard workout. This feeling has been aptly named ‘the runner’s high’. This New York Times article tells about the science behind the feeling.
In the article it says that endorphins, pain suppressing chemicals released by the brain and spinal cord, are attaching themselves to the emotion affecting parts of the brain. This causes mood change and is responsible for the ‘high’ you get after running.
According to another follow-up study, runners have a higher pain tolerance than non-athletes. This is supposedly because of the release of endorphins.
Many people run to keep a clear mind, and I can attest to this. Running will make you a happier and less stressed person.
“Running is one the best solutions to a clear mind.”
- Sasha Azevedo
To all of you curious runners, go get high on running
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About
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This is where I write about running, training, races, and anything else running related. Because I run for Mountain View High School I may write about my team and opposing teams in the Treasure Valley. Everything written in this blog is my personal opinion and does not reflect the views of my coaches, my teammates, or my school.