Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Advice to my new-runner self

Linking up with MarciaPatti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.
The prompt for this week's Tuesday's on the Run topic is: "If I only knew then... What advice would you give your new-runner self?"

Oh my goodness.
Let's knock out some of the glaring advice. 
  • From a physical standpoint, I'd tell myself to get properly fitted for running shoes, stretch/foam roll regularly, and strength-train my hips/core like my running life depended on it (which it does). 
  • From a mental standpoint, I'd tell myself to avoid the comparison game, go at my own pace, and be proud of what I CAN do as opposed to dwelling on what I CAN'T do. Admittedly, I still struggle with these suggestions to this day.
In retrospect, these all sound really obvious. So let's talk about some advice I'd give myself which feels less obvious to me.

Run slower to run faster. 
I wrote about this in more detail here. This practice has made me scratch my head several times. In training I still have to remind myself to slow down. It always feels counterintuitive to do my long/easy runs at what feels like a lollygagging pace. E.g.:
I do see the beauty in keeping the easy runs comfortable, though. It keeps my legs and mind fresher over the long term and for race day. It allows me to go longer distances and it makes the miles more enjoyable. When it's enjoyable, I'm more likely to get started and to keep going. And those are really the ultimate goals, yes?

Feeling awful during a run does not always mean that run is doomed to failure.
I'm not talking about that horrible first mile or two when I'm trying to warm up. In this instance, I'm talking about when you are mid- or late-run and things have gone sour in a big way. E.g.:
It's hard to believe that the run could do anything but just keep getting worse, right?

Amazingly, sometimes it does get better. I wish I knew why or how. It doesn't always happen. But once in a while my body surprises me and gives me a mysterious second wind.

It's really, really, REALLY hard to keep pushing when it doesn't feel good. There is definitely something to be said for knowing when you truly do need to stop, too. But running is not linear - and it's not always going to keep going downhill. The way you feel can change in both directions at any given time.

There are no "On" or "Off" switches in running. 
Both progression AND atrophy take time. Again, the time may not be linear.

I wrote here about my frustrations with training hard but seemingly not seeing much improvement. In this instance, however, let's focus on the opposite end of the spectrum.

I took several weeks off from running last winter. I was terrified of how much conditioning I'd lose.
In reality - I didn't lose nearly as much conditioning as I feared. Granted, I stayed active and was working out in other ways, which probably helped a lot. Either way, it made me feel better about the body's overall resilience and ability to adapt. Just because I didn't run for a few weeks didn't mean all was lost.

I no longer feel like I HAVE to keep running, "or else." Now I have more confidence to be flexible. A lot of self-imposed training pressure is gone and that change in mentality means everything to me.

How about you? What advice would you give to your new-runner or younger-runner self?

18 comments:

  1. HIP STRENGTH FTW! I wish I'd heard more about that when I started... Now I have a lot of damage to train out of my hips! Great advice for any runner, thank you!

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    1. Amanda! You and me both! When I first started running, I actually purposely avoided doing any lower-body strength work because I didn't want to overwork my legs. Little did I know, sigh. Thank you!!!

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  2. I kind of struggle with feeling like I must be running. I do take an off season, but even then, I don't stop running -- I just run less, and no hill repeats and rarely speedwork.

    But the thought of taking off more than a week (which I do after a half) kind of makes me sweat!

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    1. It's really hard to NOT run. It feels like we worked so hard to get where we did, so we don't want to give that up, yes? I've heard much discussion about running off seasons where you don't stop entirely, but run less. That certainly works out well, too! And I hear you, taking off more than a week of running can be terrifying!!!

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  3. I'm right there with you on the hip thing. I still haven't really found the sweet spot where a doc will tell my mine are "strong enough". I guess the fact that I'm (knock wood) injury-free counts for something though.

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    1. Totally understand on the "strong enough" assessment. I've been doing so many varieties of squats and lunges that I'm pretty much blue in the face... but it feels like there's always still work to be done. Likewise - my knee pains have been under control for awhile (knock on wood as well), so maybe our hard hip-strengthening work really has paid off! Amen to that for both of us!!!

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  4. I laugh cus I always feel like my runs are at a lollygagging pace..lol! -M

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    1. Meranda, lollygagging is a good thing in this instance. =)

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  5. With you on the hip strength. I wish I'd gotten that taken care of earlier in my "running career"!

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    1. Me too! I could have saved myself countless hours of PT and a lot of PT fees! You too?

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  6. Oh, yes, the first part of just about any run stinks big time. I had forgotten that at one point I did not know that!

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    1. LOL, now that you mention it, I'd forgotten that I used to not know about the first mile sucking, too! The things we take for granted after gaining some experience, yes? =)

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  7. To go off your bad run thing: that one (or several) bad runs do not doom your entire training cycle and/or race (unless it's bad because you fall and break your leg or something, I suppose. Haha.). Bad runs are okay! They're just like bad days--you get through it, and the next day will probably be a lot better, like that "a bad day doesn't mean you have a bad life" line of thought. Bad runs make you mentally stronger, which is just as important in long distance running as physical strength!

    Bethany @ Accidental Intentions

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    1. Ah yes! Great point, Bethany! When I was training for the Chicago Marathon, my 18-miler was MISERABLE. I was in tears afterwards. But my 20-miler went smoothly, and race day ended up going just fine! You are absolutely right. My unscientific survey says that one out of about every five runs won't go well. So it's just about riding that wave. And running is ALL mental - so the more mental strength we can build, the better for sure!!!

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  8. The "run slower to Run faster" thing frustrated me a lot when I started training for a Half marathon. I kept saying "Why do I have to go slower, I want to get faster!". I'm going to have to go back and read your detail post on the subject.

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    1. It's super counterintuitive to run slower, isn't it? The science behind it does make sense when you read about it... but physically it just feels weird, like you're not pushing yourself enough! Such a bizarre discovery!

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  9. "I no longer feel like I HAVE to keep running, "or else." Now I have more confidence to be flexible. A lot of self-imposed training pressure is gone and that change in mentality means everything to me."

    THIS! So much this. I think that's why I got so burned out after all my races in 2011. I loved hanging around my running club friends but they always wanted to know how my running was going and what races I was doing, etc. You know, what if I want to do something else? The world won't end! So, I would have told my new runner self to remember balance.

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    1. We totally understand each other, Erin! I do love the connection all runners instantly have upon finding out about the shared love for running, but yes - balance is extremely important, too. As glamorous as it might seem to be a professional athlete, it's nice to have the flexibility to do other things, too. I credit you for being an inspiration to do more strength-training, which has been very beneficial for me both physically and mentally!

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