Mind over matter

steph2strong

Hi all,
During a nausea-inducing killer workout today a question popped into my head ... how do others push themselves through the tough parts of workouts. I mean really tough, like running up that mountain with another runner slowly closing in on you and having to bust out a speed burst when you have nothing left, the kind of thing where you think you are going to maybe fall off the end of the treadmill but you keep yourself going and don't grab the handles, your pushing so hard you can't really think or even look to the side because if you loose focus you're going to crash. To get myself through these intense parts I stare straight ahead and think about diving into a cold, clean lake/pool. It seems to help. What do you do?

yesimpson

Depends what you mean by 'pushing through'. In training, I don't force myself through nausea, intense fatigue etc. I rest and fuel myself appropriately, and that kind of torturous exertion doesn't seem necessary for my goals. I certainly don't push through actual pain. I don't want to get injured. I'm stern with myself and don't tolerate laziness or excuses (like 'oh I've had a long day so let's go home and watch Netflix and not go for a run) but if my body is hurting or feels weak I listen.

That said, I was struggling and in a lot of discomfort during my last half marathon. I wanted to walk. I was sore and tired and the noise of the crowd was starting to wind me up. I just sort of pick some kind of rhythm to focus on (in that case it was the bright blue soles of the shoes on the runner in front of me flashing up and down as they went) and tell myself 'you can do it, you're not going to stop, you have to finish' repetitively until the race was done. I don't let myself entertain thoughts of how nice it would be to stop and sit down or anything like that, or start to believe I'm too tired or my legs are worn out. Good music is important, and the thought of a good lunch afterwards, and you have to remember why you decided to undertake whatever particular challenge it is you're currently immersed in. Remember other times you wanted to quit, but didn't.

ClubSilencio

Sounds silly but sometimes I say to myself, "I'm ready to die on this (insert expletive)(insert terrain)". And I'll believe it. And the workout becomes the least of my worries.

I don't think I've ever felt nauseous during or after a workout though. I used to relish going for runs in 95-100 degree weather knowing all the trails/parks would be empty and I would be the ultimate warrior. Do not recommend.

SIMAKRA

I am a courteous person, I would let the other person pass.

robertw486

Interesting question, and I think many people use many different ways to cope with it.

For me personally, I learned fairly young that sometimes work wasn't pleasant, but that didn't mean that it isn't good just because it's work. And I think that the more someone has pushed limits, the more they accept that sometimes a hard workout is just that. I think I really learned to push limits the most when I was in the military. The attitude was train hard and get the job done, regardless of cost. But then again for the real physical stuff we usually had some type of medical support on hand too. As said by Yesimpson, I'm not going to risk a major injury or problem in day to day training. But just finding my headspace and working through it usually isn't a thing.

I think for a lot of people learning to be comfortable while in a physical state of discomfort is a good thing. At times when I think I have nothing left in the tank, I'll push harder. Then when I back down a little it's more comfortable.

And at times, strange things can inspire me to push too. The other day biking, I was ready to cruise home after working against the wind the first 11-12 miles. Then an F-18 blazed by overhead, pushed a hard turn, and climbed out. I upped my pace again.