The Psychology of Endurance

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Orphia
Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm doing an online course from the University of Kent called, "The Science of Endurance Training and Performance".

In Week 3, we look at the "Psychological determinants of endurance performance" and we have an exercise where we look at critical situations we might come across. We then create a plan for each situation so we know what to do when we face that situation. Thought you might appreciate their list.

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Do you find any of these strategies helpful?

What contingency plans do you have?


This is my list:

My goal this year is to do a 50 km run. I have been training for this since Jan. In the next month I will do my final long run/s and start to taper.

On my long run/s:
  • If I start to feel tired then I will look at my form and breathing and adjust them to feel more comfortable.
  • If my shoulders get sore I will rotate my arms to ease the ache.
  • If I get breathless, I will run at a pace that feels like I can run forever.
  • If I think negative thoughts, then I will visualise completing my goal and remember my friend Aga's comment about my determination.
  • If I'm staring at the ground, then I will look up to try and find a nice photo opportunity.
  • If I start wanting to stop early, then I will focus on completing a mini-goal / route section so I feel hopeful.
  • If I worry about my time or pace, I will remember my year's goal is just completion of the 50 km run, so I don't need to worry.

During fast / interval sessions:

If I am really struggling, I will "Embrace the suck", and remember that this is how performance is improved in order that I try my best.



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Replies

  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
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    This is great. I have read books on this and listened to many speakers. Still, at or around mile 20 my mind is ready to call it while my body is struggling to continue. I know it is 'all in my head' and I can finish (I always do) but the struggle is real. One of these days I will learn to "Embrace the Suck". :)

    My strategy has been to focus on form. I catch myself starting to lean around 15-17 miles in and it is a fight to the end. I keep reminding myself to keep my form solid. Unfortunately I have to remind myself many, many, many times. I also try to focus on the current mile. I try my best to forget the previous one regardless if it was fast, on pace, or slow.

    I really need to work on this.........
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    The zen is big with you Orphia! Nameste!
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,676 Member
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    Dewd - at my last marathon, there were a few out and back segments where we met runners heading the other way. I was surprised to note as early as mile 13 how many were seriously hunched over. It was good for me, because every time I saw a runner hunched over, I would straighten up and run tall.

    Orphia - that's a nice list. I also have issues around mile 20 where I feel like I just can't keep pushing and my pace slows. At my first marathon I had been dealing with serious hamstring issues for over a year, and I wasn't sure if I could even finish the race, because cramps had stopped me on one of my long runs. Around mile 18 I started mentally figuring my time if I had to walk the rest of the race. It wasn't positive energy, exactly, but it kept me going. "6 miles - okay that's 1.5 hours. 4 miles - okay, at worst it's another hour. 2 miles - I'll be under 5 hours total." Although I had some walk breaks, I was able to run most of the rest.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    edited March 2018
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    I'm stealing that chart for my metric centuries (cycling) next month! Thanks for sharing!

    Eta: to answer your question, a lot of my contingencies involve reminding myself to just stop for a few minutes when my feet start burning or my shoulder knots up. I tend to forget that stopping isn't limited to official rest stops, and 5 minutes by the side of the road can mean 10 pain free miles :)
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
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    I'm one week out from my first 50km race. I don't feel like I have any specific strategies to keep going, except perhaps swearing at the very steep hills I work into my runs (I'm lucky to live near this race so I can practice the course ahead of time).
    I try not to stop much when running but when I do stop for a drink or a quick hide in the shade (unfortunately my training has been through a pretty hot summer) I give myself two minutes and then I guess I swear at myself to start running again.. hmm.. do all my strategies involve swearing?
    I start counting down the kms pretty early, figure out when I've done an eight a fifth a quarter etc.
    And I listen to stuff. Podcasts or my politics or sociology lectures for uni. Unfortunately I can't multitask during the race as they don't allow headphones but I'm also pretty good at being a hard *kitten* with myself and just keeping going.

    Writing all that has helped me distill it I think. Anytime I want to stop I rely on 3 things:
    1. How pissed I'll be at myself if I stop;
    2. Yes this is boring and uncomfortable but what would I be doing anyway, and;
    3. What would I be doing anyway? Dealing with the kids or studying or cleaning or cooking. Can't I do a marathon every day please?

    Embracing the suck is where it's at. It sucks, oh well, it sucks, keep going, it sucks, who cares...
  • 1985mattie
    1985mattie Posts: 9 Member
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    Interesting list, thanks for sharing! I’m up early tomorrow and out the doors for a 32 miler through the snow on a really dull out and back so I’m sure i will be using a few of these!!

    One of the best things I’ve brought to help is a rugged mini speaker which I strap to my camelbak- if I get tired I blast out a few tunes!
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    Wow, thanks all for the replies and sharing your experiences! Loved all your insights.

    @bendyourkneekatie and @1985mattie Please let us know how you get on in your big runs.

    @Djproulx Further on in the course they discussed visualisation and using imagery.

    One tip they gave was to visualise a certain point in the route (e.g. 32 km) and to rehearse beforehand seeing yourself overcoming your feelings at that point. Perhaps by picturing yourself running with good form, using your senses to hear the crowd's encouragement, see the interesting route, taste/drink some water/fuel, etc.

    I also learned about "anchoring" which means in this context to remember a difficult situation in running or in your life when you overcame a great obstacle. Anchoring your self-talk to remind yourself you can do this, you've done such hard things.

    Another psychological tip is to wear a symbolic reference of a person, event, or idea that gives you strength.

    Really loving the course. (I'm up to the next week's section which is about Fatigue and Pain.)
  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
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    Great info here.

    I use the info to help me endure hip and knee pain. I shorten my stride and increase my steps to keep pace or until the pain fades. Also to take the focus off of how long I have to go, I make promises with myself to run until a certain song on my playlist, and repeat until I'm done.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,840 Member
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    As you know, I'm a long distance cyclist.

    We have several things we tell ourselves before and on the long rides:

    When we're stressing over the upcoming ride -- It's just a pleasant ride out in the countryside ... nothing to worry about.

    When we're stressing about the length of the whole ride -- All you have to do is to ride to the first control 50-75 km away. You've done lots of 50-75 km rides. You can do this. Then when you get there ... just think about getting to the next control 50-75 km away. One step at a time.

    When we're having a melt-down in the middle of the ride -- Stop. Eat something. Drink something. Stretch. Then get back on the bicycle and just start pedalling. Or even start walking. Any forward movement.

    When we think negative thoughts -- That's a sure sign that we're entering into a bonk, our blood sugar is dropping, and we need to eat. So eat already!


    I also play with math in my head. I divide the route up, and have mini-celebrations when I get to 1/7th of the ride, 1/6th of the ride, 1/5th of the ride ....... 2/7ths, 1/3rd .... 5/7ths ....., etc. etc. etc.

    And I also pick a point. "I will feel happy when I reach this town." ... "I will be so pleased when there are double digits to go (like 99 km to go)" ... and I have a mini-celebration when I get to those points.

    Because we aim to cycle one century (100 miles/162 km) each month, when I set out on a longer ride, like the 300 km we did last weekend. Major Goal #1 was to cycle a century, which was a little over halfway, so there were lots of mini-celebrations on the way to that, and a slightly bigger celebration when we got there.


  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,840 Member
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    Orphia wrote: »
    Really loving the course. (I'm up to the next week's section which is about Fatigue and Pain.)


    I'd be interested to hear about that because my body has a very annoying habit of feeling pain where pain doesn't really exist especially when I'm tired or when my brain is trying to convince me that it doesn't want to go out there and ride a really long distance.

    I'll be riding along and all of a sudden my right knee will hurt. I'll roll my eyes and tell my knee that there's no reason it should suddenly start hurting like that ... and moments later the pain will go away, only to reappear in my hip. And we'll play "travelling pain" for about half an hour, then all the pain goes away and everything settles down for a while ...... until I'm more tired, or more hungry, or slightly dehydrated and then it might start again.

  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
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    "Fatigue makes cowards of us all" -- Vince Lombardi
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited March 2018
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    Lean59man wrote: »
    "Fatigue makes cowards of us all" -- Vince Lombardi

    How true!
    Or at least fatigue puts cowardly thoughts into your head.

    My longest and hardest cycle ride of the year passes within two miles of home at about the 117 mile mark when I'm feeling tired and sore..
    I get to a familiar junction and could go straight on to a hot bath, rest and comfort or turn left and away from home to complete the event.
    That's when you have to ask yourself how you would feel tomorrow rather than focus on how you feel right now. Choose between a sense of achievement or feeling like you are a failure.


    A trait that does seem to be common amongst endurance athletes is an abnormal or unusual level of acceptance of pain. As long as pain isn't a sign of actual damage then it's a feeling to be managed rather than an imperative to be obeyed or avoided.

    There's a parallel common in motorcycle racers, almost a detachment of "self" from your body or regarding your body as a tool.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
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    I'm not a runner, cyclist or motorcycle racer BUT I use to be a long distance recreational motorcyclist covering 700-1000 miles of roadway in a day at in about 10--15 hrs w/breaks only to pee and/or fuel up the bike and my body.

    No pain involved but overcoming fatigue and boredom was an issue, as was some stress felt in the wrists, arms, shoulders, core, hips and lower back which are all important in keeping a motorcycle rolling.

    Like sijomial mentioned above, I would mentally detach my mind from my body when riding and I would just view the ride as a movie running in my head which would distract me from any discomfort that I might otherwise have felt while riding
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Lean59man wrote: »
    "Fatigue makes cowards of us all" -- Vince Lombardi

    How true!
    Or at least fatigue puts cowardly thoughts into your head.

    A trait that does seem to be common amongst endurance athletes is an abnormal or unusual level of acceptance of pain. As long as pain isn't a sign of actual damage then it's a feeling to be managed rather than an imperative to be obeyed or avoided.

    Fatigue sure can cause second guessing, but I agree that many endurance athletes have developed a high resistance to suffering.

    My wife, who is not an endurance athlete, was a finish line volunteer at my last race in September. She said that she was struck by just how many finishers appeared to be suffering badly as they crossed the line, whether limping or just collapsing into the arms of volunteers as they received their finisher medals.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    edited March 2018
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    Further along in this section of the course, they show scientific tests which show that the athlete will stop being able to exert his/her maximal effort before his/her muscles will.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Orphia wrote: »
    Further along in this section of the course, they show scientific tests which show that the athlete will stop being able to exert his/her maximal effort before his/her muscles will.

    Sounds a fascinating course.
    I've seen an experiment where they had a subject doing leg extensions and they blocked the messages from the brain "telling" the muscles they were fatigued when they were capable of still exerting full force. The brain protecting the body.

    I notice on long undulating hills you naturally try to recover on the easier parts rather than continue pushing to your maximum. When I'm trying to set a good time on this hill I watch my HR to ensure that on the almost plateau sections I'm still pushing my hardest.

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  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    When swimming, I almost always have to remind myself to slow down and re-find my rhythm. That's what I try to key on when I feel like I'm struggling in the water.

    On the bike, it's almost always a body position -- I remind myself to roll my hips forward when my lower back starts to get sore, or get out of the saddle for a minute or two to give my sit bones a break.

    But as Djproulx said previously, the worst of it is almost always on the run. Like others have said, I try to focus on my breathing and my cadence and my rhythm. If I feel my form breaking down (which is does as I fatigue), I'll try to correct that... but usually focusing on my rhythm helps in most other areas.

    The other thing I do, which I've not seen anyone say (maybe I missed it), is that I remember lessons I've learned from previous races. I remind myself that I've been here before (tired, sore, cramping, whatever), and that I've pushed through it before, successfully. I remind myself that it's just fatigue, and that walking doesn't help.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    i need to take this course

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