Why are runners so hard on themselves?

fabiomuralha
fabiomuralha Posts: 114 Member
Hey .. I read that article and enjoyed so much... hope you like too!

"When you ask a runner what their best time for a particular distance is, there is normally an embarrassed pause, perhaps some shuffling of the feet and finally a quiet response. No matter what ability level, most runners are never really satisfied with their personal bests. Even right after a runner has gone out and set a new personal best, in their mind they are recounting the race and figuring out how they could have run faster.
As soon as the race is completed the heart rate monitor is deprogrammed of its lap interval times and the results entered into a chart. And now the analysis of each race interval according to its race pace is done.
A part of the reason for this is that no matter how fast we run, there is always someone who can run faster. It is really impossible to feel dominant as a runner; because we all know the stopwatch tells no lies.
Another reason for the internal dissatisfaction comes from our desire to attain certain personal goals. Perhaps someone wants to break 20 minutes for 5 km. Or perhaps it is the need to go under four hours in a marathon. A time of 3:59:59 seems a million times better than 4:00:01 in this case, and yet 2 seconds can easily be caused by a slight miss measurement of the course or a crowded starting line slowing the first part of the race, or a headwind we have to fight in the second half. Still, the barrier exists in one’s mind in a very real way.
The problem doesn’t stop once you have broken through a particular time barrier, though. If someone runs a 3:59:59, it becomes obvious just how far away they are from a 3:59:00 marathon. So it doesn’t matter what level you are at or what times you are running, there are always unattained time goals sitting out there in front of you.
Our times are only part of the story. Weather, course difficulty and other factors greatly influence our final time. The next thing we look at is how we placed in the race. Runners never seem satisfied. Failure to place in one’s age group may be reason to feel failure, no matter how well the race was run or how fast the time. Upon placing third in an age category, a runner may be disappointed they didn’t run a bit quicker and nip the second place runner at the line. Winning an age group may be only partially satisfying if you feel you could have won the race. Even winning the race isn’t enough, because there may have been someone much faster who decided not to show up for the race.
It’s great that we all want to constantly improve and attain new goals as runners. This is what motivates us in training and racing. But, we should all be proud of our achievements, too. Don’t allow yourself to feel inferior just because there are runners who are faster, who log more kms each week, or who take home more medals and trophies than you. Remember that there are always time barriers in front of every runner. If you ran 4:08:23 and that was a good, strong effort for you, then feel proud. Sure, you could have run faster. Nobody will ever run the perfect race. So what?
If you permit yourself a little pride, and feel a bit of satisfaction, you might just feel a boost of the old ego. Maybe you’ll feel a little more confidence at the starting line of your next race. Maybe you’ll even crash though a barrier or two as a result. More importantly, maybe you can relax and enjoy the effort a little more. It’s okay to stay humble, but there’s nothing wrong with a little quiet self-confidence"
source: article by the late David Spence

Replies

  • TriLifter
    TriLifter Posts: 1,283 Member
    Thank you for sharing this, Fabio!
  • WebbyShoo
    WebbyShoo Posts: 115 Member
    What a great read, I also highly suggest the book "Running Within" for people who race, it's been great for me to pick up and read the week before a race to temper my nerves and let me go into a race a bit more relaxed, but not too relaxed. ;)
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Makes me think of a famous running quote - "oh, it's just a half"

    And a famous bystander quote - "Three miles? You're crazy!"

    Crazy is relative ;)
  • barrpc
    barrpc Posts: 96 Member
    Haha....i can definitely see myself in that story
  • mellorunner
    mellorunner Posts: 78 Member
    I'll be proud of my achievments...once I achieve something of note.

    As it stands now I recognize the progess that I've made over the years, but that is part of the process of reaching actual goals.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    Trying to figure out how you could have run faster doesn't equal failure and disappointment, two words thrown around in that article that are not a part of my vocabulary. I don't really agree with this at all.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
    For someone like me who aims to complete rather than 'compete', the quest for continuous self improvement is really important. asking myself what I could have done better and what went well are things I ask myself after each and every run.

    The biggest failure for me is not going out to run when I should be running...
  • MartinaNYC
    MartinaNYC Posts: 190 Member
    3:59:59 is my goal time for the Marathon <3 If I get there by 3:59:50, I'll slow down-I promise! LOL
  • fabiomuralha
    fabiomuralha Posts: 114 Member
    3:59:59 is my goal time for the Marathon <3 If I get there by 3:59:50, I'll slow down-I promise! LOL


    I doubt! Hahaha We always want to be better , faster and with a minimum time in a race!
  • MartinaNYC
    MartinaNYC Posts: 190 Member
    3:59:59 is my goal time for the Marathon <3 If I get there by 3:59:50, I'll slow down-I promise! LOL


    I doubt! Hahaha We always want to be better , faster and with a minimum time in a race!

    I swear, if I really manage to finish in 3:59, the first thing I'll to is bending on my knees and kiss the ground!
  • Saree1902
    Saree1902 Posts: 611 Member

    I swear, if I really manage to finish in 3:59, the first thing I'll to is bending on my knees and kiss the ground!

    Assuming bending is a possibility!! :laugh: at the end of my first (and so far only) marathon, I stumbled over the finish line sobbing!