What do you think about to keep you motivated while running a race?
mzbek24
Posts: 436 Member
What do you think about to keep you motivated while running a race?
I thought of this, because I just looked at my race photo's from the weekend, and saw my nemesis looking sideways at me! an thought "Ohh he WAS trying to compete with me!" hahaha. Not really a nemesis, he was a lovely guy when we spoke a bit. It just seemed we ran together almost all of the 44km, sometimes he was ahead, sometimes I was. He seemed to try very hard to stay ahead or up to me. It felt like we were racing each other and I wondered if he was perhaps engaging in the competition with me in his mind as a way to sort of motivate and spur him on to the end. Maybe there was a particular reason he wanted to beat me. It can be a fun strategy, whatever works for you, I think.
I sometimes feel like I am motivated to pass certain runners. Mostly though, I'm not a super competitive one, so it didn't particularly bother me who passed me by or what they were doing. I told myself to stick to my own strategy, which was to run by focusing in on 7km blocks within an hour, pace myself, and just compete with me...I was able to think my own thoughts that pushed me through it, such as "Come on, you can do it! you're doing so well" and I tried visualising myself at the finish line receiving the medal and feeling awesome. I also thought of lyrics/quotes that helped me- I like "I'll make it to the moon if I have to crawl" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
I thought of this, because I just looked at my race photo's from the weekend, and saw my nemesis looking sideways at me! an thought "Ohh he WAS trying to compete with me!" hahaha. Not really a nemesis, he was a lovely guy when we spoke a bit. It just seemed we ran together almost all of the 44km, sometimes he was ahead, sometimes I was. He seemed to try very hard to stay ahead or up to me. It felt like we were racing each other and I wondered if he was perhaps engaging in the competition with me in his mind as a way to sort of motivate and spur him on to the end. Maybe there was a particular reason he wanted to beat me. It can be a fun strategy, whatever works for you, I think.
I sometimes feel like I am motivated to pass certain runners. Mostly though, I'm not a super competitive one, so it didn't particularly bother me who passed me by or what they were doing. I told myself to stick to my own strategy, which was to run by focusing in on 7km blocks within an hour, pace myself, and just compete with me...I was able to think my own thoughts that pushed me through it, such as "Come on, you can do it! you're doing so well" and I tried visualising myself at the finish line receiving the medal and feeling awesome. I also thought of lyrics/quotes that helped me- I like "I'll make it to the moon if I have to crawl" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
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I have a running nemesis as well. But he is a great guy and a good friend from my running group. We are around the same pace and level. And sometimes if he is just behind me or just in front of me, that motivates me a bit.
But the other thing that helps me is to break the race down into smaller bits. I tell myself, hey if I can just do good up to the halfway point then I will be happy. Then when I get to the halfway point I may sych myself up to maybe do good just for 2 more miles. Obviously when I get to those 2 miles, then I trick myself again and say OK, just do good for only 1 more mile. ect.
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I think about the people behind me that are trying to run me into the ground.
I will not be passed!
I will not be passed!
I will not be passed!0 -
Cheeseburgers. Pizza. The Gatorade waiting for me when I'm done. Ice cream. You get the idea. What gets me through the end of the long run or a race is day dreaming about all the food I'm going to stuff in my mouth when I'm done.0
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For shorter races, I focus on good form, quick turnover, and my breathing. That's enough of a challenge to keep me going in a 5k or 10k. Longer than that, I totally find myself picking a "nemesis" and not letting them pass me. At my last 10m, there was a group of 4 girls that ran side by side and blocked everyone from passing them. That was great motivation to get past them and stay there!0
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After my PR half marathon, I had a young guy come up to me and say " Nice race. I was hanging with you most of the way until you picked it up on the last mile and I couldn't keep up. But you helped to get me through in a good time, so thanks". I couldn't help thinking that he was probably saying to himself " I can't let this old lady beat me!" But I was really glad to know that I helped a fellow runner out, even if I didn't realize it.0
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It depends. When I did my BQ earlier this year I was so focused on what I needed to do that I wasn't paying attention to anyone else around me.
When I got my half marathon PR I was definitely picking off shirts one by one. I once shadowed Gordy Ansleigh late in a 50 mile race. He'd passed me and was moving really well passing people right and left. I was just barely able to stay in contact with him but stay I did. He got me to my pacer a lot faster than I would have on my own. After the race when I introduced myself we had a good laugh when he commented "Why can't I drop this girl?" lol
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My mind goes through everything on a race. I rotate through checking on my form, dreaming about what food I'm going to have after the race (and coffee!), checking on my pace, and I've usually picked a "nemesis" to get ahead of late in the race. I also tell myself I've trained for this and won't waste that training by not reaching my goal. I also count down the miles in every crazy way to remind myself I don't have that much longer to go.0
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lporter229 wrote: »After my PR half marathon, I had a young guy come up to me and say " Nice race. I was hanging with you most of the way until you picked it up on the last mile and I couldn't keep up. But you helped to get me through in a good time, so thanks". I couldn't help thinking that he was probably saying to himself " I can't let this old lady beat me!" But I was really glad to know that I helped a fellow runner out, even if I didn't realize it.
I've had similar experiences of "thanks for being my pacer!"
I've noticed that in most of my races, I am thinking about how I am running through a checklist of questions: am I keeping a consistent effort for the pace, how am I feeling, any problems anywhere (and anything I can do about it), how's my heart rate doing, where am I landing on my feet, should I adjust my stride slightly or is it smooth and relaxed? Towards the end of the race, it changes more to "who can I catch (overtake game)?" and if things are going well "when do I drop the hammer?" I've done that in many of my half and full marathons. It's the overtake game that I find myself using towards then end of a race.
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I never do this. Nope... never...kristinegift wrote: »Cheeseburgers. Pizza. The Gatorade waiting for me when I'm done. Ice cream. You get the idea. What gets me through the end of the long run or a race is day dreaming about all the food I'm going to stuff in my mouth when I'm done.
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We are getting ready to move so this weekend when I as running my 1/2 marathon I was visually placing all of the stuff in the new house.0
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I count my steps/breaths and think about how good it's going to feel to take off my shoes, drink a beer, and wash my hair
And, toward the end, try to pick off people (last race, it was a 12 year old boy--I couldn't let myself be beat by a 12 year old boy!). 0
