The Psychology of Endurance
Orphia
Posts: 7,097 Member
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.
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:
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.
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.
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
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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.........1 -
The zen is big with you Orphia! Nameste!1
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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.3 -
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 3 -
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...3 -
Though I've enjoyed my share of pain during both the swim and bike segments, most of the true "suck factor" occurs during the run split in triathlons. I've used some of the strategies listed by OP, such as to shift my focus to run cadence and/or breathing(which we practice in training).
The other thing that is a "go to" strategy when I'm really feeling sorry for myself, is the use of a mantra, or visualization of an image that is meaningful to me. For example, I have lost two friends who passed away while in their 50's. So during races I often visualize them telling me to SUCK IT UP, get moving, and stop complaining about it. The other image that works is visualizing all the people I know who are not able to run due to physical ailments and who would gladly trade places with me if they were able. Those two images usually help me snap out of my funk and get back down to business.5 -
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!1 -
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.)2 -
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.1 -
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.
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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.
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"Fatigue makes cowards of us all" -- Vince Lombardi1
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"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.2 -
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 riding0 -
"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.0 -
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.0
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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.
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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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.1 -
i need to take this course1
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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.
On the other hand, it seems that if we don't exert maximal effort ... if we get into a comfortable, long-steady-distance pace ... we can keep moving for a very long time. Provided we keep supplying our systems with at least some fuel and hydration.5 -
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.
That hill looks like fun, in a painful sort of way. Just looking at it, my natural tendency would be to "recover" from mile .08 to mile 1.1, so I'd be ready to push the next steep incline. I could see where a strong focus would be needed to push the entire distance.
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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.
That hill looks like fun, in a painful sort of way. Just looking at it, my natural tendency would be to "recover" from mile .08 to mile 1.1, so I'd be ready to push the next steep incline. I could see where a strong focus would be needed to push the entire distance.
painfully fun...and that is why you are going to rock IMMT! i on the other hand would turn around and run (or ride) screaming away from it0 -
deannalfisher wrote: »painfully fun...and that is why you are going to rock IMMT! i on the other hand would turn around and run (or ride) screaming away from it
That's because you are a lot smarter than I am.
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I simply wonder a lot of times if you can train lactic acid tolerance. I know a guy (an online training buddy of mine) that was studied by the Australian national rowing team (he set the Australian record for indoor rowing for his age at 65 -- this guy has the VO2 max of a 20 year old!). What they figured out was that he was simply off the charts for Lactic Acid tolerance. I know when he trains, he follows the 80/20 rule better than about anyone I know. I think many of us (including me) push too hard on the easier days and not hard enough on the hard days.
I guess that's not a strategy but having familiarity with "the suck" helps tremendously. They've proven that your mind wants to quit before your muscles will physically lock up from Lactic buildup. That period between is where records are broken and races are won.2 -
If I'm having a hard time, I remember that the only way to get home is to continue.3
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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
This is true for me as far as cycling goes (not so much running, but I'm still fairly new there). I have some rotator cuff damage. On long rides I'll cycle through pain that would have me on the floor with an ice pack if I wasn't on the bike. Eventually, when I'm lucky, it becomes a part of the "one with the bike" experience - still pain, but no longer a focus, because I'm at a point where I'm beyond thinking about anything peddling rhythm and breathing.
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MikePfirrman wrote: »
I guess that's not a strategy but having familiarity with "the suck" helps tremendously. They've proven that your mind wants to quit before your muscles will physically lock up...
There's a lot to be said for intentionally going out to meet the man with the hammer, it teaches quite a lot about just how far you can go.
My first Ultra had me in a very dark place emotionally at about 35 miles, but once I'd HTFU I managed to push through that and keep going.3 -
@Orphia Is the rest of the class as helpful as this table? If so, I'm motivated to sign up for it once I'm done with my own teaching for the semester. I've run several half marathons, and I alternate between thinking "10k is plenty," "I don't wanna do a full marathon," and "I could totally train for a full."0
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@Orphia Is the rest of the class as helpful as this table? If so, I'm motivated to sign up for it once I'm done with my own teaching for the semester. I've run several half marathons, and I alternate between thinking "10k is plenty," "I don't wanna do a full marathon," and "I could totally train for a full."
@apullum The course is 6 weeks and I'm doing Week 4 currently. I highly recommend all I've seen so far.
It teaches actual science, nothing like Runner's World hyping up one new study of 5 mice or whatever.
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bendyourkneekatie wrote: »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...
This is very much my strategy. I swear a lot. Most of the time just quietly to myself. But I did a 100km run and was expecting a rest point at 75km. I had somehow got the distances wrong and the rest point was around 78km.
It was dark and cold and I was standing on a tow path by the Thames, wonder what the *kitten* I was doing out there and was it really worth it. I then just vented at the world. I am glad it was night time and there were no small children about, though I had the feeling they could probably hear me down by the rest point.
It nicely cleared my head and let me re-focus on the race.
I rounded the next bend and there was a group of "kids", late teens, just standing there. They parted like the red sea to let me through and not a single word or comment was muttered.8
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