Excuse me, Sir, I seem to have lost my motivation

[curiouser]

...if you find it, can you let it know that I am looking for it?

In all seriousness, how do you motivate yourself/psych your self up for the long runs? I'm training for the half and it was all going so well.. until the 9 miler. It was awful. Just awful. It was unseasonably hot, I was over dressed, I wanted to can it in at mile 3. I almost cried finishing the last mile; it was enough to just put one foot in front of the other. Last weekend I was supposed to do 10 miles but I was cranky and tired and so I didn't do anything. And then I felt guilty and like failure.

Now this weekend I know I should do the 10 miles. But I am already dreading it. I'm already feeling this built up anxiety over this run. How do I psych myself up and get over this awful feeling? I know I can do this, I WILL get the Donald medal (it's the entire reason I started running) but how do I get over the anxiety?

Thank you, WISHers. .

 

[wtpclc]

If you've alrady done 9, you could probably taper to Jan 9 and be fine.

We don't peak for the full for over 3 weeks yet. You could wait for your 10 until 3 weeks out. Don't knwo what your plan says.

Anyway, the biggest key to a long run, is to not think about how long you will be out there. Just say you will start adn take it a mile or a tenth or a stp at a time.

BTW, I am trianing for my 5th full. I'm convinced you must have 1 long run be aweful. I consider it good luck for the race. Just put it behind you. Call it goo practice in case race day givevs you the worst (although the adrenaline race day always helps it not be the worst).

If you use an mp3, download some great new tunes that you'll look forward to hearing. Good luck!

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I agree with Carrie... sometimes you just have to go out there and say, "I'm going to run 1 mile and see how I feel from there..." and then just keep playing it that way. If you always give yourself the choice to turn around, I find that I can push myself farther, even if I really don't want to, because it's your choice to keep going, and you're not going to feel guilty if you don't.

I had my 18 mile run on Sunday and it was HORRID! It was pouring rain for the first 3 hours I was out there, and I was feeling stiff and sore, and my ankle starting driving me nuts at around mile 5 (yes, yes, I am RICE-ing it this week!). I thought about turning around at mile 4 (to make it 8 miles total - there and back) but thought I would just get to the water fountain at mile 5 to give the dog a drink, and then see how I felt.... I got to 5 miles and decided that the path to 6 miles is easy, so I might as well go that far. And then there's a place around mile 6.5 that would be a good turn-around point if I wanted to, so why don't I head up there... When I hit 8 miles, then I had the excitement of "this is the farthest I've ever been on this path! I wonder what's up here!" and then once I got to my 9 mile turnaround.... well, I was 9 miles from home, so I had to do the 9 miles back.

It's all just head games with yourself, but I find that it really works. And the worst part is, I chat away like that to my dog the entire run! "Ok buddy, we can run to the bridge, right? Anyone could run to that bridge! It'll be really easy, and then we'll walk up the hill for a little break..." I must sound like a crazy person!

 

[Kirsty-Leigh]

I agree with what everyone else has said, I also try to visualize what it will feel like when you go through that finish line and they put that medal around your neck, what you will say to your friends and family, what it will feel like to walk around the park with the medal on your neck, all these things sound really cheesy but thats what gets me through some runs!

I also talk to my body as a seperate person, (OK I know that sounds like I have some kind of insanity! But it can help!) I tell myself if I ran 9 miles last week then adding another mile is nothing, or if I am having knee/shin/ankle/hip/etc issues I tell that piece of my body that if I do this run I will get some nice ice bath, or a few days off, or some pain killers and i tell myself I can eat whatever I want when I get home because I have earned it! Sometime I just keep saying dont stop dont stop, over and over!

Anyway try not to beat yourself up, you have already done amazing, and its not long to go now And believe me you will be so proud of yourself when you get that medal around your neck

Good Luck

and see you at the start line

kirsty

 

[cewait]

...if you find it, can you let it know that I am looking for it?

In all seriousness, how do you motivate yourself/psych your self up for the long runs? I'm training for the half and it was all going so well.. until the 9 miler. It was awful. Just awful. It was unseasonably hot, I was over dressed, I wanted to can it in at mile 3. I almost cried finishing the last mile; it was enough to just put one foot in front of the other. Last weekend I was supposed to do 10 miles but I was cranky and tired and so I didn't do anything. And then I felt guilty and like failure.

Now this weekend I know I should do the 10 miles. But I am already dreading it. I'm already feeling this built up anxiety over this run. How do I psych myself up and get over this awful feeling? I know I can do this, I WILL get the Donald medal (it's the entire reason I started running) but how do I get over the anxiety?

Thank you, WISHers. .

You run morning? Get up an hour earlier. Run the course BACKWARDS from your normal direction. Try a new course. Run a populated course and follow folks - imagine a rubber band attached to their waist and you grab for a short free ride. Run to the next street light, then the next then the next.
If you have an MP3 player, wear it...for if you already wear one mix the tunes up a bit. Dedicate a mile to someone you love ----- or hate

Print a copy of the half map. Memorize what is at each mile point. Run the course in your mind.

The simple message is to find something that will get you out the door make the run fresh and give you the tools to make it through race day. You will possibly need those same tools on race day (more than likely at the mile point you are now fighting) to help get you through a tough point and SUCCESSFULLY to the end.

I really hate to see you taper from here out. Get the 10 miler in. Find or develop the mental tools to get you through this weekend and then bank them. Finish out your schedule strong. Then if you last scheduled run is a bad one you will have the satisfaction and knowledge that you trained to the best of your ability.

Hope this helps get you through the rough point. We all have them at various times during training. It is better to have a really bad training run than have it happen on race day. I have run 16 marathons, almost as many halves and all four Goofy’s. You occasionally will have a bad day come up on race day.... learning the skill set to get you through these next two to three weeks will get you through a tough race day!

Train Hard - Live Clean

 

[VernRDH]

I had one of those really bad long runs recently. It happens. And I count my blessings that it has only happened once since I started training for my halves last June.

But I took it as a learning experience. What went wrong, how did I deal with it. It was one day, one run. Doesn't mean the next one will be bad.

Do you run with a partner or group? I run with my inlaws, you can be motivating or totally make me miserable (bad long run was due to MIL being super b!tch that day) Sometimes some company or the lack of makes a difference.

So lace em up and get on out there-one foot in front of the other. You can do it, you have come this far, the finish line is in sight!!

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

I have two words for you: running group! I never would have made it through 8 without my group! If it weren't for laughing about the crazy things our students do, talking about Thanksgiving plans, and joking about my "Pollyanna" attitude toward running, I never would have done it!

Find a running store that does training groups and join up.

 

[curiouser]

Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate all of the tips. It really is a head game that I haven't quite mastered yet. I have done a lot of the "Okay, get to [x marker] and you can take a walk break" and then I end up pushing further. I don't know why I am so spooked all of a sudden.

Carrie, I am doing the Marathoning for Mortals plan. I know I am early in my training, I started early because I wanted the extra cushioning and I wanted to get my first 10 before the holiday rush (and bad weather). It may not have been the best idea, but better to be dealing with this anxiety now than two weeks before the race, I figured!

Sarah, that is so cute that you talk to your dog! I am sure s/he is a great running partner!

Kirsty, thank you! You don't sound like a mad person, I yell at bum parts of my body all the time

Charles, those are all awesome tips. Thank you. I don't want to taper either; I know that I NEED to do this for myself. If I don't, my race day anxiety will be even higher. I need to jump this hurdle and get 'er done!

Veronica, I run with my DFi. Who signed up with me to be supportive but is a total PITA when it comes to running. He hates it, never wants to do it again after the half is over. I call him Grumpy Runner. But sometimes he'll surprise me and get me out the door. I wish now was one of those times..

Allison, thanks, I will look into them again. I never investigated further because my pace puts me into their walkers group (which they consider anything slower than a 10:15/mm) but I probably shouldn't judge.. there are some way fast walkers out there!

Thanks again everyone!!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Where do you go for your steps? There are so many places in this area that changing scenery would be a certain way to keep things interesting.

Usually the early morning weekends on the Towpath are jammed with folks training for someting or another. I love going out there to people watch and say hello as everyone passes by me along their route.

One step at a time and you'll be there before you know it. If you don't feel like it just get out there and do what you can. Sometimes just starting one foot after another is enough once you start it seems to happen and you'll be feeling glad once you've finished.

 

[FireDancer]

There is a lot of good advice here already. When I don't feel like putting in any run, long or short, I just think of how differently I feel when I lay down for bed on a day I skipped my run and on a day I did one. Everyone on this board has looked a long run in the face and dreaded it at one time or another so you are not along. Luckily us runners are pretty suborn so we don't back down, even when the opponent is ourselves.

No matter how bad a run is you still get to count the miles so try and figure out what caused the bad run (too hot, rain, didn't get enough water that day, whatever) and use it as a learning experience. Running is like life, you learn a lot more from you bad days than your good ones.

 

[John VN]

...if you find it, can you let it know that I am looking for it?.....

All great answers, so I will let you know where I found my motivation to start riding my bicycle at 1:15AM this past Halloween until 2:59PM for my 201 miles.

I looked way down deep inside my 59yo gut and said that today is the day, because I might not have tomorrow. Nothing other than the desire to accomplish a goal that will benefit my mind and body. Sorry if it sounds goofy.

Seriously, I built up to that day by riding longer rides thinking the same thing and knowing that after I completed that day's ride I would be happy with myself and feeling great. Different routes, running with people, listening to tunes helps to make the time go faster but it is still one foot in front of the other that gets the job done.

When riding by myself, and 161 miles of that ride were by myself, I focus on the movement of my body, on the sights, on the sounds, no music for me, on the smells in the air. I will mention that I had started to train for the 2010 Marathon and before my bad bicycle crash I would do the same thing while running.

Put that golden ring out in front of you as you head out and convince yourself that you will grab it at the end of the distance for that day and the crowd will roar when you grab it.

Good luck

 

[curiouser]

I wanted to thank everyone again for all of the kind words of encouragement. I did get out this past Sunday to attempt the 10 miler. I wish I could say it was all guns and glory, but... I was plagued with some ill effects that had me hobbling the last 4 mile home. Up until that point I had felt really good, so I'm not as anxious about getting out there and trying again (even in spite of the "plague" )

Lily, I usually just run in the neighborhood around my house. For the 10, we went to the metroparks. It was nice for a change of scenery!

 

[wtpclc]

Morgan - After a run where you hobble home do you take an ice/cold bath? that does wonders for muscle recovery and keeps the plague frm recurrign next run.

 

[JoanneNC]

So much good advice.. Until you start running, you never realize that running is more mental than it is physical. Our body and legs can do the distance, its our mind that believes differently..

This past weekend I did another 10 miler and I went to a completely new area, had my DH and kids just drop me off and met them again at the 10 mile mark. I had NO CHOICE but to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I will do the same for my next 3 long runs, 11, 12 and 13 miles before I start my cutback/taper weeks.

I might even drive an hour or so just to explore a new trail to change it up some...

 

[curiouser]

Carrie, I wish it was just muscular but it was a... a bit more TMI.

Joanne, that's actually a really cool idea. Good luck with your long runs!

 

[cewait]

Carrie, I wish it was just muscular but it was a... a bit more TMI.

Joanne, that's actually a really cool idea. Good luck with your long runs!

So......

Did you change up diet the morning pre-run or am I correct in assuming a bug by your comments.

(This is offered for all not just this specific run)
If not a bug just make sure to evaluate your prep before the last run starting with breakfast the day before. It was a holiday weekend so diets were messed up to start with then the stress of the run (especially added stress of a tough stretch of training) can make things go bad. Make sure that you hydrate during the day before and that you are not over eating in an attempt to carb up. Then run morning just look back to make sure you did not do anything too different. (i.e. if you had an omelet pre-run where you were eating a bowl of cereal - that could be the trigger). Also, if you tried a new gel (or other foodstuff during the run) you may not want to use that again.

Hope this helps

 

[curiouser]

So......

Did you change up diet the morning pre-run or am I correct in assuming a bug by your comments.

(This is offered for all not just this specific run)
If not a bug just make sure to evaluate your prep before the last run starting with breakfast the day before. It was a holiday weekend so diets were messed up to start with then the stress of the run (especially added stress of a tough stretch of training) can make things go bad. Make sure that you hydrate during the day before and that you are not over eating in an attempt to carb up. Then run morning just look back to make sure you did not do anything too different. (i.e. if you had an omelet pre-run where you were eating a bowl of cereal - that could be the trigger). Also, if you tried a new gel (or other foodstuff during the run) you may not want to use that again.

Hope this helps

Right now I am blaming the 11pm Cookes 'N Cream milkshake from the night prior.

Last year I had this problem every run over 5 mi. It wasn't until I cleaned out my diet (whole grains, real food - no processed stuff, no HFCS) that it stopped.

Obviously the milkshake was a cheat moment.

 

[rubato]

I'm loving all this advice.
Morgan, I'm right there with you. I'm running my first ever race, a half marathon in April for my 40th birthday. I started my training early because I don't want to whimp out closer to the date. If I'm going to lose it on a long run, I'd rather know that now. I'm up to 8 miles (did it today) and it's also the first time I've run outside for this. I've always done my short runs on the street, but building up that long one, I wanted to make certain I was keeping my pace. So, I did those on the treadmill. Well, the treadmill died last week (8 years of running killed the tread). So, I got brave today and did it outside. I was faster than I am on the treadmill! But, at about mile 6, I just didn't want to keep going. I felt done! Of course, that's when I hit the headwind. Ugh!!! But, I made it. I think I'll do 8 next week too to make sure I'm good with it before I move up to 9.

 

[JoanneNC]

I'm loving all this advice.
Morgan, I'm right there with you. I'm running my first ever race, a half marathon in April for my 40th birthday. I started my training early because I don't want to whimp out closer to the date. If I'm going to lose it on a long run, I'd rather know that now. I'm up to 8 miles (did it today) and it's also the first time I've run outside for this. I've always done my short runs on the street, but building up that long one, I wanted to make certain I was keeping my pace. So, I did those on the treadmill. Well, the treadmill died last week (8 years of running killed the tread). So, I got brave today and did it outside. I was faster than I am on the treadmill! But, at about mile 6, I just didn't want to keep going. I felt done! Of course, that's when I hit the headwind. Ugh!!! But, I made it. I think I'll do 8 next week too to make sure I'm good with it before I move up to 9.

Great Job - I remember how fast I felt when I finally got a road run in...now it pains me to get back on the dreadmill