Have you ever wanted to quit in the middle of a race?

[kydisneyfans]

I have 3 speeds based on what my body gives me:

Jog/run speed, Powerwalk/Rapid walk, and strolling through Kroger speed.

I've been in various races from 3K's to half marathons and the only time I've gone to strolling through Kroger speed was Virginia Beach Rock and Roll Marathon last year. I had major sharp pains radiating through my right side and I almost gave up at a medical tent. After a slow walk for about a mile, the paid subsided and I want back to Powerwalk speed. I still was within 7 minutes of my half personal best, so not bad.

 

[IamTrike]

I think we've all had runs that just kind of suck and you really want to quit. It happens during training runs and it can happen during a race. It's no fun but it's a learning experience. I find sucky training runs help me prep for races where things go all pear shaped.
Also I whole heartedly agree with Opusone's comment about starting out to fast. I think one of the biggest contributors to a bad run is starting out too fast for the conditions on that day on that course given the shape I am in at that moment.

For me that was at the Tobacco Road Marathon. I was in pretty decent shape. In the month before the race my schedule had me missing a lot of my training runs but 2 weeks before the race I did a 16 miler on the course at race pace and felt really good at the end so I had a decent confidence going in. The day of the race it was about 20 degrees warmer than it was on the training run.
By mile 4 I gave up on my PR,
By Mile level 11 was having stomach issues and it looked like I was peeing coke when I went to the bathroom. I wound up walking slowly from aid station to aid station drinking as much fluid as possible.
By mile 16 I was getting back to Normal and started run walk intervals.
At mile 20 I was able to jog the rest of the way in.

I finished over an hour slower than I hoped and I definitely had a long stretch of that race where I wanted to quit.

 

[baxter24]

I absolutely wanted to quit during the last half marathon that I ran! At around the 4 mile mark, we actually ran right where I parked my car and I seriously thought about just stopping and getting in my car and going home. It was just one of those days where I just wasn't feeling it! I ended up not stopping and going on but it definitely wasn't the easiest race for me. Like you, I ended up finishing in a faster time than I thought I would but it clearly didn't go down as a favorite race experience. After the race was finished, I realized that I hadn't been listening to my body that week before and it was telling me that I was tired. I think it's important that despite what you were feeling and thinking, you finished. We all have races where we don't think we are performing what we want to or think we are capable of and sometimes runs can suck for all of us! Learn what you can from it and just keep trying!

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

...and strolling through Kroger speed...

LOL. My strolling-through-Kroger speed setting depends on if they are handing out free samples or not!

 

[bevcgg]

Thanks so much for being brave enough to post this question! These are all great tips and super helpful.

I too had a tough race (1/2) last weekend- hoping for a good POT and missed my goal by 3 min. Everything was "off" right from the start, my feet went numb from mile 3 to mile 8, tree pollen along the creek made my allergies miserable, my back hurt at mile 9, etc. Had there been a way to bail out- I think I would have and I was very frustrated after the race.

Later at home, I was able to reassess what happened and I also realized it was one of the best times I had in spite of missing my goal. And like you OP- I was towards the back of pack of the very fast runners in that race- that really messes with your head. Your time is awesome!

Anyone have suggestions on why your feet might go numb? It wasn't my shoes or laces- those have both been really good- I even had to re-tie them during the race. Hydration maybe? I started eating Sport Beans and those seem to help a bit over time.

 

[lahobbs4]

Yes, definitely. I was the girl asking where the 'quit busses' were at the WDW Marathon this year. No Lie. It was cold, then hot, and then suuuuuuper boring and my mind was done and it told my body to be done. I'm not a runner that ever gets that mental-zoning-out thing. But now I have a horrible time to beat next year so hopefully that will be a good motivator!

Always be proud of your race! You are only in competition with yourself so you have to decide if you can handle the DNF.

 

[afan]

I've wanted to stop training runs, but I go out and back on a trail along the river and need to get back to my car so it keeps me going. I haven't done enough races for it to happen then.

I mostly train alone and listen to podcasts. I pay attention to how I feel but training and races are for not having to think and just enjoying the podcast. I think training alone helps me during the race, I'm used to getting passed by other runners or bikers while out, but also I'm often the only out for stretches of the run just going at my pace. So I do a race the same, I just go at my pace, weave when I need to and make sure to put my hand up when I'm starting my walk interval.

A coworker wants to do a half so we're doing a local one in August, start training this week. It will be my 2nd half, my other was W&D in Nov. I will have to prepare mentally for this knowing that there won't be much to look at but at least we get to run across the Narrows bridge so there will be something to look forward to at the beginning.

I also agree about the pacing. I knew for W&D that it was going to be warmer than I had been used to running in and that I needed to start slow by the time I got to the back half I felt great and picked up the pace for the last few miles. I didn't make my goal, but I was close and that included a stop in AK to put on sunscreen as the sun came up, so overall I was happy with it. Hoping I can replicate that in August but know anything can happen so I'll make sure to have some good podcasts on my ipod

 

[JClimacus]

Have you ever wanted to just give up in the middle of a race?

EVERYONE who has run more than a few races has been there. I love the responses so far. When it happens to me, I change my goals from PR or some other time goal to simple survival. It happened to me last summer at a hilly marathon in Vermont, then again in November at a marathon in Pennsylvania. In the latter race, my ankles hurt so much at mile 20 I had to walk in the last 10k and was one of the last to finish. It's not fun and if it had happened again at Myrtle Beach on March 4 I would have been seriously depressed (3 in a row is a lot to take!) Fortunately I had a good race at Myrtle Beach even though I did not quite reach my goals.

Running is about accepting challenges, and the challenges involved are not just about running, but also about handling adversity. I accomplished something at the catastrophe marathons - I demonstrated to myself that I could persevere when everything went wrong.

 

[Lupin]

Yep!! I ran the Avengers half-marathon in November of last year and got extreme cramps in each calf muscle at mile 7. The pain was excruciating and I had to essentially run/walk/hobble the last 6 miles of the race. Somehow I only took 20 minutes longer to run the race than the year before, but it felt like an hour longer. I was literally a tenth of a mile from the finish line and could not run. There was a lady who was run/walking near me and we must have passed each other about 10 times. As awful as this experience was, I'm determined to get over this cramping issue and do another half-marathon in May. I've been doing the Insanity Max 30 workout over the winter hoping that will help build up my endurance.

The second-worst experience was the inaugural Tower of Terror Ten-Miler. It must have been 75 degrees with 70% humidity that night. I did fine through mile 7, but then the heat and the exhaustion did me in. I made it to the end in a reasonable time but I felt absolutely awful at the end of the race (light-headed and wanting to throw up). And it wasn't just me, there were tons of people who looked completely gassed at the end of the race and couldn't move from their resting spots even though the cast members kept asking them to get out of the way. I saw a guy in the Indiana Jones theater (our bags were stored on the stage there) lying on a bench peeing himself. They had to get EMTs to help him.

As bad as these experiences can be, it's best to see them as motivation to get out of that rut!

 

[Princess KP]

THIS is so true. In fact, every run is a chance to learn. Especially the crappy runs. My running log is full of "Lesson learned:" notes. So even if I don't achieve what I plan to, I still come away from the run feeling like I accomplished something (learning the lesson). Sometimes, the lesson learned is just finding out that you can finish, even when it's brutally physically and/or mentally hard.

Without getting into all the specific running lessons I learned from it (like hydration, pacing etc), I want to share that had the worst race of my (short) running career at Wine & Dine 2013. Everything went wrong from mile 1. Side cramps, foot cramps, I was overheated... just endless issues. And not only did I WANT to stop but I actually did. I sat down by a med tent at mile 10, in the middle of hollywood studios. But somehow I got up and started walking again. For the next mile I walked, head down, arms on my hips repeating, "one foot in front of the other.... relentless pursuit of forward motion" to myself (thanks Coach!). By the Boardwalk I thought I was going to die. After stopping at the port o potty again, I actually stepped onto the bus at mile 11.5. I instantly felt like I had to puke, so off the bus I went, puked in the grass, stood up and instantly felt better and regretted stopping the race. I turned to the med guy and said "I feel better, can I keep going even though I started to get on the bus?" And he said, "yes you can! It's only 1.5 miles more, go for it!" He could tell I wasn't in dire medical situation, and I am so glad I finished. I still feel bad emotionally about my actual race, and it was really hard for me to wear my medal the next day. But my DH encouraged me to wear it, saying that my finish was hard-fought and I should be proud of my perseverance.

To this day, whenever I feel like something is impossible, I say to myself "If I could finish THAT race, I can handle anything."

As for finishing towards the end of the crowd, I have the same anxiety. But after having suffered an injury 8 years ago that almost stopped my running altogether, I am just glad I can be out there at all, and try to keep that in mind when I'm at the back of the pack.

What an amazing story! Thanks for sharing!
I just started a running log but it's more of distance and time. I think I'll start adding in my Lessons Learned, including things I ate or did prior to a run to see if that had any impact on my performance. Thanks!

 

[GreatLakes]

If you have been running more than a year or two you will have both races and training runs you want to quit. I've cut long runs short because I just wasn't feeling it that day. I have felt like stopping to walk in a race or two but other than some trail races that make sense to walk up staircases I haven't yet.

Bad training runs are a good thing. They give you the opportunity to reflect on why they were bad. Did you go out too fast, under hydrate, over dress, etc? That is what training is for. Not only putting in miles but coming to terms with your mistakes so you can correct them before your target race.

 

[tigger536]

Been there. Its the WORST. Some times its just not your day.

One trick I do is when I get to a certain point near the end I start counting the number of songs it will take me to finish. For example, 2 miles left, about 6 songs. Then I count down as the end and try to beat that goal. Sometimes I don't make it but by that time I'm nearing the finish so it doesn't matter.

 

[LSUlakes]

Have you ever wanted to just give up in the middle of a race?

I signed up for a series of races offered by a local sporting goods store - 6 races, one every month with varying distances from 10k - HM with the first one this past weekend. I just started running last year and I figured this would be part of my training for Goofy 2018. It would keep me motivated and have something to work towards every month.

This past weekend, I ran a 15k and I was so discouraged that I was ready to quit running all together.
The race was small - 270 people in the 15k - and there were not a lot of people around the last few kms. I am not a fast runner anyway but I had a goal in mind - finish time of 1:45. I ended up finishing in 1:43 so I thought I did well. But, getting there was torture.

I was sure I was dead last and that by the time I got to the finish line, everything would have been dismantled. I had to run by where my car was parked and I was so tempted to just jump in and go home and take the DNF. I was tired but I think the hardest part was the mental aspect of it.

At the beginning, I was pumped! Was able to keep up and then one by one, people were passing me until I was all by lonesome. All these things went through my mind - "should have signed up for the 10k instead, what were you thinking?"; "you're not a runner"; "I'm never going to finish Goofy."

I'm glad I stuck it out and finished though. I think I would have been more disappointed in myself for quitting than my overall placement (257/270). I know people say that running is mostly mental but I did not truly understand it until this past weekend because my mind was ready to give up before my body was.
It was definitely a learning experience and hopefully I am able to cope better next race.

At some point of every race I have ever run regardless of distance, I have thought about shutting it down. Some times this thought process is only a few seconds and others it last a few miles. What I do know is I have never regretted finishing a race... EVER! It's just part of the mental game of running. If you have trained properly your mind is going to want you to stop running well before your body actually needs to. Training your mind is just as important as training your muscles and the best way to do that is to keep adding miles and keep running to build confidence. Its not always a bad thing to feel uncomfortable during a training run, doing so builds confidence as well as physical gains.
Congrats on finishing the race, and do not ever say you a runner ever again. You lace up your shoes and run, you are a runner! Good luck as you continue your race series and preparing for Goofy. Your going to do great!

 

[Keels]

I have to ask myself constantly "Are you hurt or just lazy?" during every workout.

You're not alone.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I have to ask myself constantly "Are you hurt or just lazy?" during every workout.

You're not it alone.

That!

I've pulled myself from 2 Half Marathons (Wine & Dine 2016 and Star Wars Dark Side 2017) in the past 6 months - it was because of "hurt" not laziness. It was why I was ok with the decision to stop.

Star Wars Light Side 2017 I didn't pull myself and got through it despite waking up to stomach issues and I'm very happy I accomplished that.

~~~~~~~

My first half marathon (Star Wars 2015) I posted about on this board but I pretty much had a mental breakdown from Mile 5 to Mile 12. It was ugly mentally as pretty much every awful thought I ever had about myself or others surfaced in my mind. I kept drudging along. I'm not sure why I didn't abandon the race but I'm glad I didn't.

I have found that the more I look towards the ground while running, the worse the thoughts in my head are. If I look up more, they tend to stay away. Running has a funny thing about mental health.

 

[GreatLakes]

That!

I've pulled myself from 2 Half Marathons (Wine & Dine 2016 and Star Wars Dark Side 2017) in the past 6 months - it was because of "hurt" not laziness. It was why I was ok with the decision to stop.

Star Wars Light Side 2017 I didn't pull myself and got through it despite waking up to stomach issues and I'm very happy I accomplished that.

~~~~~~~

My first half marathon (Star Wars 2015) I posted about on this board but I pretty much had a mental breakdown from Mile 5 to Mile 12. It was ugly mentally as pretty much every awful thought I ever had about myself or others surfaced in my mind. I kept drudging along. I'm not sure why I didn't abandon the race but I'm glad I didn't.

I have found that the more I look towards the ground while running, the worse the thoughts in my head are. If I look up more, they tend to stay away. Running has a funny thing about mental health.

I have found concentrating on a problem I need to solve is a good way to keep your thoughts positive. In both my personal and professional life I have solved more problems, or at least came up with new approaches to them, on a run than staring at whatever the problem was.

 

[tnbrowne2004]

Thanks so much for being brave enough to post this question! These are all great tips and super helpful.

I too had a tough race (1/2) last weekend- hoping for a good POT and missed my goal by 3 min. Everything was "off" right from the start, my feet went numb from mile 3 to mile 8, tree pollen along the creek made my allergies miserable, my back hurt at mile 9, etc. Had there been a way to bail out- I think I would have and I was very frustrated after the race.

Later at home, I was able to reassess what happened and I also realized it was one of the best times I had in spite of missing my goal. And like you OP- I was towards the back of pack of the very fast runners in that race- that really messes with your head. Your time is awesome!

Anyone have suggestions on why your feet might go numb? It wasn't my shoes or laces- those have both been really good- I even had to re-tie them during the race. Hydration maybe? I started eating Sport Beans and those seem to help a bit over time.

Oh this wouldn't have happen to be the Platte River Half would it? If so then I am feeling you, my allergies were bothering me, and there is no shade on that trail. I was hoping to get a good POF time for the Wine and Dine half in November but that did not happen so my Rock n Roll San Antonio will have to do.

 

[slp1650]

Just like everyone has been saying, I completely agree that everyone has probably thought about it.

I did stop in the middle of one race, back in high school. It was my championship triathlon event and I had a bike issue and quit. I have never forgiven myself for it. I do need to get over it, but it is something I think about overtime I think about quitting one of my running events now.

You really need to know yourself when you're thinking about quitting. If you absolutely have to quit for health reasons or injury, that's life. Remember- even if you don't finish, you're still doing better than those who never even started. However, if you can get through it by taking it easier, stretching for a minute or two, and finding that second, third, fourth wind then dig deep.

Think about it while training. I made a deal with myself that if I start a run, then I have to run at least a 5k. There are days it hurts, days where I'm sick, days where I'm just off, but I still get myself to that 5k mark. Sometimes that means I run a lot, sometimes that means I walk a lot. It helps me learn to reason with my body and really get through those harder races...

 

[bevcgg]

Oh this wouldn't have happen to be the Platte River Half would it?

Yes- it was! LOL! Glad to hear I wasn't alone in my suffering- but sorry you too missed your POT. For such a nice day it seemed like a tough run esp with when the winds picked up. I am trying again with the Colfax 10 miler- a lot fewer trees!
Good luck in San Antonio!

 

[tnbrowne2004]

Yes- it was! LOL! Glad to hear I wasn't alone in my suffering- but sorry you too missed your POT. For such a nice day it seemed like a tough run esp with when the winds picked up. I am trying again with the Colfax 10 miler- a lot fewer trees!
Good luck in San Antonio!

I will be at Colfax too! Doing the full marathon! So I will be going slow for that one.