“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” is a common saying. My basic understanding of the saying is that people have a way of screwing things up even though they do not have any malicious intent.

A Wikipedia article on the saying includes three different meanings:

1. Individuals may have good intentions but never actually take action;
2. When people act on good intentions they often have very bad consequences; and
3. Bad events can happen from actions that were originally thought of as beneficial.

I think each of these meanings can be applied to running.  Obviously it is a bit of an exaggeration to equate “hell” with a running injury, but for serious runners, a major injury can take a huge toll on a person’s psyche.

Individuals may have good intentions but never actually take action

The first meaning of the saying obviously applies to the many runners who talk a big game, but never actually put the work.  How many times have you heard fellow runners boast that, “if they had the time to train” they would be able to sub-3 hour marathon or break 18 minutes in the 5k?

Instead of making excuses for why you are not running fast (i.e. not enough time, no running partner, weather is bad), how about actually putting in the miles and giving it a shot?  As I’ve mentioned before, I coached high school cross country and track for a few years and was so upset with students who had massive talent and a big mouth but no work ethic.

Take action now so you don’t have to live with regrets later.

When people act on good intentions they often have very bad consequences

The second meaning applies every time a runner has run a workout on an injury.  In doing so, the runner has the best of intentions – he or she wants to improve fitness and knows that missing a workout will be a missed opportunity.

However, any short term gains from completing the workout will be wiped out if the workout leads to a more serious injury. One of the most important characteristics of every great runner that I have known is the ability to listen to the body and take a day off necessary.

Sometimes it can take more courage to skip a workout due to an injury than to actually complete the workout.  Skipping a workout takes a lot of self-confidence and the understanding that one workout will not make your running career, but it could break it.

Bad events can happen from actions that were originally thought of as beneficial

The third meaning of the saying applies to many of the fad diets and training philosophies that gone in and out of style over the years.

Some of these are still controversial, but a few examples in my experience include minimalist shoes for runners with biomechanical flaws, carb depletion diets for marathon runners, super low-mileage, high intensity training programs that neglect aerobic development.

Each of the above were initially (and still are) seen by many people as a good idea. One great example is the low carb diet for marathon runners.

In the excellent book Advanced Marathoning, Pete Pfitzinger states that experts initially advised runners to run a long run seven days before a marathon race.  Then, in the proceeding three days, the runners were supposed to eat a very low-carb diet.  In the final three day period, runners would ramp up their carb eating. The goal for this procedure was to store as much glycogen as possible.

However, research has shown that this “carb depletion” fad actually suppresses the immune system and increases the chances of illness prior to a race.

The lesson here is to think for yourself and try not to get sucked into the latest craze until research has confirmed it to be beneficial.

Runners almost always have the best intentions. However, the drive for perfection and achievement can also have negative consequences.  Hopefully heeding the advice of the famous saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” will help you avoid your own running hell.

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1. “Oh no! I don’t feel as good as I expected. Today is just not my day.”
2. “Why is Jim/Sally/Megan ahead of me right now, I beat him/her by over a minute the last time we raced.”
3. “It feels too hot out…I sure hope that I hydrated enough. If not, I”m in trouble.”
4. “I need to lift my legs and arms more. I don’t think I’m running efficiently.

These kinds of thoughts are simply not helpful and can destroy any chance you had at running to your true potential. The conscious mind has an amazing ability to get in the way of the body’s subconscious ability to run fast.

Through the countless miles that we have run, our muscles, nervous system, and respiratory system know how to run fast. During a race, the best thing that our minds can do is to get out of the way of the natural functions of the body and let them do their job.

This idea is illustrated well in a recent Japanese study that took a look at the brain activity of the Brazilian soccer star, Neymar. According to the study Neymar’s brain activity essentially shuts off when he is playing.

From MRI images we discovered Neymar’s brain activity to be less than 10 percent of an amateur player

The researchers theorized that “reduced brain activity means less burden which allows (the player) to perform many complex movements at once.”

The same holds true for runners. Instead of wasting energy and sabotaging your natural abilities with negative thoughts and emotions, runners must quiet their minds to run well.

Do not overreact if you don’t feel 100% at the start of the race. Do not obsess about the current placing of other runners that you know. And, above all, silence the part of your critical part of your mind that all too often finds faults in your running.

Learn from great athletes like Neymar and understand that a quiet mind is often the best way to perform to your potential

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Runners often view competitors in races as combatants.

Races are a “me vs. them” contest where one person will win and the rest will lose.  Some runners spend a lot of time before races stressing out about their competitors and worrying about whether they can “beat them.”

If you really want to run to the best of your ability, this is the wrong way to view competitors.

The Real Meaning of “Competitor”

Far from the words “combatant” or “enemy,” the word competitor comes from the Latin word competere which means “to strive together.”

Competitors in races are not people to fear or despise, but rather people who give you the opportunity to strive to achieve your goals and attain great sense of satisfaction after winning the race or running your best time.

I know that I mentioned Pete Carroll’s book Win Forever in my prior post, but it has a great chapter on Carroll’s thoughts on what competition truly means.

The tougher my opponents, the more they present me with an opportunity to live up to my full potential and play my best…At the end of the day, that opponent is the person who makes you into the best competitor you can be.

Viewing your opponent as your friend instead of enemy goes against the rule of thumb for many athletes and coaches.  The common belief is that athletes must learn to look at competitors with contempt in order to “psych” themselves up for an all out effort.

However, spending energy and time obsessing over whether you can finish ahead of other racers is a complete waste of time and energy that will negatively affect performance.

Focus Inward On What Your Can Control

When I was a high school and college runner I always looked at the heat sheets that listed my competitors in a race with a sense of fear and nervousness. I would read off the names and how I would be able to beat the guys who had better times with me.

What a waste of time.

The energy that I put into obsessing and worrying about other runners was worthless because I had no control over what other runners did in the race.  They might run the race of their lives or run well below their potential, but all my worrying and anxious energy had no influence either way.

The hard work I put into analyzing other runners’ best times did not help me focus inward before the race on staying relaxed and running with confidence.  Staying relaxed and confident are things that actually could have a positive affect on my performance.

Instead having the goal of “beating” other runners, my goals should have been “to stay relaxed and refuse to give into negative thoughts.” By achieving the latter goal, I would have given myself the best chance of actually winning the race. Win Forever addresses this concept

We want to center our focus on what we can control, which is us. We have no control over what our opponents do; we can only control what we do. We want to maximize our potential, and to do that we must focus our energy and efforts on ourselves.

I think this view of competitors is really liberating.  How nice is it to ignore things that you can’t control and only have the obligation to focus on things that you can actually control?

So the next time you feel yourself focusing on your competitors in a race, make a point to view them as merely opportunities to succeed, and turn your attention inward to ensure that you give yourself the best chance to run your best.

Do you ever get nervous about running against certain competitors?

Photo courtesy of sophie http://goo.gl/G3tl9U / CC  BY

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I have decided to take some time off from running and seriously address my runners knee issues with the RunnersConnect Strength Training Program. Although I’m bummed about putting the 30 Minute Runner program on hold, I’m using my pent up energy to catch up on some reading.

One book that has caught my attention is “Win Forever” by the Seattle Seahawks football coach Pete Carroll.

The book has some great information on Coach Carroll’s philosophies on coaching and success in football and life in general.  One chapter that really has caught my eye is on the “Three Rules” that Carroll requires all of his football players to follow.

As Carroll states these three rules apply not only to football players, but to any situation where the goal is to get the most out of people.  I believe that the rules are highly applicable to runners. The three rules are:

Rule 1: Always Protect the Team

Carroll explains:

We wanted [the players] to be fully aware of what they were doing at all times and to understand that for every decision they made there would be a result that affected the team…

Although running is individual sport, it is helpful for runners to view their bodies and overall training plan as part of a “team.”  Runners need to understand how each choice they make can affect their ability to maximize various components of their training.

For example, by choosing to watch that extra television show at night, you will make it tougher on yourself to get up for your morning run.

Another example: By choosing to stubbornly run on that painful knee, you will risk further damage to the knee and other parts of your body that are forced to compensate (this one applies to me).

Rule 2: No Whining, No Complaining, No Excuses

One of the great destroyers of any promising training program is the excuse. “I don’t have enough time to run,” “I have no one to run with me,” and “It’s raining,” are just few examples of unacceptable excuses that prevent runners from achieving their goals.

Consistently whining and complaining about running also leads vicious cycle of negative self-talk that includes motivation killing thoughts like “I’ll never be a good runner,” “I just don’t have the right body type to run,” and “I can’t do it.”

Runners need to be conscious of the inner dialogue they have with themselves.  A negative, self-destructive dialogue can create the expectation of negative results from running and a total lack of confidence.

It is critical to replace this tendency for self-sabotage with positive, affirming statements, such as “I will be a good runner,” “I will run relaxed and with confidence,” and simply, “I can do this.”

Rule 3: Be Early

Obviously it is important to be early for races, but this rule has a much broader purpose. “Be early” means to approach running in an organized and constructive manner.

Don’t just aimlessly jog a few miles a few times per week with no purpose. Study training plans, understand how incorporating certain kinds of speed work can make you faster, and think about signing up for races and taking them seriously.

By approaching running with respect, commitment, and with an attitude of learning you will be rewarded with increased fitness and an enormous sense of satisfaction.

By following these three rules you will put yourself on track to maximize the benefits of running provides.  You will learn the key concepts of avoiding bad choices that could harm your training, stopping the destruction of negative self-talk, and approaching running with a sense of discipline.

What are your rules and guidelines for running?

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I followed my advice in my prior post and took Friday off. I just want to make sure that my knee is going to be healthy enough to handle the rest of the 30 Minute Runner project.

My day off was a good chance for me to reflect on my progress since my 5k race in the first chapter of the 30 Minute Runner project and look forward to future. Now that I’m back into the routine of training for a race, I am reminded of many of the insights that I gained during my high school and college running days.

Believe it or not, one of the most important influences on my running career has been a book called The Inner Game of Tennis. That’s right – a book about tennis has taught me more about running than most running books.

Why The Inner Game of Tennis is So Important

To understand why this book has been such a great influence, you need to know something about me: I have not always had the best mental strength as a runner.

Throughout my high school and college days I would occasionally have a tough time keeping my emotions in check during races.  Once something unexpected happened, I would immediately tense up, shorten my breaths, and destroy any chance that I had at a good race.

It didn’t take much to get me to start thinking negatively about my race.  Things that would cause me to freak out included feeling more tired than I expected, being farther back in the race than I envisioned, or getting shoved or elbowed by a fellow runner.

Once the inner negativity started, I was in big trouble. My negative thoughts included: “Why am I feeling so terrible today?” “I must have trained too hard last week.”  ”There is no way I can catch the leaders.”  This self-talk was toxic and just built on itself during races.

This is where The Inner Game of Tennis comes in.

The book is loaded with awesome mental tips for athletes, but one of my favorite is the need for an athlete to ensure harmony between “Self 1″ and “Self 2.”

The Relationship Between Self 1 and Self 2

The book defines a person’s “Self 1″ as the person’s conscious self.  This is the side of a person that engages in negative self-talk.  For example, Self 1 was talking when I told myself that I “felt terrible” in a race.

Self 2 is the unconscious, physical side of a person.  Self 2 is the part of runner that actually performs the physical tasks of moving the legs and arms to propel the runner forward.  Self 2 is often highly trained and ready to help the person run fast – however, it is often sabotaged by Self 1.

Self 1′s constant stream of doubt and negative comments can deprive Self 2 of its innate ability to perform well. The key for runners is to quite the over-thinking Self 1 and simply let Self 2 execute the physical movements that will enable a runner to run to his or her capabilities.

How to Improve the Relationship Between Self 1 and Self 2

The Inner Game of Tennis is filled with useful tips on how to quite Self 1 and allow Self 2 to perform its innate ability.  I won’t go into everything in this specific post, but one of the most important tips is for a runner to simply trust that he or she has the ability to run fast.

If a runner has firm confidence in the runner’s skills, Self 1 will not be so quick to cast judgments and negative thoughts.  One of the best ways to build this confidence is to perform well in workouts leading up to a race.

You clearly are fit if you hit your goal times for workouts, so you should have plenty of confidence that you are physically able to perform well in a race.

There is no need for any input from Self 1 – Self 2 has all the fitness that is needed to race well and Self 1′s only job should be to let go and let Self 2 do its job.

More to Come About The Inner Game of Tennis

So as you can tell, I’m a big fan of this type of thinking.  The biggest hurdle for my running career has been lack of confidence and self-doubt.  Things really started improving for me when I applied some of the principles in The Inner Game of Tennis.

I’ll talk more about the book in future posts.  But first I have the next 10-20-30 workout coming up. Wish me luck.

Have you struggled with your mental toughness in races and workouts?

What helped you?

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With that said, I do not believe that running is itself to blame for depression and suicides. In fact, running is one of the best ways to build confidence and feel better about yourself.

However, I do think that competitive running sometimes appeals to a certain kind of person: perfectionist, driven, type A, that may be more prone to experiencing feelings that they are never good enough, which can lead to a depressed mental state.

I think the lesson is that fellow runners and coaches need to understand the symptoms of depression and work to get affected runners the help they need.

[Daily Beast]

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One of the most difficult obstacles in maintaining the motivation to run is the tendency to compare yourself with other runners. It can be difficult to accept when someone you know is able to run faster than you with less training.

In order to overcome the frustration of not running as fast as others, it is really important to understand how genetics helps determine running performance. The Florida Times has a good article on this exact issue.

The most important factor affecting endurance is the amount of oxygen the human body uses when put into motion. Aerobic capacity, or VO2 max, is the maximum amount of oxygen your body converts into energy.

Aerobic capacity is the best measure of fitness. The lungs take in oxygen, which is absorbed into the blood and pumped around your body, replenishing the muscles. The more oxygen used by the muscles, the better one’s endurance.

There are certainly things you can do to improve your aerobic capacity (training runs, speed workouts, etc.), but there’s no question that some people start with a higher capacity than others, and have an innate ability to increase their capacity at a higher rate.

The article has interesting estimation of the number of people who have won the genetic running lottery.

When you put natural fitness and trainability together, 5-10 percent of the population start with high aerobic capacity and 2-10 percent are high aerobic responders.

The odds of having a high aerobic baseline and a rapid training response — put another way, starting fast and getting faster — are exceedingly slim, between 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000.

While seeing 1 in 1000 odds can be demoralizing, I would rather view it as a great explanation of why some runners are faster than others despite similar training.

Perhaps the most important lesson is that, in order to get the most out of running, compete against yourself instead of focusing so much on other runners. This is the best way to enjoy long term satisfaction with running.

[Florida Times]

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Marne Dunn, a digital literacy strategic program manager at the Folsom campus, took Awake@Intel twice and has co-taught it.

“The main benefits are aroused awareness of myself and how critical I am of myself and not allowing negative self-talk. It was a matter of being frustrated that I wasn’t getting anywhere and I wasn’t being heard. I was finding when you have negative stuff going on, you’re projecting that,” Dunn said.

Marne’s comment about avoiding “negative self talk” is really interesting.  In my opinion, one of the biggest roadblocks for running success is self negativity.

It is very easy to fall into the trap of putting yourself down with comments like “I will never be able to lose weight,” “running is pointless – I never get better,” or “my injury will never heal.”

These kinds of comments create a toxic environment that will prevent meaningful running successes.

As mentioned in the article, meditation may be one way to recognize negative self-talk stop it from consuming you. Take a few minutes every day to close your eyes and focus inward on your thoughts.

If you feel negative thoughts come into view, recognize them and get them out of your mind – focus instead on positive thoughts. This simple exercise may help your mind become a benefit for your running instead of a hindrance.

[Portland Business Journal]

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One part of the article talks about a college professor who assigns the “happiness project” to students. 

Professor Betsy Allen-Pennebaker, who in addition to teaching Bodies instructs the first-year Core course Concepts of the Self (COR-110), said she assigns students a “happiness project” each semester to commit to one lifestyle change for a month that they believe will increase their individual happiness.
Most students choose one of two things: get more sleep or get more exercise. At the end of the month, students report on the experience from a psychological and neurological perspective. “All students report significant increase in how happy they are, but additionally how much energy they have, as well as their increased concentration and decreased fatigue in classes,” said Allen-Pennebaker.

Committing to one lifestyle change per month is a really neat idea. Instead of trying to change everything at once (which usually results in failure), choose only one thing you want to change.

One month might be increasing your weekly running mileage. The next month might be getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep per night. The focus in the third month might be to cut down on desserts after dinner. 

After a few months, the happiness project will enable you to make significant lifestyle changes that can last.

[Huffington Post]

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The Concept of Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy is the psychological theory that states that people are more likely to engage in actions that they truly believe that they can achieve, and avoid actions in which they feel they will be unsuccessful. But how does a runner come to “believe” that he or she can achieve a goal. According to a recent article by Human Kinetics, there are four different sources of self-efficacy: (1) past performance accomplishments, (2) verbal persuasion, (3) vicarious experience/modeling, and (4) physical/emotional states.

Past Performance Accomplishments

Perhaps the most important source of confidence in achieving a goal is past performances. Reflecting on great races or workouts allows a runner to form judgments about how attainable goals are. For example, if a runner ran a 4:20 mile a month ago, running a 4:15 mile in a month with good training is certainly possible.

Verbal Persuasion

When building confidence for a goal, runners should care about what they hear. Receiving encouragement from families, friends, and coaches can affect a runner’s confidence. Also, runners should engage in positive self-talk to reinforce their ability to achieve their running resolutions. It is amazing that the impact words have on a person’s assessment of themselves.

Vicarious Experience/Modeling

Another way that runners can come to believe that they will achieve their goals is to model themselves on other runners. For example, if your training partner has run a 3 hour marathon, you can obtain a great deal of confidence by modeling your training on your partner’s training program. If it worked for him, why can’t it work for you?

Physical/Emotional States

A runner’s belief about whether he or she can achieve a goal is heavily influenced by how they feel during training runs. For example, if a runner feels tired running 400 meters at 70 second pace, it is unlikely that he or she will believe that a 4:40 mile is possible. Additionally, a person’s emotions can influence self-confidence. If a runner is constantly feeling down or depressed, it is unlikely that he or she will have the will to achieve goals.

Conclusion

Running resolutions are a great way to motivate yourself to achieve running goals. However, it is important to set realistic goals that you believe that you can achieve. To set believable goals, reflect on past performances, verbal encouragement from others and yourself, the performances of your peers, and your physical and emotional states.

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