It is hard to imagine the disappointment that Dathan felt at the trials. After thousands and thousands of miles of training, and running the 26.2 mile course only 8 seconds slower than the 3rd place finisher, Dathan did not have an Olympic birth to show for his efforts. Rather than wallowing in his own sadness, however, Dathan has taken the high road and provides a good example of how to deal with disappointment. In post-race interviews, he has echoed the following thoughts:

For me there has been a lot more failure than there has been success but that’s really what makes those really big moments important and special so you have to really take those bumps on the road and use them in a positive way. For me it’s been really easy to re-focus after something hard like that. There is always those initial moments of disappointment but you have to either quit or move on and that’s what I’m doing now. It’s kind of the good thing about running; anybody can have a bad result but still use that as motivation for the next time.

Instead of dwelling on the negatives of a disappointing result, Dathan shows how to redirect those emotions, which can be very destructive to running, into motivation and resolve to do better in the next race. The next big race for Dathan is the U.S. Olympic trials for the 10,000 meters and it is a safe bet that he will channel his resolve into an Olympic birth after all.

When you have a bad race, keep in mind that even the best professionals face running disappointment. Take a lesson from them and learn how to press on with even more determination in the pursuit of success.

Sports psychologists have come up with a number of ways to help runners overcome anxiety, including visualization (repeatedly imagining yourself running fast and achieving your goals), and positive self-talk (consistently saying positive things about your running). One aspect of positive self-talk is to talk yourself through a difficult workout or race by breaking it down into manageable segments.

Pondering a long workout, such as a 6 X 1 mile, or a long race, such as a half-marathon, can be overwhelming. The anxiety caused when thinking about a lengthy race or workout can cause negative thoughts that could have disastrous consequences for your running. Instead of thinking of a long workout or race as one long endurance test, try to break it down into manageable parts.

For example, tell yourself that a 6 X 1 mile is actually a 2 x 1 mile. Once you complete the two repeats, convince yourself that you just started and only have to run a 4 x 1 mile. After two more repeats, think how easy a 2 x 1 mile workout is, and realize that that is all you have to do.

This technique also works for races. Tell yourself that a half marathon is only a 5 mile race. Once you reach 5 miles, convince yourself that you only have another 5 mile race to run. After 10 miles, you now only have a 5k left and 5k’s are much easier than 5 milers!

If you find long workouts and races to be a little daunting, consider breaking down the distances into management segments. Hopefully this decreases your anxiety and increases your running focus.

Be Specific: In order to ensure accountability, set specific goals. For example, a goal to “run fast” is simply not detailed enough. If you don’t want to peg yourself to an exact time, choose a range. For example, a good goal might be: “Run a marathon between 4 hours and 4 hours and fifteen minutes.” Setting specific, meaningful goals is the best way to ensure that you will be properly motivated. Don’t be afraid to brainstorm and set goals in different areas (i.e. set a mile time goal even though you are a marathoner).

Challenge Yourself: It is tempting to set easy goals to set yourself up for success. However, if you wwant to experience the real thrill of achievement, create goals that are a stretch but still within reach. Try not to set undue limits on yourself.

Create Goal Tiers: A good way to balance setting realistic goals with challenging yourself is to set goal tiers. For example, goals in your first tier might be a 4 hour and 30 minute marathon and 6 minute mile race. The second tier might be a 4 hour and 15 minute marathon and 5:55 mile race. The third tier might be a 4 hour marathon and 5:50 mile race. Using tiers enables you to stretch your boundaries without feeling bad if you don’t hit all of your goals.

Write Down Your Goals: Make sure that you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write down your goals. Consider placing your written goals in a place where you will see them frequently (i.e. on your bed stand – which will motivate you to get up for morning runs). Writing down your goals prevents you from conveniently forgetting them later.

Don’t Delay: As stated early, the new year is a great time to brainstorm and set goals. Don’t procrastinate or you will never get around to setting your goals. Do it today!

Happy New Year!

Many studies have shown the dramatic effect that core strength can have on running. In one study, runners were split into two groups: a core strength training group and a non-core strength training group. Over the course of four weeks, the groups trained together; however, the core strength group worked on developing their abdominal and back muscles after each run.

After four weeks, the study’s authors compared the 800 meter times of the participants before the training and after the training. The core strength group improved their 800 meter times by 13 seconds on average. The non-core strength group improved their 800 meter times by 7 seconds on average.

Studies like this should give all runners the motivation to make the effort to do post-run situps and crunches. Taking time for these exercises will improve your times in the long run.

It is a good thing that race directors recognize the importance of providing water stations because courts certainly have. In a 2002 California case, the court found that a marathon race director could be liable if he or she does not provide sufficient water stations.

Besides the legal issues involved, a dead give-away for a poorly run race is the lack of water stations and/or not enough water at such stations. It is a real problem when a water station runs out of water because sometimes the people who need fluids the most are those individuals in the back of the race. These runners may not have the physical conditioning of higher-placing runners and the lack of water can be dangerous.

Before running any marathon, a runner should inquire about the number of water stations and ask past competitors about a race’s water station capabilities. Additionally, a race should provide electrolyte drinks, such as Gatorade, in addition to water. The body loses electrolytes when running and plain water does nothing to replenish them.

Water stations may not be the first thing you think about when signing up for a race, but they can be one of the most important aspects to consider.

On the other hand, it was also a huge disappointment when a student with supreme running talent did not have the will power to take his or her talent to the next level. All too often, the runners with the most natural ability refused to train hard, while the runners with little talent ran seven days per week and gave everything they had. This always seemed so unfair to me – why couldn’t the hard worker have the gift of natural running ability?

During my coaching days, I would happily take seven guys on a cross country team who had no talent, but liked to work hard, over seven guys who had tons of talent but no work ethic. The talented guys might win more meets, but the frustration caused by their wasted ability would drive me crazy.

In my opinion, high school runners – and all runners for that matter – can be broken into two groups. The members of one group only go to practice and runs because their parents told them to go. They run races not for themselves, but so that their coaches and parents won’t get mad at them. This group has no running goals besides the desire to be somewhere else.

The members of the other group go to practice because they want to be there. They run races for themselves in order to achieve their own personal sense of accomplishment. No one has to tell them to run on the weekends or during the summer – in fact, they often must be told to take it easy. They have specific time and place goals and are driven to achieve them.

Unfortunately, in my experience, members of the first group are much more prevalent than members of the second group. With that said, when a team has a few members of the second group, their attitude can rub off on other members of the team and create a great atmosphere. I don’t coach anymore, but my observations of different running attitudes has really stuck with me. My takeaway is this: successful runners run for their own personal fulfillment – not so that they can impress other people. If you run only for external reasons there is no way that you will be running for very long.

Because of this objectivity, running can be a difficult sport mentally because there is no one to blame but yourself. Skaters can blame biased judges, but there is no bias in a stopwatch.

Maybe this is why runners are so hard on themselves. The watch provides a clear verdict on a “fast race” or “slow race” and runners can clearly see if they place “high” or “low.” The knowledge that race performance will be unambiguous judged by place and time puts an enormous amount of pressure on runners before a race. This pressure can take the fun out of running and lead to burnout.

Instead of using the usual objective time and place measures of running, why not try to judge race performance on different parameters? Did I feel strong during the race? Did I refuse to back down when someone passed me? Did I feel relaxed and focused? Did I refuse to allow panic to overtake me when I felt bad during the race? And, most importantly, did I fun?

Using the above questions to measure race performance will give you a better idea if a race was actually “good.” Additionally, if the answers to all of the questions is “yes,” you can be pretty sure that your times and places will be excellent without even thinking about them.

The hard surface of toenails provide invaluable protection for the sensitive nail bed. This hard surface, however, can become a real nuisance if it part of it splinters and begins to grows into the skin. The needle-like surface of a toenail can puncture a toe’s skin causing infection and a lot of pain. Unfortunately, the pounding that a toe endures through running can exacerbate in-grown toenail problems, which puts runners at risk for this condition.

The best way to prevent an in-grown toenail is to cut your toenails properly. Use a clean clipper that is large enough for toenails and cut straight across – don’t cut your nails in a curved shape. It is also best to avoid cutting your toenails when they are wet because they are more likely to tear and create jagged edges.

As for treating an in-grown toenail, the fastest and most effective way is to see a family practice physician or podiatrist that can numb the area and remove the in-grown nail. This is a painless procedure that should not scare you in the least. You can try to treat an in-grown toenail yourself by soaking your feet in warm salt water or applying hydrogen peroxide. However, if you see swelling or yellowish discharge, you should see a professional before it gets worse.

There are many theories about what causes the trots. One theory is that the trots results when a runner is dehydrated. Dehydration reduces the essential fluids in your bowels, which causes the bowels to pool fluids in the intestines; these fluids then exit the body as the trots.

Another potential cause of trots is lactose intolerance. People with lactose intolerance have a tough time digesting lactose, which is a sugar in milk. Lactose intolerance, even a very mild form, can result in diarrhea that can be exacerbated during a running.

Finally, coffee and other foods that contain caffeine can cause the trots. Caffeine is a stimulant that is known to cause the bowel muscles to constrict. This constriction can lead to diarrhea, especially during a run.

Getting the trots is certainly no fun, but you can reduce your risk of suffering this ailment by limiting your intake of dairy, caffeine, and other fatty foods before a run and ensuring that your body is well hydrated.

One common mistake that runners make is to think that faster and deeper breathing while running means more oxygen to the body. Although this may technically be true, breathing too hard also prevents carbon dioxide from exiting the body – air contains both oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is important to note that humans inhale in order to obtain oxygen and exhale in order to release the left-over carbon dioxide.

By focusing only on the inhale, a person is not able to release sufficient carbon dioxide. The bloodstream will pick up this extra carbon dioxide, instead of oxygen, and transport it throughout the body. Therefore, breathing too hard while running will result in the bloodstream providing less oxygen to the muscles, heart, and brain of runners. This can result in cramping, fatigue, and dizziness.

The best way breathe while running is to focus on relaxed inhales and exhales. Pay more attention to the exhale to release as much carbon dioxide as possible and to make room for plenty of oxygen. If you feel yourself engaging in gasping breathing while running, take a moment to collect yourself and slow down your breathing. Your body will thank you.