Finding motivation on the last leg

KARINM

Something happens on the run that breaks down my mental strength. Could be that I'm just getting tired, but often I seem to just get bored. It's annoying, because my legs are fine, my body seems good, but my head is messing with me. I am trying to not let the "weakling voices" get the better of me, and sometimes I talk myself out of it, but more often then not (especially coming right off a hard bike leg), I lose out.

What do you do? Any advice?

I heard on a race report podcast that somebody is singing a song, that matches with his pace.

Thanks in advance

scott dinhofer

only problem I've had is getting past the 1st three miles of the run until my legs open up... after that I am usually in a good place, I never think it, but I actually enjoy running... until the pain sets in... then it's time for the gorilla fight!

JeremyBehler

Karin - do you go into a race with time goals, etc? I must admit...boredom has never entered my mind in a race. Even during long stretches on the bike I'm always checking my numbers, thinking about what I should do differently, what is coming up, etc. I focus so much on this that it removes my mind from some of the physical cues that my body may be sending that I'm too tired, etc.

On the run....I usually break it up into many smaller runs..again thinking about the lines I'll take around turns, watching my HR, noting who I'm passing or who is passing me, etc. Perhaps breaking it up in to 26 "1 mile runs" could help?

Shaughn Simmons

To be really helpful we need some real data from the last race.

Do you employ a powermeter?  If we could see the actual data, understand how hard you worked on the bike, then see what pace you went out at compared to your vDOT we could add alot of valuable feedback IMO.  

I think Jeremy's thoughts on focusing the run leg to 26, 1 mile repeats is big wisdom.

SS

Mark Maurer

In addition to what has been said already, I employ a lot of tricks. One is to visualize the run on just about every training run I do. For instance, I want to be running like this at mile X, or this is what it's going to feel like in the last two miles, etc. I also prepare a play list that I can go to mentally at certain points. Sometimes I even sing out loud which usually helps others which helps me. I thank volunteers and encourage other runners which helps get my mind off my agony. And finally l smile. It does really help.

Clark Mitchell

Lots of good suggestions here thus far. I only have a couple of thoughts to add. First, I totally know what you're talking about although for me I would describe it more as losing focus as opposed to being bored. I tend to zone out sometimes during the run and I tend to slow down while I'm zoned out.

To try and minimize this I do many of the things already mentioned including checking my numbers, breaking the run down into smaller chunks, singing to myself, talking to myself, etc.

The other important thing that I do during training is to eliminate all of the typical distractions (music / podcasts) during my long runs. This helps to build the mental fitness that's required in addition to the physical fitness.

Mark Maurer

Clark brings up a good point and one that I was thinking about during the last part of my second of my split runs today. Losing mental focus and just cruising along is something I have to pay attention to late in the run. One thing that I do to combat that is to pick out someone ahead of me and try to catch up and pass them. When I do that I choose someone else and repeat. There's always someone else in front of me.

Scott Giljum

Karin - I am a numbers geek, so I start breaking it down based on that. What I mean is, I will first break up the race based on landmarks (big hill at mile X, etc) and points of significance (I can race at mile 18). I then will monitor my pace and my HR almost religiously to make sure I am not going to hot at the start and doing respectable work at the end. I do this during my training runs as well so that I know how I will feel at certain points and also how to triage things when they don't go right to get myself back on track. I will also play games with myself like keeping track of people that passed me to see when I pass them back, "racing" people in my age group toward the end (even though they have no idea they are racing me).

Sometimes the training runs can be harder because you don't have anyone to race/compete against. I really dial in course markers during training runs in that as my watch tells me I am at mile x, I can think about how I will be on the trail, climbing the hill, cruising through the crowd, etc.

Hope this helps.

Al Truscott

http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Marathon+IM:+Training+to+Run+A+Steady+Pace

This wiki post I wrote a few years ago is about this issue as it petains to the IM run, but it may have some relavance to other distance last legs as well.