[Index]  [Key Topics]  [Site Search]   

	Tough Run Analysis

See the Index for more topics, information, hints and tips.

Sometime you are going to have a tough workout or race, one in which you didn’t do as well as you thought you should have or wanted to do. Everyone has these days. They can really mess with your confidence. You’ll start to question yourself and your training. But try not to let it bother you. If you are using a good Training Plan, then it WILL work. Coaches and trainers have gotten pretty good at learning how to get the best out of the human body. But you HAVE to stick to their plan - be diligent about it. Don’t cheat by overtraining or missing too many workouts.

Bad runs are probably more important than good runs. You may get better stories from them and what you learn will make you better going forward.

Think of it as a lesson learned, not a disappointment. Use your tough experience so that you can correct things for your next race or run. You are not trying to make excuses for yourself, you are trying to understand the problem and come up with solutions to them so that you can do better the next time.

Bad runs and races are probably more important than good ones. You may get better stories from them and what you learn will make you better going forward.

Don't let one bad run derail your training. Learn what you can from it and then put it behind you and look and plan for the next one.

Some things you can’t control like the weather, humidity, heat, cold, rain, wind and race course. Just try to deal with them the best you can. Whenever possible try to train in these conditions so you get more comfortable with them. It will be one less thing to worry about on race day.

Some things that you might be able to control (but it takes an effort over an extended period of time) are illness and injury. Building a better base of slow running will let your body recover better and not put you in a state of stress so you are less prone to getting sick. A good base will also reduce your chance of getting injured.

The major reasons of a poor performance are nutrition, hydration, and pace. You are in control of all of these and should practice them during your long runs.

Then there are a number of factors that may have played a smaller role. Frequently you will find that a number of them contributed to your slow performance.

What did you do before the bad outing? Did you do anything different? Add or subtract something from your pre-run routine? Different timing? Did you eat too soon or too much before your workout? Did your legs feel heavy and tired from a hard workout the day before?

Think back to how your body felt. What was it telling you? Were your allergies bothering you? Were you breathing harder than normal? Was your heart beating faster than normal? Try to identify the symptoms or warning signs that your body was giving you so the next time you encounter them you will recognize them earlier and hopefully be able to do something about it.

Sometime you may not feel good, even sick a day or two before a run. But you may find that you put in a phenomenal performance! Just listen to your body.

Other factors that could contribute to a bad performance include:

• Tired – You didn’t taper enough or you did too much before the run.
• Over trained – This is a common beginner mistake. Most running is at an easy pace. If you think you are not getting any benefit from running so slowly, you are probably at the right pace. You should be able to comfortably hold a conversation throughout your whole run.
• Dehydrated – Not having enough liquids in your body does all kinds of bad things. You don’t want to drink so much that you have to stop and use a port-a-potty, but you also don’t want to finish a race so thirsty that you drink a quart of something immediately after finishing, which may result in you throwing it back up. Strive to reach a happy medium. See Hydration.
• Not enough nutrition – In races over one hour long, you need to replenish your body’s energy source. See the Nutrition section for more information.
• Electrolytes – Even though you have enough water and nutrition, if you don’t have the right electrolytes (sodium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, and potassium) levels, your body can’t utilize them properly. If your electrolytes are out of balance, you may feel your hands and feet swelling (which can lead to blisters), cramping, and upset stomach. Taking in some salts especially on warm days will help. You can even add them to your nutrition. There are several products available like Endurolytes™, Nunn™, Base™, and Succeed Electrolyte S!Caps™.
• Digestive Issues – These could be caused by what you ate yesterday. Putting too much stress on your body because of heat/humidity, electrolytes, or running too hard. The harder you push your body, the less it is able to digest. If you have issues frequently consider taking along electrolyte pills, Gas X, Tums, Petol Bismol, ginger pill, ginger chews, Zantec 150, or whatever works best for you.
• Started too fast – This is another common problem for beginning runners. With the adrenalin flowing at the start of a race it is easy to go out too fast. But you quickly put your body in a world of hurt because you quickly burn through your glycogen stores and it will be impossible to recover from it. It’s better to warmup before the race and go out at a slightly slower pace. Try doing a negative split where you run the last half of the race faster than the first half. Hills early in a race can cause the same issue. They say that for every second you go out faster than your race pace, you will finish two seconds slower. I think that may be conservative. Towards the end of a race try counting the number of people that you pass.
• Uneven pace – In a car if you are constantly speeding up and slowing down you will find that it is not very fuel efficient. The same thing applies to running. If you are constantly sprinting and then slowing down, it makes you tire more quickly. An even pace is much more efficient to maintain for long periods of time. In large races, you may find yourself weaving back and forth to avoid the people who started in front of you but are going at a much slower pace. This too will burn up your energy more quickly.

Frequently, you will find that there was more than one cause for your poor performance. Hopefully you can identify the problems so you can avoid them the next time.

Shortly after the run, write down your thoughts regarding what you think went wrong while they are still fresh in your mind. Discuss the details with an experienced runner or preferably a running coach. Listen to what they have to say. They are not giving you advice for their sake; they are trying to help you get better.

Make plans to correct the problems, allow adequate time to implement them, and then schedule another race to see how you are doing.

One helpful hint that may work for you is if you are in a situation where you are really struggling, maybe you are 6 miles into a half marathon and don't think you can go on any further. Try picking up your pace for a few seconds. Sometimes this surge or stride is enough to shock your body so that when you return to your normal pace, it feels much easier. I know this sounds counter intuitive, but it sometimes works.

Another thing you can do during your training runs is to see what it feels like to be dehydrated. Take along water for when you really need it, but at first don't take any water. Notice how your body feels - lips and mouth dry. Try to focus in on the early symptoms that you notice. Once you have experienced the early symptoms then start taking water to rehydrate yourself. Be careful doing this; don't push so hard that you hurt yourself.

You can do a similar experiment with nutrition, by starting a run with your tank empty. This is easiest first thing in the morning. Notice how your body feels when you don't have any fuel. I scuff or drag my feet. Then take some nutrition. Be aware that you may have to walk some while your body metabolizes the food. This takes about 30 minutes. Glucose tablets or gel work fastest.

Identify your weaknesses in your race.  Some things it could be include: uphill, downhill, finishing strong, hydration, nutrition, consistent pace, start too fast.  Emphasize your weakness in your future training.  Some things to consider adding might include: uphill and downhill practice and strength training. To finish strong, build better endurance by increasing your mileage per week and also longer long runs, and progressions.

When you get into a difficult state during a run or race, remember why you are doing this, your personal goals ... and smile! Smiles always make things better. Here are some things that you can think about to help get you through it.

• Goals – The things you have identified that you want to achieve.  How badly do you want them?  How will you feel about yourself if you don’t achieve them?
• People – Maybe you are running in the memory of a loved one or someone you admire.  Maybe it’s people who look up to you like children, family, friends, co-workers, or running buddies.
• Memories – Think about times in your life where you have been tough or strong.  Maybe it is a movie or someone else’s story that inspires you.  Or it could be a mantra or a song that motivates you.
• Example - Think of the great example you are setting for your family, children, and friends.

When you work through these difficult times or situations, you will be much tougher and more confident.  In the future you will be able to face and overcome even more challenges.

No one ever said that running would be totally easy. Depending on how much you push yourself at some point you will be uncomfortable, probably suffer and maybe be hurting or in pain. All of these make you stronger mentally, physically, and emotionally. It builds character, makes you more resilient and lets you know what you are made of. If you refuse to give in or quit, you will conquer it, overcome it, emerge victorious and become courageous. And these qualities won't just apply to your running. They will apply to your whole life. Some say that running is the best form of therapy.

If it gets the better of you, it may have won a battle, but you can win the war. Hopefully you will have learned something that will make you better the next time. And that alone should give you more confidence.

Whatever you did you are NOT a failure. Maybe you didn’t come in first, maybe you came in last or didn't even finish, but you are SO much better off for even participating.

We remember the good runs, but the times we struggled are the ones for stories. How you overcame, how you grew, what you learned, how you dealt with, how you endured and improved are the important things to take away. You need to test your limits to see what you are made of and what you are capable of doing.

If you try your hardest and give it your best, then no matter how good or bad you do, you can be proud and satisfied with your effort.