Sunday 21 March 2010

Expect every race to hurt like hell and you will race better.

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Back in the days when I use to run my fastest short distance races, I use to chant the words 'PAIN IS GOOD, PAIN IS GOOD' before the start of every race! I use to joke about this with team mates, the point is you should look at the pain of running fast as a positive and not a negative.
Think of yourself as a machine, the more pain the closer to the Red Zone on your rev counter you are reaching, in a 5 k you should be pushing close to 'the red' from the start, in a Marathon you should be hitting the red in the last 6 miles!
Think of pain in a positive way, do not dread or think of it as bad!

3 comments:

Samurai Running said...

Great article Rick.

"When a runner finds himself suffering more than he is “supposed to” at a given point in a race, he is likely to slow down. If he is suffering less than he is supposed to, he will probably speed up."

That is spot on. In the case of my last race the hard fiest hill into the wind and the fast start had me hurting something bad and I guess that I slowed down because of it. I felt better later on but by then it was too late to make up the losed time.

The take away, yes expect to hurt but also go out a bit slower!! My first K was 3:10 up a hill for 70% of it.

Samurai Running said...

Sorry for those that care it was "First" and "Lost". I can't spell when I write excited!

RICK'S RUNNING said...

Good point Scott, at the start of the race adrenaline and the fact that we are fresh often leads to us losing sight of correct pace and blasting the first mile!
A famous coach once said for every 10 sec per mile you go to fast at the start of the race, you will slow double that at the end!