Recently I was reminded of a story about Robert DeCastella. Evidently he was reading a book on the bus that was taking him to the start-line of a major marathon. The visual image I create in my mind makes me smile – an assortment of nervous and sweaty marathoners, fidgeting and glancing at each other anxiously. In the midst of this I picture a big moustached Australian with hairy, tree-trunk legs pushing up against the rear of a seat, quietly oblivious to the mounting tension around him.

This story illustrates two points that I will elaborate upon: a) the potential for a wide range of anxiety or pre-race nerves and; b) the need to develop strategies to find the optimum level of pre-race arousal.

First, pre-races nerves or anxiety are not necessarily a problem. The key for any athlete is to find their optimum level of arousal. (Note for later: I have reframed anxiety into arousal.) One psychological theory proposes that athletic performance follows an inverted U (below).

An athlete on the extreme left of the graph could be described as lacking anxiety. They could be unmotivated, lacking focus, or apathetic about the upcoming race. At the extreme right an extremely anxious or overly aroused athlete is likely to be burning precious physical and emotional energy. It is possible that the over aroused athlete also lacks focus, but this is because he or she is over-analysing various race scenarios and outcomes.

The implication of this theory is that optimum pre-race arousal is as individual as an athlete. This is illustrated by the extremes of DeCastella and Usain Bolt pre-race. Bolt ‘s showmanship in an Olympic final can appear excessive to a distance runner. However, his pre-race showmanship is likely to be a coping strategy in response to heightened arousal under extreme stress. DeCastella, by contrast, withdraws and appears to conserve physical and emotional energy.

To put this concept to use athletes should start to observe their pre-race arousal and ideally, over time, identify their own optimum level of arousal. It is reasonable to expect natural variations between races. For example, Eloise Wellings may find it difficult to be sufficiently motivated before a low-key, local fun run. Alternatively, with years of experience she may find the peak of the inverted U (above) in an Olympic final with relative ease and run at her best.

So, how does an athlete adjust his or her arousal?

Reducing excessive nerves

• Instead of viewing your anxiety as a negative, recognise that nerves are an indicator that your body is getting ready for competition. In your mind reframe nerves as a positive and necessary step.
• Distract yourself. DeCastella’s book reading; Bolt’s showmanship; listening to music; etc. are simple distractions that take your mind off your race. Crucially, any distraction should be enjoyable to the athlete.
• Organise your thoughts. Sometimes worry arises when race plans or pre-race routines are unclear. Take the time, in advance, to write down race scenarios, equipment lists, pre-race time requirements, etc.
• Many athletes arrive at major competitions and self-doubt and negative thoughts start to creep in – a sign of anxiety. Be clear on your goals. Don’t become distracted by hype, buzz, pre-race chat. Why are you here?
• Go with the flow. Often anxiety arises when we try to control too many things that are out of our control. It is a skill to acknowledge a challenge and calmly accept it.
• Recognise and respond to thoughts, behaviours, and emotions. Are your thoughts starting to race out of control? Perhaps you are starting to fidget or pace. Or are you feeling out of control or scared? When you notice any of these happening try to take positive actions that reduce these signs of anxiety. Maybe deep breaths, a guided meditation, music, or talking to a trusted person can help bring these under control.
• Remain in the moment. Many athletes “catastrophise” and think of worst-case scenarios. Staying aware and in the moment is a form of mindfulness.

Increasing arousal

• Be clear on what you want to achieve from a race. Is it a time, effort, or place?
• Use a motivational play list or watch an inspirational clip.
• Visualise yourself running smoothly, attacking a hill, floating over the ground or a similar positive moment that you would like to achieve.
• Remind yourself of the feeling you have had when you finished a race, satisfied that you gave it all of your effort.
• Think about how an admired athlete, friend, or training partner would push through a flat spot or low motivation.

Don’t engage in negative things. If it is hot or windy, or a friend starts talking negatively there is little to be achieved from talking or thinking about this. Move on. What do you want to achieve?

END

About the Author: RT columnist, Daniel Quin has run numerous Zatopeks, National XC’s, has raced in a Chiba Ekiden, and won a state 5000m and 15km title. In “retirement” he did a marathon. It hurt! He still runs a fair bit. Professionally Quin is a teacher and psychologist, and researching student engagement- Click Here to Learn more. But the best bit for Quin is being a Dad. 

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Nearly every training group has an athlete that is seemingly “on” for the sessions and workouts but then fail to live up to that form in races. Conversely, some runners race better than their training form would suggest they should. What is going on?!

Before considering the influence of mental toughness it is necessary to address physical training. Shaun Creighton (National record holder, Olympian) spoke about this in a recent Inside Running Podcast. He was of the view that many athletes run too hard in training and can’t go to the next level in races. He felt that maximum physical and psychological effort, 5th gear, should only be reached in races. At a physical level this ensures an athlete recovers between workouts and is well rested for races.

Most athletes broadly understand the principle of rest and recovery. But some athletes put more effort and have better performances in training. One possible explanation for this is that an athlete who regularly goes too hard in training is not mentally tough. Instead, their all out training efforts betray a lack of discipline or clarity in what they are trying to achieve in training.

Below is the “4C’s Model of Mental Toughness” and I discuss how these can effect training and racing in more detail.

Control and Challenge

In our desire to execute the fastest training session we sometimes fail to recognise that training is preparation for racing. For example, in interval sessions athletes often seek ideal wind and temperature, an uncrowded track, specific splits, and coordinate lead-out training partners. Few of these factors can be controlled on race day. Race day contains a fixed location and start time, officials that occasionally make unpredictable rulings, distractions from friends and family, and that is before the race starts!

Yes, a race plan is essential but it needs to be flexible. Also, I’m not advocating that you start training in unpredictable blizzards or seek training partners who “chop” your run but it is important to “go with the flow”. For example, training partners who irritate when they arrive late, unplanned changes in pace, or a stressful day prior to training each present opportunities to practice responding calmly, recall your training goal, and focussed pursuit of your goal.

Commitment

The reasons people train and race are diverse. Fitness, social, personal accomplishment, stress management, and so on. Despite this diversity, if you are concerned about a discrepancy between your training and racing form, you should have clear short, medium, and long-term racing and training goals.  

So many times I have heard people dismiss a poor race with: “It was just a training run”. Maybe it wasn’t a key race but preparatory races are just that – preparation. It should follow that every race is an opportunity to practice nutrition, unfamiliar surrounds, and warming-up, dealing with nerves, pushing through flat spots, tactics, and effort. Part of mental toughness is committing to a goal, and even when it gets difficult or boring, sticking to that goal.

An alternative scenario also exists – the PB session. Sometimes athletes get to the training track and start hitting PB times, the adrenaline starts flowing, and the athlete starts actively pursing training PBs. It takes mental toughness, i.e., commitment to clear long-term goals, to remember that one killer session doesn’t bring wins and racing PBs. It is the cycle of run, rest, and repeat over weeks, months, and years that brings desired race PBs.

Confidence

Finally, it is tempting to laud the athlete that charges off the start line at a break-neck speed, gritting his or her teeth in the last third of the race or repetition as mentally tough. In many instances this tactic betrays a lack of confidence or self-belief. It allows the excuse: “at least I had a go” or permits training partners to say: “you made the race, well done”. Extreme examples of this strategy fail into the category of self-sabotage. That is, you have a prepared reason for a potential poor race.

It takes confidence to back your ability and not be distracted by your competitors or the course. It takes confidence to put your foot on the start line, execute a controlled race plan, and not be distracted by competitors or self-doubt.

END

About the Author: RT columnist, Daniel Quin has run numerous Zatopeks, National XC’s, has raced in a Chiba Ekiden, and won a state 5000m and 15km title. In “retirement” he did a marathon. It hurt! He still runs a fair bit. Professionally Quin is a teacher and psychologist, and researching student engagement- Click Here to Learn more. But the best bit for Quin is being a Dad. 

The post Mental Toughness or Weakness? Is Your Racing as Good as Your Training? appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

The physiological benefits of altitude training are well documented and these have contributed to altitude tents being used at sea level. But what are some of the psychological benefits of altitude camps that we can transfer back to our home at, for most Australians, sea level?

First and most obviously is the group effect. Anybody who has been to Falls Creek, Australia knows that a big part of the training is running with others. The group effect was first studied way back in 1897. The social psychologist demonstrated that cyclists race faster when in the presence of others. But, he also noted that in some tasks people performed worse when grouped with others. This is called social facilitation.

So what? Well, in a relatively simple task, like running, having others around can arouse us and push us to better performances. This is perfect for an interval session or long run. The obvious implication for athletes is to train with others back at sea level.

Luckily, most of the time, running is pretty straight–forward. But it gets more complicated when it comes to racing. Social facilitation can raise experienced athletes to better performances. However, for a beginner at their first major competition, the build-up, call-room, crowd, etc. can make the task of running more complex. Social facilitation can lower performance. There are two implications from this. One, athletes should seek to build experience and familiarisation with races, routines and crowds. Two, keep it simple. This includes both the pre-race build-up and tactics during the race.

Before moving on from social facilitation. I want to point out another group effect – social loafing. Another psychologist identified that some people, within a group, can hide within the group and not push themselves to their full abilities. My experience with runners it that this isn’t common. But particularly for the faster runners in a group it is important to constantly push to their own limits, not the limits of others in the group.

Additionally, it is necessary to develop a collective group effort. Put simply, all athletes in a group should be striving for better training. An athlete that is negative about an injury, the weather, etc. can drag the group down. All athletes in a group need to recognise that training is a group effort. This applies in daily training and in training camps.

Along with the group effect of training at Falls Creek I suspect another unplanned benefit is what has been termed the “Investment Model”. The Investment Model proposes that when an athlete commits large amounts of time, money, and emotion into their sport they will continue persevering with their sport in the long-term.

This type of psychological theory can be pretty daunting. Put in more time and effort and you may feel trapped! I prefer a more positive interpretation. I think that when you create a medium-term training or process goal (as opposed to a race or performance goal) you are more likely to think of yourself as a serious athlete and therefore start being more dedicated in your commitment to training. This means prioritising sleeping, eating, core strength and all of those one-percenters.

Not everyone can commit to a month-long training camp in Flagstaff, Falls Creek, or St. Moritz so how can we apply the investment principle? Set medium and long-term process goals that you look forward to. For example, book a weekend away to trails in the bush or on the coast; commit to and write in your diary a session or long-run with an elite or personally important training partner; book and pay for a massage in two weeks time.

My personal favourite was the commitment I read Mo Farah made. He realised after a training camp in Kenya that he needed to simply eat, sleep, and train. He committed to this full-time and is now a dual gold-medallist. Most of us can’t commit to this full-time but we can block out one or two weeks to do this occasionally, around work, or family commitments. But we have to invest and commit!

So in summary, invest in your training and preferably invest with a group with other positively motivated athletes.

END

About the Author: RT’s latest columnist, Daniel Quin has run numerous Zatopeks, National XC’s, has raced in a Chiba Ekiden, and won a state 5000m and 15km title. In “retirement” he did a marathon. It hurt! He still runs a fair bit. Professionally Quin is a teacher and psychologist, and researching student engagement- Click Here to Learn more. But the best bit for Quin is being a Dad. 

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Part 2 of 2 – Read part 1 (here)

Written by Daniel Quin – Runner’s Tribe

Managing injury pain is really only one part of pain management in distance running. The pain of fatigue, heat, dehydration, and muscle micro-tears is a bigger daily challenge. Because pain is subjective, that is people experience the same pain differently, it means that different mental techniques can be applied to manage pain. Below I have summarised some the techniques these elite runners have described. You may prefer one strategy over another.

Distraction

For most people thinking about the current pain makes it worse. Ryan Hall tried to think about Jesus and his wife. Lidia Simon thought about her mum. Lorraine Moller sang to herself. I have vivid memories of lying on the physiotherapy table when I was about to receive painful dry needling. I would babble on about anything with the physiotherapist, other than what was happening to my gluteals!

Chunking

Kara Goucher clearly described how she tries to break the race down into manageable splits. Moller talked about getting to the next lamppost. Strategies such as these work because most pain in distance running is manageable for a short period. What becomes difficult is if you start thinking too far ahead. Such as, “I can’t bear another 30 minutes of this pain”. Goucher best described how she sought to control what she can control.

Meet pain head on

Hendrick Raamala said: “Pain doesn’t kill; the winner is the guy who resists pain and survives it.” In this quote it can be seen that Raamala doesn’t shy away from the knowledge that it will hurt. He wanted more pain: “More fire, more pain”. Goucher suggested that going hard until she “blows” is desirable. Haile Gebrselassie suggested that fighting pain is futile. In this regard the athletes embrace or accept the challenge of pain. It’s a sign that things are going as planned.

Positive psychology

Embracing or welcoming pain is a variation on positive psychology. If an athlete can change a negative (i.e., it’s hurting) to a positive (i.e., my competitors must be hurting more) then the pain is easier to manage. Moller exemplified this approach when she felt that her ability to manage pain was what distinguished herself from lesser athletes.

Social support

Dick Beardsley attempted to share the load of pain by working with his competitors and training partners. This is probably most effective in training but there is a lot to be gained from encouraging others through the tough times.

Make light of the pain

When we joke about the “wall”, “bonking”, “going lactic”, “smashing ourselves”, etc. we are putting a psychological distance (no pun intended) between ourselves and the pain. Giving a name or joking about the pain helps us make the pain seem less real.

The final thing I took from reading about these athletes is that they all mentioned the benefits of practicing their strategies in training and racing over many years.

We all know about the pain that Sally Pearson has overcome to win her recent word title. I am certain that athletes such as Jessica Trengove, Genevieve LaCaze, Eloise Wellings, Patrick Tiernan, and Ryan Gregson overcame significant pain to compete at the London World Championships. The seemingly routine pain these athletes manage, almost daily, doesn’t look as thrilling as a Joel Selwood ankle or Dermott Brereton rib but is equally brave.

About the Author: RT columnist, Daniel Quin has run numerous Zatopeks, National XC’s, has raced in a Chiba Ekiden, and won a state 5000m and 15km title. In “retirement” he did a marathon. It hurt! He still runs a fair bit. Professionally Quin is a teacher and psychologist, and researching student engagement- Click Here to Learn more. But the best bit for Quin is being a Dad. 

Read part 1 here -> http://www.runnerstribe.com/features/injuries-pain-and-worry-article-by-daniel-quin/

The post Strategies for managing pain in distance running appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

In Melbourne we are about to enter another Australian Football League finals series and narratives will be formed around Joel Selwood overcoming supposedly epic pain to participate. Or perhaps someone will do a Dermott Brereton and endure after a bone-crunching hit.

The mythology that arises out of these football acts is sometimes overstated. I admire any distance runner who starts a training session or race with the knowledge that it is going to hurt. This knowledge can be debilitating and without good coping strategies, an athlete can unconsciously self-sabotage their training or race in an effort to avoid pain.

When seeking to manage running pain it is essential to distinguish between pain that indicates you should stop running (and seek treatment) and pain that can be worked through. Pain is often an indicator of an injury and therefore it may be disadvantageous, in the long-term, to continue.

Gabriela Andersen-Schiess in the 1984 Olympic marathon perfectly describes this balance. In summary, she persisted because it was the Olympics, potentially her last race, and others were helping to keep her safe. It would be foolish to ignore this level of pain and risk for a training session.

It is almost impossible to train or race at your best if your thoughts are clouded by: “Stop? Slow down? Or, continue?” The message for an athlete is: be clear why you are racing or training and what level of injury or illness risk is acceptable at that time. Clarity with these goals helps decision making around the stop-slow down-continue dilemma.

One strategy for dealing with the stop-slowdown-continue dilemma is to make a plan. Rehabilitation programs that prescribe work and rest intervals, for example, 10 x 60 second run, 30 second walk, help in two ways. They provide essential progressive physical overload. But more relevant to the current discussion, they provide a structured opportunity to reassess the pain or injury. It frees the mind to enjoy the 60 second run and then the walk is the time for reassessment.

These principles can be applied when unexpected pain crops up in a race or session. For example, an athlete might notice a tight calve early in a race. Upon first noticing this pain most athletes would continue. Having made this decision the athlete needs to return his or her attention to the race (and not the pain). This is the association and disassociation balance I have previously written about.

But what if the pain becomes worse? This is the time to quickly devise a plan. It could be something like, I’ll run to the next aid station, next corner, or for the next 60 seconds and then reassess. But the plan should not be: I’ll constantly worry and assess my calve. Obviously, if the pain changes suddenly a new plan needs to be arrived at…

END OF PART 1 OF 2 (Read part 2 Here)

About the Author: RT columnist, Daniel Quin has run numerous Zatopeks, National XC’s, has raced in a Chiba Ekiden, and won a state 5000m and 15km title. In “retirement” he did a marathon. It hurt! He still runs a fair bit. Professionally Quin is a teacher and psychologist, and researching student engagement- Click Here to Learn more. But the best bit for Quin is being a Dad. 

The post Injuries, pain, and worry – Article by Daniel Quin appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

There is a certain comfort in doing something when injured. Most athletes are familiar with ice, tape, therabands, strengthening exercises, balance plates, water-running belts, and I even have a repurposed dogball. Each of these tools help to provide structure for rehabilitation and a physiotherapist is crucial in setting not only physical, but also psychological expectations. An article in the journal of Physical Therapy in Sport termed this the “psychosocial impact … on competitive athletes”. The first impact identified in the article was reinjury anxiety.

Reinjury anxiety or worry may be well-placed because it is stressful to balance a quick return to full training vs overdoing it and having a reinjury. Even more concerning is that anxiety can contribute to physical tension or loss of confidence. Which in turn can contribute to further injury or diminished performance. A vicious cycle!

Usually athletes work through this balance with the help of a physiotherapy program, including a patient return to training and racing. But sometimes the reinjury anxiety is irrational and athletes find themselves not fully committing to their training and racing. Athletes need to understand why their anxiety is rationale or irrational, sometimes with the help of a recognised sports psychologist or psychologist experienced in working with athletes. This type of technique is called cognitive behaviour therapy.

For example, if after diligently completing rehabilitation from a stress fracture, being pain free, and receiving the “all-clear” from a physiotherapist or doctor and you are still holding back due to worry about re-injury, then this is an irrational thought. You may get reinjured but this is not a logical reason for not increasing your training kilometers gradually. We shouldn’t live our life based on unlikely bad luck occurrences.

Physiotherapists are brilliant at prescribing progressive overload. But the skill of the physiotherapist, coach, and athlete is to tailor the overload to ensure not only a full range of motion and strength, but also confidence. When an athlete has a bank of recent training that they can remember easily they are more able to replace an irrational thought. Rather than holding back under pressure the confident athlete automatically recalls rationale, positive thoughts and fully commits to his or her training and racing.

Another important point is the specific reinjury anxiety. A psychologist can help an athlete discuss his or her fear/ worry/ anxiety/ demon/ nerves/ caution, etc. openly so that their coach can tailor the training. One athlete with a quadriceps injury may need more repetitions at 62 – 60s/ 400m before stepping down to the 56 – 58s range. Another athlete, with the same injury, may be worried about producing a 60s lap under fatigue at the end of a race. (A similar topic for another article is specific anxiety around illness, poor sleep, missing the start, etc.)

In part, some of this irrational vs rationale is experience. Experienced athletes learn what is a niggle that indicates the beginning of an injury and what is a niggle that should be mostly ignored. A training diary can help in this regard. It can be reassuring and educational to look back at training notes. For example, athletes may learn that soreness after the first track session in a few months is normal, goes away after three days, and is not really worth worrying too much about. Others may see a sore calve as the beginning of a strain.

But even experienced athletes have trouble with irrational anxiety about reinjury. Following are four psychological techniques for addressing reinjury anxiety.

1. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Write down in one column all your worries about reinjury (be specific).

In the column next to that honestly and objectively work out how likely this is to occur.

In a third column list all the objective evidence you have that reinjury is unlikely. E.g., physiotherapist gave okay; diligent rehabilitation; successfully completed sessions at race pace, etc.

The purpose of this simple exercise is to hopefully help you see that your worry is overstated or even irrational. And then focus and become more aware of the many rational reasons injury won’t reoccur.

It is possible that the athlete comes to the conclusion that injury anxiety is rationale (!). In which case more rehabilitation may be required.

2. Visual imagery

Pole vaulters often have a fear of reinjury after a vaulting accident (I would argue that this is rational!). Steve Hooker used visual imagery to help him overcome his mental demons. It is more complex than a brief explanation but it involves developing very a clear, detailed “video” in your mind of you successfully completing a skill or activity. Under pressure the athlete practices recalling this video or mental picture.

3. Mindfulness

Injury is often associated with idle time – perfect for the mind to wander and worry! This excessive worry doesn’t help. Some athletes keep themselves busy with study, chores, etc. But this often isn’t possible in the lead up to a race, session, or going to sleep. Some athletes practice mindfulness to be more present. Smiling Mind is a free self-guided app that can help an athlete process their worries more effectively.

4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Similar to mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) techniques can help an athlete become aware of muscle tension developing. As noted earlier athletes experiencing reinjury anxiety often become tense and will be at greater risk of reinjury. PMR teaches the athlete to relax. This is helpful not just for reinjury anxiety but also pre-race and session nerves.

In my next article I will address other “psychosocial impacts of injury” including:

• inability to return to pre-injury levels
• loss of athletic identity
• external pressure to return

END

About the Author: RT columnist Daniel Quin has run numerous Zatopeks, National XC’s, has raced in a Chiba Ekiden, and won a state 5000m and 15km title. In “retirement” he did a marathon. It hurt! He still runs a fair bit. Professionally Quin is a teacher and psychologist, and researching student engagement- Click Here to Learn more. But the best bit for Quin is being a Dad. 

The post Beyond Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, and Referral appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

For obvious reasons Nike would have us believe that an integral part of Eliud Kipchoge’s 2-hour marathon performance in Monza last month was due to his shoes. More objective analysis pointed towards the pace car and huge timing clock. Others have written that the crucial factor was the effect of the pacing athletes, including Australia’s Collis Birmingham. It is also self-evident to any distance runner that a temperature of 10 degrees, minimal wind, flat course, and no sharp corners were crucial. Finally, Len Johnson has pointed out that Kipchoge has displayed form worthy of the marathon world record, without all of the precision planning.

In amongst all of this science the Sub2Hour Marathon website has an intriguing topic – psychobiology. The website suggests that benefits exist in dissociating from physical and mental strain. Unfortunately no further information is provided so I followed this up.

Previous research has reported that elite marathoners frequently tune into their technique, temperature, breathing, and muscle fatigue. That is they associate with how their body is adapting to the pace, conditions, and competitors. Further, elite marathoners tend to use these association techniques more than lesser marathoners.

In comparison non-elite marathoners were more likely to disassociate. They use distraction techniques like mental calculations, thinking about other things, and rigidly adhering to pre-race strategies. Unfortunately, these techniques can contribute to the runner not adjusting their pace, technique, and breathing, in response to changing race circumstances

This doesn’t mean that disassociation shouldn’t be used. It would be mentally exhausting to seek non-stop feedback for more than 2 hours. Psychologically, Kipchoge and the other athletes that participated in the Sub2Hour project, would have benefited from not needing to monitor the pace, respond to hills, tight corners, drink stations, and other competitors. Instead Kipchoge would have been free to associate with his body and ensure he was relaxed at 2.50/km for 42kms! It is difficult to measure accurately but my guess is that by removing the usual range of big-city and championship marathon variables Kipchoge would have been more free to disassociate.

Recently I witnessed another world record attempt. My colleague (and brother-in-law), Dr. Mitch Anderson, successfully broke the world 12-hour cycling record. Like the Sub2Hour project Mitch had a clear and even pace strategy. Further, Mitch was successful in having an almost perfect weather day. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to have a closed circuit. Instead at various times he was required to negotiate traffic and a flat tire. On multiple occasions Mitch had to slow, associate with how his body was adapting to these unplanned changes, and get his pace back up to 41km/h. The physical toll was obvious but the psychological toll to remain calm and respond to these regular changes was became apparent.

If you are not attempting a world record what should you take from all of this? Similar principles apply when aiming for a personal best. The first goal should be to reduce the number of adjustments you need to make in a race. It is preferable to get into the correct rhythm and associate with your body and make minor and infrequent adjustments to form and pace, as appropriate. If you are confident that the pace and race strategy is appropriate at the time then some dissociation would be a good psychological break.

Practice makes perfect. For example, it would appropriate in a set of 3 minute intervals to practice associating with pace and technique for the first 30 seconds. Then if you are satisfied allow yourself to dissociate. But importantly keep coming back to your body (association). Are your shoulders tense? Are you overstriding? Does the pace feel right? And so on. This “body check” may happen regularly for the middle 2 minutes and then the goal would be to 100% associate again for the last 30 seconds to squeeze out every tenth of a second.

The Mitch and Kipchoge examples further illustrate the principles for training. An athletics track is perfect for practicing this. The Tan (Melbourne), on a balmy spring evening, not so much. The Tan has too many external variables. An uneven surface and unpredictable runners means that associating exclusively with your body is much harder. Common-sense is important though. If you are a trail-runner or training for a tactical 1,500m then you absolutely must be able to associate with how your body is responding to variations. Kipchoge and the Sub 2 hour project removed all of these variables. Mitch needed to rely on his years of experience to quickly alter his mental state and adjust to the semi-regular disruptions.

Finally, a point relevant to 2017, would be how does listening to music contribute to disassociation? I suspect this isn’t just my old age showing (I was competitive when portable music was a Discman). Music is likely to be a distraction for elite marathoners seeking to squeeze out the absolute maximum from their performance. But maybe for the recreational athlete, that isn’t so concerned about a extra 1 – 10sec/ km, enjoying the marathon experience, via disassociation is more important. Sometimes it is more important to enjoy your exercise than always strive for marginal gains.

END

About the Author: RT columnist, Daniel Quin has run numerous Zatopeks, National XC’s, has raced in a Chiba Ekiden, and won a state 5000m and 15km title. In “retirement” he did a marathon. It hurt! He still runs a fair bit. Professionally Quin is a teacher and psychologist, and researching student engagement- Click Here to Learn more. But the best bit for Quin is being a Dad. 

Video: Nike // Breaking2

https://youtu.be/uvhSgxUdsdQ

The post Association and Disassociation: Written by Daniel Quin, Psychologist appeared first on Runner's Tribe.

Written by Daniel Quin – Runner’s Tribe

A superficial answer to the question: “why do you run?” could include the well-documented physical health benefits. These include the lower incidence of heart disease, reduced rates of mortality, improved oxygen uptake, and so on. But this isn’t why I run. Perhaps it is not surprising that I recall the psychological benefits of exercise. Reduced anxiety and lower rates of depression are just some of the psychological benefits associated with regular exercise. So, the answer to: “why do I run?” is better physical and mental health.

But that doesn’t explain the volume and intensity of running and exercise that many Runners Tribe readers undertake. If it was just about the prevention of poor physical health or the reduced likelihood of mental illness none of us would run more than 50km a week, complete a marathon, strive for an elusive PB, chase a gold medal, or run 19,000 days in a row. Interestingly Melbourne runner and researcher Andre Le Gerche has proposed that excessive exercise can have a detrimental effect on an endurance athlete’s heart. More isn’t necessarily better.

To me, a more interesting question is: “Why do I run more than is necessary to prevent heart disease and mental illness?” The catch-all answer is: “Because it’s there. It’s a challenge”. However, the psychological literature can provide a more in-depth answer. Some of the reasons are included below.

Flow

Csikszentmihályi is credited with the concept of “flow”. The idea that without conscious thought we can lose all awareness of time, people, and distractions. For an accomplished runner that ability to be completely immersed in a run along a trail or path can be hugely satisfying. Flow can be achieved in many activities but minimal distractions, a good level of competence for the activity, and clear reasons for participation are important.

Social or connectedness

Being connected to others is a basic human need. For many, participation in running helps develop social relationships with other runners. Moreover, it can aid in identification as a runner. This identification and connection to running is more about promoting wellbeing and innate human needs for connection than the prevention of mental illness.

Sense of purpose

I used to run with a guy who joked that on Sunday he went to the “church of the long run”. I raise this because in generations past religion was viewed as part of having a sense of higher purpose or reason for existence. Having a racing or training goal can have a similar effect. It stills the mind, protects against boredom, and improves well-being.

The thrill or challenge

It is well established that participants in extreme sports such as downhill mountain biking and snowboarding get a buzz or adrenalin rush from the danger. Most running is not exactly an extreme sport but for many, the sense of physical challenge in running achieves a similar high. Standing at the start of a repetition or lining up on the start line takes us away from our comfort zone. The sense of achievement with overcoming the doubts and fears that can threaten to overwhelm can be hugely satisfying.

Each of these four benefits of running can be broadly categorised as intrinsic motivation. They are beneficial without any external acknowledgement or rewards. Generally, intrinsic motivation is best for psychological wellbeing because the effort and participation in running is sufficient for enjoyment.

In contrast extrinsic motivation can be applied and be rewarding but it isn’t as sustainable. For example, an extrinsic goal would be to lose weight to be slim for summer. With this extrinsic goal running is secondary to losing weight. Once the weight loss is achieved participation in running is difficult to maintain.

So next time you are asked: “why do you run?” Perhaps you can quote Csikszentmihályi, explain the centrality of social connectedness to human needs, discuss the demise of organised religion, or elaborate upon the satisfaction of overcoming fears on the start line!

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About the Author: RT columnist, Daniel Quin has run numerous Zatopeks, National XC’s, has raced in a Chiba Ekiden, and won a state 5000m and 15km title. In “retirement” he did a marathon. It hurt! He still runs a fair bit. Professionally Quin is a teacher and psychologist, and researching student engagement- Click Here to Learn more. But the best bit for Quin is being a Dad. 

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Eventually I intend to write about some positive psychology topics associated with running but before that I want to return to the concept of the psychosocial impact of being injured. Last month I explored the problem of reinjury anxiety. Another common psychological consequence of being injured is the loss of athletic identity.

Everybody has a “self-concept”. It consists of all the beliefs, good and bad, that we hold about ourselves. For most competitive athletes some of those beliefs are around our athletic identity. These can take many forms. Presumably Ryan Gregson and Eloise Wellings view themselves as international athletes, amongst a range of other things. A fun-runner may identify as just that – a person who does races for fun, fitness, and competition.

Threats to our athletic identity and self-concept arise when we are injured and can’t train and race. This makes intuitive sense. It is much harder to identify as an athlete when we aren’t participating in our sport. But why is this a problem? Lots of people don’t’ have an athletic identity and it doesn’t appear to cause them a problem. Well, for the majority of us that have participated in competitive running for any period of time, being a runner is actually a part of our self-concept.

If we are injured and can’t see ourselves as a runner then often our self-esteem also falls. This is because all of us have expectations of ourselves and when we don’t meet these expectations we can get pretty down on ourselves. Social psychologists call this self-discrepancy.

This can be a pretty bad cycle because the self-concept of most runners I have met includes a perception that they are a positive person, who can meet almost any challenge. To make things even worse one of the best things a person who is feeling down can do is… exercise!

Fortunately, this negative cycle isn’t inevitable. Below is a list of things you can do to stave off the loss of athletic identity.

1. Keep in touch with your training group, partners, and coach – in person and online. The temptation is to stay away and tell yourself that you are in the way. Don’t! Part of being a runner is watching running, talking to other runners, and the silly little routines that we have around getting to and being at training. Cheering, stop-watch duties, drink bottle station is all a second best but it keeps you connected to running and other runners. Coaches and training partners can help with this. Injured athletes need reassurance and thanks for holding the drinks. They need to know when the post-training coffee/ milkshake has been moved.
2. Work out the rehabilitation routine. Much of running is the discipline and structure around training. If you can establish a structure for cross-training and strengthening then you will feel like an athlete.
3. Which is related to my next point. If you are cross-training at the pool, gym or on the bike, own it! You are a runner, doing serious running business! If you need to join a swim squad, learn and respect the squad rules but take the same running attitude to cross-training.
4. This is less likely in a running group but if possible do rehab or come back to full fitness with others. Australian Rules Footballers often describe the benefits of their “rehab group”. They support each other as a team, within the team.
5. Finally, and this doesn’t directly address loss of athletic identity, when injured, but a balanced lifestyle helps immensely. The hit to an athlete’s overall self-concept, when injured, will be much less if he or she can redirect some focus and energy to work, study, family, friends, hobbies, etc.

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About the Author: RT columnist, Daniel Quin has run numerous Zatopeks, National XC’s, has raced in a Chiba Ekiden, and won a state 5000m and 15km title. In “retirement” he did a marathon. It hurt! He still runs a fair bit. Professionally Quin is a teacher and psychologist, and researching student engagement- Click Here to Learn more. But the best bit for Quin is being a Dad. 

The post Avoiding the negative psychosocial impacts of being an injured athlete appeared first on Runner's Tribe.