I’m a city guy through and through. I do more wrangling of a late night street kebab then anything resembling cattle. I draw on my deep Texas roots for this analogy, however, in saying that I’ve fallen off a few horses. In this past marathon cycle I fell off of every horse I was on for both good and bad reasons. What is important, in my opinion, is not the critique of a lack of motivation, but the understanding of why, when we’re experiencing a relatively high level of success mid-training program, we can suddenly fall. The final question is then what we do, and whether it’s even important to get back on at all.
Dusting yourself off
I fell off the marathon horse the minute I crossed the line at the Barcelona half marathon. I was half-way through the London build, but sitting on the side of the road in Spain thinking, “Wow, that half-marathon was incredible, I could end my season right here.” My post about the race expressed my obvious enthusiasm as I compared this result to my 2:18:05 at Valencia. They meant the same to me, but in grossly different phases of two completely separate training programs, one falling at the end of a cycle and one in the middle. It’s dangerous for motivation to be mid-marathon build up with a built in excuse for not continuing to perform well. For me, after Barcelona, this happened to be that a 64:58 half marathon met my definition of a successful season, despite how I would ultimately perform in London. It’s obvious today that this was the turning point, but I am trying to determine how to recognize this in the future.
Are you on a horse?
Individuality should be taken into consideration, and some of the below are slightly obvious, but I know I’m on a horse when I’m doing most of the following:
- Actively managing my mental state through meditation and self-talk
- Sticking to my nutrition and experimenting with new supplements and meal plans
- Feeling excited to run out the door in the morning
- Engaging in social running behavior, i.e. seeking out running partners
- Supplementing my running with strides, rolling, stretching, etc.
- Dreaming of smashing my goal, running 2:15, or qualifying for the olympics
Looking back on these points, I was deep off the horse. I had somehow fallen and simply did not realize that I was on my ass, confused, and dusty from the fact that I was flat on the ground with my horse was standing above me. I was just off.
Given motivation exists on a spectrum, I found it difficult to see the slow degradation of my desires to run a fast marathon. They happened gradually, but before I knew it I was out of it completely. Some other small things I’ve noticed about myself include:
- I tend to stall getting out the door for my long run, i.e., schedule a run for 10 and leave at noon.
- I lose all interest in eating to support my training, or cutting out sugar, alcohol, and processed foods.
- I catch myself in patterns of negative self talk and excuse myself for missing workouts or races.
- I prioritize work and travel, and sacrifice running for other areas of life (I always try to keep these as balanced as possible).
- I stay up later, and snooze through my early alarms.
In the end, we have to know ourselves and the signs that the inspiration has dried up.
for when you fall of a horse:
Ultimately, it’s easy to fall off a horse. The gravity and momentum of everyday life provide a bulk of the assistance, as does the running itself. It could be as much as one bad performance that acts as the final breaking point, or even a really good performance that serves as the overwhelming sense of achievement that you wanted for the entire cycle. For me, a strong half marathon performance contributed alot, though I also believe I impacted by the first real winter of my life (as I said…a Texas boy), a tough schedule at work, and the feeling of success of my prior marathon. No matter the reason, you only have two choices to make. After you pick yourself up and dust yourself off, you either attempt to get back on the horse, or you don’t. Plain and simple.
Truth and honesty is extremely important, so when I feel like I’ve fallen off a horse in the future, I plan on asking myself the following questions:
- Why did I get on the horse in the first place? Did it in any way feel out of obligation?
- How much longer do/did I plan on being on this horse? Does this seem like a time period you want to recommit to?
- How does being on a horse now fit into my long term goals? Does this training cycle serve any specific purpose?
- Am I enjoying being on a horse?
- Who am I on this horse for? Is this for me and me alone?
Meb raced 26 incredible marathons, but this is an achievement that most can only dream of. Poor training, or training for the wrong reasons, can do real damage your mind and body, and a bad training experience can impact your relationship with the sport, either short or long-term, and even your relationships with friends, family, and co-workers. While most will encounter more than a few difficult spots in a training program, it’s important to take a step back and recognize when this is a temporary rough patch in motivation, and when it’s a sign that you need a break.
Be good to yourself. This sport lives on a very fine spectrum between Beauty and Brutality, and a reality that is too far shifted towards Brutality should be assessed. I’ve too often been afraid to take a step back and admit that this is not what I want at this moment in my life. If this is the case, in a fundamental, visceral way, pull the plug and save yourself. Take your two, three, four weeks off, reset the mind and the body, and get back at it. Sensibility has to prevail in a sport that breaks you down as much as this one.
Do Good,
Young Austin