One part of the preparation that I haven't really talked about is mental imagery. I can remember in college looking at a course map every friday night during XC season and imagining myself running strongly from start to finish.
It might sound like an odd thing to do - but, I don't know of a good coach who doesn't have his athletes use this technique. It works because when you toe the line you feel like you've already been here - you've already run this course strongly. And that extra bit of confidence allows you to react to the difficult parts of the race in a more positive manner. You're less likely to give up - you're more able to relax and push through the difficult times.
One powerful image for me is a flowing river - it may be calm, but there is a lot of force and it is continually moving. Of course there is a lot of flowing going on when you're running - all the thousands of miniature "rivers" delivering oxygen to your muscles and removing toxins. The air moving in and out of your lungs. The wind flowing around your body.
To etch that imagery into my head - I ran down to a portion of Jones Falls, which runs along the southern end of Falls Road here in Baltimore. Even though it's only 1/2 mile from Penn Station and next to I-83 - it's very peaceful there. I ran my last six striders in a quiet section between two mini "rapids". I thought about how the rocks and boulders were like the Newton hills - and how the water just flowed over or around the rocks easily. The rocks only gave the water a voice and texture.
Boston is of course a fun race for mental imagery - the crowds, the landmarks, the hills. This route is better known than the actual road that Phidippides traveled from Marathon to Athens all those years ago. The Boston course is full of heroes and villains - comedy and tragedy - joy and sorrow. The course itself is a celebration of life lived intensely and deliberately.
On Monday I might be in too much pain to think of running or the course in any poetic sense - but, I hope that I can at least draw some inspiration from the place - so that I can perform my best.
I've probably spent enough time analyzing the race : ) so, this will probably be my last post before Monday. Thanks to everyone for their support and good luck to everyone running on Monday!
Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts
Friday, April 17, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
BE THE CHIHUAHUA!
Updated: One of my old teammates read this and said I got some of the story wrong - so, I modified a few things from the original. What can I say - it's been over 15 years.
In honor of the National Cross-Country race this weekend in Derwood, MD - I thought I'd write a story of another important XC race in my life. It was the week of the Michigan state XC meet my junior year of High School (yes, jerks, that was a long time ago). Our team had won every meet that fall and my buddy Todd Snyder had won every individual title. But, this was different, it was the state meet and we were supposed to win - the toughest kind of pressure.
Our coach, Don Sleeman had been at Ann Arbor Pioneer for ~25 years at that point - in fact, he's still coaching after 40 years and his team won a state championship just last year. Sleeman was a sargent in the Air Force before he started teaching and coaching. His main motto was "Pain purifies." Of course the guys who had come before us said that he had "softened" over the years - but, he was still pretty intimidating at the time.
The first two weeks of practice in August were always hell - no one pushed their team harder. But, he knew when to back off - and feeling the pressure that we were all feeling he decided that we needed some humor in our lives. After our normal stretching routine early in the week - he said he had a newspaper column to read to us. This was normal for him - there were copies of newspaper articles on running pasted all over the walls of his office. But, this article was different - first of all it was about dogs - but, more generally it was about how the right amount of motivation and focus we can overcome any obstacle.
The article was a column by the Chicago Tribune's Mike Royko (I actually found it on that internet thing). It was about a male Chihuahua in Florida that had been sauntering around the neighborhood, when suddenly an urge overcame him as he saw the neighborhood female Rottweiler. The urge proved much stronger than any fear that pup must have had regarding their size differential, and believe it or not he successfully impregnated the Rottweiler. As with all great American stories - we know this is not urban legend because a lawsuit was involved - the owner of the Rottweiler sued the owner of the Chihuahua. Coach Sleeman said that the most important thing for us to remember that coming Saturday was to "be the Chihuahua." Looking back, I think he might have feared that we might become the Rottweiler.
That Saturday we toed the line on a chilly Michigan November day - and in the quiet stillness before the gun fired Coach Sleeman yelled out - "BE THE CHIHUAHUA!" Of course in the first 10 meters we almost fell over ourselves laughing - but any tension we had in our bodies was gone. We went on to win the State Championship. We won by such a wide margin that we ended up being ranked 3rd in the country by USA Today.
So, on Saturday, as we toe the line against the Rottweilers of Ritz, Meb, Fam and others - let's remember to be the Chihuahua!
Ryan - please don't take that literally.
In honor of the National Cross-Country race this weekend in Derwood, MD - I thought I'd write a story of another important XC race in my life. It was the week of the Michigan state XC meet my junior year of High School (yes, jerks, that was a long time ago). Our team had won every meet that fall and my buddy Todd Snyder had won every individual title. But, this was different, it was the state meet and we were supposed to win - the toughest kind of pressure.
Our coach, Don Sleeman had been at Ann Arbor Pioneer for ~25 years at that point - in fact, he's still coaching after 40 years and his team won a state championship just last year. Sleeman was a sargent in the Air Force before he started teaching and coaching. His main motto was "Pain purifies." Of course the guys who had come before us said that he had "softened" over the years - but, he was still pretty intimidating at the time.
The first two weeks of practice in August were always hell - no one pushed their team harder. But, he knew when to back off - and feeling the pressure that we were all feeling he decided that we needed some humor in our lives. After our normal stretching routine early in the week - he said he had a newspaper column to read to us. This was normal for him - there were copies of newspaper articles on running pasted all over the walls of his office. But, this article was different - first of all it was about dogs - but, more generally it was about how the right amount of motivation and focus we can overcome any obstacle.
The article was a column by the Chicago Tribune's Mike Royko (I actually found it on that internet thing). It was about a male Chihuahua in Florida that had been sauntering around the neighborhood, when suddenly an urge overcame him as he saw the neighborhood female Rottweiler. The urge proved much stronger than any fear that pup must have had regarding their size differential, and believe it or not he successfully impregnated the Rottweiler. As with all great American stories - we know this is not urban legend because a lawsuit was involved - the owner of the Rottweiler sued the owner of the Chihuahua. Coach Sleeman said that the most important thing for us to remember that coming Saturday was to "be the Chihuahua." Looking back, I think he might have feared that we might become the Rottweiler.
That Saturday we toed the line on a chilly Michigan November day - and in the quiet stillness before the gun fired Coach Sleeman yelled out - "BE THE CHIHUAHUA!" Of course in the first 10 meters we almost fell over ourselves laughing - but any tension we had in our bodies was gone. We went on to win the State Championship. We won by such a wide margin that we ended up being ranked 3rd in the country by USA Today.
So, on Saturday, as we toe the line against the Rottweilers of Ritz, Meb, Fam and others - let's remember to be the Chihuahua!
Ryan - please don't take that literally.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Quote of the Day
One of my favorite books is River Horse, by William Least Heat-Moon. It recounts the author's trip from New York City to the mouth of the Columbia River in the Pacific Ocean - all by boat. He does have a few dozen miles of portage - but, most of the time he travels the rivers, lakes, and canals of America - which gives him plenty of time to talk about history, geography, and ecology. I think what interests me most about the book is how a voyage like this is a very strong metaphor for life - especially a voyage on such a flowing and ever-changing thing as a river.
This quote is from a part of the book where he is on the Missouri River in South Dakota.
"I thought how far I was from where and when this journey began, how I was so distant from that fellow passing for me twenty months ago, the one so eager to learn the secrets of river passage. Could he - the me of that moment - and I sit down together, he would want to know what I knew and absorb what I had experienced, and he would regard me enviously, just as I do those men who have returned from the moon. But there would be forever a difference between him and me: I went and he did not. He set the voyage in motion, but he could not take it. Just as I, who lay on the Dakota hill, could not know whether Nikawa would reach the Pacific, he could never see the outcome of his preparations, unless somewhere, on some far other side, time permits us to meet our past selves, all those we have been. Our physical components change every seven years, so our brains are continuously passing along memories to a stranger; who we have been is only a ghostly fellow traveler. As for me, what might I learn from him who laid out the voyage or from all those others I once was." . . .
"What a report I might deliver to them about where they have sent me! And how they could remind me of first kisses and death, the Haitian mountains at sunset and the Ozark hills at night. They could redraw the faded lines of the long map of my journey here, point out clearly where it was I took a road other than the one they intended, and they could tell me whether they liked that divagation or not, whether they found it a good one or rankly stupid. Were human memory total and perfect, perhaps I'd be only one person from start to finish, but forgetfulness cuts me off from who I've been so that hourly I am reborn. To twist Santyana's words, I who cannot fully remember my past am condemned to proceed without it."
The last sentence seems to say that our imperfect memory is somehow a limitation - but, he's really saying that the fading of memories allow us to change - which is not only positive, but it's necessary if we are to adapt and thrive in a world that is ever-changing.
To outsiders it might seem that running is about routine and familiarity. But, for me, running is addictive because it's about transformation. Whether it's a six-month marathon training cycle or an easy four miler - I run because I expect that the experience will change me - if not from who I am, than from who I might become. Thankfully, the painful memories of past marathons are only good enough to help me to change my methods - but, not so perfect to stop me from doing another one.
This quote is from a part of the book where he is on the Missouri River in South Dakota.
"I thought how far I was from where and when this journey began, how I was so distant from that fellow passing for me twenty months ago, the one so eager to learn the secrets of river passage. Could he - the me of that moment - and I sit down together, he would want to know what I knew and absorb what I had experienced, and he would regard me enviously, just as I do those men who have returned from the moon. But there would be forever a difference between him and me: I went and he did not. He set the voyage in motion, but he could not take it. Just as I, who lay on the Dakota hill, could not know whether Nikawa would reach the Pacific, he could never see the outcome of his preparations, unless somewhere, on some far other side, time permits us to meet our past selves, all those we have been. Our physical components change every seven years, so our brains are continuously passing along memories to a stranger; who we have been is only a ghostly fellow traveler. As for me, what might I learn from him who laid out the voyage or from all those others I once was." . . .
"What a report I might deliver to them about where they have sent me! And how they could remind me of first kisses and death, the Haitian mountains at sunset and the Ozark hills at night. They could redraw the faded lines of the long map of my journey here, point out clearly where it was I took a road other than the one they intended, and they could tell me whether they liked that divagation or not, whether they found it a good one or rankly stupid. Were human memory total and perfect, perhaps I'd be only one person from start to finish, but forgetfulness cuts me off from who I've been so that hourly I am reborn. To twist Santyana's words, I who cannot fully remember my past am condemned to proceed without it."
The last sentence seems to say that our imperfect memory is somehow a limitation - but, he's really saying that the fading of memories allow us to change - which is not only positive, but it's necessary if we are to adapt and thrive in a world that is ever-changing.
To outsiders it might seem that running is about routine and familiarity. But, for me, running is addictive because it's about transformation. Whether it's a six-month marathon training cycle or an easy four miler - I run because I expect that the experience will change me - if not from who I am, than from who I might become. Thankfully, the painful memories of past marathons are only good enough to help me to change my methods - but, not so perfect to stop me from doing another one.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Staying motivated
In the nine years since I graduated from college i've found that there are four keys to staying in good running shape.
1) Run with a group at least twice a week.
2) Find cool races to run.
3) Have goals.
4) Plan your training around these cool races and your goals.
It's pretty simple - but, when i've strayed from any of these goals my motivation drops big time.
It's also important to sprinkle some less important races in your training for the "big race."
For instance - this is my schedule for races up until Boston:
1/25 - very tentatively the Miami half-marathon. Either way I'm planning on running 12-13 miles that day at marathon race pace.
2/7 - USATF XC championship - with it being in Maryland this year there is really no excuse.
2/21 - Club Challenge 10 miler - I'm planning on treating this as a workout - but, I must beat my time from last year.
3/21 - National half-marathon in DC - This will be my main tune-up for Boston. My time here will give me a good idea of what I should shoot for on 4/20.
4/4 - I haven't found a race yet - but, I need to run 15 miles at marathon pace that weekend. Let me know if anybody has any suggestions.
Longer term plans: I've decided that I don't want to run a marathon more often than every 18 months - with goal races every 6 months.
Fall of 2009 I'm looking at maybe the Twin Cities 10 miler which is the same day as the Twin Cities Marathon.
Spring of 2010 I'd like to run some fast 5k/10k's on the track/road (Carlsbad 5000, random college track races). Making it into Penn would be my dream goal that spring.
Fall of 2010 - run a marathon on a fast course - maybe go back to Chicago or run the Steamtown marathon in my wife's hometown. And up my mileage 20% from what I'm planning for Boston.
Past that point who knows - but, I would like to run a few marathons in Europe (Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, Rotterdam). I haven't completely ruled out an ultra - but, i don't think it's my thing. My zone seems to be from 5k-half marathon - with 10k-10 mile being my special sweet spot. I would probably be happier and more comfortable just running those shorter races - but, running isn't about being comfortable - it's about being comfortable about being uncomfortable.
1) Run with a group at least twice a week.
2) Find cool races to run.
3) Have goals.
4) Plan your training around these cool races and your goals.
It's pretty simple - but, when i've strayed from any of these goals my motivation drops big time.
It's also important to sprinkle some less important races in your training for the "big race."
For instance - this is my schedule for races up until Boston:
1/25 - very tentatively the Miami half-marathon. Either way I'm planning on running 12-13 miles that day at marathon race pace.
2/7 - USATF XC championship - with it being in Maryland this year there is really no excuse.
2/21 - Club Challenge 10 miler - I'm planning on treating this as a workout - but, I must beat my time from last year.
3/21 - National half-marathon in DC - This will be my main tune-up for Boston. My time here will give me a good idea of what I should shoot for on 4/20.
4/4 - I haven't found a race yet - but, I need to run 15 miles at marathon pace that weekend. Let me know if anybody has any suggestions.
Longer term plans: I've decided that I don't want to run a marathon more often than every 18 months - with goal races every 6 months.
Fall of 2009 I'm looking at maybe the Twin Cities 10 miler which is the same day as the Twin Cities Marathon.
Spring of 2010 I'd like to run some fast 5k/10k's on the track/road (Carlsbad 5000, random college track races). Making it into Penn would be my dream goal that spring.
Fall of 2010 - run a marathon on a fast course - maybe go back to Chicago or run the Steamtown marathon in my wife's hometown. And up my mileage 20% from what I'm planning for Boston.
Past that point who knows - but, I would like to run a few marathons in Europe (Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, Rotterdam). I haven't completely ruled out an ultra - but, i don't think it's my thing. My zone seems to be from 5k-half marathon - with 10k-10 mile being my special sweet spot. I would probably be happier and more comfortable just running those shorter races - but, running isn't about being comfortable - it's about being comfortable about being uncomfortable.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
quote - running and sanity
"If any psychologist will take the trouble to trace out the history of each of our prominent pedestrians (long distance runners/walkers back in the day) he will discover that a very large proportion of them have been subject to some form of madness."
Sir Adolphe Abrahams (1961)
I had to look this up, but Abrahams was a doctor for the British Olympic team for several decades.
On the twss blog (the group I run with) someone posted a New York Times story that made training for a marathon look like more of a challenge for co-workers and spouses than for the runner. Now, they did manage to find some especially crazy runners, who I don't think qualify as the "typical" runner. One guy seemed to think it was more important to buy a $900 gadget to help him recover from long runs than to keep his family on a budget. The same guy (i think) also took his finishing medal to work the week after the race to show his already annoyed co-workers. A female runner used her commute as her training run - and then didn't shower for work.
So, are runners crazier than the average person? If so, is it because crazy people are attracted to running or is it because running develops a slightly eccentric perspective - or both? Most of the comments on the twss blog denied that runners were more self centered, selfish, or crazy than the general public. Most people thought that the crazy people the Times found were that way before they were runners - and would have been the same way regardless of whether they ever took up running. Another point made on the blog was that runners are just like any person who is obsessive about a sport or hobby. That's possible - but, I'm not sure it's healthy to be obsessed about anything.
Here is what I think based on my own experiences. Generally, I feel much better psychologically when I'm training for something. Part of it is probably the endorphins, part pride in accomplishing something unique, part of it is setting aside a part of my day for myself, part of it is the social connections through running (they might be crazy, but they're my kind of crazy), and part of it is just the positive feeling of being in shape.
But, there are traps that I fall into - sometimes my pride or competitiveness turn me into a bit of jerk. Many times I expect family and friends to modify their schedules to fit my training - luckily my wife seems to understand that it's important to me and so she doesn't take offense - but, that doesn't mean that it's a reasonable expectation. I can be very irratable and cranky before a big race - and sometimes after if things don't go well.
That being said - all in all - i think running is a very positive thing in my life. But, I know that balance is important. That's why I was a little ambivalent about starting this blog - I'm a little afraid that it's the "dark" side of running that's leading me to write it. So far, it's been fun and helped me to focus on what I want to do this winter - so, until i feel something different, I'll keep it up.
Sir Adolphe Abrahams (1961)
I had to look this up, but Abrahams was a doctor for the British Olympic team for several decades.
On the twss blog (the group I run with) someone posted a New York Times story that made training for a marathon look like more of a challenge for co-workers and spouses than for the runner. Now, they did manage to find some especially crazy runners, who I don't think qualify as the "typical" runner. One guy seemed to think it was more important to buy a $900 gadget to help him recover from long runs than to keep his family on a budget. The same guy (i think) also took his finishing medal to work the week after the race to show his already annoyed co-workers. A female runner used her commute as her training run - and then didn't shower for work.
So, are runners crazier than the average person? If so, is it because crazy people are attracted to running or is it because running develops a slightly eccentric perspective - or both? Most of the comments on the twss blog denied that runners were more self centered, selfish, or crazy than the general public. Most people thought that the crazy people the Times found were that way before they were runners - and would have been the same way regardless of whether they ever took up running. Another point made on the blog was that runners are just like any person who is obsessive about a sport or hobby. That's possible - but, I'm not sure it's healthy to be obsessed about anything.
Here is what I think based on my own experiences. Generally, I feel much better psychologically when I'm training for something. Part of it is probably the endorphins, part pride in accomplishing something unique, part of it is setting aside a part of my day for myself, part of it is the social connections through running (they might be crazy, but they're my kind of crazy), and part of it is just the positive feeling of being in shape.
But, there are traps that I fall into - sometimes my pride or competitiveness turn me into a bit of jerk. Many times I expect family and friends to modify their schedules to fit my training - luckily my wife seems to understand that it's important to me and so she doesn't take offense - but, that doesn't mean that it's a reasonable expectation. I can be very irratable and cranky before a big race - and sometimes after if things don't go well.
That being said - all in all - i think running is a very positive thing in my life. But, I know that balance is important. That's why I was a little ambivalent about starting this blog - I'm a little afraid that it's the "dark" side of running that's leading me to write it. So far, it's been fun and helped me to focus on what I want to do this winter - so, until i feel something different, I'll keep it up.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Obsessed with training
I don't know if this is healthy or not - but, I've been obsessed lately with looking at my training schedule for the marathon. I've been trying to predict how certain training is going to make me feel based off past experiences. There is enough new training that I've never done before that it makes me a little nervous - but, I think I need to make these changes in my training to improve my time.
And yes, this means I have all of my daily runs planned out until Boston - I know it's a little sick.
What kind of changes?
1) More runs over 20 miles. Leading up to NYC in 2007 I had one run >= 20 miles. Now to be fair - I had 14 runs between 16-19 miles, but I don't think that was enough. For Boston I'm going to be running 9 runs 20-24 miles plus 12 runs between 16-19 miles.
2) More mid-week runs of 12-15 miles. I had about 4 of these in training for NYC. These are easy runs that aren't the long run of the week. I'll be doing 25 of these during training for Boston - so, some weeks I'll have 2 of these. What this means is that I'll have a lot days where I'll be beat up from hard/long running and trying to get out the door for 85+ min.
3) More marathon or faster training within runs >=16 miles. I did 3-4 of these in prep for NYC - I am planning on running 7 of these this winter/spring.
4) Less racing early on in training. During all of my training for NYC I never went more than 4 weeks without racing. For Boston I'm going to go about 13 weeks before the first time I toe the line in any race. What I'm worried about is boredom more than anything. The point is to put down a strong base of training without stressing my body too much early on, so that I can be stronger for the last few months before the marathon. I guess that's part of the reason for this blog - so that I have a reason to stay psychologically focused during this period.
5) Related to #4 is the transition time between my current training (my last race of the "season" is on 10/11) and Boston marathon training (the first relatively challenging week is the second week of December). It's a real trick to find out the best way to give one's body rest without losing too much fitness. I also tend to gain weight when I'm running low mileage - which can make coming back to training a rather miserable experience. So, I need to concentrate on nutrition and cross training while april will feel like a long ways away.
6) February 17-April 4: This might be the hardest 7 weeks of training that I've ever attempted. I'll be running an average of ~89 miles per week, with 5 runs over 20 miles, a half marathon, 9 threshold/marathon pace runs and no days off. This is why those 8 weeks between 10/11-12/7 are so important. I need to be both rested and have a decent base - so that I can handle the training and not get injured.
And yes, this means I have all of my daily runs planned out until Boston - I know it's a little sick.
What kind of changes?
1) More runs over 20 miles. Leading up to NYC in 2007 I had one run >= 20 miles. Now to be fair - I had 14 runs between 16-19 miles, but I don't think that was enough. For Boston I'm going to be running 9 runs 20-24 miles plus 12 runs between 16-19 miles.
2) More mid-week runs of 12-15 miles. I had about 4 of these in training for NYC. These are easy runs that aren't the long run of the week. I'll be doing 25 of these during training for Boston - so, some weeks I'll have 2 of these. What this means is that I'll have a lot days where I'll be beat up from hard/long running and trying to get out the door for 85+ min.
3) More marathon or faster training within runs >=16 miles. I did 3-4 of these in prep for NYC - I am planning on running 7 of these this winter/spring.
4) Less racing early on in training. During all of my training for NYC I never went more than 4 weeks without racing. For Boston I'm going to go about 13 weeks before the first time I toe the line in any race. What I'm worried about is boredom more than anything. The point is to put down a strong base of training without stressing my body too much early on, so that I can be stronger for the last few months before the marathon. I guess that's part of the reason for this blog - so that I have a reason to stay psychologically focused during this period.
5) Related to #4 is the transition time between my current training (my last race of the "season" is on 10/11) and Boston marathon training (the first relatively challenging week is the second week of December). It's a real trick to find out the best way to give one's body rest without losing too much fitness. I also tend to gain weight when I'm running low mileage - which can make coming back to training a rather miserable experience. So, I need to concentrate on nutrition and cross training while april will feel like a long ways away.
6) February 17-April 4: This might be the hardest 7 weeks of training that I've ever attempted. I'll be running an average of ~89 miles per week, with 5 runs over 20 miles, a half marathon, 9 threshold/marathon pace runs and no days off. This is why those 8 weeks between 10/11-12/7 are so important. I need to be both rested and have a decent base - so that I can handle the training and not get injured.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
