18 replies to this topic

[lcc]

some people may be as fit as anything and as fast as a lion, but when it comes time for racing, they just cant handle it, they are veyr capable of running quick times, they just cant do it. what do you call this?
what can you do to prevent it?

[TFive]

lcc, on Sep 30 2007, 01:06 PM, said:

some people may be as fit as anything and as fast as a lion, but when it comes time for racing, they just cant handle it, they are very capable of running quick times, they just cant do it. what do you call this?
what can you do to prevent it?

Hi Icc,

Not sure what you call it, nerves or lack of willpower ? I think it's willpower that gets you fit and able to run fast in the first place. So maybe it's just having the right strategy ??

There's a good article in Sept/Oct Runner's World on "Race Strategy".

[BenMcTaggart]

"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem."

Emil Zatopek

[knassy]

I wouldn't say it's willpower that lets the runner down in a race. Maybe nerves or performance anxiety?

I do have another quote on willpower from a legendary running coach though:

"THE USE OF THE WILL. I have long said, THE USE OF THE WILL. I have long said, that the real use of the will is a “starter”. That is, to get us out of bed to train, rather than to conduct our training as if it was necessary to kill ourselves by continuous ill—advised effort." - Percy Cerutty (Herb Elliot's coach I think ???)

[steeples29]

usually what i find at the end of a race is that it comes down to who has the most guts and can hurt themselves the most

[swaggerer]

It's always the last one to die. Runners with guts and those who "know how to hurt themselves" more than others get trashed everyday in races. I suggest you rethink this. It is no that simple.

Perseverance will usually see you reach your potential. If it is international level - great. If it is club level - great.

Swagger.

Edited by swaggerer, 06 September 2009 - 01:01 PM.

[felisaffie]

I think anxiety is the greatest sabeteur of will power because it is hard to have any control over it no matter how hard you think about it the feelings are still there rising.

I imagine strategies to manage anxiety would be the most useful like visualisation and relaxation, breathing, I'm sure meditation helps.

I am never calm enough to concentrate on any of this but my logical mind can see how it could be beneficial.

I think it is managing to keep perspective and perhaps maybe to be able to just lose yourself in your own moment and have everyone else around you disappear could help

but then others can spur you on although at the same time they tempt you to tire yourself out before you are ready and sabotage you later so I really have no idea.

I haven't been able to face a race for ages now myself because of social anxiety, I wish I could harness the overwhelming desire to be running by myself when I am in a race and transfer it into the physical ability to zoom out far ahead.

I think if I did I'd miss the finish line and keep going.

Edited by felisaffie, 06 September 2009 - 01:36 PM.

[TrackRunner]

I used to concentrate way to much on who was in a race and what time i "thought" they would do. These days I just concentrate on bettering my own PB and if thats enough to get a medal then so be it. Sure I like to win, but if I don't and do a PB then in my mind I still won.

Once my coach got to adopt this more realistic approach I hardley ever run a bad race. If you set goals that are too hard or simply unnachievable when the last part of a race sets in you get that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach which will slow you down. I guess it is a sort of will power, I know what splits i need in a race and when i hit them it gives me the strength or "willpower" to dig deeper.

Edited by LOVE22RUN, 06 September 2009 - 05:29 PM.

[steeples29]

[quote name='swaggerer' date='Sep 6 2009, 12:46 PM' post='499090']
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErLZaItKFaY"]It's always the last one to die.[/url] Runners with guts and those who "know how to hurt themselves" more than others get trashed everyday in races. I suggest you rethink this. It is no that simple.

yeh thats true. but i get a better sence of achievment if i trash myself in a race and finish last then if i win by sitting then kicking.

[kathmandu]

felisaffie, on Sep 6 2009, 11:33 AM, said:

I haven't been able to face a race for ages now myself because of social anxiety, I wish I could harness the overwhelming desire to be running by myself when I am in a race and transfer it into the physical ability to zoom out far ahead.

felisaffie in a way i find you to be lucky.

to be able to run for the sole purpose of your own enjoyment, not measurable achievement, is heaps cool.


as for the topic, i call it 'grit'. i think you either have it or you dont. i dont have it. if someone overtakes me i just go 'oh poo' as they sail by.

[Marmiduke]

I need grit badly but I keep losing it. , but not all the time.

[Bellthorpe]

Just have grits for breakfast each day, and all should be well.

[Davo83]

Having great physical attributes and natural ability will only get you so far, as running requires a lot of mental strength and without it you will never reach your full potential IMHO.

I am sure people can relate to being in a race and nearing the finish line in a cluster - with the lactic acid pooling in your legs, your breathing ragged, the heart beating a million miles an hour, your body is shuddering with waves of nausea and trying to go into shutdown mode, but where you place is really determined by your will to win.

[swaggerer]

Swagger said:

Quote

..... Runners with guts and those who "know how to hurt themselves" more than others get trashed everyday in races. I suggest you rethink this. It is no that simple.

[

Quote

quote name='steeples29' post='499134' date='Sep 6 2009, 03:56 PM']

yeh thats true. but i get a better sence of achievment if i trash myself in a race and finish last then if i win by sitting then kicking.

Steeples29. I get you now. I like your attitude.

Cheers,
Swagger.

[sfGnome]

I must admit that I know the feeling of wiping yourself out in the closing stages of a race; when there's nothing at stake except the right to hold your head up and say that you did the best you could. However, I'm not sure whether it is willpower or mere stupidity...

[Pink Lady]

sfGnome, on Sep 6 2009, 10:16 PM, said:

I'm not sure whether it is willpower or mere stupidity...

Do you think that this willpower / grit / stupidity / ..... you are talking about at the end of a race is greatly different from that required to push yourself in a training run, whether it is in circuit / fartleck training or in the latter stages of a hard long run? Especially when the body is telling you you shouldn't have got out of bed

Edited by Pink Lady, 07 September 2009 - 02:17 PM.

[sfGnome]

Pink Lady, on Sep 7 2009, 02:15 PM, said:

Do you think that this willpower / grit / stupidity / ..... you are talking about at the end of a race is greatly different from that required to push yourself in a training run, whether it is in circuit / fartleck training or in the latter stages of a hard long run? Especially when the body is telling you you shouldn't have got out of bed

Dunno. I guess that it's the same willpower that does the job, but speaking only for myself, I'd never drive myself in training the way I do in a race. In training, you have to protect yourself to be able to train the next day; in a race, there is no next day!

[steeples29]

Pink Lady, on Sep 7 2009, 02:15 PM, said:

Do you think that this willpower / grit / stupidity / ..... you are talking about at the end of a race is greatly different from that required to push yourself in a training run, whether it is in circuit / fartleck training or in the latter stages of a hard long run? Especially when the body is telling you you shouldn't have got out of bed

I go hard in training but i dont trash myself like i do in races.

[TrackRunner]

steeples29, on Sep 7 2009, 06:45 PM, said:

I go hard in training but i dont trash myself like i do in races.

Same here, most i do in training is around 90% effort, but lots of it, racing is for 100% effort