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Surviving The Runner’s Wilderness

Kristin here, known as Mrs. Miller and teacher by day, wife runner and puppy mommy by night.

I’m a two time marathoner, five time half marathoner, and lover of all things running. When Ashley asked me to post on Marathon+Moderation, I immediately knew what I wanted to write about: when good races go bad. To be more specific, when you enter the Runner’s Wilderness during a race.

I’ve experienced everything when it comes to a nightmare race day. I ran the More! Fitness Magazine women’s Half Marathon in 2009, which was turned into a fun run. Why? Because of a fluke 85 degree day. In April. It was dangerous, but I hydrated often and finished the race in about 2:15-2:18 (these were my pre Garmin days…amateur hour!)

I experienced bronchitis during my second half marathon, the 2009 Hamptons Half. I had just been diagnosed a day before, still had a fever and a hacking cough, but I lowered my expectations and finished the race in 2:29:44. (Not very smart running the race sick, but hey, it’s a pricey race!)

I experienced races that have gone well despite lack of training. My next two half marathons, the 13.1 NYC in 2010 and 2011, I had a cold for two weeks leading up to the races. Both times I did well, including running my current half marathon PR 2:06.

I experienced a perfect marathon in 2011. I ran the NYC marathon, my first, with ease. Despite a stomach flu and a cold during training, I never hit the wall and finished in 5:10:38 with the largest smile on my face. I recovered well, barely sore, happy with my accomplishment.

I experienced coaching a friend through her first half marathon. We ran the 13.1 NYC together. My friend struggled significantly at the end. As we walked, I’d set up landmarks and say "Once we reach that, we’ll run again." We finished in 2:29, and I couldn’t have been more proud.

Despite finishing races, there will always be some where its a true labor of love. Those races where you look back and think, "What the heck just happened?" And not in a good way. During the Philadelphia marathon on November 18, 2012, I experienced one of those races. Although I faced a nightmare getting there (you know, that little thing about the NYC marathon being cancelled? Oh, and I left my Garmin at my parent’s house….gasp!), I could not have been happier. Everything was in place; perfect weather, a great friend to run with, support from the best cheer squad around, a "flat fast course", and a shiny new pr within grasp. I set my goal to run a 4:45; lofty but completely doable based on my training runs. Then, the race happened. Up until mile 15 I was confident, then my confidence faded.

I went to a dark place, a place where many runners should avoid going to at all costs. A place where words like "can’t" and "won’t" and "quit" try to permeate your psyche. A place where tears are ever present, where walk breaks become inevitable. I call this the Runner’s Wilderness. Despite being in this place, there is a way out. Here are my tips for getting to the Promised Land: The Finish Line.

1. Remove detrimental words from your mind. If you are struggling in a race which was supposed to be a big race for you, it’s all but certain that self doubt will creep in like a nasty flu. What you need to do is speak to yourself, and if necessary, speak words of encouragement to other runners. The mantras I used during my time in the Runner’s Wilderness included "You are a Finisher" and "You can do it and you WILL do it."

2. Pump up the jams. The power of music is incredible. I reverted back to my first marathon mix because the songs had meaning for me and reminded me of a successful race. I channeled energy from Pink, Kings Of Leon, Rihanna, Kanye, Drake, Chris Brown, amongst many others. Their pumped up music pumped up my spirit.

3. Set perimeters when your dream race comes to a bump in the road. You have to make a plan to make finishing a reality. During the Philadelphia Marathon, I chose to walk 30 seconds at the start of each mile and 30 seconds during that mile if I absolutely needed it. with little breaks, the run seemed doable. I was reminded of an old bible verse: When you’ve done everything to stand, stand. I thought of it in my Runner’s Wilderness. When you’ve done everything to run, RUN. Do everything you can to run, whether it be a set walk break, a set stretch break, or a sprint and slow down pace. Make a plan that will help you become a finisher.

4. Enjoy the Promised Land. As I finished, with my husband by my side and friends cheering my name, the words softly playing in my headphones "if you can’t hold on…hold on…." I almost forgot to relish in the joy of the Promised Land: the finish line. In your last half mile, plant a smile on your face that no one can take away. It may be a smile drenched in tears, or it may be forced, but smile anyway. You’re finishing. You’re coming to the Promised Land. Forget the bad race, forget your time, you’re finishing what you set out to do. You’re becoming a finisher. It may be your first race, or it may be your tenth race; number and distance make no difference. You’ve fought hard, now finish your race on your terms. With joy. With excitement. With happiness.

In the end, by sticking to these steps, i ended up with a two minute PR and a second marathon medal. It wasn’t my dream race, but it was a race I finished. So, if you find yourself suffering during what was supposed to be your "best race yet", follow these steps to run from the Runner’s Wilderness and finish in the Promised Land.

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Running Should Be Fun

Hi ya’ll! I’m Tess from Cross Country Cajun. I’ve been running regularly for about 6 years and have run 3 marathons thus far. I’m currently in the last few weeks of training for my fourth marathon in December. Ashley’s Marathon + Moderations posts are some of my favorites, so I was super excited to contribute to her series.

My best marathon advice can be summed up in the acronym – RUN 26.2

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Run for you – Run because you love running – let that feeling guide you. There will be plenty of solo miles over training and times during the race where the motivation must come from within. When those times happen, always go back to why you run – because you love it.

Unsuccessful runs will happen – Not all of your training runs will be pretty or spectacular. You might not hit all the perfect distances or paces. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember that it’s just one run and move on. In the end, the bad runs help your mental muscle.

Nudge outside your comfort zone – This training season, I tried some new things outside my comfort zone. I signed up for two different track groups, joined some running groups around town, and helped mentor/coach some others. These helped me become a stronger and smarter runner and connected me to the running community in Nashville in ways I didn’t know possible.

Take rest days – You’ll spend plenty of time on your feet during training. Make sure you take advantage of rest days. A smart coach once told me that to be a successful runner long-term – you need to push it hard on the days when you need to test your limits and rest really well on the days you need to rest.

6 (point) people for marathon sherpas  – While you need some motivation within, having some sherpas along the way to support and encourage you is crucial as well. Some of my best sherpas are my husband, family, friends, blog friends (blends), running buddies and members of my training programs. Not all of your sherpas need to be expert runners. My husband isn’t a distance runner, but he is my biggest cheerleader. He has been at every one of my marathons, holding up funny signs, giving encouraging words and making sure I had all the right fuel. My parents are non-runners but they always ask how my training is going and let me know how proud they are of me. It’s amazing how far little bits of encouragement go.

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Trust in your training – On race day, you might have doubts, and you might let those little negative voices dance around in your brain. If you forget all the tips above, just remember to trust in your training. It’s amazing what your body can do and will do. Put in the work to your training and it will pay off!

Lastly, have fun with it! Running should be fun – finish that marathon with a smile on your face!

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Marathon Tips from a First Timer

Hey there! I’m Anne and I write about marathon training – or since Oct. 28, about post-marathon slothfulness – at Riled Up Runner.

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When Ashley first asked me to contribute a post to her fabulous Marathons+Moderation guest series, I was still a few weeks out from my inaugural marathon and therefore woefully unqualified to impart any advice on running 26.2 miles. But now that I’ve been a successful marathoner for, um, a full week, I’m clearly an expert. You should probably take everything I write as science.*

*False.

To be honest, running is a relatively new pastime for me, and one I only considered in a last ditch effort to regain a sense of control after finding myself on New Year’s Day 2011 self-conscious, discouraged and 30 pounds overweight. Let me paint a picture for you: the vast majority of my exercise during the previous 25 years had consisted of sprints to the fridge during Food Network commercial breaks. But since anything seems possible during the first week of January, I somehow allowed myself to be talked into registering for the Philadelphia Broad Street 10-mile Run that May with a group of much healthier friends. Not wanting to come in last place, I manned up, actually trained and – after five months of a slow and steady ramp up – crossed the finish line 10 minutes faster than I’d expected and with the most intoxicating runner’s high imaginable. As my favorite fictional character Forrest Gump said, “From that day on, if I was going somewhere, I was running!”

Despite my instantaneous obsession with mid-distance racing, at the time, I wouldn’t have told you a marathon was in the cards for me. Ten miles was rough – I remember thinking – how do some runners do that twice and then add on an extra 10K to boot? So I put the idea of running 26.2 out of my mind and focused instead on 5Ks and 10Ks and the occasional half marathon. I was down to my ideal weight, I was loving the post-race euphoria and I was content.

And then New Year’s Day 2012 rolled around and suddenly, I needed a new resolution. And I really didn’t want it to be flossing. Enter Marine Corps Marathon 2012.

I selected the Marine Corps Marathon in DC for a lot of reasons – my family’s extensive naval history, the prospect of meeting my gorgeous marine soul mate on the race course (spoiler alert: no such luck) and the fact that I could avoid the lottery and secure myself guaranteed entry by running a Marine Corps 10K in March.

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So I registered, trained, puffy-painted a shirt with my name on it and – I still can’t believe it – finished my first marathon last week at a surprise 3:51:51 clip. I’d been targeting a just-barely-sub-4:00, but the thrill of the event and the roar of the crowds and the promise of a lot of deliciously empty calories at the finish line lit a fire under my feet and kept me feeling strong for the entire 26.2-mile loop.

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Now I think we’ve established here that I’m no expert in running, but I have picked up a few tips along the way that I wish someone had told me before I began marathon training. So in no particular order, I bring you Anne’s list of tips I wish someone had told me before I began marathon training. (Really rolls off the tongue, huh?)

Take your training seriously, but not at the expense of your social life. Marathon training, like most things in life, is all about balance and moderation. Yes, you need to do all your long runs. Yes, you should complete your weekly speed work. Yes, you have to sleep 7+ hours a night, eat well most days and keep the race at the back of your mind all training cycle long. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up the occasional happy hour, or even the occasional all-nighter, during those four months of discipline. Might I have broken 3:50 if I hadn’t danced until the sun came up at a friend’s apartment a few weeks before race day? Maybe. But would I be the well-rounded 90s-dance-party-afficianado I am today? Probably not. I’ll be the first to admit you’re going to have to make some sacrifices in your life to be a great runner, but you also sometimes have to make sacrifices in your running to have a great life. Moderation in all things, including moderation.

Train with friends sometimes, but enjoy your alone time, too. Running with friends is a wonderful way to mix your social life with your training schedule, plus post-run mimosas are way more socially acceptable when you’re not drinking them alone. But while friends can encourage you to run faster and run farther, I think there’s something equally rejuvenating about running solo. Most week days, I head out to Central Park sans-music, sans-Garmin, sans-everything and enjoy some peaceful miles with no sound except that of my steady breathing and my feet hitting the pavement. Sure, there’ll be plenty to look at come race day, but when you find yourself in a crowd-free section of the marathon course with no running buddy around to inspire you, you’ll be glad you have experience running with only No. 1.

Take pictures of your feet before you begin training. Seriously. Why did no one tell me this? While I never claimed to have foot-model-caliber paws before, now that they’re a calloused, toenail-free mess, I suddenly wish I’d paid them more respect pre-2011.

Stretch. I don’t do this, but I’ve heard it’s good for you.

Puffy paint a shirt with your name on it for race day. I’m partial to puffy paint, but you could also use Sharpies or fabric paint or iron-on decals. Either way, don’t even think about toeing the starting line without having your given name broadcast across your bosom. I can’t tell you enough how much the random spectators calling out my name kept me going during those final miles of the Marine Corps Marathon. With every single “Go Anne!,” I grinned – oh fine, and usually teared up – and found the motivation I needed to keep plowing through.

And on that note: go watch local races you’re not participating in and cheer on your friends – or random strangers with their names on their shirts (see above). Part of the fun of running is being a member of a vibrant running community, and never is that sense of camaraderie more apparent than on the sidelines of a race. Volunteer to distribute water if that’s your thing, or just wake up early to clap and holler from the sidelines. What goes around comes around, and cheering on your fellow athletes is unquestionably good karma. One word of caution though: if you’re going to make a sign for the New York City Marathon just hours before Bloomberg decides to cancel it, probably best not to make it so topical it won’t be funny come NYC 2013.

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Ah well. Live and learn, right?

Good luck with your training, everyone, and if you ever find yourself in need of a running buddy in New York City, you know where to find me! (ShakeShack, probably.)

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