I was always hesitant to
be labeled a “marathoner” or a “triathlete,” My rationale is the same rationale I use when setting up
training programs for runners, whom I actually prefer to call “athletes” instead. I’ve run marathons, but I’m not a
marathoner. I’m not a triathlete;
I’m “someone who competes in triathlons.”
What’s the difference and what does this have to do with a training
program? What does this have to do
with the mental approach to training and racing?
Social psychology tells
us that labels can have a positive influence on behavioral change, as noted by
the terms self-concept, self-identity, self-schemata, etc. If someone is frequently describe by
co-workers as “driven,” “passionate,” or “energetic,” then he/she will eventually
develop a self-concept of being a productive worker, which is wonderful. If you have a friend trying to
get off the couch and start exercising, you can always remind him/her after each
spin class that he/she is “turning into a pretty good cyclist.” Labeling your friend as a cyclist over
and over will help him/her define him/herself as an active person, which is very important in
shaping new behaviors. But it can
sometimes be a double-edged sword.
The person in the first example might become a work-aholic, the work consumes
him/her to the point of stress, or your friend may feel irritable if he/she doesn’t
exercise or can’t find any alternatives to cycling.
As it relates to “marathoners,”
they sometimes feel that the year wasn't too productive or that they accomplished much unless
they are training for the marathon distance, or worse, unless they set a PR
in each successive marathon. I see it
often, where anything other than a marathon PR is accompanied by not feeling
successful and all the subsequent damage control therein. I don’t see this issue in runners
training for shorter distances, or those who are yet to run a marathon. The self-identity as a marathoner can
dictate everything about the mental approach to training and racing, which
indirectly affects mood via the interpretation of progress. For instance, the weekend long run becomes
the magic bean of the program and much emotional stock lies within that run
each week. A marathoner insists he
must run a marathon each year (or season) instead of possibly taking a year off
from marathons in order to correct muscular imbalances and build speed at other
distances. This is where I, as a
coach, enter the picture.
The main service I offer
is the mental approach to training and
racing. This means that the
exact type of workout the athlete does is always secondary to the reason he/she
does it in the first place. For
instance, the question may be posed, “Coach, what speed workouts would I be
doing this winter to prepare for a spring marathon?” My rhetorical question in response, “Does the marathon conflict
with any other training or racing goals?”
If the athletes’ answers are sensible, then we build the training to
prepare for the marathon, and sure, goals are set easily enough. I use this anecdote because I find that
when people/runners/athletes label themselves as marathoners they are more
likely to lose sight of other short-term process goals.
Marathoners become a
breed of runner that can put too much emotional stock into one race, putting
all their emotional eggs into one basket.
It consumes them and their training. To some people, this behavior actually seems positive
because it’s interpreted as being motivated, but what gets lost in the shuffle
are the important short-term goals, like rest days, running form, strength
training and PT. Therefore, the
obstacles that arise are the unwillingness to take rest days, an inability to
refrain from signing up for longer races at the wrong time, passing on an
off-season that prioritizes ST, and an inability to correct running form
because of constant high-mileage training. Comparing a winter training program preceding a spring marathon vs. a spring half-marathon can be like comparing apples to oranges because preparing for the marathon can get in the way of other important goals.
I attempt to shift my
clientele, specifically the beginners, away from “running as exercise,” and
into feeling like a runner. From
there, I want them to feel like an athlete. The latter leaves opens more doors to new/different elements of training and is
less likely to trap the individual into a smaller role/identity (entrapment
theory). I teach athletes to
recognize short-distance racing as important for myriad reasons. Again (cover your ears), this can mean
not running a marathon one particular year. Hearing that phrase stings if you’re a marathoner. If you’re an
athlete, then you have other goals in
which to focus and you’re okay.
Professional runners are a different breed whose bodily limits have a
higher threshold compared to the runners I coach. Therefore, the training programs I develop, and more
importantly, the mental approach to the training, needs to reflect this
difference.
In sum, think of
yourself as an athlete and the doors of perception will be opened to many more
aspects of training and racing. I
can often easily identify marathoners from their first email or phone call to
me. I know exactly why they feel unsuccessful and I already know
(before I even ask) that they haven’t run a 5k in six or seven years. Tweak your self-identity in this small yet meaningful way and your progress might sky rocket, your running form might
change (due to lower volume training), and you’ll feel more successful more
frequently.
Train hard (at all
distances)!
Mike
