Think back to your last bad race. I’m not talking purely finish time. When was the last race that made you contemplate simply limping off the course in discouragement? The last one that you know wasn’t an accurate representation of the training you put in? All signs pointed to a solid day for me this past weekend at the 2019 Mesa-PHX Marathon.
And then the gun went off.
I’ve run Mesa-PHX four straight years now (and next year I will run it again to finish off the five-year finisher medal series that will make a giant star). The course is fast, and it led to a PR for me in 2016, ’17, and ’18. I desperately wanted to keep that trend going this past Saturday. But it wasn’t my day.
My legs locked up early. I tried stretching out in miles 10, 13, and 18 with no luck. I had run hard for the first nine miles in hopes that I would loosen up eventually. Instead, everything kept getting tighter.
By the final 10 miles, I was focusing on reaching the finish line without serious injury.
As I ran what should have been super easy pace and still felt uncomfortable, frustration and discouragement washed over me. I started feeling jealous of everyone passing me. And a LOT of people passed me.
We all have bad days. Saturday was a bad day for me. My race went poorly, and I failed to hit my time goal again. It wasn’t what I expected or wanted. I wasn’t pleased with my performance at the California International Marathon back in December either. So Saturday felt like a double punch. Fitness was there. For some reason, my legs weren’t.
So now what?
I’m choosing to find silver linings.
Because I didn’t keep running at PR pace, my legs actually seem recovered three days later.
As soon as the race was over, I joined up with my college buddy who flew out from Texas to run his very first half marathon. I’m extremely proud of his journey to that finish line, and that I got to be a part of his epic weekend. Then we waited for our other college friend to finish his full marathon, and he ended up with a solid race. To Brad (first time half marathoner) and Jack (who has now finished 31 marathons) — you guys are awesome.
I also had multiple teammates and training partners run shiny new PRs on Saturday. When feeling down about missing on personal goals, shifting the focus to friends can help. Celebrating other runners and their incredible accomplishments cheered me up Saturday.
At some point, I have to laugh at myself. Sure I have outlandish goals for myself. I’m serious about my training and racing. But the pressure and tension I put on myself to run well isn’t helping.
I would have been better off Saturday throwing on some comedy podcasts and running and laughing for 26.2 miles into Mesa. I’m finishing marathons in times that I once couldn’t fathom running, and I’m not happy. So my goal for my next buildup is to train hard and race relaxed.
The Boston Marathon is next up for me, so I have almost nine weeks to get ready mentally and physically. I know what I need to do to hit my goal on April 15.
First, I have to buckle down and check off my weekly workouts and long runs. Core and strength work need to become a priority instead of an occasional addition to training.
And I need to refocus on why I run. I love the challenge training and racing presents. The camaraderie with other runners gives me a sense of community and a shared motion as we all chase our individual goals. There are few better feelings than finishing a hard workout or race successfully. Those endorphins and that positive momentum leave a smile on my face and carry me through the rest of my day.
A failed workout or race seems to cancel out all of those happy, positive moments. Like a dark cloud covering up the sun.
But instead of focusing on that cloud for too long, I’m shifting my thoughts back to the optimistic side. I know a breakthrough is coming. And it’s going to come with a smile.
What things do you do to bounce back after a tough training section or race? How long does it take you to move on? And how can we avoid the same result the next time?