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| Training for racing pain (Read 500 times) |
Mr Inertia view logHeck of a Guy |
posted: 9/21/2008 at 1:39 AM |
Um, I'm a bit of a wuss.
In this month's RW there's an article about pain and dealing with it. Short version is they say it's something you need to train for just like anything else.
I'm fairly new to speedwork and I enjoy it quite a bit. Right now I'm doing cruise intervals ala Daniels. They're challenging, but don't really cause much discomfort - not like racing can.
So what are some workouts that you do that bring you up to the "Holy crap this sucks!" level in order to get yourself accustomed to that sort of discomfort and, by extension, race better? |
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posted: 9/21/2008 at 2:20 AM |
It is not pain. It is intensity. I know it sounds silly, but words matter. Convince yourself it is intensity, not pain. Pain is obviously bad. Intensity is good. When the "intensity" sets in during a race I do not fret, for this is what I want, this is the path to a great performance. When I have performed well, things have gotten quite intense, often for long periods of time. So I know that it is okay and that I will survive and that this is just part of the process.
Plust I've had like a couple bottles of red wine so if this doesn't make sense it's okay. |
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posted: 9/21/2008 at 2:22 AM |
I've always found that 800m intervals are just long enough to make you feel like crap and want to quit! 
When I did these with a group we did
3x2x800m, speed up on the 2nd 800m
or 4x2x800m with 200m rest between each 800m and 400m between sets.
2x4x600m, last 200m of each 600m accelerating.
You can start them at 5K race pace or if not used to it even 10K race pace.
Depending upon what your goals are you can adjust the recovery times -- start with a lot of recovery and whittle it down closer to your race.
Lately, I've been running a lot of hills and I have to say that I think mentally they make you tough. Hopefully it will show when I get to racing again. |
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posted: 9/21/2008 at 3:12 AM
modified: 9/21/2008 at 3:15 AM |
| Quote from mikeymike on 9/21/2008 at 2:20 AM: It is not pain. It is intensity. .
Intense pain that is, if you are over-achieving in a 5K.
It's tough. Practice makes better, never perfect mind you. Mind over matter stuff.
MTA: I just peeked at your log. More miles. Much more miles is your ticket Mr.. |
Ricky
2008 Goals: sub-18 5k 17:51 | sub-39 10k 38:35 | sub-3 M
Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. T.S. Eliot
Play the game, you know you can't quit until it's won.
Soldier on, only you can do what must be done.
You know in some way you're a lot like me.
You're just a prisoner and you're tryin' to break free. |
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posted: 9/21/2008 at 6:10 AM
modified: 9/21/2008 at 6:11 AM |
| Quote from Mr Inertia on 9/21/2008 at 1:39 AM: So what are some workouts that you do that bring you up to the "Holy crap this sucks!" level in order to get yourself accustomed to that sort of discomfort and, by extension, race better?
Back to back LT 20m+ long runs, 100+ mpw.
Quote from mikeymike on 9/21/2008 at 2:20 AM:So I know that it is okay and that I will survive and that this is just part of the process.
Plust I've had like a couple bottles of red wine so if this doesn't make sense it's okay.
I define pain as medical attention. Intensity is natural high.
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| Misquotations are the only quotations that are never misquoted. - H. P. |
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posted: 9/21/2008 at 2:02 PM |
| Quote from mikeymike on 9/21/2008 at 2:20 AM: It is not pain. It is intensity. I know it sounds silly, but words matter. Convince yourself it is intensity, not pain. Pain is obviously bad. Intensity is good. When the "intensity" sets in during a race I do not fret, for this is what I want, this is the path to a great performance. When I have performed well, things have gotten quite intense, often for long periods of time. So I know that it is okay and that I will survive and that this is just part of the process.
Plust I've had like a couple bottles of red wine so if this doesn't make sense it's okay.
Intensity is sometimes referred to as "good pain". Pain that indicates an injury is then called "bad pain".
Mikeymike-- your post made sense, but I did notice that you slurred your typing there at the end. |
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| view log Bif! Bam! Pow! |
posted: 9/21/2008 at 11:00 PM |
I do think there is also...discomfort. Not pain like injury, but doesnt matter what I do, my feet hurt at the end of a marathon. Shoes help somewhat, but by 26 I pretty much want to rip my shoes off.
I did a long run this year on shoes that had started to lose their padding - not intentionally and I am not saying I would recommend it. But as I was coming up the hill towards town, maybe 2-3 miles left my feet were hurting. I started to feel myself slowing down in response to that pain and did finally go through the mental "THIS is what it is going to feel like, it isnt pleasant, you want pleasant, dont do marathons. HTFU" It helped a lot. I quit paying attention to my feet. Hopefully on decent shoes that pain will be pushed off a few more miles.
I dont know if I would go out LOOKING to feel the discomfort. Whatever that is. Burning lungs, dead legs, burning tired legs, the little aches that arent injuries but just are. But for me not backing off a training run because it is uncomfortable.
And race often. Lots easier to HTFU when other people are breathing down your neck. |
Beware the Pink Boxing Gloves of DOOM!
"It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds" - Captain Hammer
2008 Goals New PR's in 5K 10K HM, M What now?
I failed the 12 minute run in 11th grade... |
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posted: 9/21/2008 at 11:25 PM |
Mike, thanks for your post about "intensity." I told my running partner about it today as we started our first HM. We were slow, but we finished! Around mile 12, coming up a hill, I tried to focus on "intensity" rather than "pain."
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| Maine Coast HM, September 21 |
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posted: 9/23/2008 at 1:54 AM |
| Quote from Racon2r on 9/21/2008 at 2:02 PM: Intensity is sometimes referred to as "good pain". Pain that indicates an injury is then called "bad pain".
Mikeymike-- your post made sense, but I did notice that you slurred your typing there at the end.
It made sense. Silly in a good way.
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| Misquotations are the only quotations that are never misquoted. - H. P. |
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