Wow, That Sucked: Dealing With The Long Runs

Some people indicated they had gained some humility on Saturday's run. Well, good. That was part of the point...

We've hit a point in the past couple of weeks of training that is new to a lot of you. We're getting into distances on our long runs that are farther than you've gone before, and with Saturday's run, it was probably far harder a route than you've run before.

So, first, big ups to everyone who came out and ran Saturday (and Friday, in Katie's case). I told you, it's a far tougher route than you've seen yet, and intentionally so. It's one of two to three runs we'll do that are intended to humble you as much as they are to build your strength and confidence. Several great coaches have told me, "you have to respect the distance." You've all seen gains in your speed and mileage, and it's been fairly easy so far. You've accomplished a lot, but now we're talking about running for an hour and a half, two hours, and soon, three hours and longer. It's time to check some of your ego at the door, because it's becoming a whole different ballgame, with far greater physical and mental stresses.

All that said, runs like Saturday's should make you more confident. That kind of run will make you physically tougher, but more importantly, it builds your mental toughness. That route is more relentlessly hilly than the 3M or Austin half marathon courses, or the hilliest part of the Austin Marathon course. Now you know you can do more than just run seven or ten miles - you can run seven or ten really tough ones. You half marathoners won't have trouble with a flatter nine or ten miles, and you full marathoners shouldn't have an issue with our twelve miler in a couple of weeks.

Having that physical and mental experience under you makes the next increase in distance easier, and it keeps advancing your ability to push the envelope of discomfort, which is what a lot of this is about. If you got through the run Saturday, if you're getting through the intensity workouts, then you've earned the right to be confident. You are all runners now, and you can act and think like it.

If you're putting in the work, if you're doing things properly, from running your miles, to paying attention to hydration and nutrition, to stretching, to running your workouts at the proper paces, you can do this. We're going to talk more about and reinforce some of these aspects over the next couple of weeks.

What I told one of our humbled runners applies to all of you - you're running well, and you're going to do well. To get the most from yourself in training, you have to strike balances between confidence and humility, impetuousness and patience. So, no slacking, keep the faith, and don't get ahead of yourself. Focus on the fundamentals, be patient, and let the training plan work for you.

Chop wood, carry water.