Yesterday I found myself relaxing on the couch with an IPA, excitedly eyeing upcoming ultra races. One event in particular caught my eye and I was disappointed
in myself when I was temporarily flooded with self-doubt. 100 miles, thousands
of feet of gain/ascent, altitude, unpredictable weather…a combination that humbles
a runner and gets them giddy at the same time. Seconds later, I am relieved by
my nerd, neuroscience research-loving self and find myself searching for
flights and travel accommodations.
Early into ultrarunning, I became cognizant to the
proclamation that the mind is stronger than the body. I have echoed this dozens
of times and believe in it wholeheartedly. When it comes down to brass tacks, regardless
what the ultra course description promotes, the challenge of the event is far
more focused on perception. Simply put, the race is only as hard as the brain believes it to be. Within reason,
physical limitations are set by the BRAIN not the BODY. Countless hypotheses
have been proven (yep..SCIENCE), yet focus on mental strength and training is
still generally minimized by some.
Neglecting mental training in ultra running or endurance
sports in general is like forgetting the anti-chafe: You will hurt in areas
that you’d rather not expose to medics, or anyone for that matter.
Self-assessment is step one.
Visualize a pyramid. The structure of the pyramid is simple
to imagine: quadrilateral base, triangular shape with a majestic pinnacle.
Throughout this structure is multiple bricks. Although the bricks really don’t
all stand out as individually dominant, they are imperative to the structure.
Think of this pyramid as your ultra race with the pinnacle being your goal
achievement, maybe crossing the finish line of a bitchin 100 miler. The bricks
of the pyramid are the many variables that you will encounter during the race.
The base of the pyramid are the factors that will have the most impact on your
journey. Some of them are things you can control (opportunities) and some are
things you cannot (threats). These can be highly debatable, but I tend to lean
to: training plan/strategy, nutrition, recovery, lifestyle, and MENTAL
STRENGTH/TENACITY.
How well do you know yourself? Take a painful walk back
in time to a negative situation in your life. Think about the emotions that
affected your overall resilience and stamina the most. This can be
challenging-it takes a mentally strong individual to be completely neutral in
self-assessment. It’s not a fun experience but crucial in getting a true,
unjaded reflection of emotional and psychological health. While visualizing
this challenging situation in your life, cognitively remove the emotion (this
will be harder for some than others). After emotional factors are eliminated,
how satisfied are you with your intellectual decision making during that
specific occurrence? From the outside looking in, are you remorseful for your
decisions or feel that your intellect was compromised by the intense emotional
conditions? This exercise provides a strong example of how our psychological
and emotional human nature alters cognitive processing and often impedes
decision-making. Wars have been starting this way. #NukesHurt
A less complex example would be observing a victim of
abuse in a relationship return to their abuser. It’s simple for those outside
the situation, with no emotional and psychological connection, to use our top
tier intellectually-driven decision making and direct the victim to not return
to their abuser. All rational thoughts point to this conclusion. However,
because of human nature and the significance of emotional dynamics (as well as
other substantial factors), this doesn’t always happen. (Note: I am by no means
degrading or attacking decision-making of victims of abuse…I have been there.).
Emotional variables are often overlooked in endurance training
and racing. These factors play a much larger role in overall performance that
many realize. There’s countless resources to validate this. Google it. The
brain releases a chain reaction of hormones during stress which, if not
regulated, can result in substantial influences on decision-making and even
physical abilities. Think about depression for a moment. For a person
struggling with depression, EVERY aspect of their life is affected, clearly
it’s not “all in their head”. This hypothesis is proven again and again when
the regulation of altered hormones (through medication, other interventions, etc.)
is stabilized resulting in overall physical, social-emotional and intellectual
function improvements.
The older (wiser) I get, the more I feel that I’m getting
a better grasp on how mental and general wellness partners seamlessly with overall
functioning..including ultrarunning. Hindsight has pointed out to me that some decisions
I’ve made have weighed too strongly on emotions instead of intellect. I’ll
admit that. If I didn’t recognize that, I couldn’t modify it.
As a self-proclaimed ‘student of life’, I welcome and
eagerly embrace epiphanies that encourage me to explore deeper, even when it
personally highlights my own deficits. The separation of emotions and intellect
should be a dominant in society as the separation between Church and State. There’s
clarity in this concept. Simply put, extracting even a small percentage (at
first) of emotion and increasing the percentage of intellectually-based decision-making
has inspired significant changes in my life. This may has made me a bit more cynical,
but in a healthy, knowledge-seeking way. On a related note, the concept of
algorithm is the going to move our civilization to a whole new level once
universally accepted and adapted. Quote me on that.
Sooooo, let’s bring this back to ultrarunning. Forgive me
for ‘nerding out’ for a moment but I love this shit.
As an avid ultrarunner and dirt lover, I can contest that
any variable that negatively alters my abilities during an ultra is a HUGE
issue and is not to be taken lightly. This is most apparent to me when I run
100’s. This distance is monumental to me and has emerged from my desire to
cross the finish line of an event with surreal mileage to something completely
different. I don’t really ‘race’ in a 100. It’s more of a journey-implementing
a strategy, overcoming obstacles, and pushing through barriers with passion and
tenacity. Competitively, it’s not my best distance..yet…but the personal
rewards are unsurpassed.
I noticed the legit effects of emotional and
psychological awareness during my first 100, and every one after that for that
matter. During my virgin 100miler and managing emotions after hours upon hours
of running, it was apparent that I was all over the place. This was clearly reflected
in my performance. I cried when I cut off the path of rabbit running into the
brush because I felt bad for scaring him..I cursed out a specific stump on the
course every time I passed it for no reason other than it pissed me off..I
teared up when I saw my family and crew..
For you visual learners, imagine a line graph with the
x-axis representing mileage or hours running and the (vertical) y-axis denoting
mental/emotional stability and flawless decision-making. Now start drawing
line. As you progress along the x-axis and the mileage/hours running increase,
start taking shots of your favorite whiskey. Ten miles later, double the shots,
head bang to Metallica, and spin in circles like Julie Andrews from the Sound
of Music…all while continuing to progress along the x-axis. The line looks a
little different, eh? In a ‘nutshell’ (mandatory AIC reference), that’s a
pretty decent representation of the unaddressed emotional rollercoaster
encourage by running 100+ miles. Can you image what that does to the
correlating intellectual processing? Not a pretty picture.
Unaddressed or ignored mental stress can have a traumatic
effect on performance. The lows in emotionally-driven motivation or lack of positivity
can echo in your run pace, strength, and ability to stimulate the neurological processes
to produce adrenaline and serotonin. This can literally be crippling. Regardless
the amount of love for running, every ultrarunner faces moments in the race
where they aren’t dancing on rainbows. Even the best of the best can experience
mental and emotional low points that can knock them off the podium.
Well, geez Debbie Downer, now what?
Fortunately, the mind is trainable..Ask any bad ass Navy
SEAL. However, voluntary cognitive efforts need to be initiated for change
to occur. Yes, it takes effort.
I am a humbled student of this and my personal quest for
understanding is still in infancy, so take that for what it’s worth. However, since
neuroscience and related research is so rad, and it encourages a ‘scientific
boner’, I’m going to proceed to babble my perspective. Stop reading any time.
Addressing mental strength and implementing strategy is
as personal as your shoe selection. This is why I stress self-awareness and
wasted the last 5 minutes of your life touching on it. Remove your pride and
ego and be real with yourself.
Things to consider:
Are you dependent on others to recover from stress or is
your coping primarily internal? Think
about what has been a historical comforter in previous stressful situations. There
isn’t a right or wrong here. Preference to social comforts is not a sign of
weakness so embrace that route if the shoe fits. Humans are ‘pack animals’, so you may not be
in the minority. If this is you, own it and strategize to your needs. During
your race planning, you may want to surround yourself with the right people and
plan your strongest relationships on different parts of the course. This could
be having a significant other or whomever can lift your spirits at key points
in the course.
Run with a memento or item that will cue positive
thoughts that are associated with people you love. In my most recent 100, I ran with a small item
that reminded me of the love and positive spirit of my grandmother that passed
away. Because of this reminder, I was able to draw strength and momentum,
knowing she was with and giggling at my stupidity. At one point, I smelled her
as well but that’s a whole other post.
Driven by words? Mantras can be powerful as well.
“Pain is temporary, glory is forever.”
-unknown
“..The future, for which I have really worked,
is mine.”-Nikola Tesla
“Any way that you
can get the end result is valid, whatever it takes.” -Chris Cornell
“Anything is possible.” -Ironman
I took this to another level when at Ironman Wisconsin
and wrote “P 4:13” in black, permanent marker on my forearm. Although worthless
during the 2.4-mile swim, I glanced at this several times during the 112-mile
bike and marathon run. For the unfamiliar, reference the book of Philippians.
If you have a mantra and it moves you, maximize it. Keep
in mind that during extreme endurance, your body and cognitive process will
change. Memory, among other things, may be affected so I recommend writing it
in random places.
Stimulate as many senses as possible for motivational
purposes because their capabilities will likely be compromised at some level.
Create small, attainable goals and rewards. Some thoughts on other focuses in sensory
training..
Visually
- Signs and posters from your crew that will inspire you
or crack you up (the “Worst Parade Ever” sign along an ultra course is still my
favorite. Honorable mentions: “You paid for this.” “You’re NOT almost there.”
“Suck it up Buttercup.” “There’s beer at the finish line.”)
- Aid Station sightings: Plan to increase your pace
slightly when the next aid station comes into view. This distracts you from
pain and gives you an immediate gratification when you can slow down a tad
after reaching your goal-the aid station
- Take solace in nature and take time to soak in your
surroundings. If you don’t love trail running for the purity of nature, don’t
sign up for a trail race Numbnuts. Duh.
- Check out other runners. There are some hotties out
there, trust me. Mama likey.
- Shoes. I love shoes. Occasionally I will distract
myself from trying to add up which shoe company has the most dominate presence
in a race.
- Later on in mileage, mild hallucinations may occur. Learn
to find humor in this, embrace it.
Audibly
- Music. Use it strategically. I don’t recommend running
to music the entire race, but it can be a great occasional, stimulating
incentive. I tend to reward myself with it after pre-determined mile markers
(mile 30 through the next two aid stations; mile 60 through the next 2 aid
stations, etc.). This must be set during pre-race strategizing, not mid-race.
Do not waiver from your schedule; that defeats the whole purpose and kills the
significance of the music reward. Discipline is a beautiful, painful thing.
Embrace the suck.
Additionally, specific songs are great for subconsciously
flipping a switch in your brain that produces an adrenaline surge. This
requires some training for peak benefits; incorporate a favorite song in your
long runs and when it’s on, so are you. Book it; light a fire under ass and
haul. It’s extremely important to enjoy this experience however because you
want to cue adrenaline and serotonin
(the happy hormone) release. Race day your body will react to what it’s taught.
This has worked for me and how a permanent weapon in my race attack strategy.
- Produce positivity verbally. Encourage your fellow
runners, thank volunteers, crack jokes. Even if you aren’t feeling particularly
jovial at the moment, fake it until you do. This will encourage others to do
the same and something might strike a chord with you. Remember that
ultrarunning isn’t all about you; it’s about community and supporting your
fellow, trail-loving, dirtbag brothers and sisters.
- Distract your senses. Listen for wildlife and tune into
the experience. I recall a moment doing this at altitude during Colorado mountain
race and heard a rustle in some bushes that sucked in my focus until I saw a
moose. He was super still and glaring at me and giving off “I’m kind of an
asshole” vibe. This produced an unexpected adrenaline kick as well; not to mention
a hell of a memory. I didn’t think at all about my burning calves and kicked
out a 6:30-7:00 minute mile up an incline out of the valley. Mind over legs.
Taste
- If you aren’t a rookie, you know that your appetite
will be as predictable as Trumps 2 AM tweets. This is why it’s so important to
practice nutrition during your training. Keep in mind that foods that taste
good after a 28-mile-long run at a slow pace will not necessarily taste good
after a 10-mile speed work workout. When your GI system is dealing with
different levels of exertions and different types of acid and hormone release, appetite
and ease of digestion is affected. I’m not going into a six-page rant on
nutrition strategies (at the moment) as I want to stay dialed into sensory training,
so you are off the hook for the moment. Nevertheless, know that you can use
food as a cognitive race tool by means of sensory association as well. Find a reward
treat for milestone miles that is appealing during all levels of exertion and
training. It should be small and simple and should not be a primary nutrition
source. VERY IMPORTANT: Do not snack on this treat AT ALL other than during
reward or it will lose all association with sensory reward training.
Touch
First off..Peeps: if you are crewing me in an ultra,
don’t touch me. Seriously, just don’t do it. It’s a personal preference. I will
go from ultrarunner to ultrabitch in .4 seconds flat.
However, some runners use scheduled massage as a reward
at milestones during a race. Sometimes looking forward to a 2-minute shoulder
or calf massage is enough to motivate perseverance. My personal thought is that
I don’t want to remind my body how nice it is to relax or engage in positive
touch (bow chica wow wow) until after the race when I have a cold beer in my
hand. It’s just that much harder to leave the aid station otherwise. Sitting
can be a reward as well, but BEWARE OF THE CHAIR. Weaker-minded runners may
surrender to the physical relief. I’ve seen many regretted DNFs this way.
The over arching point is consistent in all sensory
training and mental strength and conditioning. The focus should NOT be the reward; the focus should be dialing
in the motivation through disciplined training to make your body and mind SEEK
the reward. Desire and perseverance is much stronger than what you think
your physical limitations are. Training with this perspective and mind set with
produce discipline. Discipline produces consistency. Consistency will produce
tenacity. Tenacity will produce results.
Remember that the mind tells the body how challenging the
race is, not the other way around. Train the mind as efficiently as the body. 100-milers
are no joke and you must respect the distance. Be realistic and expect pain, self-doubt..and
pain. Sometimes there’s pain..it can hurt. Did I mention to expect pain?
However, proper mental preparation will provide tools to overcome the temporary
discomfort, complete that bitchin 100-miler, and add another (or first) buckle
to your collection. A week later you’ll be like I was yesterday, eyeing more
challenges and eager for your next ultra adventure.
Embrace the suck, expect the pain, train the mind, drink
good beer.
