The Embrace of Suffering

1. Be well trained (especially not overtrained)

2. Pace properly

3. Have good form

4. Focus on the motion of running and on catching people / your tactics (not on pain, on how you want to be somewhere else, how badly you're doing)

In my experience, with enough focus, pain is simply irrelevant. Numbers 1-3 lessen the actual discomfort.

Thank you for the reply. It's good to hear that the more effectively trained one is and the better prepared for the race, the less relevant suffering becomes. However, it seems to me that with all else being equal, between two runners of equal ability, the one with the greater capacity for suffering will be the victor. Is this not the case? If I am well-trained to the point that pain becomes irrelevant, as you put it, should I not push even harder, to the point that I make the pain relevant?

I'm quite inexperienced and am wanting to approach this with the most productive mindset possible. I also want to go as far in the sport as my potential allows.

rewagrgrga wrote:

1. Be well trained (especially not overtrained)

2. Pace properly

3. Have good form

4. Focus on the motion of running and on catching people / your tactics (not on pain, on how you want to be somewhere else, how badly you're doing)

In my experience, with enough focus, pain is simply irrelevant. Numbers 1-3 lessen the actual discomfort.

This looks good.

I think the human body seeks it's own level of tolerance regardless of how much you think you're suffering mentally. Focus on training, not killing yourself. The best runners are the ones focused on running fast and efficient, not on suffering. The next time you watch a Boston or NY marathon notice the effort in which the lead runners seem to be cruising along at. They hardly seem like the 4:30ish pace over heartbreak hill at mile 20ish of 26 is bothering them at all.

The key is to run fast without suffering. Suffering causes stress. Stress tightens you up. Tightening up slows you down. Remove the shackles and flow with ease as your body intended.

I wouldn't calling "suffering," I'd call it something like "athletic pain."

There are as many nuances and reasons as to why runners do it as there are runners.

Some joy is experienced with the pain.

Very poetic OP

I think your question ultimately leads back to the question of motivation. A person's willingness to suffer, to rise above the pain, is congruent to his/her level of need. That's different for everyone, but the more you lack, the more you're predisposed to fill that existential void.

Even non running individuals pain tolerance can be extremely different from one person to the next. Pain is a signal from brain to the body after receiving feedback from the activity OR emotion. Some people can lessen these signals by habit and practice, some people are born with high pain tolerance, some people are just the opposite, always complaining, or maybe born crying more. Some babies dont cry.

Of course, getting hurt by improper form while running or being overweight or weak is really going to throw a loud pain signal to your brain especially if muscle is tearing or bones are vulnerable to bruising or breaking but, pain through doing something properly like racing a 5k should be covered over in adrenalin.

So, I guess I could have saved all this typing and said to get in better running shape if need be.

I remember an 800 race where I botched the first lap (way too slow), then had to fight around a couple of guys, and the anger consumed me to where I crossed the finish one second off my PR feeling no pain. I am tempted to try going out too slow for a 1500 or 5K and then running the second half on anger like this.

Relaxed but angry seems like the best combo against suffering. Pre seemed to embody this for the most part. His form was usually pretty relaxed, but he had a huge chip on his shoulder a lot of the time.

After a while you just become calloused to the whole suffering thing. You will learn how to go to the well and execute a race plan. At some point you will hopefully be able to put it all out there without a moment's hesitation. It doesn't bother me much any more. I know going into a race that it will be extremely painful. I have the confidence that I will be able to run well when it gets tough and I know what is coming.

All pain is fundamentally an illusion in the brain.

/thread

It seems toughness matters, but how much?

Hypothetically, if two runners possess the exact same physiological make-up, are equally trained, and ready to go on race day, (say they are each capable of a 31:00 for 10km) BUT one is as "mentally tough" as they come and the other is a mental marshmellow how much faster will the tough runner be?

Probably only a second or two faster since he/she might kick sooner before the finish, often in a position that is mentally or physically tougher on the other individual.

You might want to read some of Herb Elliott's/Percy Cerutty's stuff. Managing and even embracing pain was at the heart of Cerutty's training philosophy.

Elliott famously talks about his doubts mid-point in the Rome race and feeling too tired to make a move. He trained specifically to overcome that doubts that came with pain in a race so he could react instinctively.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/herb-elliott-reveals-how-accepting-the-challenge-of-pain-helped-him-win-olympic-gold/story-fnewbvoh-1226452396669

An excerpt from the link...

"Percy and I decided that at the halfway mark I should make my move, which is what I used to do, and when I got to that mark the pace had been so fast the little voice in my head was saying 'no, no, no, you're not feeling that good, you're feeling a bit tired, this is unwise to go at this point, just hang around for a while'.

Simply because I would never accept that change of plan in my training, inside I instinctively ignored it. But it was very powerful and if I hadn't had that consciousness of not allowing the weakness in your own person to compromise your strategy, I would have compromised it, for sure."

I've been running for over 2.5 years and I still cower in fear before races. I absolutely HATE the pain. I dread races so much that I don't have any energy on the starting line. My legs feel like lead, and I can't get out fast. Does anyone else feel like this?

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to....suffering.

VERY much looking forward to the responses on this thread.

I've often wondered this myself, as I have struggled with it throughout my career. Not to hijack the thread, but I'm a (BARELY) sub15 5k runner (in college). I was obviously relatively successful in high school, but often find myself middle of the road in college - definitely a large part of which is the sheer pain tolerance of other people being greater than my own. I think the more elite you get, the more pain tolerance makes a big difference. (pros > high-level college > regular collegians > high school)

But I'd have to echo some of the other responses - being well-trained, having great form, and being relaxed/focus are a huge part of pain tolerance.

I also feel focusing on the race (i.e. competing against people, instead of on your time or tactics) plays a big role too. It takes your mind off pain, and it's easier to push through pain/suffering when you can see an attainable, physical goal (the person in front of behind you.) This also applies at any stage in the race, whether its holding someone off through the middle portion of a 10K, or kicking as hard as possible. We all know its easier to kick hard when you're chasing someone down or being chased.

Also the more you race and the more you suffer, the better you will get at being able to handle/get over it. Along with being better trained and in better shape (/generally a better runner) comes better pain tolerance. I personally have noticed a huge difference from HS to college.

Bump

I don't think "sufferring" is a productive way for you to frame this issue. The words we choose are all value and emotionally laden. I associate sufferring to victims not to winners. It also places the race in more of a character test. "Why wasn't I strong enough to endure more sufferring" I don't think these are positive constructs to help you in a race.

When you are racing make the discomfort less relevant so that so can focus on form and goals and performance. The term sufferring really empowers the negative physical sensation over you. Sufferring is a scary term to me.

Ever notice in a race the winner rarely seems to be "sufferring" as much as those behind him?

Doghouse Reilly wrote:

I have some questions about the suffering that I suspect is at the heart of brilliant running.

Along the lines of Conundrum's point, I would say that learning not to suffer is at the heart of brilliant distance running.