The Embrace of Suffering

Training Advice/Discussion General

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10 years ago 10/25/2013 3:51pm EDT

I can speak from my years of experience. New runners try to distract themselves from the pain. Loud music, head games anything to take the focus off the pain.

Seasoned runners focus on how the body feels. Us older runners get better and better at running through pain and discomfort. The brain tells the body when to stop when it feels damage is being done. With years of experience you learn to push through this limit and its no longer the perceived pain slowing you down as it is your body's physical limits stopping you.

I'm at the point where I can push myself to such limits in a race that it is actually risky healthwise. Other old guys are there also.

10 years ago 10/25/2013 4:01pm EDT

re: Conundrum

Conundrum wrote:
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?

Thank you, very good points. I'll definitely keep this in mind. I think I've gotten better at this over the past several months.

10 years ago 10/25/2013 4:03pm EDT

re: Old guy knows

Old guy knows wrote:
I can speak from my years of experience. New runners try to distract themselves from the pain. Loud music, head games anything to take the focus off the pain.
Seasoned runners focus on how the body feels. Us older runners get better and better at running through pain and discomfort. The brain tells the body when to stop when it feels damage is being done. With years of experience you learn to push through this limit and its no longer the perceived pain slowing you down as it is your body's physical limits stopping you.
I'm at the point where I can push myself to such limits in a race that it is actually risky healthwise. Other old guys are there also.

I guess what you're describing is similar to what Noakes describes as "the central governor." Sounds like you are increasingly able to override it.

10 years ago 10/25/2013 4:07pm EDT

re: Doghouse Reilly

10 years ago 10/25/2013 4:39pm EDT

re: Doghouse Reilly

For me it's always been more about focus than "embracing suffering'. If you focus on trying as hard as possible, perhaps even using pain as a measure of how hard you can try, it doesn't hurt. Races just involve focussing on moving as fast as possible for the distance. Maybe risk passing out/whatever. I just try until something gets in the way (like passing out would).

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