how do you deal with the pain???????

I think pain tolerance is a skill. It can be developed and improved upon over time. Pain is a barrier to your best performance. Embrace the challenge of dealing with it. Take pride in developing it. Develop a humble toughness by consistently not giving in or easing up when you are tempted to. Only you will know if you didn't concede a thing to the pain and effort.

Read Kipling's "IF" and "hang on."

Pain is information.

I find that the pain is worse when you go out with the calvary and painfully slow down in the last mile or two. I would suggest a more conservative start and picking off the people in the end. You will find the pain easier to tolerate as you are motoring by people who went out too fast. This strategy seems to work for the Colorado XC team!

If you're feeling bad remember that others around you are feeling worse.

Also remember that afterwards you will thank yourself for putting yourself through more and more pain. This is crucial. There is no better feeling in the sport than the few moments you get to yourself afterwards when you look into the mirror knowing how hard you ran and the pain you endured. I love that conversation with myself afterwards more than any of the rewards or praise from others.

"The moment of victory is far too short to be the only thing that matters" - martina navratilova

It won't help for this race, but racing experience deadens your sensitivity to pain. Race more.

It's possible to race flat out without pain if you are enjoying your run rather than feeling anxious about it.

You are already anticipating a very painful experience and so that is what will happen.

It's all about using your adrenalin in a positive way. An adrenalin high can make you feel anxious or excited. As another poster mentioned, pacing yourself well is crucial. Most people set off too fast in a race, and the more important the race the worse they pace themselves, because they can't control themselves. Some people race for years and years and never learn to pace themselves.

Pain is redemptive, especially when it is happening to someone else.

There's some good literature on the science of racing - you need to read some of that.

You're really asking the wrong question. What you really should be focusing on is the perfect race, which for 6.5k and all things being equal (wind, hills, footing, etc..) is probably slightly fast but not too fast 1st mile, nearly even splits over the next 2 miles and slightly faster last mile+ with a kick. If that race plan puts you out with the lead pack, so be it. There will probably be runners in the lead pack with a similar race plan, and if you're overextending early on to stay with them you'll never beat them anyway. Plus, I think the science shows that going too fast too early and fading is almost always slower than the plan I just described (plus it hurts a lot more). Based on your workouts and good knowledge of the course, you and your coach should be able to put a good plan together.

I know in swimming for a longer race (200M and up), we really look to keep the swimmer close to an even split. If they're fitness level is high, that usually means they've found the optimum mix of both energy systems for that particular distance. And hitting that target can be a very fine line, so race specific training is critical.

notakicker wrote:

It won't help for this race, but racing experience deadens your sensitivity to pain. Race more.

I agree, you have to race more.

I hurt so bad in a 5000 that I can't imagine anyone is hurting as bad as me (i'm sure everyone thinks the same thing). Standing on the line reminds me of being in 5th grade and having to go to the principals office for a paddling. You just know it's going to hurt. Racing will temper you and will eventually be easier to tolerate - it goes hand in hand with peaking. I don't feel you can get this from any workout. I relate it to getting into a hot bath...you don't just jump in. The water is too hot to get in at first but if you stick a toe in, then your foot, eventually you can tolerate it.

It's only temporary, see how much you can make yourself hurt.

"This is the greatest moment of your life and you’re off somewhere, missing it."

lome,

Don't listen to these idiots who say pain can simply be conquered with mental toughness, or you're just a big pussy if you can't deal with the pain, etc...

Yes, runners need to learn how to manage pain and they need to be mentally tough. But there is a smart way to race and a stupid way to race. I've seen some pretty tough, extremely fit kids botch races by going out too fast. They did slow down, they did suffer more than normal, and they did not achieve a good time.

Tough and Stupid is not a recipe for success.

RunDaddy wrote:

lome,

Don't listen to these idiots who say pain can simply be conquered with mental toughness, or you're just a big pussy if you can't deal with the pain, etc...

I guess the 6th grade coach isn't the only person you like to second guess. If you run the perfect race there will still be pain. If you didn't hurt then you didn't run hard enough. I wasn't commenting on his race strategy, that wasn't his question.

Dr Poo wrote:

RunDaddy wrote:

lome,

Don't listen to these idiots who say pain can simply be conquered with mental toughness, or you're just a big pussy if you can't deal with the pain, etc...

I guess the 6th grade coach isn't the only person you like to second guess. If you run the perfect race there will still be pain. If you didn't hurt then you didn't run hard enough. I wasn't commenting on his race strategy, that wasn't his question.

I wasn't referring to your post. But if you think I wrote there isn't pain in a perfect race than you can't comprehend what you read very well.

Lome IS asking about a race strategy. He's asking if he should go out fast and hang on. Did you not read that part of the question? He also wants to know how to fight through the agony. If you're in "agony" at the 3K mark of a 6.5K race you're not racing smart. Does Bekele look like he is in agony half way through a 5K?

And anyone who advises a runner to "see how much you can hurt" is an idiot. Sorry.

i suppose i was kind of asking 2 questions.

The race is my biggest of the year in x-c, and i'm certainly going to give it my best shot, but i'm just worried about the first mile, which could be suicidally fast if i try to get up there---about 80-100 in the race. However, i'm also worried if i don't go out fast enough, i'll wind up in 30th and not get back to the leaders(aiming for top 4). It's just that i've noticed in previous races when i'm down the field and hurting, i get these really negative thoughts in my head that tempt me to drop out. I have never given in and stepped off the course, but i have slowed and not gone as hard as i could or should have as a result. I know i can get my goal, but i just have to endure that pain--i'm just looking for the best way to manage it so i get everything out of myself on the day.

Thanks for ye're previous input. I'm 17 and male, by the way-doing about 50 a week.

This is what we signed up for. Pain is part of the game. don't focus on the pain issue too much. Instead when you think race associate it with fun connotations like friends, and travel. On of the main reasons kids burn out is they think too much. Just go with the flow and let your training and brains dictate the pace. For example aim for a PR instead of trying to charge out and keep with the leaders. PR long enough and you will beat these front guys soon enough. Don't let adrenalin and excite cloud you judgement. Also I follow Frank Shorter's approach to racing which is come race day your body doesn't know what to expect. Why because you disassociate yourself from the pain. If not the Chickenlittle mentality will set in. Come on bro race is over in a flash. Ok focus on this instead the feeling of yourself running blood coursing through your veins pumped and exilerated. Changes the focus doesn't it. Sometime you got to play mind games with yourself.

Ok one more tidbit, which is more applicable to your age. Why do you think Jim Ryun was so great. He trained and raced fearlessly. Even in HS he just went out there and did it. Hence Nike's logo Just Do it, not think about it. Thinking is overrated. We are athletes. Let your legs do the talking.

I prefer a little Prozack and wash it down with a Molson.Once I do that I am ready to Rock!

I don't know if that would work for me, lol.

Prevention is key, man. I stay healthy, so I don't have to deal with the pain later.

No junk food, just water - okay some wine - and some multivitamins. I just started taking Vascutin. It's a pro-circulation thing. Works pretty well so far.

A nice Molson does sound nice though.