Today for the first time in my life I dropped out of a race. My legs were dead, I’m running worse than last year and I wanna know what to do. I was not even in pain when I dropped out I just could not run faster at all. My plan is to take 2 days off and ice bath twice this week to see how I feel next Saturday, any ideas?
Look up the Steve Scott quote that goes give yourself one hour to be pissed off about your race or work out than go on with your day.
"Get over it - If you have a bad workout or run a bad race, allow yourself exactly 1 hour to stew about it-then move on."- Steve Scott
Thanks for the advice, I’m not too upset ab this race I know it’s early but I am worried ab the rest f my season
Start lifting weights. If doin too much speed work then reduce that. If not doing enough speed work, increase that. Do your strides too. Take your easy runs easy. Go for a run slower than usual. You're welcome.
Something's not right here. If you can't go any faster, the solution is to keep going, not to drop out. What did your coach think about your dropping out? Did he or she have any suggestions? Are you under extra stress this week from school starting or something else?
You say you're running worse than last year. How does your training compare? Did you run consistently this summer? Are you male or female? That makes a difference.
An ice bath won't do sh!t. You might have low iron or something.
What is this weird obsession with ice baths as a random cure for every ailment?
I’m a male, my coach told me when I dropped out that he knew something was off. He said I looked like I was forcing my stride almost as soon as the race started.
Get iron levels checked (ferritin). If below 40, you found the problem.
Do I go to my doctor to have my iron levels checked
Ogposter wrote:
Do I go to my doctor to have my iron levels checked
Nah, just Get a big magnet.
Maybe you got mono.
Impossible to give you any advice with so little information. Maybe you've had a long season and need a break. Maybe you're overtrained. Maybe you had a big week and were just flat.
How about some context?
Ogposter wrote:
Do I go to my doctor to have my iron levels checked
Yes, go to your doctor and be sure to ask specifically for a ferritin test.
It happens (not to me - but look at your average race stats for any given distance). Don't dwell on it and move on.
FWIW, I almost dropped out of a super hilly 10k yesterday that I was woefully unprepared for, but I stuck with it and feel good about finishing, despite a sub par time. Would I have felt better about dropping out than seeing a crappy time? Perhaps. But fo me, at least, there is something to be said about sticking with it when the going gets tough.
Randomhsrunner wrote:
Today for the first time in my life I dropped out of a race. My legs were dead, I’m running worse than last year and I wanna know what to do. I was not even in pain when I dropped out I just could not run faster at all. My plan is to take 2 days off and ice bath twice this week to see how I feel next Saturday, any ideas?
I quit a race when I was 14. When I was asked why, as they thought I was injured, I said I'd had enough. The looks I got as tehy turned away was enough for me to never quit again.
Even when you are feeling shitty in a training session or race, you can always find something to focus on, when something else is failing.
Put your man pants on and make sure you are doing it right. If you're getting slower and feeling shitty, go see a dr.
If you are feeling mentally weak, then suck it up, or stay at home. Maybe you are not cut out for competition
I bet the humidity today had a factor. Check the weather history around race time. If humidity was about 60% it was a factor, if above 80% toss any semblance of a good race out the window
I felt the same way my last year of HS. Turns out I had a massive iron deficiency. Get a blood test for anemia.
Don't stress about it. I've had to drop out of a race too and it sucks but you really do have to just move on and not let it get to you.
In July, I dropped out of my first race (800m) in 6 seasons of track. Was with the group at half way, but at 500m I tried to push and both my legs gave out. I lost balance and nearly fell over. Later discovered I had bad heat exhaustion from spending all of the previous day outside in 34 degrees Celsius.
While it sucks, dropping out of a race is something everyone does eventually. Our bodies have bad days even on race days. My case it was smarter to stop before I hurt myself. Take a few days off no running. Relax, eat, ice bath if it helps. Let your body recharge and try again later. All you can do