So, the training is going well. The miles are ramping up, slowly but steadily. Still with plenty of strength work, stretching and some speed sessions. I'm doing something everyday. The knee is holding up (although there's an annoying ache which seems to come and go unexpectedly, and not related to what the session before had in stock). I've got some new friends to help guide me though: I look a right muppet carrying these poles around but they're light, sturdy and help take the load from my knees on hills and provide some forwards propulsion on the flat. When running 1030 miles I've got to be efficient with the load on my legs by spreading the forces around the rest of my body as much as I can. The clip is for some gloves to hook into, by the way. I can't decide if they remind me of Beaker or a rooster? . See if you can spot the odd one out from the selfies below. One's taken on an early run on Christmas Day, before the t...
"I can make you a better a ultra runner in 45 minutes" and with that, the talk starts. I'm hooked.
I feel like a sponge, soaking in all this information, talking to various inspiring people I'm meeting through preparing for this challenge, and now here, at the OMM lite festival in Grasmere. Not as a runner 😒 but as a supporter to my wife, son and some good friends who are doing the short course over 2 days 😊. There's talks on various things as part of the festival. This one is the 'Psychology of ultra-running'.
What did I learn? All of this is to stop a downwards spiral of despair and giving up when times are tough.
- Understand your 'Why?' The more emotional it is the better. When times are tough, having a 'why' that really does mean something to you helps. Embed it. Rehearese it. It matters.
- Goals are good - but don't define them by outcome - define them by process and keep them small. Why? We are in control of processes (like how many times we drink or eat during an event, training frequency, etc). Every small win is a win, and wins help feed our brains to keep going. So during an event, a goal maybe about eating something every 30 minutes - and celebrating that success. Same for training. Celebrate all those little things. 'Outcomes are a reflection of processes'.
- Try to limit stress. Be aware of the bell-shaped performance curve. Too much adrenaline from too much stress reduces performance. Too little, and performance wains too. Find the sweet spot. But be aware that introverts need some 'me' time before an event to keep in that sweet spot, whereas extroverts need more stress to keep in it by searching out others to gain energy.
- Plan for different scenarios by doing a quick MOT head to foot every hour or so (could be a process goal!). 'How am I feeling?' 'If I continue like this what will I be like in 3 hours?' 'What I can I change now to be my best in 3 hours?' Knowing that decison making becomes harder with tirdeness, leave some instructions for yourself in your drop bag for the pit stops: 'sit down, eat X, drink X, change socks, etc'
- Change any negative vibes into positives. Eg 'This down hill is too technical, I'll slip' to 'Great opportunity for some cardiovascular recovery'. Negative vibes spiral out of control.
- On a long event, as your mind wanders, and starts to focus on negatives or pain - practice changing the focus. Shift it around different types of focus. From external broad factors like the weather to external narrow factors like foot placement. From internal broad factors like fatigue to internal narrow factors like heart rate. It's the shifting of the thinking around rather than being stuck that stops those thoughts entering the downward spiral. Disassociation they call it.
- Pain is just a signal in the brain. If pain signals are present, there is less muscle fibre recruitment in that area where the signal originated from, and it worsens. Unless you've snapped, cracked, or even popped something, use the shift in focus technique above. Mind over matter.
- And finally: reflection. After training runs and events, work your way around the Weiner quadrant model to make sure you reflect on unstable (open to change) and stable factors (no change) against the internal (me) or external causes. Don't fall into the trap of blaming external stable factors that can't be changed. Instead think: 'what could I have done differently?' There's always something, and when you've found it, find another. And another. And do something different next time.
Time is still ticking. I use the ticking to keep myself in that adrenaline sweet spot. Did anyone notice the countdown clock on my website shift? (If you're reading this on an email, click on the home page link below to go to the website - it looks better than the email!) It's less than 1 year to go! This year's cohort of runners has just left Land's End. I'm meeting up with them as they pass through Cumbria in 2 weeks. All these things, like talking to people who've done extraordinary things, learning about ultra running, and writing this blog, keeps me focused on the my why, my processes, and my quick wins.
If you look closely at the photo above you'll see a different type of spiralling. Not a spiral of despair - it's a kite leading the way on my cycle ride today (process win!) and spiralling on the thermals, gaining height and surveying its quarry. Like the buzzards in Shropshire and around Fountains Abbey, every time I see a bird of prey spiralling from now on, I'll use it to shift my focus and stand up tall. Ready to look for the next process win.
I've been listed for a knee arthroscopy. Not the lottery win of recovery I crossed my fingers for. I shall reflect, adapt and turn that into a positive though. A small but significant win on my journey to get to the start in Land's End in 363 days....
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