for those who love the outdoors
18 July, 2024
In my last piece for Outside & Active, I talked about what I believed the worst mistake a runner could make is.
View my last piece by clicking or tapping here.
It may surprise you to know that it wasn’t any of the many technical aspects that would normally come up when considering the answer to such a question.
No, it was much simpler than that.
The biggest mistake a runner can make - Giving up.
That’s it. If you can avoid giving up when the going gets tough, then I promise that you will go far.
Whilst just about everyone will say ‘I’ll never give up’, with a Rocky Balboa fist in the air kind of defiant look to them, the reality is that giving up is way more common than you think.
Just like in life, running can provide great moments, but it will also provide extremely tough moments. How can we improve our chances of getting through those tough times when they do occur? Or you may even be going through them now, in which case this could not be more timely for you.
There could be many things that may lead a runner towards the possibility giving up. They could be physical, mental, emotional, environmental or situational reasons.
Each of these will contain many different sub-categories and it would be impossible to break them all down with specific strategies. For example, the intricate specifics of working back from a stress fracture would be quite different to feeling like you want to quit because your partner doesn’t support your running anymore.
However, what I have learned during my own running and coaching journey, is that there are a number of common behaviours that can go a long way towards helping you out of any tough situation, no matter how bad it may seem.
You get injured right before a target race, or your car breaks down on the way to a big race and you don’t make the start (Been there with both of these!).
Personally, I think it’s healthy to want to vent your frustration or anger in the immediate aftermath. Get it all out of the system Go ahead and be the equivalent of the tennis player smashing his racket on the floor if that’s your style.
However,… This has to be pretty short lived before you start to move on. Otherwise, you risk dwelling on something that has already happened and can’t be undone.
Get that frustration out, however you may choose. Then what? This is one of the most important moments. You can either stay stuck or look instead at what can be done.
You are unable to run – Can you cross train?
You’ve completed your target and don’t feel focussed – Can you set new goals?
Your feeling bored with your runs – Can you change the format or route?
You are struggling to run on your own – Can you join a group or meet people?
You are constantly feeling lethargic – Can you go to bed earlier and get more sleep?
Get the picture? There is always something that you CAN be doing do progress, even if it isn’t quite what you initially had as plan A.
Another important note whilst on this topic and thinking in terms of can-do. The more you are able to keep things fun, enjoyable, and low pressure, then the more likely they will be to help keep you on track.
Who are you more likely to want to surround yourself with when going through a tough time?
Positive, inspiring, uplifting leaders? Or
Negative, energy draining victims?
Hopefully the answer is obvious.
The people you surround yourself with will have a huge bearing on how you show up in life. Seeking out positive friends, mentors, experts, coaches and training partners – The sorts of people who will be there for you during the tough times, no matter what the situation is.
There you have it. It’s not complicated but can be highly effective. Let any frustration out, before then cracking on with a can do attitude and good people around you.
This has always been my go-to way out of tough times for the past 23 years as a runner and as a coach, and still is to this day. In fact, as of the time of writing this, I have just used this exact approach to get through and work back from my first ever stress fracture.
John Beattie is a coach who helps ambitious marathon runners achieve their ultimate goals in both running and life, through 1:to:1 online coaching.
John has also been an elite runner for many years, and has represented Great Britain and England in track, cross country and road running.
Although now focussed primarily on coaching, John is keen to lead by example and show older runners that ‘age is just a number.’ Now in his late 30s, and 23 years into his own running journey, he is still competing at a national level and remains under 30-minutes for 10k in 2024.
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