A bit of advice please ...

[linda9389]

This sums my run up today!

Wind, mud, desperate for the loo and a migraine - had to walk at times . Felt too nauseous and disorientated to stretch out properly when I got to the car, so tomorrow I'm going to be sore

On a more positive note, it was a lovely route (pretty much the Thames river trail HM route), it's my furthest distance, my quad was feeling even better than last run, I only have tiny, tiny blisters and no black toes, and the hydration vest worked a treat (although I couldn't believe how much was left in it when I got home - that need for the loo put me off drinking too much I guess 😜), so definitely not all bad news.

But this run felt rather like my GSR experience; I got it into my head I had to walk a bit because my legs were really tired and the mud was so slippy. Once I'd done that, the urge to do it again was just too big to resist. I would say at least two of my walking stints were unnecessary (no mud, no steps). So a question for you - how do I talk myself out of those late little walk breaks - the ones when I don't really have to? Any suggestions most welome

[LoungeLizaard]

I’d be interested in the replies too, this happens to me (but at lower distances!) I walk for a minimal time, but seems to satisfy my Brain 🧠 that I needed to....

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to LoungeLizaard]

I've been reading all about hitting the wall when running a marthon this morning! Fair enough, I'm not running a marathon ... but everyone has their own personal distance that seems like a marathon right?

This article probably doesn't give you any headlines you haven't heard before, but I like the simple way it's written (together with the carb loading link) and can hopefully take something from it.

It may just interest you too - realbuzz.com/articles-inter...

[Decker Ultramarathon]

You pulled off a really tough one it sounds. Well done Linda all round! Yeah once you stop it is sometimes hard to get back in gear, especially if the weather is cold and wet. And having to pee half the time doesnt help. Was rough for me too today. And my Garmin failed. I have to pound my chest and tell myself off to get going again 😁. Sometimes it works. I wonder were you hungry at all? Do you eat snacks at any point? I usually grab a bite at 10k or so just to keep going. Left my water in the car today but did not really feel the need for it with the cold. Onwards!! Right?

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Decker]

Uggh! Garmin fails are a pain!

I had an energy bar before setting off, one gel and one jelly baby! I find this stuff all very sickly though, I could do with finding a decent savoury energy snack - just not peanut butter 😀. With hindsight, I had a very light dinner last night, no carbs, which possibly didn't help. I've previously run further before feeling this weary in the past, so there's hope there. But I also need a self talk strategy, and the idea of publicly pounding my chest whilst roaring 'get going' might just be enough to stop me giving in to a walk in the first place 😂😂😂😂😂 I'm sure it's a better look for you than it would be for me 😳😳😳

[Sqkr Half Marathon]

I mostly just outright refuse to let myself walk if I feel it isn't warranted by a having a stitch or looking at a nice view, usually it happens when I'm having a horrid run so I tell myself how much quicker I'll be home and in the bath with a cup of tea if I just stick at it. Or I bribe myself—if I carry on maybe I'll be able to stop for a cake on the way home. But, and it's not the sporting answer, occasionally I just give in entirely. Why not? I got on a bus and went home halfway through a 20k coast run last year. My head and legs just weren't into it, I tried to force myself to carry on but everything was conspiring against me. I'm doing this for enjoyment, and if for whatever reason I find I'm really not enjoying it then there's no point in doggedly carrying on and tainting my subsequent runs. I just write about it in my running journal and then go back and do it another day 😊

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Sqkr]

Ahh, it's nice to know that even the greats give in at times

Some runs I can just go on, but this was seeming to bite even before 10k. I immediately assumed it was a loss of fitness because of not running properly for the last four weeks or more, and with that thought my gremlins seemed armour plated against anything I could summon to trick them into keeping going! It was so like GSR, but those are the only two occasions it has happened so I will try to keep it inthe context of one of those inexplicable but occasional 'horrid runs'.

I will also try being more imaginative with my threats/promises of treats in future - cake, baths and getting home quicker all sound good; try to distract myself. I feel the need to build an arsenal of positive thoughts in advance, ready to bring out just in case I have another 'horrid run' at some point

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

My go-to is to talk myself into running a little bit further - to that next tree for example - and then a little bit further - to the dustbin, etc. I'm telling myself that when I get there I can walk - but I lie 😄

If there are big crowds at your event, having your name on your top is a good one, because the spectators will try and shame you if you walk! I actually got a bit sick of this at the London Marathon though, because I was injured and I COULDN'T run much towards the end, but people were going "come on Abi - RUN!". I just had to laugh it off 😊

Another idea is to make your "walk" into a slower jog - might be very slow indeed, but if your feet are both in the air at any point in your stride you're still running!

Or, PLAN to walk - but only at certain points - the water stations are a good choice for walk breaks, particularly if the water's in cups cos it's pretty hard to drink from them and keep running. So with this self-inflicted rule you will not be allowed to walk for the last part of the race after the final water station.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to roseabi]

I did try 'a little bit further' and it worked for a bit .... maybe I need to work on becoming a more convinving liar I don't feel as disappointed as I did after GSR either, so I think I'm getting a better understanding of myself which is good. It's great that this happened in training and not in the race situation; I have two more training runs in the plan to get better at it and I'm going to spend lots of time googling strategies for coping with ''hitting the wall' in the meantime At the end of the day, I had the energy to run the last 0.5k (albeit rather slowly) so I wasn't quite done in and must remind myself of that in future

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Haha! I was running bin to bin for the last km of parkrun yesterday. We came back into a 40mph headwind - if it's like that come half marathon day I'm screwed 😂🤣

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to pianoteacher]

Yeah, I don't want to think about that...

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to pianoteacher]

Sounds like you'll be fine so long as there's plenty of bins on the home stretch 😂😂😂

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

Lol!

[pianoteacher Marathon Half Marathon]

No advice I'm afraid Linda but really useful to read the replies x

[Whatsapp Half Marathon]

Whenever I feel like walking I alawys remind myself that it is just going to prolong the whole thing and take longer to get where I'm going so I might as well just carry on running.

It sounds like it becoming habitual, so you need to kick it into touch.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Whatsapp]

It's only happened twice. But you're right I want it gone! I will try to be harder on myself, but the more I think about it, the more I alao need to be properly prepared and properly paced too. No bad habits right 😀