Why running speed doesn't matter

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Beginner athletes often think that the goal of training is to learn to run faster, and feel a burning shame if they cannot achieve their goals. Coach and sports columnist Jeff Gaudette thinks differently. We have prepared a translation of his article, which explains that running slowly is not a problem of the body, but of the mind.

When I started working with a group of older runners and amateur athletes in 2006, I was surprised by the unusually high level of negative thoughts and lack of self-confidence in many of my students. Almost every new member of the group, instead of greeting, immediately began to make excuses: "I am probably the slowest of all you trained" or "You probably do not train with those slow as me." It doesn't matter what their successes actually were. Almost every conversation began with a self-flagellation session.

Alas, the situation has not changed over time. Many runners, both novice and seasoned athletes, have hesitated and hesitant to join the local running community or compete for a long time. When you ask about the reasons, the answer is always the same: they think they are too slow.

This is what I want to tell you: you are not slow at all. It's all to blame for self-deprecating thoughts that prevent you from realizing all your possibilities.

The purpose of this article is to prove that changing the mindset and adequate self-esteem is much more important than any training.

The power of thought

It is negative thinking that often prevents us from reaching our full potential. Your worst enemies are sentences that begin with, "Yes, I know I'm slow, but …" By saying this over and over again, you make yourself believe that you will never really learn to run fast. Research by sports psychologists has proven the power of positive thinking and invigorating self-talk. Athletes who walked to the start line in good spirits performed more consistently and performed better than those who were discouraged.

However, rethinking the attitude towards one's abilities begins long before the race. If, while preparing for it, you plague yourself with bad thoughts, no amount of positive attitude and pre-launch conversations with yourself will not make up for weeks or months of self-deprecation. Positive thinking is how you perceive every aspect of your workouts.

I understand that it is difficult at one moment to take and change the idea of your own capabilities, so here's a tip to help.

No matter how fast, running is always the same

Little secret: The satisfaction of a hard workout and the frustration of a poor race are not affected by how fast you run. This is the beauty of our sport.

There is no difference between an athlete who covered five kilometers in half an hour and someone who did it in 16 minutes. Both tried their best and overcame the same obstacles. All runners are, in principle, equal, and speed does not matter in the slightest.

I run 10 kilometers in 29 minutes. I'm still uncomfortable with the prospect of finishing last, I still don't know a lot about training, and I've had a lot more bad classes, injuries and bad races than I'd like. So there is no need to preface your questions or thoughts about running with the words "I am slow." I am fast, but I have the same difficulties and fears. And so it is with all runners.

There is always someone faster

If you are not the Olympic medalists Kenenis Bekele, Mo Farah or Galen Rapp, there is always someone faster than you. Speed is a relative concept. You run one and a half kilometers in 15 minutes and you doubt whether you can call yourself a runner, because many people cover this distance in a much shorter time? Fast athletes feel the same way.

Former pro runner Ryan Warrenberg has expressed doubts about whether he should be ranked among the running elite. A distance of five kilometers takes him 13 minutes 43 seconds. It seems to me that this is fast and quite worthy for the title of "elite" athlete. Do you know where his result is in the world ranking? And I don't know, but that's outside the top 500.

Why is “slow” perceived as bad?

Okay, I may not be able to convince you that "slow" is just a matter of point of view. Then answer, why does running speed matter at all? Runners are the friendliest and most responsive athletes I have met. None of those I know have refused to run a little slower if a partner is having a hard time maintaining a given speed. Think for yourself, is it less enjoyable for you to run with a friend if you have to move at a slower pace? I bet it isn't.

Whether you run fast or slow, you are definitely doing better than most of your compatriots. Physical activity of many of them hardly reaches the recommended daily norm, and sports are often out of the question. So the next time the thought of your own slowness prevents you from joining the company of runners, asking a question of interest, or taking part in a competition, ask yourself: "Is this even important?"