Thanks, Jane. I decided to try smiling in the Bolder Boulder this year, figuring if nothing else, at least the race photos would look nice. I thought I was smiling all throughout the race, but every single photo still looked like I was being tortured. 🙃
Hahaha this is the most accurate comment ever. Last year at Dopey during our 5k we thought we did a good job and our pics came back horrible...well we really figured it out for the rest of the races hahaha...but to be fair there was no pain cave paces happening in those races.
SAME!!!😂😂 Smiling isn’t just an idea though, it’s science and the evidence is that the effect is quite significant!! Brodie Sharpe actually covered the research on his Run Smarter podcast!! Though it’s still true as Jane points out, we’re all different !!
The mental aspect is so important. I know I've bailed on myself midway through a lot of different races because I felt like I was having a bad race or I had nothing left. I've been really working towards that this year. A lot of it is having a solid build-up to whatever race distance you are running, so you can pull from experiences where you had to dig deep to complete a workout. I think also part of it is to be realistic with your expectations and have a plan going into the race. As always, a cool video.
Great video, thanks for posting :) I'm going to run my second marathon in May and I'm getting a little excited already. My mantra has always been "pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever."
Glad you found it helpful and for sharing your mantra! Whenever I want to quit I always think about how mad at myself I'd be after the fact if I did...it definitely makes me keep pushing!
The Runseek Running Music channel is absolutely my secret weapon!!! Sometimes I use it all through but often as you say Jane , I put it on only when I start getting that "I need to stop" feeling , then I usually put on my absolute favourite and it’s like a new lease on life!! I also used that channel to slowly train to run at a higher cadence too, as you can choose the right cadence for you!!
Hi Jane. I watched this video in anticipation of my 7th full marathon; that marathon was yesterday. Your tips: knowing you're not going to die, anticipating the pain, and having a mantra to repeat were perfect. I used these tips in the last 10kms of the race and recorded a personal best. I don't think I would have recorded a personal best had I not watched this video the night before the race. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for making this video.
Wow, Christopher, I appreciate you sharing this...it means so much to me. And most of all, I'm so proud of you and happy for you on having such an amazing race!
I always remind myself of what it was like when i was injured and i couldn't run. And i say to myself now you're running so enjoy it, enjoy the pain, because you can. 😊
So grateful for this video. I was doing a 22 miler long run today (my last long run before the marathon) I got through 16 before I immediately started telling myself I can't do this. I wasn't even going for a specific pace, I just wanted to push through without stopping. It doesn't help living in Florida where the average temperatures are high 80s this time of year. In any event, appreciate you for taking the time to post.
I’m super thankful I found your channel and more so that you still upload. I’m training for my first marathon in November and your videos from several years ago started to get suggested to me when I’ve been doing research. Thanks for the content!
You're so welcome and glad it's been helpful!! Yep, I'm still here, just a bit harder to upload as consistently these days as I'm full-time coaching while putting out the content. But trying my best and appreciate the viewership!
Ahhh yes, the pain cave or "dark forest". Great video, Coach! These are great tips! For me, I handle it by breathing in time with my footsteps during the hardest part at the end of a race. Breath in 3 steps, breath out 3 steps. This running in uniform makes me feel like a well oiled machine,(as corny as that sounds) and helps me to concentrate on something other than my current physical state. I think your point about how we ALL feel it is spot on. I tell myself that, too. Its not just me but EVERYONE is feeling rough. Good luck out there, you can push through!
I love this strategy! This is also helpful for people who may get cramps when running hard and need to get their breathing under control. And yes, we are all in it together!! No matter how fast or slow anyone is, if we are pushing to our fullest ability we are all feeling it!
Great advice! My go-to mantra is, "Pain is expected, suffering is optional." One thing that helps me is to touch my thumb and index fingers together, like people do when meditating. I find it oddly comforting and calming in painful race moments 😊
When I am in pain during a race, I remind myself that all the racers are in pain. This somehow makes me feel that the pain is okay and personally acceptable. Shared pain is more bearable knowing you are not alone.
I'm hoping this time an audiobook will take my mind off the race. I know for training runs, if I'm talking the time just flies. So hopefully the book will carry me through.
Thanks for the great video! I got my current 5k PB (cut 30 seconds!) with just repeating to myself "just keep digging". It's the first time a single line has helped me not only embrace the pain cave, but really begin exploring it. The brain stopped trying to convince me to slow down and I shoved. Mantras really do work once you find the right ones. Hopefully it'll work for that final 10k in this fall marathon.
Love it!! Sometimes it's funny what pops into your head in the moment and it's like, I guess we're going with this haha. Best of luck in your marathon - last 10k of a marathon is all about getting gritty. You got this!
I bought a fluoro pink silicon bracelet online which you could add text to. I added ' i can do this" on one sice and 'i am fearless" on the other, ie both on the outside. They have a good rhythm to them which syncs with my breathing and footsteps. I use tne first in the last stages and hang onto the words to help distract from the little voice that seduces me to give up and run slower😂
Realy great advice! I like to do math in the pain cave. I’m really bad at math and it takes a lot of concentration, especially late miles in a marathon. Math is a great distraction and I feel like I can’t feel pain when I’m doing math lol
Hi Karla! LOL I definitely do math related to my pace, mileage, etc. and it really is a great distraction. Especially since it takes so long for me to solve a relatively simple equation haha.
@@runningwithjaneI finally got my life and health straightened out. I’m about 90 days into my return to running. It is exciting and very humbling. Best wishes to you and your family.
Be careful on the 1st tip, especially for less experience runners. I pushed through my pain which i could sustain as i trained many intervals during my practice, and i dropped at the finished line unconcious due to lack of oksigen.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. Certainly there are rare cases where something could go wrong, but a healthy individual racing an all out effort is a generally safe activity. But of course everyone should always have a clean bill of health when embarking on racing. In most cases your mind will stop you/slow you down long before you push yourself into a dangerous zone.
Hi Jane. Do you have a lower back stiffness, eventually pain while running long distances? This has become a nightmare for me, be it running on treadmill or outdoors. Trail running lower back stiffness is much bearable though. Any suggestions? Edit: I am a regular weightlifter, deadlifting and squatting every week.
I do not have any lower back pain. Strength training is awesome...I wonder though if a PT visit could help where you might find an imbalance somewhere that targeted exercises could help.
Do you know anyone that has gotten *exercise-induced bronchoconstriction* after a race? I got it for just a few minutes yesterday after one of my hardest "races" (racing myself for a personal record 8 miles trail run/walk). It felt like a tight chest. It came on 10 minutes after I finished when I was talking to someone and lasted only one minute. I was still wearing my HR monitor and watching my HR gradually dropping. It was still up at 130. I usually just get in the car and drive home but this time I was walking around til I quit breathing hard and then started talking to someone, I wonder if I would have noticed anything if I was not talking. There's a hill at the end so my HR was 168 when I finished. It took a little longer than normal to drop down to below 120 but I expected that cuz I was almost SPENT. Ive been getting a lot of PB's on my training course after doing 300 miles in the High Sierras this summer. It seems like a big breakthrough as running is getting easier now. I'm still 15 pounds overweight but I feel lighter. I can relate the the brain battle because at 70 years old I often think I'm doing myself harm but I've been doing this for 5+ years and so far all the injuries just keep healing. I still remember when I was Junior High School and ran my first race ever . . . it was *painful* :o) That hard part is going through the pain and not even knowing if you are going to get a PR out of it. I was very happy this time as I broke my record from just three weeks ago buy 6 minutes. Question is . . . how long before I should try it again??? I do that step counting as well but I count to 100
I get this, but only in cool/cold weather running... I'll be fine running, then come indoors and cough for hours. I take a ventolin inhaler, but it doesn't seem to do much.
@@Tritiuminducedfusion My neighbor just told me she just started getting this out of the blue the last few months and she still in high school. She's the fastest girl on the soccer team.
As far as the bronchoconstriction, I'm really not familiar with that and haven't had athletes experience it. But to me is sounds worrisome enough that you should consult with a doctor/get it checked out if you haven't already. And as far as the hard part being you may push through the pain and still not get a PB...well, that's just part of all of this. If you cross the finish line knowing you gave it your all, that's really what it's about.
not to be a bummer, but some people actually do die when running hard in races. There is a family that sets up a memorial for their son every year at my local half marathon because he collapsed and died at mile 12.
Hey there - definitely aware of the extreme rare cases. Definitely don't want to say anything in poor taste, but hopefully people understand I just mean that pain we get when we are running fast and nothing else. This is also why learning to suffer in training can be so important - you become aware of what is and isn't normal. And of course regular doctor check ups as well. (And running in heat is a different story and my recommendations for that would be entirely different.)
Thanks Jane. I just ran my first marathon at 56 years old today, in Québec city. Now, I really know what you mean...
Congrats, Claude, on you first marathon!! Proud of you! And yes, once you there...you know.
Thanks, Jane. I decided to try smiling in the Bolder Boulder this year, figuring if nothing else, at least the race photos would look nice. I thought I was smiling all throughout the race, but every single photo still looked like I was being tortured. 🙃
Hahaha this is the most accurate comment ever. Last year at Dopey during our 5k we thought we did a good job and our pics came back horrible...well we really figured it out for the rest of the races hahaha...but to be fair there was no pain cave paces happening in those races.
That's funny. I put on the fake "I'm dying" face with my tongue hanging out. I always get kudos with that face LOL
SAME!!!😂😂 Smiling isn’t just an idea though, it’s science and the evidence is that the effect is quite significant!! Brodie Sharpe actually covered the research on his Run Smarter podcast!! Though it’s still true as Jane points out, we’re all different !!
The mental aspect is so important. I know I've bailed on myself midway through a lot of different races because I felt like I was having a bad race or I had nothing left. I've been really working towards that this year. A lot of it is having a solid build-up to whatever race distance you are running, so you can pull from experiences where you had to dig deep to complete a workout. I think also part of it is to be realistic with your expectations and have a plan going into the race. As always, a cool video.
Great video, thanks for posting :) I'm going to run my second marathon in May and I'm getting a little excited already. My mantra has always been "pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever."
Glad you found it helpful and for sharing your mantra! Whenever I want to quit I always think about how mad at myself I'd be after the fact if I did...it definitely makes me keep pushing!
The Runseek Running Music channel is absolutely my secret weapon!!! Sometimes I use it all through but often as you say Jane , I put it on only when I start getting that "I need to stop" feeling , then I usually put on my absolute favourite and it’s like a new lease on life!! I also used that channel to slowly train to run at a higher cadence too, as you can choose the right cadence for you!!
Hi Jane. I watched this video in anticipation of my 7th full marathon; that marathon was yesterday. Your tips: knowing you're not going to die, anticipating the pain, and having a mantra to repeat were perfect. I used these tips in the last 10kms of the race and recorded a personal best. I don't think I would have recorded a personal best had I not watched this video the night before the race. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for making this video.
Wow, Christopher, I appreciate you sharing this...it means so much to me. And most of all, I'm so proud of you and happy for you on having such an amazing race!
I always remind myself of what it was like when i was injured and i couldn't run. And i say to myself now you're running so enjoy it, enjoy the pain, because you can. 😊
Yes, this is a great perspective!! We GET to do this!
So grateful for this video. I was doing a 22 miler long run today (my last long run before the marathon) I got through 16 before I immediately started telling myself I can't do this. I wasn't even going for a specific pace, I just wanted to push through without stopping. It doesn't help living in Florida where the average temperatures are high 80s this time of year. In any event, appreciate you for taking the time to post.
Like your counting steps, I found that repeatedly counting down from 100 to 0 really helps me
Whatever works, right?!
I’m super thankful I found your channel and more so that you still upload. I’m training for my first marathon in November and your videos from several years ago started to get suggested to me when I’ve been doing research.
Thanks for the content!
You're so welcome and glad it's been helpful!! Yep, I'm still here, just a bit harder to upload as consistently these days as I'm full-time coaching while putting out the content. But trying my best and appreciate the viewership!
Ahhh yes, the pain cave or "dark forest". Great video, Coach! These are great tips! For me, I handle it by breathing in time with my footsteps during the hardest part at the end of a race. Breath in 3 steps, breath out 3 steps. This running in uniform makes me feel like a well oiled machine,(as corny as that sounds) and helps me to concentrate on something other than my current physical state. I think your point about how we ALL feel it is spot on. I tell myself that, too. Its not just me but EVERYONE is feeling rough. Good luck out there, you can push through!
I love this strategy! This is also helpful for people who may get cramps when running hard and need to get their breathing under control. And yes, we are all in it together!! No matter how fast or slow anyone is, if we are pushing to our fullest ability we are all feeling it!
Great advice! My go-to mantra is, "Pain is expected, suffering is optional."
One thing that helps me is to touch my thumb and index fingers together, like people do when meditating. I find it oddly comforting and calming in painful race moments 😊
Love both so those!
When I am in pain during a race, I remind myself that all the racers are in pain. This somehow makes me feel that the pain is okay and personally acceptable. Shared pain is more bearable knowing you are not alone.
Agree! We’re all in it together!
These steps are gold! Thank you for sharing them 🎉
Hi Scott! So glad to hear they are helpful for you!
I'm hoping this time an audiobook will take my mind off the race. I know for training runs, if I'm talking the time just flies. So hopefully the book will carry me through.
Agree talking and being with others helps the time pass and reduces RPE. Distractions like books and music can certainly help!
You might like to try the Runseek Running Music channel where you can choose your ideal cadence to run to … it’s my secret weapon!!
Thanks for the great video!
I got my current 5k PB (cut 30 seconds!) with just repeating to myself "just keep digging". It's the first time a single line has helped me not only embrace the pain cave, but really begin exploring it. The brain stopped trying to convince me to slow down and I shoved. Mantras really do work once you find the right ones.
Hopefully it'll work for that final 10k in this fall marathon.
Love it!! Sometimes it's funny what pops into your head in the moment and it's like, I guess we're going with this haha. Best of luck in your marathon - last 10k of a marathon is all about getting gritty. You got this!
I bought a fluoro pink silicon bracelet online which you could add text to. I added ' i can do this" on one sice and 'i am fearless" on the other, ie both on the outside. They have a good rhythm to them which syncs with my breathing and footsteps. I use tne first in the last stages and hang onto the words to help distract from the little voice that seduces me to give up and run slower😂
I love that, Jo! Mantras really do help so much.
Realy great advice! I like to do math in the pain cave. I’m really bad at math and it takes a lot of concentration, especially late miles in a marathon. Math is a great distraction and I feel like I can’t feel pain when I’m doing math lol
Hi Karla! LOL I definitely do math related to my pace, mileage, etc. and it really is a great distraction. Especially since it takes so long for me to solve a relatively simple equation haha.
Great advice.
Hi Jeff - hope you've been well. Glad you found the video helpful!
@@runningwithjaneI finally got my life and health straightened out. I’m about 90 days into my return to running. It is exciting and very humbling. Best wishes to you and your family.
Pain is temporary. Glory is eternal.
The finish line feels are worth it!
@@runningwithjane absolutely! Great video.
Be careful on the 1st tip, especially for less experience runners. I pushed through my pain which i could sustain as i trained many intervals during my practice, and i dropped at the finished line unconcious due to lack of oksigen.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. Certainly there are rare cases where something could go wrong, but a healthy individual racing an all out effort is a generally safe activity. But of course everyone should always have a clean bill of health when embarking on racing. In most cases your mind will stop you/slow you down long before you push yourself into a dangerous zone.
Hi Jane. Do you have a lower back stiffness, eventually pain while running long distances?
This has become a nightmare for me, be it running on treadmill or outdoors. Trail running lower back stiffness is much bearable though. Any suggestions?
Edit: I am a regular weightlifter, deadlifting and squatting every week.
I do not have any lower back pain. Strength training is awesome...I wonder though if a PT visit could help where you might find an imbalance somewhere that targeted exercises could help.
I sometime say "eight...nine... ten eleven twelve" over and over to keep a rhythm.
Isn't funny what we latch onto? I've tried to keep counting past twenty, but twenty-one and up just doesn't have the right rhythm for me haha.
Do you know anyone that has gotten *exercise-induced bronchoconstriction* after a race? I got it for just a few minutes yesterday after one of my hardest "races" (racing myself for a personal record 8 miles trail run/walk). It felt like a tight chest. It came on 10 minutes after I finished when I was talking to someone and lasted only one minute. I was still wearing my HR monitor and watching my HR gradually dropping. It was still up at 130. I usually just get in the car and drive home but this time I was walking around til I quit breathing hard and then started talking to someone, I wonder if I would have noticed anything if I was not talking. There's a hill at the end so my HR was 168 when I finished. It took a little longer than normal to drop down to below 120 but I expected that cuz I was almost SPENT. Ive been getting a lot of PB's on my training course after doing 300 miles in the High Sierras this summer. It seems like a big breakthrough as running is getting easier now. I'm still 15 pounds overweight but I feel lighter.
I can relate the the brain battle because at 70 years old I often think I'm doing myself harm but I've been doing this for 5+ years and so far all the injuries just keep healing. I still remember when I was Junior High School and ran my first race ever . . . it was *painful* :o)
That hard part is going through the pain and not even knowing if you are going to get a PR out of it. I was very happy this time as I broke my record from just three weeks ago buy 6 minutes.
Question is . . . how long before I should try it again???
I do that step counting as well but I count to 100
I get this, but only in cool/cold weather running... I'll be fine running, then come indoors and cough for hours. I take a ventolin inhaler, but it doesn't seem to do much.
And the degree of severity is directly proportional to coldness and intensity for me... as temperature ⬇️/intensity ⬆️ the EIB ⬆️. 🤷♂️
@@Tritiuminducedfusion My intensity was way up but it was hot and sunny even at 8:30 am.
@@Tritiuminducedfusion My neighbor just told me she just started getting this out of the blue the last few months and she still in high school. She's the fastest girl on the soccer team.
As far as the bronchoconstriction, I'm really not familiar with that and haven't had athletes experience it. But to me is sounds worrisome enough that you should consult with a doctor/get it checked out if you haven't already.
And as far as the hard part being you may push through the pain and still not get a PB...well, that's just part of all of this. If you cross the finish line knowing you gave it your all, that's really what it's about.
not to be a bummer, but some people actually do die when running hard in races. There is a family that sets up a memorial for their son every year at my local half marathon because he collapsed and died at mile 12.
I think one also needs to know our own limits.
Hey there - definitely aware of the extreme rare cases. Definitely don't want to say anything in poor taste, but hopefully people understand I just mean that pain we get when we are running fast and nothing else. This is also why learning to suffer in training can be so important - you become aware of what is and isn't normal. And of course regular doctor check ups as well. (And running in heat is a different story and my recommendations for that would be entirely different.)
❤❤❤😊😂
Hope the video was helpful!