Thursday, January 5, 2012

What does it mean to suffer?

Hey folks - only a few days to go until the beginning of our 2012 runnerpeeps training program.   I'm thrilled that we will have several brand new runners to enroll, as well as many of our alumna to renew.   Our 2012 program will be the best ever, with many cool improvements.  

Today's topic is suffering.   This is one I talked about last season and I want to cover it again.   Specifically, I'm referring to suffering as the ability to withstand, overcome and achieve incredible athletic feats in endurance training.  As a run coach, this is an enormously important topic, and a research area that I pursue.   Suffering is quite complex, and I'm unable to summarize it in a few quaint phrases or clever emails.   Is it purely physical?   How do emotions affect suffering?  What are the physiological implications?   So, we will explore this topic in more detail throughout the 2012 season.  Why?   Because of what I want you to achieve.   I will ask several of you to push hard in your training AND to achieve a PR.  Yep, I want to see some fabulous splits and performances -- make 2012 a truly successful year.   Peel back the proverbial onion -- see what you're truly capable of achieving.   And, that will require you to suffer a bit.  During training.  During long workouts.  During truly tough workouts.  On race day.   

 So, what is does it mean to suffer?   People describe it in many, many ways.   I have my own definition of suffering, although I'm no more right about this than anyone else.   To me, as a running coach, I define suffering as the ability to run fast for a sustained period of time, AND to earn a high % finish within one's age group during a race.    Net is, many people can run fast for a short period.   And, many people can run slow for a long period.   Few people can run fast and go long.   And only a tiny, select group of people can do those things so well, that they distinguish themselves within their age group with a truly outstanding time split.   Now, my definition isn't perfect... afterall, "fast" is a relative term.   So is "long".   However, % finish within one's age group is a factual measure of one's relative ability to their peers.   Aerobically speaking, the ability to suffer is closely linked to one's ability to run for a sustained period of time right at their aerobic threshhold.   Truly taxing.    I use % of age group split as a factual look -- combined with HR data and pacing splits over time -- to determine how a runner suffers yet perseveres and achieves remarkable, fabulous fitness goals.

Ask yourself -- do you periodically put yourself in position to suffer in training?   only on race day?  perhaps on a long run or a long ride?   how many times on your fitness career have you truly suffered?   be honest to yourself.   do you truly push yourself?    would you know suffering if it happened?   what constitutes suffering to you?   how can you overcome it?   can you control the onset of suffering, can you control how to stop it?   how can you lean on suffering, to actually improve your fitness?   how can to reduce how you suffer, the % time spent suffering.   perhaps you might leverage nutritional smarts, add functional strength training to your plan, perhaps integrate more spin workouts for low-load bearing aerobic fitness, etc.   

Let's talk about suffering more throughout 2012.

1 comment:

  1. Quoted from the book, Born to Run, from an unknown source "Make friends with pain, and you'll never be alone."

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