Getting Over a Bad Race

Audio Transcript

Coach Claire Bartholic: Welcome back to the Runners Connect. Today’s question is from Ian and it is about bouncing back after a bad race.

Ian: I bonked big time in my last marathon and I’m sad to say the experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Any advice for moving past a bad marathon and the anxiety to do another one? Many thanks.

Claire: Thank you for reaching out Ian. There’s no other way to put it. Bad races are tough.

Especially a distance like the marathon where you put months and months of hard work in, and it all seems to crumble in a few hours.

As much as we know intellectually that it’s just a race – we’re not out there saving the world after all – it still really hurts.

Bad races highlight mistakes in training or preparation, but they are also great teachers.

You will learn far more from a race that went badly than from an easy race where everything went right.

Every race that you run, regardless of the outcome, makes you a more experienced racer which gives you far more tools for success next time.

But only if you view your mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.

The other point to remember is that you didn’t just show up on race day never having run a step or at least I hope not.

You had weeks and months of training preparing you for that day.

Regardless of the outcome of that one race, your legs have more miles on them than when you started and that doesn’t go away, even if the race didn’t turnout as you’d hoped.

A bad race can be a stepping stone to a next great race. This is because, not only are you physically more experienced, but you are mentally tougher having been through the challenge.

This happens to elite racers all the time. Paula Radcliffe the fastest female marathoner of all time, dropped out of the 2004 Olympic marathon only to win New York City 3 months later.

Let’s go through a timeline of some tips that you can use to get through the disappointment.

Immediately after the race you have every right to be upset and frustrated.

Go ahead and let those feelings out but give yourself a timeline for wallowing. Some coaches say a single day is enough to mourn the loss or to celebrate a win, but you might need a couple of days.

Don’t let it stretch on for days and days before moving on to the next step. Step two is to debrief and try to analyze what happened.

You’ve said that you bonked during your last race.

Well why do you think that happened? What kind of nutrition were you using? How much did you practice your fueling and training? Was your hydration adequate for the conditions?

These questions and more will need to be asked and answered as you prepare for your next one.

Treat it as a puzzle that you’re trying to solve with theories that you can test out, when you’re ready to train again.

The next step is to set a new goal but it does not have to be another marathon. Some runners immediately sign up for a redemption marathon to avenge their bad race. I know I’ve done it.

We even had an athlete we coached on Runners Connect that signed up for a secret marathon. He didn’t even tell his wife he was racing until he came home with his shiny new P.R.

A redemption marathon can be a great technique to get over the loss, but it might not be right for everyone.

You can try a more manageable goal like a shorter distance, maybe some 5ks or 10Ks, or even switch sports completely so that you have that feeling of being fresh and new to something.

Pick something that you have an interest in and that you will approach with much care and passion as you do your running.

You can build your confidence in small ways until you miss the pole of the marathon again and can start training again fresh.

When you are ready to begin marathon training again, try to focus on the process more so than the outcome.

One single day does not define us. It’s the day after day of small things that we do with consistency, that make up who we are.

If you love running and training for a difficult goal like a marathon, then looking at the entire experience including the months of training is essential to having a healthy perspective on why you do this.

The next step to preventing another bad race is reframing your goals and expectations.

It’s great to have a time goal; we all do, but doing your best with what you were given is the best possible outcome no matter what time the clock says.

It’s not just about finishing strong. It’s about being smart with your pacing, fueling, nutrition, and planning.

Being brave when you want to slow down and you’re tired, and being flexible and resilient when things don’t go as expected.

I hope a few of these tips have helped inspire you Ian and you can use this experience of a bad race to become an even better runner.

If you are looking for even more inspiration, you can find an almost never ending list of inspiring audio books to download at audible.

Finally, a word from our sponsor.

It’s just a couple more weeks until my goal marathon, but I’ve still got lots of easy miles on the schedule.

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With Audible, I can download a thriller, listen to a cool biography, or travel to exotic lands all while getting in my long easy miles.

Right now, I’m reading a recent biography by a famous runner who left the sport in a very unusual and dark way and I’ll let you guess which one it is.

On Friday, I’ll reveal which book and you can see if you guessed right. If you’d like to check out Audible on your next run, you can get a free thirty-day trial.

See if it’s right for you. Go to runnersconnect.net/audible and sign up today.

By the way did you guess the book that I’m listening to? The one written by a fallen from grace runner?

The answer is “Thirst Girl. A life Running from Madness” by Suzy Favor Hamilton. And that’s it for my week of hosting the Extra Kick.

I had a blast and I hope you did too. Don’t forget to send in your own questions at runnersconnect.net/daily and we’ll answer it on a future episode.

Have a great run today.