I have been fascinated lately by the Impostor Syndrome. It permeates into many aspects of many lives, including mine. I can’t deny that at certain times I’ve felt it as a coach, but then I see my body of work, and it subsides. As I was listening to Jacinda Ardern’s audiobook recently, I was struck by her honesty: even she questioned her readiness when she became New Zealand’s Prime Minister.
If you run you are a runner. No other qualification is needed. (Image by CoPilot)
The term “impostor syndrome” was coined by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in the late 1970s. It is a psychological pattern where high-achieving individuals feel like frauds, doubting their accomplishments and fearing exposure as an incompetent “fake” despite external evidence of their success.
The term is so ubiquitous that in 2020, it was added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Impostor syndrome can affect workers searching for a new job, scientists on the verge of mankind changing discoveries and even successful heads of state such as Ms. Ardern. So, we can’t be surprised when it hits the common weekend warrior like you or me.
What runner hasn’t experimented with self-doubt, attributing success to luck, while knowing they’ve worked hard for that PR? Who hasn’t doubted being ready for a race, knowing that unless there’s a catastrophic failure, our goal is almost guaranteed? The problem is not just that impostor syndrome messes up your goals, but it also leads to anxiety, overwork, and eventually burnout.
I meet so many runners who introduce themselves apologizing for being too slow, or stating they are not serious runners because they’ve never run more than a 10K. So many come to you with the “I’m a runner, but⌔ approach.
You don’t need to be good enough to play with Brian May, of Queen, to be a guitar player. You don’t need to have a Nobel to pour your thoughts into paper and be a writer. You don’t need to hold a world record to be a runner. If you run, you are a runner.
Owning all the running gear is not what qualifies you as a runner (Image by Grok)
It is not about the medals: Your value as a runner is not given by the size of your medal collection. Your buddy who has 100 medals may have been running for 20 years. If you have been running for three years, you are not yet there.
It is not about the distances: A runner completing their first 5K is not on the same level as a runner participating it’s 10th 100-miler, of course. Yet, in that statement, there is one noun repeated twice in that affirmation: Runner. The difference is experience, distance, maybe pace, but not the label that defines them while running.
It is not about the walking breaks: There is no rule stating that you will be disqualified from a race if you walk. There is no physiological condition that will negate the benefits from your run just because you took a walking break. There is even a running technique called run/walk that allows you to combine intervals of both disciplines if you can’t or don’t want to run the whole way.
It is not about the speed: Don’t diminish your runner status by labeling yourself a “jogger” just because you believe you are too slow. There is nothing wrong or pejorative about the label, unless you are using it to downgrade yourself. You can only do what is best for you. If that is a sub-3 marathon, so be it. If that is a sub-6 marathon, so be it, too. Did you ever consider that everyone gets the same medal?
It is not about the gear: You may not have the latest Garmin watch, so what? You may not have the latest polypropylene-wicked fabrics, so what? Having just one pair of running shoes does not diminish your “runner” credentials. Even though shoe rotation is good practice, no set number of pairs qualifies you as a real runner. I take that back. There is a number: 1.
It is not about the absence of struggle: You may have 100+ marathons, be an accomplished ultramarathoner, or even have multiple Olympic medals. That doesn’t guarantee a smooth ride to the finish line. Quite the contrary. Struggling during training is good, as it guarantees that when you get to that dark and difficult place in a race, you are ready to overcome and push forward. The struggle is what makes it special.
Let’s enjoy the runner we are right now. We must not fall into the temptation of trying to be the runner we should be five years from now today. Like Teddy Roosevelt said: “Comparison is the thief of joy”. And we run for joy. If not, we would already be practicing another sport.
Please let me know your thoughts on impostor syndrome in the comment box below.
All my trained runners, as well as my running friends, have heard me come back with: âAre you made out of sugar?â. It is my go-to answer to the ubiquitous inquiry: âIt is raining. Should I run today?â
Running in the rain can be a liberating experience. One that releases stress, anxiety, and negative thoughts. I once read a quote along the lines of ârain can cleanse you where a shower canât reachâ.
Running in the rain can be a safe and exhilarating experience (Image by Copilot)
If the usual running benefits were not enough, it will also prepare you for weather events in upcoming races. Will you not line up if it rains?
And sure, running in the rain can sometimes be a miserable experience. Like the 2018 Boston Marathon, when it was also windy and gelid. I am not talking about those.
As fun as it can be, running in the rain requires thought, preparation, technique, and caution to avoid turning a fun situation into a life-threatening one.
So here you have food for thought for the next time you are ready to hit the road in the rain:
1 – Safety First: If there is lightning or strong winds, hit the treadmill, and if you donât have one, stay home and live to run another day. It is not worth getting struck by lightning just to check it off in your plan or post it on Instagram. And yes, it has happened.
2 â Master technique and mindset: Shorter strides become a must. They provide stability and reduce the risk of slipping. Running splits and intervals get cancelled in exchange for a new experience. You can also train the skill of managing discomfort. Most races or long runs will require adjustment to a bad situation, and this is a good opportunity to work on it. Also, this is a good opportunity to skip the headphones.
3 â Watch Your Step: Regardless of how well you know your route, and especially if you donât, stay away from puddles, as you donât know what they hide. If you are lucky, it is just slippery or uneven ground. If you are unlucky, it could be an uncovered manhole.
A day like this is a good opportunity to stay home (Photo by Torsten Dettlaff – Pexels)
4 â Dress appropriately: If you know the weather is coming, dress the part. Take a rainproof jacket if you have one. Wear a cap with a visor to improve visibility. Carry a light so others can see you. Use technical clothing that will dry quicker and prevent chafing.
5 â Shiny means slippery: Painted crosswalks, tiles, manhole covers, and smooth surfaces are very dangerous, regardless of the shoes you are wearing. Be aware of whatâs in front of you so you can make safe, last-minute adjustments as you move forward.
6 – Have Fun: If you are not a professional, remember that no one is forcing you to run. You do this because you enjoy it. This is a time to be a kid again, especially if your mom didnât allow you to play in the rain. Now she canât stop you. This is an opportunity to enjoy a transcendental moment, not just in your running, but in your life.
7 â Get Off Your Wet Clothes ASAP: If you hate post-race stretching, this is your time to skip it with no remorse. Once you finish, quickly change out of your wet clothes. If you canât get into a warm shower right away, at least change into something dry. It will help you recover faster and will diminish the risk of catching a cold.
A Final Thought
A few years ago, I was training a brand-new runner. A total novice. It was a novelesque cold and rainy night, and I wanted to cancel the group run, but she said she was going, so I had to show up. In the middle of the miserable run, I told her she could go home. But with a big smile, she refused. She was having the time of her life. Three years later, she has completed three marathons and is training for her second Major. This is what running in the rain can do for you.
Have you tried running in the rain? Share your rainy run tips and experiences in the comments, and pass this guide along to your running group!
When I started running over four decades ago, there was very little literature on the sport. A new book here or there, mostly from runners sharing their own experience; or a subscription to Runnerâs World or The Runner magazine, was it for sources of knowledge and inspiration?
Well into the second running boom, with the internet in play and billions of Dollars to be made, companies started investing in science, research, and development. Colleges and Universities began promoting their exercise physiology departments, and suddenly, we have more information than we can digest.
Many bad habits and myths remain from those prehistoric running days. There are still runners who believe that consuming the 7th serving of pasta the night before the marathon will give them an edge. We still have those who prefer collapsing rather than chop a mile from their long run on a mid-summer day.
Below you will find six basic strategies to unlock your training, especially now that racing season is almost here.
1 â It is about consistency: Hitting all those splits is awesome, but it is not whatâs going to make you better. You hit the splits because you are better. There is no magic workout that will take you over the top. Good and bad workouts are part of the mix, and if you have more good ones than bad ones, you are on the right track. Every time you perform, you get a little bit better. All those little bits eventually fill the bucket. Thatâs where your PR lies. Not on that PR 400-meter repeat in training. Focus on the long game as you train as often as your body allows. You will see the difference.
2 â Progress smartly: There are no shortcuts in running. Sure, you can run a marathon while untrained, but at what price? Is getting injured through a sufferfest worth a medal? What got you to the marathon will not get you to the 100-miler. What got you to the 5K PR wonât get you to the marathon PR. You must have a plan to get from Point A to Point B and then to Point C. If you plan to keep running for a long time, you must play the long game, and that requires smart progress.
3 â Accept the runner you are and train for it: You are not Eliud Kipchoge, and most likely you wonât be in the leading peloton at the Boston Marathon. Regardless of whether you are a local semi-elite or a back-of-the-pack runner, accept it so you can become the best runner you can be. If you are a 5-hour marathoner, it doesnât matter how much you train; you will not make it to the Olympics. But you can go sub-5. Focus on what will help you improve your journey, not through the pressure of Instagram make-believe lives. Eliminate external, unnecessary pressures and pursue the big goal that aligns with your reality.
Technology can be great and can be detrimental to your training. It is up to you to use it properly (Photo: Pexels).
4 â Variety is the key: Long-slow running is good. Zone 2 is good. Intervals are good. Cross-training is good. Goal pace runs are good. But you need to mix them up the right way to give your body enough recovery time to adapt to the work. In a recent article I read, Will Lennox wrote in GQ Australia: âTaking a leaf from the Bible and training for 40 days and 40 nights in a row in the hope some biblical-level miracle will happen to you is not going to get you into running heaven.â Rest. Give your body the chance to recover so it can do it again and guarantee your progress.
5 â It is not about gear and technology: While running on the wrong shoe can certainly be detrimental and even harmful to a runner, it is never the shoe that makes you faster. It is all in your preparation. A pair of super-shoes will give you an edge to shave those last few seconds from a 5K, but itâs not what will get you from a 3:30 to a Sub-3 marathoner. The same applies to the GPS watch. Donât let it rule your life. Turn off all the indicators of parameters you donât understand and/or distract you. Let them be tools, not the beacon that guides your running.
6 â Donât forget to have fun: Nothing kills the joy of running more than comparing yourself with friends and influencers. While the reasons for running vary for every athlete, running because you like it makes it easier to stick with it. Rebounding from a bad race or an injury will be easier. Accepting your limits instead of quitting will be a given.
In conclusion, we should simplify our running. This doesnât mean taking it easy, nor working hard, nor forgoing progress. It means unlocking the running potential you have today, smartly. This is what will keep you running for years to come.
Share your favorite running training strategy in the comments. Which one works best for you?
Back in June, I watched online as Faith Kipyegon unsuccessfully tried becoming the worldâs first sub-4 miler woman. The event was one of those multi-million-dollar circus shows put on by Nike to test human physical limitations. It was elaborate enough that, just like Eliud Kipchogeâs Sub-2 in 2019, it would not have counted as a world record should she succeed.
Athletics and the principle of diminishing returns (Image by ChatGPT)
Kipchoge needed to improve his marathon time by 100 seconds, and he did, finishing 19 seconds ahead of his previous record. Kipyegon needed to shave about 8 seconds (7.65) to achieve her goal, but she ended up about 6.5 seconds short. Even with the circus, space technology, support, and male pacing, she couldnât do it.
The failed attempt got me thinking about a basic concept in economics that easily applies to running: the principle of diminishing returns. In economics, this means that ff you improve one variable while keeping all the others constant, the incremental output gained from each extra unit will eventually fall. In other words, building a skyscraper in one day wonât be solved with more workers.
The same principle applies in athletics. Dr. George Sheehan, one of the greatest running writers, put it this way: âThe first mile is the most helpful one as far as conditioning goes. Each succeeding one gives less and less benefit than the one before. Runners who work more and more are working for less and less. [âŚ] It doesnât take much to get 90% fitness, only a few miles a day. But it takes progressively more and more training as you get closer to your ultimate potential. At the highest levels, you are putting in a huge investment for a very small return. It is the small gains what makes the difference between winning and losing.â
Think about it, itâs obvious. If not, it would be a matter of time and more miles before we all became elite athletes and broke world records. We all have a limit, and while reaching it is feasible, it requires a tremendous amount of work.
I recently heard Coach Steve Magness share a story where Shalane Flanagan told him something along the lines of, âThe difference between being in 2:30 marathon shape and 2:20 is astronomical.â For you and me, average, mid-to-back-of-the-pack marathoners, a 10-minute improvement may be a diligent training cycle away. For elites in a Marathon Major, this same result guarantees them peeing in a cup to verify cheating.
Nice background, Coach! But how does this apply to me, the average weekend warrior?
It is about training smarter, not harder (Image by ChatGPT)
I am glad you asked! The point of this introduction is for the reader to understand that the curve of progress in running flattens as we improve. It is a reality we canât solve with harder training. Progress is not a linear proposition.
And, while achieving the last 10% requires an astronomical effort, it is feasible. It is about figuring out what works for you. Just because Jacob Ingebrigtsen uses the Norwegian double threshold method doesnât mean it is the solution youâve been looking for. He is in such shape that this is the only type of training that will extract the extra hundredths of a second needed to break a world record. This training may land you, my dear average-runner reader, on the injury list.
Working around the principle of diminishing returns to reach your apex requires smarter training. Not just harder. As gains slow, finding that sweet spot between effort and recovery is the magic sauce. It may mean varying your workouts, adjusting intensity levels, or prioritizing recovery and nutrition more seriously. As we improve, we must tune into our bodyâs signals, such as fatigue, soreness, or lack of motivation. These can guide adjustments before you hit a training (or overtraining) wall. If in doubt, a training plan tailored exclusively for you may help you progress without burning out.
In conclusion, In athletics, more is not necessarily better. Most of what elite runners do to squeeze that last sliver of greatness out of their performance does not apply to you. We are all limitless, sure, but not in all areas of our human performance, athletics being one of them. Letâs work hard to reach our goals, but not at the expense of burning out.
What are your thoughts on this principle? I will read and answer your comments.
Back in April 2021, I published a guest blog post titled âRunning With Lymphomaâ, written by Annamarie McCormickHowell. The content is self-explanatory. Ten days ago, I received an email from Jen M, a runner with lymphoma who found the post and asked if I could put her in contact with the author. This made me wonder about Annamarieâs journey since then, so I invited her for an update.
Thank you again for the opportunity! Jen told me how long and hard she searched to find a person, a study, any data on people who run through lymphoma or R-CHOP, and the article you published is the only tangible thing she was able to find. I had no idea there wasn’t a larger body of humans doing precisely what I did, so I appreciate you connecting us!!
Life looks different than it did back on the day of my Chemotherapy Half Marathon, though some things remain the same, primarily, the daily morning run.
After cancer, nothing returns to normal, though I did notice a few weeks after R-CHOP, I had the sensation that I imagine to be akin to blood dopingâhaving the appropriate number of white and red blood cells again made me feel unstoppable, as the chemo drugs slowly exited my system. I was able to run more, sustain paces, and even dabble in a few local races! After a few months, the novelty wore off a bit when I plateaued. I felt disappointment, followed by immediate guilt: I was alive, and my cancer wasnât. How could I possibly be dissatisfied with something as trivial as running when I had managed to survive such an experience?
Winning the womenâs race and 2nd overall at the 18.12 Challenge earlier this summer!
It was then that the universe gave me the greatest gift: a coach who saw not who I was in that moment, but who I could be. The indomitable April approached my training with expertise, confidence, and solidarity. Her lack of doubt in my abilities and body made up for ALL the doubt I was feeling. She literally ran into my life and began to push me in the most loving, challenging, unforeseen ways.
We started focusing on macronutrients, as I had lost a good amount of muscle mass to the chemo, and started training for short distancesâ specifically the 5K, with repeats like I had never performed before in my life. A few months later I felt like a new person, not the person I was before cancer, but someone who had transformed all those brand new âbaby cellsâ after chemo into an athlete I didnât know I could become. I began lifting heavy and loading my muscles and tendons as much as I could handle. I ran every workout April wrote for me, even the ones I looked at and thought âThere is NO wayâŚâ
Since then, I have run a multitude of races and distances, including a marathon PR at Chicago in 2022, surprised and shocked by the amazing community support I received, spearheaded by my incredible coach. Today I am a stronger runner than I have ever been- before or after cancer. It hasnât been easy, linear, or without setbacks, but no oneâs running journey is predictable.
My previous blog post about cancer started with my 32nd birthday run, and this one will close with my 37th birthday run: this year I ran 37 happy, healthy, strong miles in this post-cancer body.
Coach Annamarie McCormick-Howell is an RRCA Certified Running Coach and an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer. She lives in Sackets Harbor, NY. You can follow her on Instagram at @amcchowell or reach her via email at amccormickhowell@yahoo.com.
