Motivation Archives - foultips.run

What I Can’t Control in My Run

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Oct 12, 2021 | List, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

When I worked for the Florida Marlins in the early 1990s, manager Rene Lachemann often used a phrase that has stuck with me, almost 30 years later. Whenever a reporter asked him about an aspect of the game that was beyond his grasp, such as a pitching change from the opponent or the weather, he would indefectibly respond: “I can’t worry about something I can’t control.” For me, this has become a life lesson: If you can’t control it, don’t dwell on it, adjust, and move forward.

This applies perfectly to our running lives.

Crowded racing conditions are beyond our control, so suck it up and move forward (Photo: Pexels)

Just like Lachemann preached, we should only worry about the aspects of our running that we can have under our grasp. Other than that, we adjust to the realities that face us on the asphalt or the trail as soon as possible and then move forward. The obstacles are not going away regardless of how frustrating they may be, regardless of how much you bitch about them, so move on.

When it is time to run, workout or race, being cold, hot, humid, raining, too many people in the gym or the Garmin is not hitting the satellites, are irrelevant. No one expects you to run in the middle of an electric storm or run by a pack of stray dogs just because you carry mace. But you can always hit the treadmill if you have access to one, regardless of how boring it may be. You can run with a bottle of water if it is too hot and/or humid. You can dress up in layers for the chilly weather. You can run by feel if you forgot your watch. You can change your route if something doesn’t feel right. You get the point.

Also beyond our control are racing conditions. A bottleneck in the first curve, having to weave around slower runners, headwinds, inconsiderate people walking five side-by-side when they should have started at the back, people who abruptly stop at a water station, etc. Unless you always run in the front, you must have experienced most of these circumstances.

An uncharged running watch is not a valid excuse for skipping a workout

There are also issues that should have been under our control that just pop up unexpectedly. I’m referring to shoelaces getting undone, dropping off your phone, not carrying enough gels or chafing, just to name few. When these things occur, is there a solution? Yes, there is: Own your mistake. Do what you must do, get over the obstacle and keep moving forward. Don’t let it ruin your race. No amount of kicking and screaming will fix it. So suck it up!

Instead, concentrate on the aspects of your training and racing that are 100 percent under your domain. Those for which you can’t make excuses. Those where, if something happens, it is all on you. I am referring to, among others:

– Following your training plan
– Following your racing strategy
– Sticking to your fueling and hydration plan
– Dressing appropriately for the weather
– Inspecting your running gear to avoid forgetting something or malfunctions
– Making sure your shoes are tied up properly
– Charging your running watch
– Developing a personal mantra that will keep you strong during the inevitable challenging times
– Preparing mentally for the workout or race you are about to undergo
– Choosing a training course or race that suits what you are trying to accomplish
– Hydrating and fueling properly before your run/race to ensure optimal results

Of course, this is not a comprehensive list of items that are under your control, just a handful of them to enlighten you on how much actually is in your hands when you set up for a training session or you stand on a starting line.

So let’s be diligent on what we can control and let’s make sure we can endure what we can’t, and then move forward.

What Motivates Runners

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Jun 22, 2021 | Reflection, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

I was recently having a conversation with a group of friends regarding the reasons we lace up our shoes three, four, or five times a week. It became obvious that even though most of us may have the same basic reasons, if we dig deeper and list the top five things that motivate us to engage in this sport, the lists will be as unique as the uniqueness of each runner.

When it comes to running, we all have a main reason why we do it. The answers can fit into a wide spectrum ranging from “because I like it” through “I just can’t stop”, with infinite shades in between.

As I was recently re-reading “The Science of Running” (a book by Steve Magness, which I highly recommend to anyone wanting to delve very deep into the subject of the title), I was surprised to see a section with an array of scientific studies that classify runners according to their motivations.

Three of them caught my attention, and thus, I share them with you here, so you can find where you fit based on each one of them.

According to a paper titled “Motives for Participation in Recreational Running”, published in The Journal of Leisure Research by Peter Clough, John Shepherd and Ronald Maughan, back in 1989, runners’ motivations could be divided into six groups:

a.    Well-Being
b.    Social
c.    Challenge
d.    Status
e.    Fitness/Health
f.     Addiction

According to this study, while most leisure activities include one or many aspects of the first four aforementioned reasons, the last two separate running from other activities. Interesting to me is the last one. I am sure we all know someone we consider “addicted to running”, but to realize there are scholarly studies that actually classify addiction as a real motivation for the sport, puts such compulsion in a new light. At least for me.

In his latest book, “A Runner’s High”, Dean Karnazes states: “If running is a drug that threatens my life, let me have it”.

Magness also cites a study titled “Motivations for running and eating attitudes in obligatory versus nonobligatory runners” by Heather Slay, Jumi Hayaki, Melissa A. Napolitano and Kelly D. Brownell, published in 1998 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

As the title suggests, runners were separated in two groups based on the reasons they participate in our sport. This study separated those who run because they want from the ones who run because they must. The “Obligator” group is motivated by negative or external factors. These are the runners that if they take a week off will start thinking they are letting themselves down or the pounds will start creeping in by tomorrow. On the opposite side are the ones who just run because they want to. That is where I fit in, and I just prefer it this way.

The third study that caught my attention is a paper titled “A typology of marathon runners based on cluster analysis of motivations”, published in 2003 in the Journal of Sports Behavior by B.M. Ogles and K.S. Masters. In this one, marathoners are separated into five categories based on their motivation:

a.    Running Enthusiasts
b.    Lifestyle Managers
c.    Personal Goal Achievers
d.    Personal Accomplishers
e.    Competitive Achievers

Runners train in Ngong, Kenya, in 2012. The country has produced the world’s best distance runners for decades, and most belong to the Kalenjin people.

Of course, there are many more motivations for running. According to a study by Professor Vincent Onywera in 2006, the main motivator for Kenyan Elite Runners is financial gain. Lower in their list are talent and national tradition.

If you read the recently published book “Out of Thin Air”, by anthropologist Michael Crawley, you will realize that Ethiopian runners have the same financial motivation, even those who are still far of the “elite” label but working towards it.

Financial is not a motivation for 99.9% of the readers of this blogpost. If anyone fits into the 0.1% remaining, please identify yourself.

This blogpost ended up a bit denser on science than I what I originally intended, but I found this subject fascinating. Somehow, I am sure we can all find ourselves in each one of these studies and understand a bit more why we do this. Because if you are a runner, it doesn’t matter what motivates you, as long as it keeps you moving forward.

Any thoughts? Leave me a comment, below.

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No Fall Races. Now What?

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Jul 29, 2020 | Article, Opinion, Personal

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A couple of weeks ago we mentioned the Abbott World Marathon Majors, whose Series XIII was crippled by the pandemic that has swept the world. And we can pout all we want but the reality is that, most likely, we will not see any racing at least until the Fall of 2021. If your race hasn’t been called yet, be patient and it soon will. It is the new reality so, lets adjust and move forward with our lives, and on with our running.

Images like this one are a-dime-a-dozen these days. But we need to keep in mind why we started running.

As Dr. George Sheehan brilliantly said: “Racing is the lovemaking for the runner. It is difficult to pass up”. I couldn’t agree more. It is a test against ourselves, a friendly competition against our friends, an opportunity to bonk and learn a lesson, the thrill of seeing a finish line on the horizon and crossing it, the justification for a beer with friends at 9AM, and many, many more reasons.

One of the characteristics of races is that with something on the calendar we remain focused on our training, especially during the miserable days of summer. Why run 20 miles in mid-August, starting at 4AM if you are not running a marathon in the Fall? But there is a say that has been doing the rounds in social media: “Races have been cancelled, running has not”, and if we want to keep moving forward toward the main reason that got us lacing up our shoes for the first time, we better keep moving forward, now, so when races resume we are not starting from scratch.

These are a handful of guidelines/suggestions that will assist you in refocusing and repurposing your running during these uncertain months of no-races:

1 – Don’t forget your main running goal: There is a reason why you started running. It could be to have an active social life, or to lose weight, or to get off the couch or to enjoy alone-time away from your professional or domestic setting. Whatever it was, it still applies, today.

2 – Don’t forget your racing goals: You still want to break 30 in the 5K, or BQ or set a PR in your next half marathon. You won’t get ahead by sleeping in, missing runs, or lamenting cancelled races. You can still get prepared now so you can crush that goal when racing resumes.

3 – Follow a plan: It is good to take a couple of months off after a grueling racing season. Run less, have fun, take extra days off. But you shouldn’t remain in a perpetual off-season. Set plans, goals and benchmarks to move forward, even if those are not racing or PR related.

4 – Work on your weak areas: This is the perfect time to get in the habit of strength training, core workouts, balance drills, yoga (even if it is online), stretching, etc. Make the most of your raceless time.

5 – Challenge your running partner: If you have a running partner, set up a buddy challenge. Who can run the fastest 10K six weeks from now? who can go under a certain time a half marathon? or whatever makes you tick. Just be smart so no one gets injured.

6 – Virtual Racing: Yes, the suck. No, it is not the same. But if you need a challenge in your calendar, this is a better-than-nothing option. PRs will not officially count but, remember the “P” stands for personal. And, you may even add a nice medal or shirt to your collection.

7 – Remember that running slow, makes you faster: Multiple studies have shown that running at a slower heart rate effort will develop your aerobic system, thus, make you faster. Document yourself about this and enhance your running engine during the down time.

8 – Above all, don’t be stupid: Yes, sounds harsh, but it is imperative you don’t injure yourself. Imprudent runners will end up nursing their wounds while their buddies return to racing.

These are just eight suggestions to keep you motivated during the pandemic. I bet you can find 100 more. If you do, please share it in the comments section. And make sure these difficult times don’t get to you.

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