A couple weeks ago my friend, Miss X, had a bad 18 mile long run during her marathon training. She became frustrated. Really frustrated. After all, she is training for her first marathon. I’ve had my fair share of bad runs too. They suck. You start to question yourself. I learned it’s part of the process and quite normal. Yin and Yang. I asked for some advice on what to tell her and I wanted to share the responses for us all to look back on. Bad runs are like cold weather in the spring. We hate it but it’s bound to happen from time to time. And we cherish the warmer weather that much more. Thank you all for sharing…
@RacePaceJess: A bad run now and then is normal. Onward and Upward!
@Abby_NYC: Training is bigger than the sum of one run. The entire season makes the race. Stay mentally strong & shake it off. Also get some rest.
@DressySweats: You need to have bad runs to appreciate (and love) the great runs. And if all runs felt awesome all the time, everyone would run.
@fionaccarmel: Bad runs are necessary to help you get stronger to get you through race day. Not every run is rainbows and butterflies.
@Loosing_it: Marathon training is months and months long. One run does not make or break it.
@LauRun9: Believe in ALL of your training. Try to pin point what went wrong (food, sleep, etc) and change it up.
@Liz_busch: We’ve all been there. When I was in tears about a 20-miler, that’s what someone told me. Then she told me her marathon 2-3 weeks later was amazing.
@AmberBlueSkin: My 18 mile run when I trained for a marathon was my worst run of the entire time I trained. 20 was much better. We have all been there!
@Katebarbreotter: Not every run is a good one. Next week will be better.
@Halfmarathonmel: There are going to be bad runs. Getting it done doesn’t have to be pretty. Fix what you can. Next week will be better.
@RunnahSam: If you finish the long run, focus on that. The bad runs build our true strength as runners.
@ReadEatWriteRun: Do NOT panic. One bad run doesn’t necessarily indicate a bigger problem. Try to figure out why it was bad. How was it different than other long runs, what did you do differently. It could be giving you valuable information that will help you have a better race.
@ChasingBunny: Everyone has them. Try and figure out what wasn’t working and why.
@Studek: As long as you are learning from your failures, they are not really failures. Regroup and hit back next weekend.
@Mrsmillersmiles: I’ve run two marathons and EVERY time my 18 milers sucked and my 20 milers rocked, Take it was a mental boost. It was tough but it’s done.
@simonebfd: A bad run doesn’t mean all bad runs. And at least you put in the miles. You’ll see the pay off come race day!
@ADoseofRunning: Every training cycle has a bad long run or two. And luckily they just got one of them out of the way!
@MikeOlzinski: It means you are a training athlete and if every day was a success you would never learn anything. Embrace it, eat well and keep it movin.
@SDFitnessDiva: There are good runs and bad runs in every training cycle. It doesn’t matter how new or seasoned you are!
@hartman_jd: Gotta work all the kinks out before the big day. I always have a horrible run right before a race. Always.
Bottom line? Learn from the run. Embrace the suck. And kick your next run in the teeth! You got this.
Reposted with Permission from NYCSweat