The Run Around

Thoughts take flight during a run

By Matt Carpenter

It seems I always get asked: “what do you think about when you run?”

The answer depends on what type of running I’m doing.

On easy runs, just about anything goes. Since the United States will be sending only one runner to Sydney for both the men’s and women’s Olympic marathon, that’s been on my mind when I run alone. During group runs, the topic of the Olympic-trials fiasco often has come up.

However, I believe that when I get asked the “what I think about” question, most are wanting to know what I think about during a race or workout. They hope my thoughts might improve their own running.

From talking with runners of all abilities, there are two ways to handle the pains and discomforts that come from running hard.

Beginners often try to dissociate from their feelings. They try not to think about what is going on but instead think about anything and everything but the pain and the discomfort. Subjects might include vacations, work, a new car or whatever it takes to pass the time and get from one mile to the next. While this technique will get them through a run, it doesn’t allow them to give their best effort.

Experienced runners tend to focus on the pain and the discomfort and try to figure out the cause. Ideally, they can minimize it by making adjustments.

After running for a while, I developed what I call a “system check.” It’s almost a mantra: arms – check, face – check, shoulders – check, legs – check, breathing – check. I tend to do it over and over throughout a race or hard workout. Each keyword is a cue for me to relax that part of my body. Often I feel the tension go away in each area as I go through my check.

As I became more experienced, certain things dropped off the list and others were added. Over time, I no longer need to do it as often and I can focus on other important things — pace, and beating the runner next to me. But even today, I often run through a check many times in a race or workout.

Paying close attention to what is going on is also a great way to prevent the dreaded side stitch, or even an injury. If you start to feel a stitch coming on, a minor adjustment in your breathing pattern or posture sometimes can make it go away. Likewise, if you feel a twinge in your knee or hamstring, sometimes you can adjust your stride for a minute or two and make a potential injury go away.

None of this is possible if you are missing the early warning signs because, in your mind, you are laying on a beach watching the sun go down. Save those thoughts for the easy days.

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