Chapter 18 "Running Life" - 17 long-distance running competitions

17 games Comments on the spirit of competition Some runners never run a race.I know people who run ten miles or more every day, but they've never had a real race.Some, perhaps influenced by the non-competitive ethos of that entertainment culture, dislike making themselves victorious at the expense of others.Others just don't like the uncomfortable feeling of having trouble breathing during a race.Some runners don't race because they remember the sense of compulsion they felt when they played junior baseball and the angst they felt before playing tennis in middle school. But for many of us, races are primarily an opportunity to compare ourselves, to see how much faster we are than before.It's nice if we pass someone in a race, or get to the finish line inches before someone else.But that's not the main fun.That's why there are so many friendly scenes in the game.The main competitor is not the other competitors, but yourself.

Also, there isn't a rule that every runner has to run, so don't feel compelled to run. If you are not interested in racing, you don’t have to read this chapter now, but please remember that there is this chapter in this book, maybe in the future when your running improves, you will accidentally find that you have reached the level of energy and no fatigue When you are in the realm of feeling, you may want to try the game. How do I find matches and join them?If you live in an area with a lot of runners, you can look in the sports section of the newspaper to find ads for races or running club events.When you spot an ad, call the person in charge and ask him or her about the game.Visit a sporting goods store that sells running equipment and ask the salesperson how to find someone who can keep you updated on your race.If you live near a college or university, call the athletic department and talk to a track coach.Advertisements can be found in Runner's World.You can also write to the Road Runners Club of America to inquire about the situation, including sending an envelope with your name, address and stamp.Finally, when you bump into other runners, ask them if they know there is a race coming up.Before long, you may have an overwhelming number of matches.

In the area where I live, summer games might go something like this: one on Thursday night, two on Saturday morning, and one on Sunday.Four races in four days might seem like too much, but if anyone wants to race on these days, they can -- and it's guaranteed some tough and physically fit people to attend.In winter, the number of games is slightly reduced. Of course, following the advice in this chapter does not guarantee that you will be able to run well in future races.One of the deepest mysteries in sports is what makes or breaks your grades.Sometimes you run badly when you feel really good, but sometimes you run well when you feel bad.

A doctor with whom I have spoken on this subject has told me that he believes the phenomenon has to do with the biological tides and rhythms of the body, and with the sometimes subtle interaction of factors such as diet and exercise.When you're running poorly, you're probably catching a cold or some other infectious disease.The illness doesn't have to be severe enough to have noticeable symptoms, but it can be enough to reduce your energy. * Notes: *A great runner faces a difficult competition problem.As soon as a winner sets a record or wins an Olympic medal, he or she is less interested in improving performance.Writing for Scientific American, Henry Ryder, Henry Jay Carr, and Paul Heggett point out that the major limitations of world-class athletes are not physical but psychological.

There is not much that can be done about these immeasurables.But there are many things we can control.That's what we have to pay close attention to during the game.It's one thing to have a poor run because you can't go any faster, but it's another to have a poor run because you're not dressed properly or because you were passed because you didn't concentrate. thing. The game has both physical and mental aspects, but they are inseparable.No matter how good your body is, if you don't concentrate during the race, you still can't run well.That is why the content of this chapter deals not only with tactics but also with psychology.Let's take a quick look at what psychic effects will help your game, and what psychic effects will hurt your game.

The game actually starts long before the flare gun is fired, sometimes months, or even years ago.As you read this book, runners are preparing to compete in the next Olympic Games.By the time they get to the game, they spend a lot of time thinking about what they're going to do.This mental exercise will strengthen their minds, just as physical training strengthens their muscles.A move by the opponent will cause them to adopt the countermeasure they have prepared.Pain mid-race will make them feel like they can't slow down.When you are overtaken by others, you will burst out with a force to speed up.

Note: *In order to enhance this response, some athletes have recently been experimenting with meditation.Meditation first caught the attention of runners after some researchers said it could improve cardiovascular function.Since then, many athletes in other sports have also said that meditation is good for them.A physician with whom I have been concerned on this subject has told me that the principles outlined in a book by Herbert Benson called "The Relaxation Response" also achieve much the same results as meditation does.He said that many of his patients benefited from it, but another doctor told me that this kind of research shows that meditation has no benefit at all for cardiovascular function.

Most people don't want to spend months or years preparing for a race, but if you think about how you're going to deal with some of the situations that come your way while running, you'll run better and make your run better. more interested.That way, you're ready to deal with the pain, fatigue, and effort of your opponent. Actual pain and fatigue are not the same as theoretical pain and fatigue.Before a race, it's easy to say to yourself: Even after you start feeling sore, keep going.But when it comes to competition, you have to have a strong determination to persevere.At a time when mind and body are exhausted, pain and fatigue can wear down your will.No matter how many tournaments you play, you'll never quite get over this, but you can get a little smarter about it.

The examples of elite runners are instructive.In a recent report, Dr. William Morgan of the University of Wisconsin compared the mental states of world-class long-distance runners and ordinary long-distance runners.The biggest difference between them is in what he calls "how they mentally process what it feels like to be running."What caught Morgan's attention was the ability of the best runners to tolerate pain.He found that the average long-distance runner is characterized by thinking about other things to forget about the pain of running.For example, an average runner with whom he talked before a marathon run habitually put some hypothetical Beethoven records on an imaginary turntable to listen to while running.Another doctor of philosophy candidate, every year, takes the method of recalling the study and life of the past year to forget the pain.Instead, world-class runners just think about the race.They control their physical condition, ask themselves to relax, estimate the level of pain they are experiencing and estimate how much they can tolerate.Try to follow their example.After participating in a competition, it doesn't make much sense to try to forget that you are participating in a competition.

Excellent runners also need to solve the meaning of winning and losing.Competition is a complex issue.Arnold Baiser wrote about a tennis champion in a book called "The Madness of Sport" who never played an easy match and always won by a close score.According to Baiser's analysis, he did this to show that he and his opponent were on a par so that he would not feel guilty about outdoing him by a landslide - and the punishment of conscience that followed. condemn. This worry may seem unwarranted.But it is not.I ran four or five marathons poorly before my running speed finally improved enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon.By the last fifteen or twenty seconds, when I knew I had a chance to win, I had a palpable sense of apprehension.I felt a bit unseemly about my sport when I passed other runners, and it seemed wrong for me to succeed when they failed.Maybe you will never feel this way, but before the game, it is better to admit that you have the possibility of feeling this way, so that if you do, you will not feel overwhelmed.

Of course, to participate in a game, in addition to psychological preparation, other preparations must be made.If it's an important race, try to get there early enough to give you a chance to get rid of the carbon monoxide you absorbed in your body while driving here. Before the game, you also need to pay attention to diet.While eating the usual carbohydrate-containing foods can increase endurance, eating too much is not good (see Chapter 14), especially if it causes you to gain two or three pounds unnecessarily.Even a small amount of alcohol the night before a race can reduce your ability to run well on a hot day.Try to develop good eating habits, eat and drink in moderation and not in excess.In this way, before the competition, you only need to eat and drink according to your usual habits. Bring everything you need.There are few oversights more frustrating than finding out you forgot to bring something on the way to a game.Some runners make a list of everything they need to bring—everything from prep laces (tie the laces into knots forever. That way you don't have to stop to tie them mid-race) to rain gear .While I haven't done that, it's certainly a good idea.Whatever you do, don't forget that the climate changes, especially in spring and fall.For example, when running the Boston Marathon in mid-April, you have to be prepared for any weather, such as the heat in 1976 and the wind cold in 1975. If possible, learn about the route before the race, either by jogging along the way as a warm-up, or by taking a drive.It is good to know where there are hills or sharp turns, and if it is held in a rough field, it is good to know where the roads are too narrow to pass.Knowing exactly how far away the finish line is is helpful in the final stages of the race.Few things are more demoralizing than looking forward to that finish line that never seems to be reached. Finally, before a game, it's best to take a shower in the bathroom—if there's no shower nearby, take a walk in the backwoods.Don't forget about this, or you'll have some very distracting thoughts during the game. When you listen to runners talk before a race, you'll find that very few people say they're in good shape.Most of the conversation is always about being sick and having symptoms of being sick.From the tone of their voices, it seemed that they had had difficulty taking five or six unsteady steps in the past month.It's a long-held habit, and a reflection of a superstition among runners who believe that admitting to good health will keep them from running well. Don't sympathize with those sick opponents in vain, as long as the running flare gun is fired, its miraculous healing will be more effective than Huld's Virgin Mary. Even if you don't necessarily speak up yourself as if you just woke up from a hospital bed, you'd better talk down your inner expectations.For example, if you think you're lucky enough to run five miles in thirty-five minutes, all you can say to the interrogator is, "I hope to finish it in thirty-eight minutes." The longer you run the full distance, the more enthusiastic compliments you'll receive.A runner named Gerry Miller in New York City is best at doing this.He'd say, "I was at a party before 4:00 a.m. today. I haven't run in six weeks because of something wrong with my legs. This time I'll just go for a slow jog, like I do when I exercise." After a while, when he started to run, he was as agile as a bird, not slowing down a step when compared with the one running ahead. Another preparation before the game is to move around.If it's hot, keep activity to a minimum so your body doesn't add unnecessary calories.Otherwise, run slowly for eight to ten minutes, stretch your body, and finish with a short sprint or two to get your heart, lungs, and muscles used to the intense work of a race.As mentioned earlier, there is debate about how beneficial pre-game warming is.Then a respected Swedish researcher, Per-Olaf Osterland, reported that after warming up, the body's ability to process oxygen increased by five percent.This ability is closely related to running speed, so warming up before a race seems to be a worthwhile habit. Now for the question of the game itself.The strategy and tactics of the race are complex (unless you follow the approach of one British Olympic marathoner, who told me his secret strategy was: "I start at an easy pace and build up speed."), And it depends on factors like distance, rain, weather, opponents and your own strengths and weaknesses.Millions of words have been written on this subject.The first thing you have to decide is where you choose your starting position in a large crowd.If you get too far forward, the runners behind you may bump into you as they pass you, or even knock you down.If you get too far back, you'll have to move back and zigzag through the crowd.When you first participate in this kind of race, you will find that the least effort is to run from the back.After the start, you can always pass other athletes.As you gain experience, you'll be able to identify athletes who are at your level and choose your proper starting position. After starting, the most important task is to find the appropriate speed and stick to it.Starting too fast is a common shortcoming.In the beginning, you should run at a pace that feels like you're running too slowly.If you go too fast, fatigue will force you to slow down later.The body is reluctant to spend energy quickly, there is only so much energy. While you're finding the right pace, keep your stride free and easy.Most runners can only find an effective cadence if they pay enough attention to their stride rhythm.If their minds are not focused, they will not run smoothly.So put your focus on running: Remind yourself to relax and run with ease.Since excess activity consumes oxygen and energy, keep your arms from bouncing up and down too much and your head from bobbing unnecessarily. If it's hot, or if it's a long race, drink a glass or so of water before the race. At the drinking water stations along the way, drink water early and often.Even if you don't feel thirsty, you are sweating.Waiting until you feel thirsty to drink water is too late for rehydration. After you've found your niche among the crowd, your main task is to maximize your advantage.To do this, you have to know your strengths and weaknesses.Some runners are good at running uphill, others are good at running downhill, and still others are good at running on flat ground.By going the extra mile on top of your strengths, you will gain an advantage that will discourage your opponent. Of course, running uphill is the most difficult.It is for this reason that many runners slow down near the top of a hill because they want to catch their breath.But don't slow down, that's the time to sprint, and if you slam over the crest and relax on the way down, you'll find yourself a long way ahead of many of your opponents. Of course, running downhill has its dangers—the main one being that you tend to tire yourself out by running too fast.Don't run as hard as you can downhill unless you're near the finish line; sometimes, you'll be overtaken by an athlete charging downhill.Take it easy, you may catch him soon after the descent—a sure sign that he's going too fast. Physiologically, the most efficient way to run a running race is to run at an even pace and finish with a sprint.But you'll find that you sometimes want to vary the speed for tactical reasons.For example, if you're approaching a narrow trail in a cross-country race, run ahead of as many opponents as possible.As long as you get to a narrow place, the back will be connected in a row. From the back, you'd better run close to the front. This approach also applies to sharp turns.If you're able to pass the guy in front of you before you turn, then dash a few yards where he can't see you.When he sees you later, he'll be upset to see that you've suddenly moved far ahead of him. When an opponent has the potential to overtake you, a brief display of strength may discourage him. Don't let anyone pass you unchallenged, for you may find that his displays of strength were nothing more than bravado.Tom Talbot used this tactic to good effect on me during a five-mile race in Connecticut.For five or six years I've been trying to get over him, and finally I think I've got him.I passed him on a steep uphill part of the race.He was trying to keep up and pass me.I passed him two more times, but each time I told him to pass.Finally, his tenacity discouraged me, and I let him run ahead.He ended up beating me by seconds. When passing someone, surprise him if possible and pass with an air of authority.Don't feel discouraged if he speeds up. It also makes sense to vary your speed from time to time in order to take advantage of your opponent giving you wind.Air resistance accounts for about seven percent of a runner's energy.Because if you run behind another runner, he can shield you from the wind, because the air there has been separated by him, and there is no longer any resistance, or you can avoid the frontal force of the wind, so that you can Save a lot of energy.You can also subject the person in front of you to a psychological strain.Running ahead is more difficult than running behind, because the one running ahead must constantly wonder whether the one running behind him will do anything. During the race, how do you know how fast you are running?One way is to wear a stop watch and keep an eye on the mileage markers. (In some races, someone will report the time to you when you hit the mile marker.) As mentioned in Chapter Twelve, the only problem is when you're running, especially when you're tired. Do the calculations in your head.But it's not impossible) Suppose your time is 19 minutes 57 seconds for the three miles. A pace of seven minutes for a mile is twenty-one minutes.Sixty-three seconds off your time.That's twenty-one seconds less per mile.So your speed is seven minutes per mile minus twenty-one seconds, or six minutes and thirty-nine seconds per mile.Some runners write a planning schedule and carry it with them for simplicity. There is another way to know if you will outrun the person ahead of you.You start counting your steps when he crosses a certain spot, and then count how many steps you need to run to get to that spot.After a while you count like this again.If your steps are less this time, it means you can run past him, if your steps are more, it means you can't run him. The strategic part of the game depends on the conditions.In hot weather, start running slower than usual, even if you feel you can go faster.The heat can tire a runner, and at the end of the day, you'll be glad you saved some energy.When it's hot and sunny, run in the shade as much as possible.If someone on the side of the road offers cold water, drink some and splash the rest on yourself.Never miss the chance to run through the spray from the hose. In road races, don't change your pace very often, except uphill and downhill.Cross country is different.In cross-country, it's important to adapt your stride to the different terrains—short and varied strides when running on muddy terrain and sand, and shorter strides when running on flat roads. enlarge. When racing on the track, if you're anything like me, your main enemy is boredom.As I have already said.I was off the runway as much as possible.On the track, your main task is to focus on running.If you let your focus get distracted, you definitely have to slow down. The strategic use of track racing is difficult due to the many turns and narrow track.You have to choose exactly the right place to pass someone - usually after a turn (although there is more of a surprise factor if you pass unexpectedly while turning).You also have to time your final sprint, or final acceleration, just right—too early and too late to tire you out and slow you down, too late to catch up with your opponent. In road races, how to run in the final stage is also a problem.You need to know exactly how capable you are.If your sprint speed is not fast, you will have to put a long distance between yourself and your competitors.If you're sprinting fast, you can wait until later to build the distance.However, once you start sprinting, never slow down.Often it's another runner who will follow you as soon as he sees you sprinting.If you relax, even a little bit, he may pass you. Finally, as you approach the finish line, do a dash.Fight the pain in your muscles and cross the finish line at top speed.Many races are lost when they are one step behind the finish line.