Two weeks in a row now, I’ve experienced a “bad run.” Both weeks, it just so happened to be my long run that was bad. These runs can easily kill your confidence and dampen your spirit. You start to wonder how you will ever accomplish that next 100-miler when you’re barely surviving your less-than-2-hour long run.
What was making these runs so bad? There were external factors such as shoe-sucking mud and stiff headwinds that caused my pace to slow and my RPE (rate of perceived exertion) to elevate. I had a hard time keeping my effort feeling easy, even as I began to add short, 20-second walk intervals to let my heart rate come down. There were also internal factors such as the buildup of training fatigue, loss of sleep due to a certain dog’s gastrointestinal issues (looking at you, Silverton), and maybe even my diet (I’m always on the edge of not eating enough to support my training).
So how can you get through these inevitable “bad runs” and keep your confidence alive? Below are some tips to keep in mind.
- A single “bad run” won’t predict how your future runs will feel. It’s easy to think, “Well, this is how it’s going to be from now on,” but that’s not always the case. In fact, I was surprised to find that the day immediately following my last two “bad runs” surprisingly felt amazing! One day does not predict the next. If, however, you do feel like every run is a bad run over the course of a week or so, it’s most likely a sign that you are in need of some rest and recovery as your body is not adapting to the training load.
- Use the “bad run” to practice the mental toughness you will need on race day. Imagine you are at mile 80 of your upcoming 100-miler and visualize yourself running strong on tired legs towards that finish line. Meditate on the reasons you chose to set those big, scary goals, and understand that doing hard things now will help you do things that are even harder in the future.
- Reframe your “bad run” into practicing something specific about race day. When I was struggling to run slowly enough to keep my RPE set at “easy,” I was imagining that this is what it might feel like to be running above 10,000 feet at my next high-altitude ultra. And of course, almost any ultra will include walking or hiking, and it’s important to train that skill as well!
- Understand that a single “bad run” is not a reflection of you or your ability to reach your goals. In fact, it’s probably a sign that your training is working, and your body is reaching the appropriate amount of fatigue to begin adapting. Embrace the “bad run.” It’s only making you stronger.
What tips do you have for dealing with the dreaded bad ran? Leave a comment below!
Silverton, my recent cause of sleep deprivation (he is cute, though)
Jen and Ryan Wold are trail and ultrarunning coaches at Single Step Running. Click to learn more!