Don't Think. Just Run!
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It was a hot summer evening at the Brookwood Academy 5k in Richmond , VA. A few seconds before the gun went off, my new best friend and recent collegiate national champion in the 10K, Esther, turned to me boasting, “I’m going to win and break the course record…and you’re going to come in second and break the course record, too.” One problem—a tennis player since birth, I had only been running for two months by then!
The course was a full two loops of the high school campus. After finishing the first loop, I shouted something quite downbeat to Esther. She responded, “Don’t think, Just RUN!” Esther was right, we both broke the course record, and although she beat me by a proverbial mile, I ran an 18:20 min 5k.
To this day, I still think of that quick tip as some of the most valuable race advice I’ve ever received. The value of “don’t think, just run,” is that it kept me from focusing on the outcome. George Sheehan wrote, in Running to Win (1992), “of all the lessons sport teaches us about life, perhaps none is more dramatic than the danger of focusing on the outcome.” A part of our nature, we have a tendency to focus on winning or losing, success or failure. By focusing solely on the outcome, our enjoyment and our performance may suffer. A “don’t think, just run,” mentality keeps us focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, as fast as we can, rather than just thinking about the finish line.
During a hard effort, we often have negative thoughts that pop up in our heads. These thoughts, although very real, often have no basis in reality. For example, I remember thinking in that local 5k, “Wow! That first loop was so hard, there is no way I can finish a second one!” Another negative thought was, “if it is so hard now, I can’t imagine how I will feel down the stretch.” Both of these thoughts turned out to be entirely wrong; not only did I finish the second loop, but I felt better down the stretch! Negative thoughts don’t need to be ignored, however. Hear your thought, understand if it is based in reality, and continue to control the present moment by staying focused on one foot in front of the other. Your thought does not control you, and it may not be what is truly going on.
One technique to keep you focused during your race is adequate and complete goal-setting before the race (this also applies during normal training runs). By setting a moderately challenging goal but allowing for modification, you can eliminate confusion that may occur during the race. If you are saying to yourself during the race, “Oh, I’m not feeling so hot right now so I’ll just run hard to the next tree then slow down,” or “I think I’ll push it for 5 more minutes and see how I feel,” will only lead to confusion. By setting a clear but attainable goal, such as breaking a certain time barrier, you know what you are gunning for throughout the race. This reduces room for negativity and increases your chances for a fast result.
As you race you are putting your body under great physical stress and your form will likely start to break down. By staying in touch with your mind and body you can focus on maintaining form, thus improving running economy and resulting in a faster time. You will also be able to ward off injuries as you will better be able to differentiate between aches and pains and actual muscular issues. When I hear, “Don’t think, just run,” I automatically am reminded to focus on the current state of my mind and body in the act of running. By maintaining awareness of my form, I can relax my muscles and reduce pain, allowing my body to go faster and farther.
Races should be simple and training should be complicated. In training, we carefully analyze heart rate, perceived effort, the amount of mileage, our stride rate, our mental state, etc. We do all of this analysis in training so that it comes together in races. By the time the race comes, all the work is done. There is nothing we can do other than set into motion what we have trained our body and minds to do. At this point, all we can do is stay positive, control what we can control, and just run.
So when you go out for your next race, be confident that all the complicated aspects are over. Enjoy the sensation of PURE EFFORT. This is why we do what we do. Don’t think, just run….
See you on the roads.
Lauren Tomory is the most recent addition to The Sport Factory. A two-sport athlete at Furman University, Lauren graduated in 2009 with a degree in Business Administration. Lauren is dedicated to helping others achieve their running and fitness goals, and she is excited to co-coach The Sport Factory’s Junior Runners Program with Head Coach Matt Russ. Lauren is also very passionate about her marketing effort for The Sport Factory. Coached by Head Coach Matt Russ, Lauren’s dream is to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the marathon / half-marathon distance. Growing up in a military family overseas, Lauren enjoys traveling back to her hometown of Vicenza , Italy whenever she has the chance!
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