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Hey All!
Huge congrats to Sam Farrell who ran the Clearwater Half in Florida and came 3rd in her age group! Very solid for this time of year when most of us are solidly in base training mode.
As a lifelong runner who has endured my fair share of ups and downs in terms of results, motivation and passion towards the sport, I’ve been contemplating how I’ve managed to remain engaged in it for so long. Angela Duckworth coined the definition of Grit as being the combination of perseverance and passion over a long period of time. One impediment to this for many people is our internal wiring to seek novelty. We are wired to seek out new experiences as this usually allows us to respond to different environments and stimuli, and develop and grow in new ways. This is exciting, rewarding, and probably key to our survival. So how do we remain focused on long-term goals while incorporating our drive for novelty seeking? Duckworth explains that many experts do this by substituting nuance for novelty. Is there a way to keep working towards my goal, but approaching it with a new lens or from a different angle? This is what keeps passionate people from getting “bored” of their pursuits.
In running there are many ways to find nuance. I think what some of us might experience at times though, is that we find something that we love and that works for us, and we cling to it, and are fearful of deviating from our routine. This can definitely work for a long while. Repetition afterall is the key to running success. But it’s not unusual to find yourself in a slump, or lacking the spark or motivation you once had. Again, I’ve been through this cycle in running a number of times! So what’s the answer? Find something new and exciting about it. This takes a little bit of effort on your part, as seeking out nuance takes some drive and curiosity. And jumping the track from your well-worn path to a new unpaved one is challenging. But that’s where the fun lies. In the past few years I’ve raced an Ironman and done a couple of seasons of training and racing 1500’s on the track. These are very different types of training, but they both involve running. Sometimes the shift can just be a season of all basework and no races. OR more of a focus on strength and speed with less mileage. For many people just adding one or two spicy workouts a week is enough to keep them interested and engaged. Nuance for you depends on where you’re coming from and what seems exciting and challenging. So if you’re feeling a bit blah or bored with your training, take on the challenge of creating some nuance to your routine. That’s what the grittiest experts do.
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