Yes, Although I have never quite a race I have slower down but more important there are times I have had to quite running over my 48 year career. Times when the Kids needed me more than running , weather in the cold Wisconsin Shows but mainly injuries when I broke my elbow when running, drove my self to the hospital and had surgery that day and had to drive my self back Home at that time in Houston. It definitely took me some time to get back but in reality I will never quite running regardless of my young 80 years old.
Many times! The most important part of good training is listening to your body. I’ll often set off on a 15-20km run and then 5km in realise it’s just not the right temperature or my body’s not right or my mind will just say, “not today”.
I know then next time I get back out there I’ll be in a better mindset because of it. I find everyone I tell I’m running or training has advice or what they would do but honestly, just listen to your body & inner voice, it often knows what’s best.
Thank you, Terrell. Once again you cover something that's on my mind. I'm in the middle of a daily run streak that started in June 2021. Range of my daily runs has been between one and 13.1 miles. I've met a lot of great people along the way, and the run streak has inspired others in my life. It's also been very satisfying personally ... until recently. I'm about to begin marathon training for next year, and at 57 years old I want to make sure I do it right which means cross-training, something that typically takes a back seat. So lately my run streak has become a bit nagging instead of the pure fun it once was, and I find myself contemplating whether to end it.
That's such a good question, Jonathan. Do you remember when Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy had his consecutive games streak going, back in the 80s? I remember seeing an article once about how the streak, which started as something he was excited about, over time came to be something that dominated every decision he made, and not in a good way. Wonderful, great, healthy things can become unhealthy, even without us noticing -- that's what I took away from Murphy's experience. Not that what you're experiencing is as dramatic, necessarily. But it's always a good idea to check ourselves, you know?
Great story, Terrell. Thank you for the reminder. And now that you mention Dale Murphy's streak, it reminds me of Cal Ripken's achievement (and of course Lou Gehrig's). I will look into each of these to help me determine next steps. I've given myself to the end of November to decide.
Reminds me of a streak I had … teams of 10 at AT&T committed to 3,000,000 steps in 30 days … that’s 10,000 steps per day per team member. At the end of the month,MY HIPS WERE SORE!
Yep. I quit two races in the last 7 years. Both half marathons.
The first one I had trained hard for. It was spring in NC, and all through my training it was cool and mostly raining. On race day - May 1 - it suddenly turned hot and humid, as things do around here! I set off at my confident race pace and just fell apart. I was gasping for breath at mile 5.
And I quit. I thought to myself, 'I *could* finish this race, by slowing down, maybe doing some walking. But I didn't *want* to. I'd never felt that way before.
No regrets about it. In fact, I felt empowered that I didn't make myself suffer for 8 more miles.
I totally get it! I remember once running the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C, and I was around mile 23. There was a bus you could hop on if you were just done and ready to stop -- and I saw someone hop on it then, at mile 23. At the time, I was like "I can't believe you're quitting now! You're so close to the finish!" But I was just 25 years old at the time too, so I was invincible, of course! Now I understand 😃
Being 2 months out from knee surgery and almost a year out from a regular running routine, I'm at that moment right now: is it time to just quit? To be happy that I had been a runner for a short time, but ultimately, concede that it may not be right for my body?
I don't know the answer to that yet. For now, I'm still getting in lots of walks and trying to feel out running here and there. But even with a "fixed" knee, my knees aren't in great shape. Maybe I should just be content to be an avid walker.
You know, it's honestly a great question. Someone wrote to me once, after I'd been writing this newsletter for a number of years, with a question that really made me think: what are you going to do if you get injured in a way that means you can't, or really shouldn't, run again for the foreseeable future?
I think walking is fantastic exercise, and probably something I'll explore myself for the rest of the year as I take a break after running the AthHalf a couple weekends ago. If it's something you can actually do, vs. going through so much arduous PT to get to do *someday*, then maybe walking is the better fit? (I'm totally thinking out loud here, though -- I could be wrong! But I just hear you on the difficulty of dealing with an injury like you have.)
I’m going to turn my response political, a THM no-no, I know! I am a moderate democrat and was disappointed in the result of the presidential election. My wife told me, “Like in your races, you just have to keep on keeping on.” Admittedly, through 134 half marathons a 1 (yep, just 1) marathon, I have never had a DNF (I did have an FDL last month). During Mile 13 of the AthHalf, I was doing a lot of walking, but I never gave up. I owe all of this to two things: 1) I’m not a runner, I’m a jogger-walker, in it for the fun and the commeraderie; and.2) this body of mine is very forgiving and agrees with my recently-conceived TIE-GID mantra — Take it easy - get it done. To anyone who has had a DNF, there’s no shame … there’s always another race to prove to yourself that you ARE the “little engine that could”!
I’ve never quit a race but I should have. A month before a half marathon 2 1/2 years ago, I was struggling with an injury but I kept going. The end result was an exacerbated injury that took much longer to resolve. The experience taught me a valuable lesson but now I listen to my body.
Thus far, my will to keep on running has risen above my desire to quit. But that desire is always there. A little voice that says, “You’ve had enough. You don’t have to do this.” All day yesterday, the voice told me I didn’t need to run when I got home. And when I got home, I just didn’t feel it. But still I put on my running shoes and got on the treadmill for a five mile run. I don’t know where the will to run and keep running comes from. Every half I have done the will to run is kind of like a shining light that keeps the doubts at bay. It does wane at times, of course.
That's the hard part about it, isn't it? There's always that voice, tapping us on the shoulder, telling us to go find a cozy place and relax. (And if we listened to that voice all the time, we'd never get off the couch again!)
Then there's the cases when you know it's better to stop, quit or otherwise take a break, because keeping going won't accomplish anything constructive... and sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, you know?
I used to think that having the strong feeling to stop or going through those times when you just aren’t up for it was weakness. I went through a recent period when I just wasn’t up for my training, I struggled to do the workouts each week and started to feel under the weather and down and thought it was because I wasn’t training like I felt I should be. I was letting myself down, and this started a cycle of negativity that was hard to arrest. But, I started to feel that maybe my body was telling me something important. It needed some time out, my brain needed some time out. Now, I’m back to it and feel good and I am starting to pick up where I left off. I framed these ‘blocks’ as an opportunity to listen to my body and give myself some space to refocus before strapping my running shoes on. I’m more flexible now and embrace these ‘blocks’ or diversions as I prefer to call them.
Never in a race but, as I have aged, I've learned to "listen" to my body. Knowing that I would be running events this fall, I actually stopped running [continued doing cardio-type workouts] as the nagging aches were wearing me out. Stopped for about 3 months [maybe a little more] and feel great now as I've started to ramp up the miles for a Dec, Jan, Feb half-marathon triple!
In the midst of this right now! I was supposed to run my first marathon, a trail race, two weeks ago. But back in the summer I added a lot of PT recommended calf raises to deal with some nagging ankle tendon issues on top of an already hilling running load. By early July 4th I was developing Achilles tendinitis. I was still able to inch my volume up but by early September the pain was too much — it was a rest or never heal and likely create a serious injury scenario. So after telling lots of people I was training for my first marathon, I had to drop out.
And honestly, it’s been great. I starting cycling to work to maintain some fitness which is a new routine I love. A few weeks after stopping running, I realized I needed a different workout plan so began weight lifting again for the first time in years. It’s been life giving. I miss running though and the Achilles still hasn’t healed, so I’m just now begging to do more intention PT to heal it vs just rest.
I don't have any problem packing it in on a training run that just isn't going well. I feel like pushing through those miles when my body is screaming "NOOOO," just isn't a good idea. I feel bad about cutting the run short and missing the scheduled miles, but I know that listening to my body is the right thing to do. I haven't quit in a race yet, and I have had some true slogs come race day. I figure that as long as I am not injured, I should keep going even if it is painful or uncomfortable. In the case of injury, I think deep down we know when it is serious and we should stop. It is important to listen to that little voice that says, "uh-oh, this seems bad." I had that when I tore the labrum in my hip last year. Initially I thought I could walk it off, but that just didn't pan out. I ended up calling my husband to pick me up and give me a ride back to my car. That was the worst one. I know that running is often a war between the part of our brain that wants to keep going and the part that wants to stop. If you aren't injured, and you give it a good go and you still are feeling terrible, it's probably more than the part of your brain that wants to stop winning that war. Sometimes our bodies just aren't on board with what the training schedule has planned, and that is okay. It really is.
I have quit races and taken breaks from training (right now I am on a surgery imposed break - new hip). The first time I ever quit was when I ran a 24-hour event but new about 14 hours in I wasn't going to make my 100 mile goal. Since that was the sole reason I signed up for the event, felt it wasn't worth ruining my family's weekend. It was worth it that weekend certainly.
However, it opened up the possibility of resigning from races and for the next few years it became too easy for me. Eventually I quit racing for a few years (never gave up on fitness however). Eventually I got back and now I have a much more balanced approach. I can navigate the pain cave and get on through but about 10% of the time, I can recognize when it is not my day. It is a delicate balance.
Great topic Terrell as I’m sorting through an abrupt “stop” due to an injury while training for a marathon that was scheduled for this weekend but canceled the morning of due to icy roads. Three weeks ago, I started a new strength training routine and did a particular exercise incorrectly that resulted in pain in my left hip. This is when I should have STOPPED, but I didn’t 😞. I continued to run a few days afterwards as I was peaking for marathon training and worsened the pain in my left hip and began to feel pain in my left knee and left ankle. Since then, I learned that I have a stress fracture in my left fibula and a possible strained hip flexor on the left side. Hard lesson to learn, but I should have stopped when I first felt the pain in my left hip so I wouldn’t have further injured myself down the left side. Next time, I’ll listen to my body! It’s ok to STOP 🛑!
Personally the first time I just quit a race I was really mad at myself for taking that way out of it. Worst thing about doing that is that it's easier the next time, and for someone that has driven themselves for years on never quitting anything, that really sucks. If you hold yourself to a high standard to never quit, it really is mentally taxing to deal with that initially. Be easy on yourself, and do it as long as it's still fun, it's not worth pushing through till you end up hating something you loved
Yes, Although I have never quite a race I have slower down but more important there are times I have had to quite running over my 48 year career. Times when the Kids needed me more than running , weather in the cold Wisconsin Shows but mainly injuries when I broke my elbow when running, drove my self to the hospital and had surgery that day and had to drive my self back Home at that time in Houston. It definitely took me some time to get back but in reality I will never quite running regardless of my young 80 years old.
Wow, Timothy -- now that's a story! How did you break your *elbow* while running?!
I broke my elbow behind a food store when i tripped on the loading dock early in the morning, yes in the dark and I missed the bump.
Many times! The most important part of good training is listening to your body. I’ll often set off on a 15-20km run and then 5km in realise it’s just not the right temperature or my body’s not right or my mind will just say, “not today”.
I know then next time I get back out there I’ll be in a better mindset because of it. I find everyone I tell I’m running or training has advice or what they would do but honestly, just listen to your body & inner voice, it often knows what’s best.
Thank you, Terrell. Once again you cover something that's on my mind. I'm in the middle of a daily run streak that started in June 2021. Range of my daily runs has been between one and 13.1 miles. I've met a lot of great people along the way, and the run streak has inspired others in my life. It's also been very satisfying personally ... until recently. I'm about to begin marathon training for next year, and at 57 years old I want to make sure I do it right which means cross-training, something that typically takes a back seat. So lately my run streak has become a bit nagging instead of the pure fun it once was, and I find myself contemplating whether to end it.
That's such a good question, Jonathan. Do you remember when Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy had his consecutive games streak going, back in the 80s? I remember seeing an article once about how the streak, which started as something he was excited about, over time came to be something that dominated every decision he made, and not in a good way. Wonderful, great, healthy things can become unhealthy, even without us noticing -- that's what I took away from Murphy's experience. Not that what you're experiencing is as dramatic, necessarily. But it's always a good idea to check ourselves, you know?
Great story, Terrell. Thank you for the reminder. And now that you mention Dale Murphy's streak, it reminds me of Cal Ripken's achievement (and of course Lou Gehrig's). I will look into each of these to help me determine next steps. I've given myself to the end of November to decide.
Reminds me of a streak I had … teams of 10 at AT&T committed to 3,000,000 steps in 30 days … that’s 10,000 steps per day per team member. At the end of the month,MY HIPS WERE SORE!
I had a running streak for a couple of years. One day I just woke up and it wasn't fun anymore. that's when I quit.
Hope you found something fun as a replacement!
i definitely kept running! just not every day
Fr. Cathie that's exactly where I'm at. Thank you.
Yep. I quit two races in the last 7 years. Both half marathons.
The first one I had trained hard for. It was spring in NC, and all through my training it was cool and mostly raining. On race day - May 1 - it suddenly turned hot and humid, as things do around here! I set off at my confident race pace and just fell apart. I was gasping for breath at mile 5.
And I quit. I thought to myself, 'I *could* finish this race, by slowing down, maybe doing some walking. But I didn't *want* to. I'd never felt that way before.
No regrets about it. In fact, I felt empowered that I didn't make myself suffer for 8 more miles.
I totally get it! I remember once running the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C, and I was around mile 23. There was a bus you could hop on if you were just done and ready to stop -- and I saw someone hop on it then, at mile 23. At the time, I was like "I can't believe you're quitting now! You're so close to the finish!" But I was just 25 years old at the time too, so I was invincible, of course! Now I understand 😃
From Edwin Moses winner of 400 400 meter races in a row. "On really good days and really bad days quit early". except maybe really good races.
Love that saying!
Being 2 months out from knee surgery and almost a year out from a regular running routine, I'm at that moment right now: is it time to just quit? To be happy that I had been a runner for a short time, but ultimately, concede that it may not be right for my body?
I don't know the answer to that yet. For now, I'm still getting in lots of walks and trying to feel out running here and there. But even with a "fixed" knee, my knees aren't in great shape. Maybe I should just be content to be an avid walker.
You know, it's honestly a great question. Someone wrote to me once, after I'd been writing this newsletter for a number of years, with a question that really made me think: what are you going to do if you get injured in a way that means you can't, or really shouldn't, run again for the foreseeable future?
I think walking is fantastic exercise, and probably something I'll explore myself for the rest of the year as I take a break after running the AthHalf a couple weekends ago. If it's something you can actually do, vs. going through so much arduous PT to get to do *someday*, then maybe walking is the better fit? (I'm totally thinking out loud here, though -- I could be wrong! But I just hear you on the difficulty of dealing with an injury like you have.)
Walkers are always welcome … my wife walked her half marathons and still does 5Ks and 10Ks. Best of luck.
I’m going to turn my response political, a THM no-no, I know! I am a moderate democrat and was disappointed in the result of the presidential election. My wife told me, “Like in your races, you just have to keep on keeping on.” Admittedly, through 134 half marathons a 1 (yep, just 1) marathon, I have never had a DNF (I did have an FDL last month). During Mile 13 of the AthHalf, I was doing a lot of walking, but I never gave up. I owe all of this to two things: 1) I’m not a runner, I’m a jogger-walker, in it for the fun and the commeraderie; and.2) this body of mine is very forgiving and agrees with my recently-conceived TIE-GID mantra — Take it easy - get it done. To anyone who has had a DNF, there’s no shame … there’s always another race to prove to yourself that you ARE the “little engine that could”!
I hear you, Dave! Same here -- so glad we finally got to meet up in Athens too!
I’ve never quit a race but I should have. A month before a half marathon 2 1/2 years ago, I was struggling with an injury but I kept going. The end result was an exacerbated injury that took much longer to resolve. The experience taught me a valuable lesson but now I listen to my body.
Thus far, my will to keep on running has risen above my desire to quit. But that desire is always there. A little voice that says, “You’ve had enough. You don’t have to do this.” All day yesterday, the voice told me I didn’t need to run when I got home. And when I got home, I just didn’t feel it. But still I put on my running shoes and got on the treadmill for a five mile run. I don’t know where the will to run and keep running comes from. Every half I have done the will to run is kind of like a shining light that keeps the doubts at bay. It does wane at times, of course.
That's the hard part about it, isn't it? There's always that voice, tapping us on the shoulder, telling us to go find a cozy place and relax. (And if we listened to that voice all the time, we'd never get off the couch again!)
Then there's the cases when you know it's better to stop, quit or otherwise take a break, because keeping going won't accomplish anything constructive... and sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, you know?
Exactly. When I have pain, I ease off or stop, but I always test it a day or two later (gingerly). Heat will slow me down, often to a walk.
I used to think that having the strong feeling to stop or going through those times when you just aren’t up for it was weakness. I went through a recent period when I just wasn’t up for my training, I struggled to do the workouts each week and started to feel under the weather and down and thought it was because I wasn’t training like I felt I should be. I was letting myself down, and this started a cycle of negativity that was hard to arrest. But, I started to feel that maybe my body was telling me something important. It needed some time out, my brain needed some time out. Now, I’m back to it and feel good and I am starting to pick up where I left off. I framed these ‘blocks’ as an opportunity to listen to my body and give myself some space to refocus before strapping my running shoes on. I’m more flexible now and embrace these ‘blocks’ or diversions as I prefer to call them.
Never in a race but, as I have aged, I've learned to "listen" to my body. Knowing that I would be running events this fall, I actually stopped running [continued doing cardio-type workouts] as the nagging aches were wearing me out. Stopped for about 3 months [maybe a little more] and feel great now as I've started to ramp up the miles for a Dec, Jan, Feb half-marathon triple!
Best of luck in the new year .. what races?
In the midst of this right now! I was supposed to run my first marathon, a trail race, two weeks ago. But back in the summer I added a lot of PT recommended calf raises to deal with some nagging ankle tendon issues on top of an already hilling running load. By early July 4th I was developing Achilles tendinitis. I was still able to inch my volume up but by early September the pain was too much — it was a rest or never heal and likely create a serious injury scenario. So after telling lots of people I was training for my first marathon, I had to drop out.
And honestly, it’s been great. I starting cycling to work to maintain some fitness which is a new routine I love. A few weeks after stopping running, I realized I needed a different workout plan so began weight lifting again for the first time in years. It’s been life giving. I miss running though and the Achilles still hasn’t healed, so I’m just now begging to do more intention PT to heal it vs just rest.
I don't have any problem packing it in on a training run that just isn't going well. I feel like pushing through those miles when my body is screaming "NOOOO," just isn't a good idea. I feel bad about cutting the run short and missing the scheduled miles, but I know that listening to my body is the right thing to do. I haven't quit in a race yet, and I have had some true slogs come race day. I figure that as long as I am not injured, I should keep going even if it is painful or uncomfortable. In the case of injury, I think deep down we know when it is serious and we should stop. It is important to listen to that little voice that says, "uh-oh, this seems bad." I had that when I tore the labrum in my hip last year. Initially I thought I could walk it off, but that just didn't pan out. I ended up calling my husband to pick me up and give me a ride back to my car. That was the worst one. I know that running is often a war between the part of our brain that wants to keep going and the part that wants to stop. If you aren't injured, and you give it a good go and you still are feeling terrible, it's probably more than the part of your brain that wants to stop winning that war. Sometimes our bodies just aren't on board with what the training schedule has planned, and that is okay. It really is.
I have quit races and taken breaks from training (right now I am on a surgery imposed break - new hip). The first time I ever quit was when I ran a 24-hour event but new about 14 hours in I wasn't going to make my 100 mile goal. Since that was the sole reason I signed up for the event, felt it wasn't worth ruining my family's weekend. It was worth it that weekend certainly.
However, it opened up the possibility of resigning from races and for the next few years it became too easy for me. Eventually I quit racing for a few years (never gave up on fitness however). Eventually I got back and now I have a much more balanced approach. I can navigate the pain cave and get on through but about 10% of the time, I can recognize when it is not my day. It is a delicate balance.
Great topic Terrell as I’m sorting through an abrupt “stop” due to an injury while training for a marathon that was scheduled for this weekend but canceled the morning of due to icy roads. Three weeks ago, I started a new strength training routine and did a particular exercise incorrectly that resulted in pain in my left hip. This is when I should have STOPPED, but I didn’t 😞. I continued to run a few days afterwards as I was peaking for marathon training and worsened the pain in my left hip and began to feel pain in my left knee and left ankle. Since then, I learned that I have a stress fracture in my left fibula and a possible strained hip flexor on the left side. Hard lesson to learn, but I should have stopped when I first felt the pain in my left hip so I wouldn’t have further injured myself down the left side. Next time, I’ll listen to my body! It’s ok to STOP 🛑!
Personally the first time I just quit a race I was really mad at myself for taking that way out of it. Worst thing about doing that is that it's easier the next time, and for someone that has driven themselves for years on never quitting anything, that really sucks. If you hold yourself to a high standard to never quit, it really is mentally taxing to deal with that initially. Be easy on yourself, and do it as long as it's still fun, it's not worth pushing through till you end up hating something you loved