Froggie Ted Distance Runner: Mistakes I Made

I have been a runner for over 25 years. Well, I have been running for that long. I didn't start road racing until 1988. I can tell you that as I look back on my running life and all of the races I have completed, I realized that I have made many mistakes. I am sure you have done the same. Sadly, I have even made rookie mistakes as a veteran runner. Despite the mistakes I have made I have never had a DNF (Did Not Finish). That is an accomplishment in itself. Not finishing a race is just about the worst thing that can happen to a runner, short of a serious injury. But I now know that pushing through an injury so I wouldn't DNF actually made matters worse. What to do.

Despite my need to finish everything I start, I have found that every race where I did not perform at my peak, I made one of several common mistakes. The most common mistakes I have made are going out too fast, running while injured, blindly following a training plan, using no recovery phase and not fueling properly. These mistakes are common to new runners but can also sabotage experienced runners as well. I don't want you to suffer the same results I have by making these mistakes. Don't worry though, they are easily avoided as long as you know how.

Common Mistake #1 - Going out to fast.

When I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 2006, I decided I wanted to start my run with the 3:45 hour pace group thinking it would allow me to bank some time. This would allow me to finally hit my goal of running a 4 hour marathon. What it got me was a major bonk midway through the race and one of my worst finishes ever. This is one of the biggest rookie mistakes. I may have felt great during the first few miles but I crashed and burned during the final miles. I wish I could say I have never made this mistake after that experience but I have.

There are numerous ways to avoid going out to fast. I think that the best way (which I used when I set my marathon PR) is to run the first mile slower than you plan to run your last. The problem is that you feel so strong at the start of a race. You must remember is that for every minute you go out too fast in the beginning you will lose double that amount at the end of the race. If you are running in a shorter race, go out at the pace you know you can sustain to the finish line with ease. Then gradually increase your speed to your goal pace. In longer races like the marathon, it is advisable to go out at a pace15-30 seconds slower than your goal pace. Once you have settled into the race increase your speed until you are at your goal pace. This should allow you to avoid using up to much energy at the start.

The second way to avoid this mistake is to make sure you're in the correct starting position. Don't line up with faster runners because you'll most likely try to keep up with them when the gun sounds. With all of the electronic devices that races now use to track you as you run, there is no reason to line up with the faster runners. When I am being electronically timed in a race, I typically line up in the back third of the runners. This allows me to start off a comfortable pace and not having to avoid other runners. It also allows me to get my pre-race nerves in check because I know I can start off at the pace I want to run rather than allow my competitive juices to lead me to a pace that will cause me to crash and miss my goal.

Common Mistake #2 - Running while injured.

As we all know, our running can be uncomfortable at times. We feel sore or generally fatigued on some days when we head out for our run. But we need clearly understand that the feeling of pain is something we need to pay closer attention to. I have failed many times at this understanding. After last year's Boston Marathon, I now know that when I feel pain greater than normal soreness that I need to stop and treat the pain. I need to listen more closely to my body to keep it healthy. If I don't and try to run through pain, I will cause greater damage and potentially end up losing the ability to do what I love...run.

What I have promised myself is to follow some simple rules of thumb that I have learned over the years. First, I will always increase my mileage gradually. When I start a new training program for a race, I will not increase my weekly mileage by more than 10%. I will give myself rest weeks during my training by dropping my mileage by 50% every fourth week. Finally, I will force myself after a particularly hard run, take an entire day off. I need to remember that rest days are important to remain injury free and out on the road.

Common Mistake #3 - Blindly following a training plan.

As a beginner runner, I would always want to make up for any workout I missed. The reality is that a missed run actually has no effect on my performance in the race. What I have learned is that I need to just accept that life sometimes gets in the way of my training plan. I no longer try to make up the mileage. However, if I start missing numerous days of training for a race, I have to decide whether or not I can still be ready for that race or do I need to modify my mileage volume for the next few weeks and modify my goal for the race.

To avoid injury as discussed above, I need to listen to my body. When I wake up each morning to get in my run, I have to remember to train hardest when I feel good and back off when I feel bad. Training plans you pull off the internet or from a book or get from a friend have to fit your lifestyle and your personality. So if you are training and you find that it takes more than two days to recover from a workout you are training too hard and are risking injury. You need to cut back and doing easier base training allowing yourself to recover. If you want to run for the rest of your life, you need to get to know your body and you need to be honest with yourself and adjust your training plan when necessary.

Common Mistake #4 - No recovery phase.

Frankly, I am still making this mistake. I have promised myself that this year would be the year I stopped not taking some time off. As a runner, you need to take at least one recovery phase each year. I am certain that the lack of recovery phases in my training program led to my injury in Boston. Without these much needed rest periods, your body and running will become dull and you will find that you are at a performance plateau. No further improvement will follow. What has held me back is the fear of losing my stamina or simply getting out of shape. Silly, I know.

So this year I intend to take at least one recovery period where I will rest my body and mind for two weeks. I understand that I may lose some of my race sharpness but I will not lose any of my overall base fitness level. If you are a non-professional runner like me, this two week period of low-level running and reduced mileage is plenty to recharge your body and mind. The goal will be to run two days less during this two week period as well as reducing my mileage by 40-50 percent. The goal is to fully recover and then ramp back up slowly. My hope is that I will be able to reach new heights in my training and racing as well as reduce the opportunity for injury.

Common Mistake #5 - Not fueling properly.

I fully understand that a lot of runners eat before they run. This is not something that I can do. My stomach can't handle it. Instead, I try to make sure that I fuel properly throughout the day so that I am ready in the morning when I head out. After my runs I try to eat the right amount of protein and carbs to replenish my stores. If you go out on-line you will find several studies that show that your muscles absorb nutrients best within 45 minutes of your run. So don't skip your post run meal.

What I have read and try to adhere to is the 3:1 ratio of protein to carbs after my run. Studies state that a runner should eat about one gram of carbs per kilogram of bodyweight and 20-25 grams of protein within one to three hours after your run. For me this means I need to consume at least 320 calories of protein (1.81 calories per pound) post run. I find that when I do this, I feel better and recover faster than when I have skipped meals in the past.

I wish I could state unequivocally that I won't make these mistakes again. I have proven to many times in the past that this is not possible. I will err again. Hopefully by sharing these thoughts with you, you will have a chance to avoid them. The good news is that even if I do make the mistake again, I will know what caused me to not have the optimal training run or race. With that knowledge, perhaps I will finally learn the lesson and not repeat it again. My goal and yours should be to take what we've learned from our mistakes and use it to make our running that much better!

Jan. 1 – 7.10 miles (1:06:53, 9:25 pace)

Jan. 2 – 6.20 miles (55:14, 9:03 pace)

Jan. 3 – 6.50 miles (1:23:25, 9:41 pace)

Jan. 4 – 8.10 miles (1:16:48, 9:28 pace)

Jan. 5 – 6.20 miles (58:35, 9:27 pace)

Jan. 6 – 6.10 miles (56:52, 9:19 pace)

Jan. 8 – 6.20 miles (58:40, 9:28 pace)

Jan. 9 – 6.20 miles (56:06, 9:03 pace)

Jan. 10 – 10.10 miles (01:29:30, 8:52 pace)

Jan. 11 – 8.10 miles (1:17:29, 9:19 pace)

Jan. 12 – 6.20 miles (59:01, 9:31 pace)

Jan. 13 – 6.50 miles (59:53, 9:13 pace)