For some reason, runners often get stereotyped as stubborn. I have no idea why. It’s not like we will get our run in regardless of the weather. It’s not like we will run at any time of the day or night to get our runs in. It’s not like we will do anything to avoid missing a workout.
So maybe we are a little stubborn. The good news is that, 99% of the time, being stubborn is a good thing as a runner.
We just have to be on guard for that other 1%.
As an example of what that other 1% might look like, this past weekend I wanted to do a long run. However, it was cold and windy, the roads were snowy, and I didn’t really have good shoes for a long run in the snow. So I had a change of gear ready and told myself that I’d start outside but finish on the treadmill if outside was too much.
Even though I was slipping around and should have known that the slipping around wasn’t good for my legs, I kept going and completed my entire long run outside. Success! Well…
By the time I was back outside later in the day for my daughter’s long run (which she smartly split between outside and the treadmill) my legs were trash. The next day, they were still pretty terrible with my left hip flexor seeming especially problematic.
Fortunately, I then bucked the stubbornness trend and adjusted my plan to ensure the hip flexor would get better without wasting too much time.
What can be learned from this experience? I’m taking a few reminders out of this:
Remember that there is a time and place for stubbornness
As I stated, 99% of the time, stubbornness is a positive attribute for runners. We need to push through many things in our running if we want to be our best. However…
Note when stubbornness could be a problem
I should have recognized on the long run that the slippery conditions could be problematic and being unwilling to take a part of the run inside might come back to bite me. My legs would most likely have held up fine to an easy run or half of a long run in the snow but an entire long run of slipping just a tiny bit every step was too much. I know I’m going to pay more attention to when a little bit is fine but more is not better.
When facing a decision, ask yourself what the harm of pushing through is. If I would have done so this past weekend and been honest with myself in answering, I would have recognized the risk for just what I ended up doing. If I would have then been honest with myself, I would have split my long run and finished on the treadmill. Fortunately, in the following days, I did ask myself that question and answer honestly. As a result, I gave myself the rest I needed to not let a small issue linger and to get myself back to full strength quickly.
Don’t dwell on the past, focus on the present
Once the damage was done, I could have been frustrated by the error but instead I quickly turned to asking myself what the best decision I can make right now is. It became obvious that more stubbornness would only leave me digging myself into a deeper hole. So I adjusted the training, gave my body the rest it needed, and got myself back on track.
In the end, accept that, as a runner, you are probably also stubborn. In most situations, embrace that for the good it can do for distance runners. Just watch for those rare situations where it might get you in trouble. And, if you do find that you’ve been more stubborn than you should have been, don’t get down on yourself about it. Just turn things around and do what you need to get back on track as quickly as possible.