PUBLISHED 07/01/2008
Warren Finke was leading the 1983 Pacific Coast Trail 50-miler, an ultramarathon near San Diego, when a race volunteer mistakenly directed him past the unmarked turnaround point. He ran on for nearly a mile before other volunteers corrected him. As he headed back, he saw his competitors turning at the now-marked midpoint, taking over his lead.
"I was fuming," says Finke, 66, now codirector of the Portland Marathon Clinic in Oregon. "I sat down and said, 'Screw it. I'm not going to run anymore.'" The race director persuaded him to get back in the race. "I decided to try to catch the people in front of me, and then it was almost fun," he says. "I ended up in first place." Today, Finke shares this story with clients to show how out-of-control emotions can override rational thoughts and interfere with running goals.
Competitive runners might have more to lose when they let their emotions bubble over, but recreational runners can also suffer when their feelings rule their heads. Race-day anxiety or anger toward a rude competitor can sabotage your performance. Luckily, there's an alternative--developing what sports psychologists call emotional intelligence (EQ), the ability to be aware of feelings, evaluate how they affect your behavior and, if necessary, shift to a better state of mind.
"Emotions have a function," says Cal Botterill, Ph.D., a retired University of Winnipeg sports psychology professor who advises Olympic athletes. "If we don't feel nervous about a race, we may not prepare properly. If we don't feel guilty over skipping a long run, we may never find the motivation to become a stronger runner. You'll never totally control your emotions, but you can learn to manage them."
Here's how emotional intelligence can help you respond positively to common running scenarios.
The Situation: On a new route, you encounter a daunting hill. Your heart rate increases just looking at it, and you think, I'll never make it to the top.
Smart Fix: "Your body is having a physiological reaction, a surge of adrenaline, based on fear, founded on negative thoughts," says Jack Bowman, Ph.D., director of the Mind Plus Muscle Institute for Applied Sports Psychology on Long Island, New York. To manage this reaction, Bowman says to spin the negative thought into a positive one--think of adrenaline as fuel that will push you up the hill.
The Situation: Forecasters are calling for a heat wave, snowstorm, or Nor'easter on the day of a race or important workout, sending you into a panic.
Smart Fix: Preparation helps you cope better with surprises, Botterill says. If you worry about having to race in the heat, make sure you've done some training in warmer temperatures--do a few runs on a treadmill if you don't live in a warm climate. You can't exactly train for rain and snow, so Botterill suggests using visualization. Imagine the feel of rain on your face, see yourself making a game of leaping over the puddles while humming that famous Gene Kelly tune. Also, take a practical approach to your preparation by buying quality gear that will protect you from the elements. Doing so will give you a sense of control over an otherwise out-of-control factor.
