I had a bad run, am I a bad runner?

I had a bad run, am I a bad runner?

We’ve all been there: feeling like we’re struggling through a training run or race; it feeling harder than we think it should; not hitting our usual paces; and being left feeling disappointed or frustrated with ourselves.  This is a common experience amongst runners.

Running is hard

The reality is that running is hard and that a lot of runs can feel really tough and even a bit miserable sometimes. Unfortunately, particularly on social media, people tend to share the highlight reel: the runners’ high as they smash out endless PBs, sprint impossibly fast paces and elation as they scramble up and summit mountains, without even seeming out of breath. What doesn’t tend to get shared are the doubts and negative inner chatter; the DNFs; or falling on your face, after tripping over tree roots (something I do pretty frequently out on the trails)!

Firstly, there is no such thing as a “perfect” run and it’s so normal to feel like a run has been “bad”. Runs that challenge you, or feel tough are part of being a runner. I think it’s something we should all talk about more, from elite athletes to casual runners.

What does a “bad” run even mean?

But let’s dive into what a “bad” run actually means. Did you not meet your expectations around your performance?; did you not complete the training session or race?; did you just feel rubbish the whole time and had a seat on the struggle bus?  Firstly, it’s building an understanding of why a run felt “bad”.  There are so many different factors that can impact our performance including: not having enough fuel or hydration on board; not having enough sleep, feeling fatigued or a lack of recovery; the weather; overtraining or injury; training plans being too hard or too easy (which is why it’s important to have a training program built for women runners - like Femmi); external stressors or pressures such as family, relationships, work, finances; mood and motivation; and where you are in your menstrual cycle. And did you notice that we have very little control over most of those factors? Bearing that in mind, it’s understandable that some runs will be hard going.

Secondly can a run ever really be “bad”? It can feel “bad” but we can learn something from every experience of running, whether that’s how to adapt and change, build resilience or know you can do hard things. And even if the experience felt negative, you still got out there and showed up for yourself, which is an important skill in running and in life in general.

How can we deal with a “bad” run?

Now that I’ve hopefully convinced you that it’s normal and ok to have runs that suck sometimes, how can we move on from a negative experience of a run?

It’s time we all start being kinder to ourselves.  Our emotions are always valid, we can’t help the way we feel. It’s ok to feel frustrated or sad if a run hasn’t gone the way you want. However, we do have a choice about how we respond to our emotions. Think about what you need. What feels helpful in other areas of your life when you feel this way: do you need to talk it out with a friend or your coach; do you need some self-care or rest and recovery - eating some yummy food, watching something that makes you laugh, a hot bath, some gentle movement in nature; do you need to shift your next session to something easy or that you feel confident achieving?

When we feel anxious or angry, our bodies can also be more tense, stiff and sore, which can make running feel harder.  This is because stress or worry kick starts fight or flight and we have higher levels of adrenaline and cortisol. Our thinking style can also become very problem-focused and it’s harder to think logically or process information as we usually do. Before we can tackle that negative inner chatter, we need to calm our bodies down. You might already have strategies you use to relax such as going for a walk, a skin care routine, listening to music but one of the easiest ways is to breathe. Obviously we’re all breathing all the time, but I mean focused deep belly breathing: taking a deep breath in and imagining there’s a balloon inflating in your tummy, and breathing out and letting that balloon deflate; slowing your rate of breathing down; and trying to keep your mind focused on the breath. Minds wander, that’s their job, but just noticing if this happens, without judgement and shifting your focus back to the breath. If you haven’t done this before, try practicing for a few minutes before you fall asleep at night. Once you have the hang of it, try giving this a go before you start a run, or use it as a reset during a run.

We also need to try and change the story we’re telling ourselves. Often if we’ve had a bad run, we might have thoughts like: “I can’t do it”; “I’m not good enough”; “I’m not a real runner”; “I should just give up”.  Again, it’s normal to have these thoughts but how can we shift the narrative to feel more helpful? What’s a different story that you can tell yourself? For example: “it’s ok to have a bad run, it’s part of being a runner”; “that run felt really tough, but I’ve learnt that I can do hard things; “one bad run doesn’t mean I’m not putting in effort and improving”. It’s helpful to think about each run as a separate event, like traffic lights. If you ran a red light in your car in the morning, you probably wouldn’t then spend the day running every red light. Every run is a fresh start.

Focus on what we can control

I mentioned that we don’t have a lot of control over many of the factors that influence performance.  We do have more control over ACE: Attitude, Concentration and Effort. Think about how you want to approach your next run, what you want to focus on and the level of effort you have available, which might differ every day.

It can also be helpful to practice training your attention, so that it’s easier to be in the moment and let negative thoughts pass by. When we worry our thoughts are often preoccupied with the past or what could happen in the future. This can get in the way of our performance if we’re always imagining the worst case scenario. It can feel tricky to truly stay in the present. Try practicing for a few minutes with your morning cup of coffee: what does it feel like in your hands, what does it smell like and look like as you bring it close to your face, what do you imagine it will taste like before you take your first sip, what does that first sip taste like, what does it feel like as it goes down your throat, can you track it further? Then try having a practice during your runs. Again, minds wander and that’s ok, but practice returning your attention to the present. Also try some “naked” runs, without your watch or phone tracking anything and just try and notice your surroundings, how your body feels, how your feet feel striking the ground, experience the run through your five senses. If you notice your thoughts returning to a negative pattern, stop and have a reset - pull up your socks, do some breathing, have a drink or snack, do a little dance or shake out, imagine pushing a reset button and “restart” the session.

Finally, try visualising the outcome you wanted from the run. Imagine seeing yourself, as if you’re in a video game or from a first person POV and replay the image of yourself achieving what you wanted, what it would look like and how it would feel. If the image starts turning negative, rewind and start again.

And remember, one “bad” run doesn’t define you as a runner, as an athlete or as a person. Keep showing up for yourself and know that you can handle the hard days.