Hey
I just had a track session yesterday, which involved me doing 4 sets of 400m runs, with 3-4 min rest in between, which is not a lot compared to how much you are running and I was able to complete all 4 sets comfortable and tired at the end of course, which got me thinking.
Some of you probably know what happened to me last track session, where I was told to run 400m, 1-2 min rest and run 400m and then rest for around 5-10min before starting another set, but after the first rep of the first set 400m I ran a bit faster than i probably should have or maybe ran the same amount but came tired at the finish and waiting 1-2 min it was my time to come and i was a little tired but still ran out and when i approached 200m, i was soo tired i was probably dead and was constantly telling myself do not stop, it is not good to stop during a running session, i will be a quitter until i was approaching the 300m mark, my head flailing side to side, no oxygen left in my lungs just getting some from the air while running, i was like those maratthon runners at the end of the race all dead but just dragging their bodies and made it to the finish and i was so sore i could hear the echoish vibration sounds in my chest when i starting to regain my breath i knew i was finished, but after when the second set came i just could not do it. I was feeling sick as well and maybe because i was fasting, but the fasting did not affect my 150m runs x 6, 200m 30s 100m, it could be a possibility.
This got me thinking as well, I was able to run yesterday's session comfortably but this session i died on the second rep. I came to this conclusion that it seemed that it was a mental game, the longer the distance the tougher the mental challenge, because when running your brain tries to analyze and tell you, you have a long way to go, if you are not a constant runner at that distance, and it is very hard to switch that off, and that puts you off and makes you tire out quickly by making you give up quicker and you realize you are getting tired.
yesterday we had to jog 3 laps, i am always usually thinking about something, so there is always something going through my mind, so when jogging 3 laps of the track my mind was telling me you got 3 more to go and i was trying to tell myself to ignore it and just run it ignoring how much you got left but concentrate on running comfortably and was able to get through it and this was the same with the 4x400m i just ran a fast jog 30% -40% approx only concentrating on running comfortable try not to tire myself out early on, which kinda helped and also helps reserve some energy for the home straight.
the 400m known as the man killer i think because it is a combination of speed and endurance 200m and 200m. but if you are mentally set you can do it, your mind will try and tell you, its too far, you have to end up back where you started and you have just started, ...
so what do you runners and non runners think of this, is the mental aspect involved in the success of a long distance besides the physical characteristics i.e. endurance and strength and form?
