Running Your Own Race: Embrace YOUR Pace & Conquer Ultras

Transcript

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Hello again and welcome to the show.

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I very much appreciate your time.

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You are listening to Choose to Endure, the show dedicated to back-of-the-pack runners, where we share stories, interviews, gear and training tips specific to the tail-end heroes, you guys of the Ultra universe.

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My name is Richard Gleave.

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I've been running Ultra since 2017.

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I have taken on and finished numerous Ultra distances, all the way up through 220 miles, and I am unashamedly a member of the Back of the Pack, just like many of you.

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This week, we're diving into a topic that every runner, but especially back-of-the-pack runners, I think, really need to hear Running your own race.

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Let's be real.

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It's very easy to fall into the trap of comparison, especially on race day, when everybody around you seems faster, stronger or better prepared.

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But here's the truth.

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I think your pace is your power and embracing it is the key to unlocking the best version of yourself out on the trails.

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In this episode, we're going to talk about why running your own race matters, how to resist the temptation to compare yourself with others, and a few of my own bar napkin practical strategies to embrace your pace with confidence.

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And, as ever, I'll try to chuck in some personal stories and a few life lessons I've learned along the way.

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So get your shoes, lace them up, let's get ready to dive in, discover raw, inspiring stories from runners who've been right where you are.

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This is the Choose to Endure Ultra Running Podcast, with your host he's English, not Australian Richard Gleave.

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With your host he's English, not Australian, richard Gleave.

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Okay, so let's start with why it's so important to run your own race.

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You and I both know that every runner is unique.

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We all have our different strengths, we all have our challenges and we all have our challenges, and we all have goals that we're trying to shoot for.

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Trying to keep up with someone else or feeling like you're falling short because somebody else is doing perceived better only sets you up for frustration and burnout.

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It's not a great thing.

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Running your own race means focusing on your goals, your training, your journey, without worrying about what anybody else is out there doing.

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When you embrace your pace, you run smarter, you conserve energy, you avoid overexertion and, crucially, you give yourself the best chance of reaching the finish line strong.

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If you've listened to the first episode of this podcast, you'll know that during my first 50k ultra, I made the very rookie mistake of going out too fast.

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I got caught up in the excitement of the start line, as many people do, and I tried to keep up with runners who were much faster than me and we were running uphill.

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The first, I think two to three miles of that race was directly uphill.

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By mile 10, I was gassed, and by mile 20, the second loop, I was pretty much walking everything out there.

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I did finish, but barely Go check out season one, episode one, if you want to listen to what happened there.

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But that experience, I would say, taught me right out of the gate, the hard way, that sticking to my own pace is the best and maybe only way to ensure that I get to the finish line of each race that I start and do it hopefully feeling fairly strong.

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So one of the biggest challenges of running your own race is avoiding that comparison trap.

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It's easy to look at other runners and think, okay, why can't I be as fast as them?

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But comparison steals your joy and distracts you from your goals.

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So here's how to resist the urge to compare.

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Make sure you focus on your why.

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Go watch the Billy Yang YouTube video.

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Remind yourself why you're out there in the first place.

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Maybe it's to prove to yourself that you can finish.

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Maybe it's to just enjoy and take in the journey.

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Maybe it's to push and challenge your own limits.

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Your goals are valid, no matter how they stack up against somebody else's.

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Also, reframe your thinking.

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So, instead of feeling discouraged by faster runners out there, maybe think of using their presence as something of an inspiration.

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You know things like hey, think good for them.

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What I'm doing is right for me.

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They're doing what's right for them.

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It doesn't matter.

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Ultimately, especially at the back of the pack, we're mostly not here competing with anything but cutoffs and ourselves, maybe our own time.

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So let them go faster.

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If they want to go faster, who cares?

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Good for them?

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They're doing what they need to do.

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Also, try to limit distractions.

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If seeing other runners pass you by rattles your confidence, then maybe figure out ways to tune them out.

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Focus instead on internalizing some of that stuff.

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Maybe think about your breathing.

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Look around and observe your surroundings.

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Start reciting a favorite mantra, anything really to distract you, if this is a challenge for you from seeing and getting discouraged by those individuals whizzing by you on downhills or running by you on flats.

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I know at a recent race I'm more frequently passed by runners and they make it look effortless on steep climbs, never mind the flats.

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For a moment that makes me feel really inadequate.

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But I try to remind myself that my goal isn't to beat anybody else and I'm really honest about that.

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I don't care about beating other people.

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My goal is to finish the race and do it within the cutoff, and if it's a race I've done before, maybe try to do it faster.

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You know, with the greatest of respect, everybody out there has their own goals.

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Those are mine usually.

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So if you want to go faster than me and that's your space, brilliant, I'm really happy for you.

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That mental shift helps me refocus on my own effort instead of having to worry about what someone else is doing.

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The third strategy here for embracing your pace, now that we've talked about why and how to avoid comparison, is having a pacing plan.

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So before the race, do your due diligence, study the course, figure out some realistic goals for each section and the race as a whole.

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You'll know you better than anybody else.

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Plan to start conservatively.

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Maintain a steady effort in the middle.

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Make sure you save energy for a strong finish.

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You'll know from comparing this race to other races or other segments of races where you've climbed or run on flat or run on similar terrain, run in similar weather, you'll have a good idea of the kind of pace you're probably going to end up doing.

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So make sure you factor that into the race, make sure you plan and then start conservatively.

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The second practical strategy here is to use technology wisely.

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I would say your GPS watch, presuming you have one I think most people have one at this point, although it would be really cool to run a race without a GPS watch.

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I'd have to figure out navigation, but that would be kind of interesting to do one time.

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Gps watches they can help you stay on track from a timing and pacing perspective.

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But please don't obsess about those numbers.

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Treat it as more of a guide, not a dictator.

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That first 50K I was talking about earlier, I tried to do a run-walk scenario because I'd been training that way for a marathon.

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Just prior to that I tried to run-walk a trail run with loads of vert on it in very hot weather and it didn't go very well.

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But I did it because I was stuck to the watch rather than letting the running come naturally.

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So definitely for technology, treat it as a guide but not as a dictator.

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Make sure you listen to your body and react appropriately.

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Third tip break the race into segments.

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So, instead of thinking about the full distance it's something we hear about a lot right Focus on those smaller goals reach the next tree, the next aid station, complete the next mile, whatever it is that's going to make the race feel much more manageable and it's keep you in the moment and distract from the bigger challenge out there.

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And then, number four run your effort, not your ego.

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If the terrain or the conditions are tougher than expected, definitely adjust your pace accordingly.

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It's better to slow down and make it to the finish than to push too hard and risk a DNF.

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Especially if this is a big race, a race that you paid a lot of money for, a race that you've traveled to.

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You want to get the full experience of that race.

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Risking pushing too hard and DNFing and not seeing half the course for me is more of a risk than just slowing down, making sure I finish and enjoying the experience as I go.

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Definitely, I've had races where I've noticed that I was falling behind planned splits, especially on particularly technical sections.

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But instead of panicking, I reminded myself that it's the effort that matters more than the pace in tough conditions.

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Manage to your effort, slow down, adjust your plan, make it to the finish line, which I did in this case with well, let's say, 15 minutes to spare, which isn't a lot of time, but I still made it.

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So I'm claiming that one and that's probably the race I'm most proud of.

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I would say I've had some good finishes.

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I even won a race one time, but the race I'm most proud of is that race that I finished with 15 minutes to spare, because I finished that race started with 100 people signed up for it.

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Only 70 showed up for the start line and of those 70, I was the last finisher and I think I was either 18 or 19 to finish that race Definitely the one I'm most proud of doing.

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Finally, let's talk about the joy that comes from running your own race.

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When you stop worrying about how you compare to others, you really open yourself up to fully experiencing the moment.

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You connect with the journey.

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So, instead of stressing about your pace, you can focus on the beauty of the trail, the support of the community and maybe even the satisfaction of being able to push your limits.

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Having the opportunity to do these things, you celebrate your progress.

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Every step that you take forward is a victory for you, no matter how fast or slow it feels, it's okay.

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You finish with pride.

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There's no greater feeling than crossing the finish line knowing you ran the race your way.

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When I crossed that finish line as the last finisher with I think it was 15 minutes to spare volunteers and spectators were still there.

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They were all cheering like I'd just set some kind of course record, and it reminded me very much that ultras are all about the journey and nobody cares about the clock, unless you're one of those elite guys at the front, I guess.

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But for the most part, it's about the experience.

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So, to wrap up, here are my four key takeaways for this episode, for embracing your pace and running your own race.

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Number one focus on your goals and your journey.

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Forget about what everybody else is doing.

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Number two resist the comparison trap by reframing your thoughts and focusing back onto your why.

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Number three use practical strategies like pacing plans, breaking the race into segments and running your effort, not your ego.

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Number four find, if you can, joy in the journey by celebrating your progress and finish with a sense of pride.

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If these strategies resonate with you and you're ready to take the next step in your running journey, let's keep that conversation going.

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Do you have a favorite strategy for embracing the power of running your own pace?

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How do you make that work?

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If you've got one, join the conversation.

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Feel free to share in the comments or post on one of our social media pages.

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We love to get some chat going around this topic and while you're out browsing the internet, don't forget to subscribe to the show.

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That would absolutely mean the world to me.

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Your support helps grow the podcast.

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It helps connect it to more runners in this amazing ultra community that we have, and it spreads the word to those who could benefit from what we share here.

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You can find this show on Instagram and Facebook at Choose to Endure, or visit us anytime at choosetoeendurecom.

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I really do love hearing from you.

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I say it every episode, whether it's to say hello, whether it's to suggest a topic or just share your story.

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You can email me directly at info at choosetoeendurecom, and I would love to hear from you Interacting with listeners, just like you, is one of my favorite parts of doing this show.

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So until next time, run long, run strong, run your own pace, drop the ego and keep choosing to endure.

Running Your Own Race: Embrace YOUR Pace & Conquer Ultras

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