Are runners stupid? We spoke to a running coach

The runners run from common sense

Iloebesko.dk has been in contact with running coach Mette Riis and had a chat about how runners act and react to their own bodies and their training. And let me start by saying, it was a really educational and exciting conversation about listening to your own body’s signals, and only running when you are actually ready for it, and have the right motivation.

5 quick and selected questions about runners that make your brain work – Running coach Mette Riis gives her answers

In connection with our conversation with Mette, we asked her lots of sharp questions about runners. Her short (humorous) and concrete answers to 5 of our questions will then form the basis for the rest of the article, where we will discuss what and how runners (or other athletes) can sometimes find themselves switching off their brains.

Too many people are slaves to having some running program they think they should follow. They also have an expectation that when they follow the program, they will run stronger, avoid injuries, become number 1, avoid illness, become best friends with everyone on Instagram, etc. And then they forget to follow common sense and listen to their body. A running program should ideally be a guide and not a final recipe. There should be room to relax the program if your body says no. That way you avoid injuries and get better. If the program tells you to run 10 kilometers and you have super sore legs, it doesn’t really make sense. In that way, you should use the program as a guide. Consider training something alternative that day that also helps you? Or maybe you can swap the run for a walk. Too many runners are completely blinded by the running program when they use it, they don’t see anything else but that, if you ask me. I would venture to say that your form will in no way be worse from an extra recovery day(Read about refund here), and if you also do some circuit training or similar, it may actually prove to be a benefit in the long run.

A good example is one of the athletes I create a program for. She has had great success on the track over the past year and is very focused on losing weight, participating in all the races she can, following the program and getting faster, and of course avoiding injuries. I just get so annoyed when she writes and asks how she is going to run today’s race, because she is not at her best. When I walk her on the blade it turns out that she has a fever, a sore throat, a cough and a runny nose (and it turns out later, pneumonia). How is it that she doesn’t think about it and realize that she shouldn’t run, but lie down in her bed and get well?

When did it become generally accepted to put down the brain, not use reason and not listen to the body and the signals it sends. Why can’t you tell yourself that it’s ok to take a day or two off. Admit you’re sick and go to bed, admit that your new shoes are crap and a bad purchase (but they looked damn good), admit you’re overtrained and turn down the heat, admit you’ve starved yourself and lack the necessary energy.
If you really need to get your heart rate up, you can aqua jog in the swimming pool or take a bike ride with an ice cream break instead.

Runners who run to get recognition and lots of likes on Facebook, for example? YES, there are tons of them, and some can barely get through the door before they have to post their training on Facebook. And when we get there, I think it gets a little silly again. Then you don’t run because you think it’s fun and enjoyable, you just run to get recognition from others. And I’m definitely not a fan of that.

A runner explains to me one day that it is much harder for her to run than it is for me. I ask why – “well, it’s because I run faster than her on the intervals – that’s why it’s easier”. I then have to explain that it is just as hard for me as it is for her, I am just predisposed to run faster than her (and weigh a bit less). After a longer conversation it turns out that she runs close to max pulse at each interval, even though she has been told to stick to what is her 80% of max.

You shouldn’t run when you’re sick.

One of the things that Mette points out as being the worst point with runners and their lack of ability to take a break is illness. Many simply don’t want to admit that they are sick, and think that everything can be trained or run away, but that is not the case. If you are lying in bed with a fever of 39-40 and you feel really unwell, then it is not the best idea in the world to lace up your running shoes and go for a run. Get under the covers, let your body come back up, and then the run you take when you get well will be much more fun.
Mette tells us that time and time again she sees, hears and talks to people who can’t understand why they suddenly perform worse or maybe don’t feel quite as motivated. And in many cases it turns out that it’s because there has been or is an illness in the body, and so it just doesn’t function optimally. The body is your engine, and it should preferably glide smoothly without too much resistance.

Recognize now when you are sick

One thing is that you shouldn’t run when you’re sick – as I said (written), it doesn’t help in any way. But where many people seem to have the problem is just recognizing that you’re sick. It can be hard to see that you have to skip a workout. Many people run according to a fixed running plan or a specific running program, and that’s what burns the most in people’s minds, “can I keep the plan now” or “now I won’t reach my goal” And as Mette says: FORGET IT, of course you do. You don’t achieve anything by forcing yourself to run when you’re sick. And in many cases, you will actually lose even more by trying. You can break down your body even more, and then you’re just set back even further. So respect that you’ve become weak or sick, and give your body permission to recover and get back on track.

New running shoes were luck – no, it was stupid

Another thing that Mette likes a lot, and which also comes up again and again. Running shoes!
When did it become acceptable not to think twice when buying new running shoes? If you’re happy with the ones you have, why not stay in them?

You may of course have to change in connection with changed terrain or other types of running. But here too, it is permissible to think about it. For example, if you are used to running in a top model from, for example, Asics or Nike, with lots of shock absorption, and you switch to a pair of fivefingers overnight. Then it is doomed to go wrong. You go from a shoe with maximum softness, to a running shoe with almost no shock absorption.
We also got such an example from Mette, where a client had just switched from a “regular” running shoe to a pair of fivefingers overnight, and he couldn’t understand why his shins were suddenly doing so much nonsense? That’s not to say that this switch can’t be done, but you just have to think about it before you do it, because it requires a little planning, and not least time. You need to give your body time to accept the very markedly changed “running style”

Taking a break can improve your form.

To put it bluntly, it’s probably not the whole truth, but it can still be said that taking a break improves your form. In 9/10 cases, it’s better to take a break if you’re sick or have a minor injury than to go out and push your body further. That way, you pause the decline in form instead of worsening your form. As if it’s a direct improvement in form, no, it probably isn’t. But if you hold it against the fact that the risk of ruining your form is huge, then in my opinion it’s an improvement.
The undersigned has of course also been the stupid runner here. I have ignored the slight sore throat and a little snot in my nose several times, and moved out on the road. The result has often been that the next morning it has definitely not gotten better, and then it ends with 3-4 days in bed, instead of the 2 days break that I might have been content with.

Runners are slaves to time

DIt is not healthy to be a slave to time – at least not all the time. Many, indeed most runners today have some form of tracking. Either via a heart rate monitor or Endomondo on their mobile phone. Here too, there are big black holes you can fall into. It is not always sensible to be a “slave to time”. It is fine to work with your time and train for something at times. But when we ask Mette about this exact issue, she nods, recognizing that far too many people compare their performance to what the clock tells them..
Mette says, among other things, “Yes, it is correct that far too many people see time as a factor in their productivity and performance – and of course that can easily be the case, but it is not common sense to always let the clock pressure you.”
If you only look at time as a success factor, then we would argue that it is not far from you not wanting to run anymore. Because no matter how good you are, you can’t keep improving, and if you have too many “unsuccessful experiences” then at some point you don’t want to run anymore. So there has to be room for those runs where you just enjoy it all and don’t let the clock decide whether it has been a success or not. There are also lots of external factors that definitely don’t work in your favor if you are a slave to the clock. There are a lot of things that can play into such situations – it can be, among other things, your stress level (job), your charging for today’s training session, yes, there are lots of excuses, and that’s what it comes down to, excuses, and once you’re out there, common sense is out of the question.

Runners are fashion animals

Many runners leave their brains on the sidewalk when they walk into a store, or turn them off completely when they shop for running shoes or running gear online. Running shoes in particular are where runners go crazy.
When we get into this area in our conversation with Mette, we can feel a certain amount of irritation. Mette says, among other things, “The fact that running shoes have become a fashion phenomenon is a thorn in my side. People simply shouldn’t buy running shoes based on color, or what matches their running clothes. It should be based on functionality and use. If you knew how many people I’ve seen get “running injuries” because they’ve fallen into the trap of buying new shoes because they were cool or matched their clothes, instead of looking at functionality, that’s no small thing. So use your brain and reason the next time you shop for running shoes”
Running shoes and running style have become a huge topic of debate over the past several years. Some believe you can run in any shoe, others believe you should buy running shoes based on your pronation level. And we can’t come up with a solution to this – all we can say is that it’s important to think about when buying running shoes. It helps to use your common sense.

Lots of bad examples

The above is just a small selection of many strange and sometimes a little stupid decisions made by us runners. We at Iloebesko.dk have based the above article on an interview with our affiliated running coach Mette Riis. And Mette hears so many stories and sees so many examples in just one week, that if we were to mention them all, we would never finish..
We’ve all been there. Of course, we at Iloebesko have too. I don’t think there’s a runner who can completely deny having thought “arhhh, I’ll just try to run it away”

Written with a twinkle in the eye

The above should of course be seen and read with a twinkle in the eye. The article is mostly made with the background that we want to focus on the pitfalls that exist for us runners. At Iloebesko.dk we can in no way excuse ourselves for not having fallen into some of the black holes that we mention – but we are also only human :-)
If you have experiences that you want to share with the rest of us, then don’t hold back. Feel free to share your experiences and “stupid things” that you have done. Maybe it can help other runners not to go in that direction.