How to use ACT During Ultramarathons
Running is a funny hobby. To intentionally put yourself into uncomfortable situations that sometimes escalate to painful bodily trauma is not the textbook definition of a good time. I can only assume that running is a popular form of exercise because its constituents find meaning in their suffering. Meaning doesn’t necessarily indicate a larger purpose or grand gesture of finding inner peace and fulfillment. For many, the meaning running provides is fluid and changes daily based on salience. Whatever is top of mind at the time provides enough meaning to get out the door. Some call this motivation, but I believe that after a while motivation, discipline or drive is replaced by the comfort of consistency.
Acceptance and commitment therapy is a behavioral therapy technique that uses mindfulness concepts to enable people to find meaning in the everyday shit or global problems that just drive us insane. In the prosperous world that most of us live, we have been trained to believe that these feelings of sadness, anxiety or discomfort mean something is wrong with us. We are taught to avoid things that cause pain or struggle because they are abnormal. We have been conditioned to believe that a contented, happy life is devoid of hard, painful things. ACT attempts to build psychological flexibility which empowers people to engage with feelings of fear or sadness in response to hard situations and work through them. People are then able to live meaningful lives while encountering these feelings without becoming emotionally stuck. Rather than thinking of problems as things to overcome or avoid, ACT takes the strategy of acceptance and commitment to still press on purposefully while suboptimal feelings persist consciously.
In an ultramarathon race, issues come up. Most athletes I know work really hard in training to be able to get fit enough to complete these events. Physiologically, their bodies should have no issue covering the distance with considerable effort. These athletes are also primed to put in the effort necessary having chosen endurance sports as their hobby. What are endurance sports but sports of effort and hard work? Despite setting themselves up the best they can to succeed on race day, the overwhelming majority of competitors have some sort of snafu or challenge during the race that wrangles their emotions. An example of this physiologically could be a blister, upset stomach, slipping on a root or stubbing a toe on a rock. These things often have a habit of spiraling out of control and something that could be dealt with or managed may end in either a DNF or at least a sub-par performance.
By using the techniques described in ACT, ultrarunners can learn how to better manage challenges that come up and allow them to still race purposefully and find meaning in their race efforts and results. The following are a few techniques to try during your next long run or race when things do not go to plan and tough emotions come up threatening to steal your race performance.
1.) Accept that happiness is not a given and you will not be happy all the time
You do not need to wait until you feel amazing to run to your potential. Often times incredible performances are preceded by vomit-inducing anxiety, fears of failure and tightness in the chest or muscles. I remember Woody Kincaid describing the day leading up to his first sub-13 minute 5k. He said he called his coach and told him he was feeling awful and wanted to pull the plug. He felt sluggish, queasy and his confidence was not where it needed to be. Sometimes in order to feel good, you’ve just got to get going. I have no idea if his coach gave him a pep talk or if he just decided to take the first step, but his insane performance did not have a fairytale beginning.
During long training efforts, just because you feel terrible or like the slogging is a waste of time does not make it true. Just because you’re not LOVING EVERY SECOND of your ultramarathon race does not mean it doesn’t matter. You will not feel joyful all the time and that does not mean what you are doing is wrong. You can choose to find the meaning in what you are doing no matter how small it is. Some days it might be as simple as being consistent. Other days it might mean you are an example for you kid. Wherever that purpose comes from, find it and latch on even if it doesn’t immediately improve how you feel during the race.
2.) Accept all of your emotions without trying to find meaning in them
Most emotions are like thoughts, random and usually best left to fade away. If every thought I had was broadcast to the world I would have been cancelled at age 5. Emotions can be like that too. They can also be trained. Humans have innate biases that develop through our experiences and our environment. What has been developed means it can continue to develop and change. During ultramarathons, a challenge or problem like getting a blister may immediately stir up negative emotions. Instead of dwelling on them and what they mean about you as a person, instead try to reframe the challenge. I like to think of races as a big puzzle that I get to solve. Sure, I come in with all the tools I need to do well, but the magic of our sport is that unforeseen obstacles can mire the objective. Rather than see those as threats to avoid (and therefore BAD), try to change the emotional response to curiosity and a drive to solve the problem. Once a blister is there, it’s impossible to go back to clear skin. However it is possible to clean it up and manage it the best you can for the remainder of the race. Then in the next race, not only will you prepare yourself to avoid it, it if it happens again, you also know you CAN HANDLE IT which builds self-efficacy and other character traits that will make running more pleasurable.
3.) Become clear on your personal values
How will your performance at this race align with what you stand for? What would you tell the younger version of yourself? What would you say to your best friend who is in the same situation? Values provide you with meaning. You work hard. You are a nice friend. You show up on time. You are polite. During an ultramarathon race, sometimes it pays to think about the person you are or what values you aspire to emulate and do that thing. I hear time and time again about how many runners (usually men but this works here) are inspired by David Goggins. When in a tough situation or when hard feelings come up during a race, either thinking of yourself in the third person or thinking of someone who has value similar to yours, you can take the emotion out of the equation and simply do what that person would do regardless of how you feel. It gets back to the first point, do the thing even if you don’t feel like it. Sometimes we just need to get going before we feel good in order to eventually feel good.
Acceptance and commitment therapy principles are not about avoid pain or pushing through something that should be addressed. ACT is a way to manage hard emotions and feelings that come up in difficult situations while not letting them stop you from living a meaningful life. In your next ultramarathon or long training day when those emotions come up, try to bring them along with you and know that you can handle them while still doing what you set out to do.