{"id":59228,"date":"2024-01-20T20:27:50","date_gmt":"2024-01-20T12:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/?p=59228"},"modified":"2024-09-10T16:04:16","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T08:04:16","slug":"the-mature-distance-runner-a-practical-philosophy-part-7-the-intangibles-optimism-persistence-and-patience-finding-that-something","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runnerstribe.com\/features\/the-mature-distance-runner-a-practical-philosophy-part-7-the-intangibles-optimism-persistence-and-patience-finding-that-something\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mature Distance Runner: A Practical Philosophy Part 7: The Intangibles: Optimism, Persistence and Patience \u2013 Finding that Something"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018No-one reaches his or her personal potential without facing obstacles, setbacks and challenges along the way.\u2019 <\/em>(Terry Orlick 2008)1<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Too many runners give up on their training when they reach an age where they start slowing down noticeably. The stopwatch is a cruel master, and it can rob you of your motivation. But this is precisely the time when, because of illness associated with aging, you most need to maintain a high level of fitness\u2019. <\/em>(Amby Burfoot 1999)2<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018..persistence takes the champions ninety percent of the way. It is often referred to as tenacity and heart. It is a critical factor in performance because the moment you lose it your performance will deteriorate.\u2019<\/em> (Rudi Webster 1984)3<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018More athletic moves go bad because they\u2019re launched too early than because they\u2019re too late. As a canny old pro once told me, you have to have the confidence to take the time. The complexity of this athletic truth grows on me daily.\u2019<\/em> (John Jerome 1997)4<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018We control the quality of our days within us. Positive thinking makes good things happen.\u2019<\/em> (Earl Fee 2005)5<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Those with little or no commitment see setbacks as justification to abandon their dreams.\u2019<\/em> (Jerry Lynch 1987)6<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Most important of all is the necessity to get your mind positive\u2026.The mind can happily create a thousand things which have gone wrong or which have not been done correctly.\u2019<\/em> (Alan Lewis 1985)7<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

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In today\u2019s article I examine three \u2018intangibles\u2019 of optimism, persistence and patience (OPPs) that are critical traits of a positive mindset. They are the guiding lights for a mature athlete who seeks longevity in distance running and competition. They are married to each other, yet stand alone.<\/p>\n

Yes, they could be described as factors of resilience, a term I have come to dislike as an overused \u2018catch all\u2019 for all manner of just living life. OPPs are the glue that holds everything together as the mature distance runner faces the inevitable setbacks that will occur. They are the bedrock for determination, for it is all too easy to give in or give up.<\/p>\n

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  1. Why OPPs?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The reader may think this a random choice. However, I have thought long and hard about what contributes most to a positive outlook, recognising the reality of a mature person\u2019s lot in their day-to-day life, running and non-running. Optimism, persistence and patience combined are the essence of \u2018we shall overcome\u2019.<\/p>\n

    In a running context, for a mature person who wants to compete, there are a range of considerations within a [psychological mindset|physical capacity] duality, that can be represented on a graded upwards scale as follows:<\/p>\n

    Do I want to run?|can I keep running?<\/p>\n

    Do I want to train?|can I keep training?<\/p>\n

    Do I want to race?|can I keep racing?<\/p>\n

    I have differentiated between running and training. Training infers that you likely have a race goal, whereas running purely denotes the physical act of being mobile at more than a walking pace, without any race goals. Many mature runners are happy to sit at the bottom of the scale wanting to run and keep on running, and are not too fussed about racing, but the competitive amongst us want to hit the top scale of racing and keeping on racing.<\/p>\n

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    You can go up and down this scale depending on mindset and physical wellbeing. If I am seriously injured, I may drop quickly from [Yes, I want to race\/Yes, I can keep racing] to [No, I don\u2019t want to run\/No, I can\u2019t keep running] throwing my hands up in the air in despair. Alternatively, if you are an optimist, firm in adopting a positive mindset, you may drop to [Yes, I want to run\/No, I can\u2019t keep running for the time being<\/em>]. So, what can I do about it? There are always qualifiers to what you may be able to do, dependent upon age and the nature\/seriousness of the injury or condition, but generally you can do something.<\/p>\n

    The trick is to find that something<\/em>, remain optimistic and take positive action. We have to be realistic that age and concomitant incapacity, whether through injury or other reasons, may come upon us. And although typically when your racing ego gets too big your body smacks you down \u2013 it is the great leveller \u2013 we can draw upon our patience and persistence in the long haul back to full race fitness.<\/p>\n

    At times, it can feel like you are always coming back. The challenge is in the \u2018getting back\u2019 and the deep satisfaction of \u2018overcoming\u2019.<\/p>\n

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    1. Digging Deeper<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Many, many years ago Runners World publications oft quoted the research of Drs Ogilvie and Tutko and the development of their Athletic Motivation Inventory.8<\/sup><\/strong> They described a range of qualities of \u2018Championship Character\u2019, highlighting determination as one such quality \u2013 and within this quality described traits such as \u2018Persevering, even in the face of great difficulty\u2019 and a requirement to be \u2018Patient and unrelenting in his work habits.\u20199<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/a>
      Algerian born Alain Mimoun (France) leading Ken Norris (Great Britain) in the 1954
      International Cross Country Championship (9 miles) held at Bermingham. A perennial
      silver medallist to Zatopek in major Games, he was to finally achieve gold in the 1956
      Melbourne Olympic marathon. He competed regularly into his very mature years. Source:
      World Sports, The International Sports Magazine, May 1954, Vol 20 No 5, photographer
      unknown.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      2.1 Is it Persistence or Perseverance?<\/strong><\/p>\n

      When preparing this article, I noticed that some practical philosophers use persistence and perseverance interchangeably. This caused me to pause, to understand if a difference exists between the two terms. And lo and behold it is so. I came across the teachings of Christopher Mance, American sports psychologist and mental skills coach.10<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

      He states that persistence is \u2018simply the act of pursuing a course of action with the same energy and consistency\u2019, while perseverance is \u2018the ability to maintain the same energy and consistency through the process of overcoming painful circumstances<\/em>\u2019 [authors italics]. I note with pride that my friend \u2018consistency\u2019 appears within his definitions of both terms. We can never underestimate the importance of consistency to maintain performance and overcome obstacles. For nothing ever happens if you don\u2019t do something<\/em>.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Summarising Mance, he explains that \u2018persistence in the absence of pain is nothing special\u2019 and once the pain of failure, fatigue, boredom, fear or trauma becomes part of the process it takes more than persistence to continue a particular course of action, it takes perseverance. And perseverance requires the use of willpower not to quit and\/or not give less effort. He concludes that \u2018a persistent person can be stopped but a person who is both persistent and who has the will to persevere is unstoppable.\u2019<\/p>\n

      Within some theories of motivation persistence is considered to be a key component and can be defined as \u2018the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist.\u201911<\/sup><\/strong> However, this definition appears to contradict the distinction Mance makes between persistence and perseverance, where he attaches the overcoming of obstacles and exertion of willpower moreso to perseverance. A fine distinction to make, maybe one for the academics to mull over?<\/p>\n

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      A post shared by @runnerstribe<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n