1. Going out too fast.
1 of 38We're flying! We're flying! We're ... crashing and burning.
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Your Next Race2. Forgetting the BodyGlide.
2 of 38Innocent bystanders hear the screams when hot shower water hits raw, chafed skin.
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Your Next Race3. Overdressing for a long run.
3 of 38We obsess about the "real-feel" temperature for hours and still end up with three jackets around the waist halfway through a run.
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Your Next Race4. Not warming up.
4 of 38Going straight from commute or desk chair to mile repeats seemed like a good idea. Our legs had different thoughts.
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Your Next Race5. Skipping the stretching and foam-rolling afterward.
5 of 38Then: "I don't have time before Walking Dead." The next day: Moves like a zombie from Walking Dead.
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Your Next Race6. That new burrito joint the night before an important workout.
6 of 38I thought there was a porta-potty around this next corner? Or was it back there?
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Your Next Race8. Going out too fast...again.
8 of 38Hitting the wall once just wasn't enough.
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Your Next Race9. Using negative self-talk.
9 of 38Who needs a mean coach when you can call yourself slow, fat, and stupid?
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Your Next Race10. Running too hard on easy days.
10 of 38If it's not hurting, you're not doing it right. Right?
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Your Next Race11. Cramming for a race.
11 of 38Oh, it's July? (Looks at calendar.) Marathon's in September? Sure, that 16-week training plan can squeeze into 8 weeks.
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Your Next Race12. Not charging our phone or GPS watch.
12 of 38Nothing conveys energy like a blank screen.
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Your Next Race13. Pushing through an injury.
13 of 38I'll just get this one more run in and then I'll take some extra days off.
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Your Next Race14. Overtraining.
14 of 38If it's not hurting, you're not doing it right. Right? Right?
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Your Next Race16. Skipping strength training altogether.
16 of 38I'm a runner. I run. I don't want to look like Arnold.
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Your Next Race18. Followed by...bingeing later in the day.
18 of 38Why am I gaining weight during marathon training?
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Your Next Race19. Going out too fast in an interval workout.
19 of 38Don't mind us, we're still working on our pacing...
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Your Next Race20. Running too much, too soon.
20 of 38If it's not hurting, you're not doing it right. Right? Right? Right?
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Your Next Race21. Making up missed miles on the weekend.
21 of 38Sure, if I do 10 on Saturday and 12 on Sunday, I can still get to 25 for the week in my training log.
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Your Next Race22. Trying those new shoes/shorts/hat/socks on race day.
22 of 38Forgot to do laundry, so here, do me a favor and rip the tags off of these for me quick...
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Your Next Race23. Spending hours at the race expo.
23 of 38Energy gel samples. Beer samples. Coffee samples. What could possibly go wrong?
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Your Next Race25. Wearing our shoes into the ground.
25 of 38Really, they're fine. They still look good!
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Your Next Race26. Doubting ourselves.
26 of 38I suddenly have absolutely no memory of the training I did to get here. And therefore, I'm slow, fat, and stupid.
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Your Next Race27. Not taking water on the trail.
27 of 38You mean "stay thirsty" was not meant to be taken literally?
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Your Next Race28. Not practicing our fueling strategy.
28 of 38Eh, guess I'll take a gel or two somewhere between miles 5 and 20, no biggie.
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Your Next Race29. Doing group workouts on recovery days.
29 of 38Do stair climbing and burpee competitions qualify as a break from the stress of running?
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Your Next Race30. Always heading out along the same route.
30 of 38Last week I was at 22:38 at this light post and today I'm only at 22:47. Better pick it up.
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Your Next Race31. Comparing ourselves to other runners.
31 of 38My only competition is myself. Oh, and the 5,000 people I follow on Strava.
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Your Next Race33. Poorly timing our prerace bathroom breaks.
33 of 38"Runners, you have three minutes. Please make your way over to the corrals."
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Your Next Race34. Being a slave to our training plan.
34 of 38Just because I was up with a vomiting kid all night doesn't mean I can't do my miles. Right?
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Your Next Race35. Not sleeping enough.
35 of 38Five hours is only two hours less than seven, which isn't too bad.
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Your Next Race36. Going out too fast in a long run.
36 of 38Why limit the pain of bonking to race day?
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Your Next RaceAbout the Author
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