Getting Comfortable With Discomfort

Have you ever opened your coach’s weekly training schedule, only to be fueled by the dread that comes on days with endurance training? You’re not alone. Many people dread endurance training due to the pain and discomfort they expect to experience, giving it a very negative connotation. Let’s see how we can combat these beliefs, or even just learn to accept the impending discomfort.

What causes discomfort during endurance training?

The most simple answer to this is: pain. Many individuals have different levels of pain tolerance, so while some may be okay, others may not fare as well. When people feel pain, they become fatigued and both their bodies and minds start to break down.

Combatting Discomfort:

Not all hope is lost, as there are a few ways to combat the discomfort we may feel during a workout. Here are some of the most common methods:

1. Focusing on factors other than the pain:

1. Thinking about the outcome of the workout

2. Focusing on the game itself

3. Remembering the purpose and/or motivation

All of these methods have to do with distracting from the pain experienced during a workout. Thinking about the outcomes may help motivate you to finish the workout quicker, although this may sometimes lead to rushed and poor executions of training. If the training is formatted like a game/match (e.g. soccer, basketball, badminton), then simply focusing on the state of the match may help take your mind off of the exercise’s uncomfortable nature.

2. Having a partner do workouts with you

1. e.g. Doing group runs

Having a partner to work with you during workouts or on game day is another viable alternative. It can motivate you to do even better, and will help you push through fatigue, pain, and your urge to quit, because they hold you accountable. Having a partner can also make the workout less boring, which can serve as yet another distraction from the pain.

3. Visualization

Visualization is the process of picturing oneself from a third person perspective and imagining the workout isn’t directly affecting you. This is a mental trick that helps it seem like someone else is doing the workouts and experiencing the pain, rather than you. It also further disconnects the discomfort felt from the movements made during training. 

4. Simply accepting the pain

Rather than being a trick, accepting the pain is a mental attitude that comes along naturally after consistent training. If you train consistently, eventually you’ll simply be desensitized and won’t need any mental tricks or methods to get by. 

Conclusion

Discomfort will always be present in sports, whether we like it or not. Nevertheless, it can be helpful to us in building our mental toughness. Even if it’s not a pleasant thing to work forward to, it’s something we need to face. Luckily, there are plenty of mental tricks to help us push past it, which will help maximize our results in the long run. 

Sources

Written By Ann-Marie D’arcy-Sharpe&nbsp    Ann-Marie D’arcy-Sharpe  My name is Ann-Marie, et al. “Visualization & Guided Imagery for Pain Relief (the Complete Guide).” Pathways, 25 Aug. 2023, www.pathways.health/blog/visualization-guided-imagery-for-pain-relief/#:~:text=That’s%20not%20all.,made%20between%20movements%20and%20pain. 

“Pain Tolerance and Sensitivity in Men, Women, Redheads, and More.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/whats-your-pain-tolerance. Accessed 16 Mar. 2024. 

Triathlete.com. “What Research Says about Pushing through Pain.” Triathlete, 17 July 2018, www.triathlete.com/training/research-says-pushing-pain/?scope=anon. 

Sportsbook, Betfair, et al. “Misery Is a Choice: Developing Mental Toughness in Endurance Athletes.” CTS, 7 Feb. 2020, trainright.com/misery-is-a-choice-developing-mental-toughness-in-endurance-athletes/#:~:text=Take%20some%20cues%20from%20elite,move%20on%20the%20next%20step. 

Roll, Rock “n.” “Keys to Running with Mental Toughness.” Rock “n” Roll Running Series, 17 May 2017, www.runrocknroll.com/news_article/show/1134357. 

Case, Chris. “How to Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable.” Fast Talk Laboratories, 13 Mar. 2023, www.fasttalklabs.com/articles/how-to-be-comfortable-being-uncomfortable/.