Back in my freshman Psychology 101 we learned about an experiment involving marshmallows and children. It was one of the more ethical, yet entertaining, psychological experiments that we learned about in the class. An adult would put a marshmallow on a little plate in front of a sitting child and leave the room, promising that if the child did not eat the marshmallow, they would be rewarded with something “special.” Sure enough there were children who could not wait more than a couple of minutes before inhaling the puffy treat, others you could see wrestling with themselves. Head in hands, rubbing their face, trying to distract themselves long enough for the adult to come back with the special reward. 

Running can be much the same. We are told, “you get what you put in!” Hard work begets good performances. However, we are not told when those results will come. Just like the child sitting with a tasty marshmallow taunting them, we can be persuaded into cutting ourselves short for instant gratification in running. Don’t do the mileage, feel fresh for race day, do the fun speedwork and it may make you better for the next week or two (depending on your race distance.) Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? 

Well consider the alternative, the harder way, the way that involves delayed gratification. Bring the scope of your focus  to a much broader sense. The mileage and aerobic work may be tiring, and the not so sexy tempo and long run protocol can be mundane. You show up to your mid-cycle races feeling flat, all that training is a real drag.

Now let me tell you about the end of the experiment with the kiddos and the marshmallows. The kids that held out through sheer power of will, with their eye always on the prize were greatly (in their eyes) rewarded. The adult would come back and give the waiting child either two or three more treats, sometimes they would cover their marshmallow in gooey chocolate syrup. But in either case the child that had eaten theirs had nothing while, in some cases, they would watch as their partner reaped the benefits of waiting!

Just as the speedwork and low mileage can help you feel light and springy on race day, it lowers ones ceiling when the focus is on short-term gains. That way of training can only produce results for so long, unlike our delayed-gratification model. When you put in the proper aerobic foundation, your performances on race day will stabilize because you are pulling from a sturdy base. Chop wood, carry water.

Obviously, by delaying gratification and putting in grueling miles and solid workouts you are building and maintaining the aerobic side of training quite well, and lends itself well to the marathon and longer distances. But I can hear you speed-demons out there that like the 800 meter-1500 meter, and at some levels the 3000m and 5k are shouting that speed kills, and you can’t expect to race well without some all-out short interval work. Hear me out. There is a time and place for that type of work, it typically comes in the last couple weeks of training. I am guilty of it myself sometimes, but trust the training program and wait for the race specific work closer to the end. With a large aerobic engine you should reap the benefits of recovering quicker between races, which is a huge advantage in events that require qualifying rounds.

Resist the temptations to back off too much when you are feeling tired, instill the belief that working for the long term will yield better results. Instead of focusing on your upcoming, mid-season race, remind yourself that it is a step in the process for your long term goals. By training with a delayed gratification mindset you will better handle the ups and downs that come naturally. Be the child that is rewarded with three marshmallows covered in sweet chocolate syrup, rather than the one who gave in and had to watch the other enjoy their extra-sweet reward for persevering.