Are You a Disciplined Runner or a Self-Disciplined Runner, Or both?

Lately, I’ve been reading about the difference between discipline and self-discipline. In an article on the Art of Manliness website, Brett and Kate McKay define the terms and show some great examples of people who were disciplined or self-disciplined, and some people who were both.

I’d like to focus on this topic as it applies to running. Is a runner who is self-disciplined also a disciplined runner? Can you be one but not the other and be a successful runner at the same time? Let’s dig into this to see if there are any answers.

What is Self-Discipline?

To me, being self-disciplined is being in great control of your actions and thoughts. People who get up early every morning day after day to read, exercise, and tackle their hardest jobs of the day exhibit great self-discipline.

Self-disciplined people also have great control over their thoughts. They can concentrate for a long time on a book or a conversation. They can declare a goal, such as losing weight, and stay focused on that goal until it is met. They aren’t constantly changing their minds about what is important to them.

Self-disciplined people have great habits of mind and behavior but none of this necessarily leads to obtaining goals. For example, a writer can sit down at his or her desk every day, write ten or more pages per day week after week, and yet not get any of their writing published. Self-discipline does not guarantee success.

What is Discipline?

Discipline is often mistaken for self-discipline but they are not the same thing. Disciplined people are good at achieving goals and outward success. When someone goes on a diet and achieves their goal of losing twenty pounds, we say they were disciplined in reaching their goal. They surely exhibited some self-discipline in reaching their diet goal, but it was discipline that allowed them to achieve it.

When someone steadily climbs up the career ladder at work, they are said to have made a “disciplined” climb to the top. When someone has a goal of writing a best-selling novel and reaches that goal, they were disciplined enough to stick with the writing to finish the novel.

Disciplined people can reach the top of their profession regardless of their circumstances.

A Real-World Example

A great example of a disciplined person who was not particularly self-disciplined was Winston Churchill, as the McKay’s point out in their article. Churchill kept very odd hours, working most morning hours in his bed, taking an afternoon nap, and working into the wee hours of the morning. Churchill drank too much and he also gambled too much.

On the other hand, it can be argued that England may not have survived the German attack on their country in World War II had it not been for Churchill’s leadership. Churchill stubbornly held on to his belief in England during the London bombing blitz and throughout the rest of the war. Churchill clearly had the discipline necessary to keep England’s focus on not only surviving the German attack on their country but also waging hard war to help defeat Germany as the country fought alongside the other Allies.

What Do Discipline and Self-Discipline Have to Do With Running?

Ideally, you want to be both a disciplined and a self-disciplined runner. It takes a lot of self-discipline to get out the door most days of the week to train, especially when the weather is bad or you have a busy family or work life. Most runners who have been running for many years clearly are self-disciplined.

It takes discipline to do well when running competitively. Many runners learn through disciplining themselves not to go out too fast in a race. I know that the times I have blown up towards the end of the race were because I didn’t hold myself back during the first half of the race.

On the other hand, when I ran a 100K race two years ago, I deliberately held myself back from going out too hard. I hiked every uphill, ran easily on the flat parts and the downhills, trying my best to reserve my energy for the last third of the race and to also not bonk until as close to the finish as I could.

As it turns out, I did suffer from a bonk at about the 35-mile point. My legs and calves began cramping and all I could do was hike for about five miles. This was not because of running too hard previously but because the day got quite warm and I wasn’t taking in enough calories and electrolytes. When I got to the next aid station, I ate some food and took in as much Tailwind as I could and after a mile of hiking, I was able to start running again.

It also takes discipline to know when to take rest breaks and when to hold back from racing too often. The most disciplined elite runners I know always take breaks after their major races. Some take two weeks off, some take longer, but they all recognize their legs and bodies need a rest from the rigors of hard racing.

Less disciplined, but seemingly highly self-disciplined, runners will train and race from January to December. Some more gifted athletes, such as Michael Wardian, can perform this way, going from race to race all year long without a break, but most runners need some time off to rest and recover. Being able to recognize you need a break from running is a sign of a more disciplined runner.

A self-disciplined runner will have a very detailed training plan they follow meticulously day after day. But there is no guarantee the training will translate into success on race day. Runners don’t know how well their training will lead to success until they’ve run several races to learn what type of racing discipline they need to be a successful racer.

The best runners have a good combination of discipline and self-discipline. Self-discipline gets you to the starting line with a good probability of success, but only discipline will carry you through the race and allow you to finish the race and meet your goals. You need both types of discipline and they are gained through hard work and experience.

posted Thursday June 2nd
by Mike McMillan