Behavioural psychology can explain these different motivations for running.
There are essentially 4 ways an activity can affect us.
1) Naturally reinforcing - we enjoy it as we are doing it - we will usually want to do this activity again, i.e it is reinforced.
2) Reward reinforcing - we may not enjoy the process but we feel good about the result /achievement on completion. We are likely to do this again if the achievement feels good enough.
3) Negatively reinforcing - this doesn't make us feel good but stops us from feeling bad i.e prevents or removes a feeling of guilt or shame. Can be the guilt of not exercising, the bad feeling from being overweight, or the shame of feeling lazy. We will continue to do the activity if the cost/unpleasantness of the negative emotion outweighs the cost/unpleasantness of the activity.
4) Punishing - we generally try to avoid this kind of activity, however if the good feeling after is strong enough (reward reinforcement) or the negative emotion feels really bad (negative reinforcement) we can push ourselves to continue with a punishing activity.
All of us will run for one of the first 3 reasons, even if we experience it as punishing (if we do it'll be type 2) or 3)).
The activity can change between the 3. Running for me alternates between the 3.This morning my parkrun was punishing (I felt awful) but ran a PB thus a big reward reinforcement.
That's really interesting Jonny, i was def a 2 or 3 but the good feeling of 2 has gone as I don't pb anymore and 3 has gone as I'm not overweight anymore.
Idid a 10k today and did my slowest time in 3 years (almost since starting) and I hated every second of it and wanted to give up.
I think I may be giving running up after my next 3 booked marathons as like many of you have said life is too short.
Ah but Gideon that brings me onto Jonny's reason no 4 - the thought of flunking out and failing is too great not to stop myself completing these. so i have another few weeks or self flagellation.
Literatin, you don't have to race every one. It is possible just to run one for fun with a few like minded people. Followed by some beer and cake.
They're expensive and generally involve travel. Also I am allergic to beer. If I want to do a race for fun with like-minded people I've plenty of shorter road and trail races available where I live, with unlimited free cake at the finish. If I'm going to the effort of doing a half I'd rather either race it for a time or a place and do it at the end of a proper block of training.
Though having said that I have just entered one in the summer just for 'fun' on holiday.
Tim - thanks. There are plenty of positives. I feel really fit since running and feel good after running. It keeps the weight down and look younger for it.
My marathons are abroad like Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Venice , Florence etc so get a good holiday out of it. Gone to places I would not of gone to otherwise. Got some good pb's to tell my kids. Raised lots of money for charity as my parents died of cancer, which is how I started doing marathons.
Shame I don't enjoy the physical running. I genuinely thought most people didn't . Learnt a lot on this forum.
Yes westy you are bloody good at it - you git! Lol
Comments
I'm concerned that Phil's (lack of) shorts will put me off my sub 3 attempt.
No, no, it is fine. I did it last year. You just run away from him instead.
Just waiting for someone to make a joke about my shorts and a negative split.
True story: I tried to buy some shorts like Phil's once but they didn't have any small enough.
So is that how you managed it with over 3 minutes to spare?
That's right. I ran like someone who's being chased down by a perv in tiny dayglo orange shorts.*
*sorry Phil.
Everyone should run the second half of the marathon in this way.
Behavioural psychology can explain these different motivations for running.
There are essentially 4 ways an activity can affect us.
1) Naturally reinforcing - we enjoy it as we are doing it - we will usually want to do this activity again, i.e it is reinforced.
2) Reward reinforcing - we may not enjoy the process but we feel good about the result /achievement on completion. We are likely to do this again if the achievement feels good enough.
3) Negatively reinforcing - this doesn't make us feel good but stops us from feeling bad i.e prevents or removes a feeling of guilt or shame. Can be the guilt of not exercising, the bad feeling from being overweight, or the shame of feeling lazy. We will continue to do the activity if the cost/unpleasantness of the negative emotion outweighs the cost/unpleasantness of the activity.
4) Punishing - we generally try to avoid this kind of activity, however if the good feeling after is strong enough (reward reinforcement) or the negative emotion feels really bad (negative reinforcement) we can push ourselves to continue with a punishing activity.
All of us will run for one of the first 3 reasons, even if we experience it as punishing (if we do it'll be type 2) or 3)).
The activity can change between the 3. Running for me alternates between the 3.This morning my parkrun was punishing (I felt awful) but ran a PB thus a big reward reinforcement.
Idid a 10k today and did my slowest time in 3 years (almost since starting) and I hated every second of it and wanted to give up.
I think I may be giving running up after my next 3 booked marathons as like many of you have said life is too short.
Ah but Gideon that brings me onto Jonny's reason no 4 - the thought of flunking out and failing is too great not to stop myself completing these. so i have another few weeks or self flagellation.
LOL, Gideon I have 3 marathons in about 5 weeks. - Yes I get that feeling on times.
I always presumed most people didn't like running.
Thats good to hear Tim. It does beat you up quite a bit running marathons.
I'd be destroyed if I raced a half every month!
Of course most people don't like running, that why most people don't actually run.
🙂
Good point RicF - most people cant be wrong can they!
I'm counting down the weeks now till marathon no1 is out the way.
I hate running, problem is I'm so feckin good at it.
They're expensive and generally involve travel. Also I am allergic to beer. If I want to do a race for fun with like-minded people I've plenty of shorter road and trail races available where I live, with unlimited free cake at the finish. If I'm going to the effort of doing a half I'd rather either race it for a time or a place and do it at the end of a proper block of training.
Though having said that I have just entered one in the summer just for 'fun' on holiday.
You don't have to enter a marathon and do months of training.
Other types of running are available and some of them are fun.
I think all the types of running are fun. With the - perhaps ironic - exception of 'fun runs', which I think look tedious.
My marathons are abroad like Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Venice , Florence etc so get a good holiday out of it. Gone to places I would not of gone to otherwise. Got some good pb's to tell my kids. Raised lots of money for charity as my parents died of cancer, which is how I started doing marathons.
Shame I don't enjoy the physical running. I genuinely thought most people didn't . Learnt a lot on this forum.
Yes westy you are bloody good at it - you git! Lol