BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Be Ready to Give Encouragement

Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about words of encouragement and just how much power they truly have. But first, I'd like to share with you what inspired this week's topic. If you don't know Paul Maness, you should. He is undoubtedly one of the best runners I have ever had the honor of knowing. He is also one of the humblest people you will ever meet. Did you know that he is also the writer for the Bass Pro Fitness Series page? And that he loves encouraging others? He certainly knows a little something about encouragement then, and how much it means to receive it and how important it is to give it. This is something made all the more apparent by what he posted on July 16, "Was ready to walk it in on a run this morning, when a friend comes around the corner, gives me a big smile and thumbs up. Ended up finishing solid. It's amazing what a simple, positive, gesture can do to turn someone else's day around. This applies to everything." I couldn't agree more with my buddy Paul and love the comment our mutual friend, Allyn Wollard, left, "So true! My first 50 miler, I was ready to DNF until Dr. Bob Dewar passed me. I said “throw me a rope Bob” he did and I finished! You never forget things like that!" 

So knowing that a simple, positive gesture, and an encouraging word can be the difference between a DNF (Did Not Finish) and a strong finish, check out what Runner's World Magazine had to say in an article titled, "Researchers reveal the best things to shout to encourage runners." 

What do you shout to encourage runners when you're a spectator at a race? 'Keep going!'? 'You can do it!'? 'Nearly there!'?

If you’re never quite sure what will actually help, new research has determined the best – and worst – things to shout.

Researchers at Plymouth Marjan University revealed that the right positive encouragement from crowds can boost runners' performance. In the study ‘Keep the Pace! You’ve Got This!’: The Content and Meaning of Impactful Crowd Encouragement at Mass Running Events’, they found that while positive comments can benefit athletes, it has to be the right type of encouragement. Unsurprisingly, helpful encouragement had a positive effect on the 861 runners surveyed who took part in mass-participation events. The results found that the quality of the instructions and encouragement made a difference. False information about the distance remaining (eg 'Last hill!' when in reality there were three hills left) was seen as unhelpful, whereas instructional information personalized to the runner was most helpful (eg 'Run tall, keep your pace Sophie!' if they have a personalized vest [or bib]).

For those who’ve run the London Marathon [or the Bass Pro Marathon], you’ll know the value of having your name on your shirt. The moment a stranger personally encourages you to keep going when you’re struggling can lift your head and seemingly re-energize your fatigued body.

The study found the reason for this was that these type of positive comments made runners experience a sense of skill and pride at what they’re doing while also bonding with the crowd, making them feel like they want to pay it back by running well. The research led to a handy acronym for next time you’re cheering at a race: ‘IMPACT’ – Instructional and practical advice and encouragement (eg 'Keep your pace'), Motivational ('Great effort'), Personalized (with their name, running club or charity; making eye contact), Authentic and non-judgemental ('That's a great charity you're running for'), Confidence-building ('You can do this!'), and Tailored to the distance ('You’ve only got half a kilometer to go').

Unhelpful things to yell include false information on how much of the race is left to run (eg 'Not far now!' when there is far to go), comments on the runner's appearance or advising runners to dig deep when they’ve already dug to rock bottom.

The researchers recommended that if you're cheering at an event try to remain empathetic to how runners are feeling and be genuine in your encouragement while refraining from encouraging injured runners to push harder.

So there you have it friends. A few words of encouragement at just the right time can be the very thing that gives a runner their second wind or the mental fortitude to keep going when they feel like giving up. So be ready at all times to "throw somebody a rope" in the form of words that will lift them up or a thumbs up and a big smile that says, "I believe in you. You can do this!" You'll never know this side of heaven the impact of doing so will have. Happy Running!