How to live with a grumpy Ultra Runner

If you live with an Ultra Runner, it is certain that you will have to deal with grumpiness due to injury, poor results in a race or worst case scenario - a DNF.

Here are some handy hints should you ever find yourself in that position.

Injuries

If the injury is a recurring one, memorise the most effective treatment so that you can offer appropriate advice as soon as it happens. Your runner will be impressed that you know how to treat ITBS or groin strain.

If the injury is a new one, then spend hours on the internet googling the symptoms and asking other runners for their tips.

If the injury is severe enough to stop your runner from running, then you need to have a range of distractions to take their mind off not running. Suggestions from personal experience include taking up another sporting activity (like golf) to spend quality time together, a family holiday, romantic distraction (I don't need to elaborate further, do I?) or food poisoning (guaranteed to take their mind off not running!)

Poor race results

Now this one is a bit trickier. Again a good memory is useful as you can suggest many reasons for a poor result. Like

1. You've been working very long hours
2. You didn't have time fit in all the training you needed.
3. The day itself was too hot/cold/wet/windy.
4. You had a dreadful journey getting to the race.
5. You had a cold/virus/food poisoning the week before.
6. You didn't eat/drink enough before the race.

There are some things we just don't have control over but meticulous planning can avoid some of them.

DNF

This really is the worst of the scenarios. If your runner has to drop out of a race, then something serious has happened. In my experience it's usually down to an injury (see above tips) or a virus.

A virus is the hardest thing to deal with. Unless you get a blood test PDQ from a willing doctor, you just don't know what it was. You also have to take post-viral tiredness into account as well. So, effectively it's a double whammy.

The best advice I can offer in this case is to stock up your whisky cabinet and let your runner wallow in their misery for a few days/weeks depending on the importance of the race. When you've just about had enough of their greeting face, tell them to get their running shoes back on and JUST DO IT! Remind them that running is supposed to be fun. If that doesn't work, advise them to take up knitting!