Why Runners Say “I Haven’t Trained Much”: A Psychological Perspective

 Why Runners Say “I Haven’t Trained Much”: A Psychological Perspective

Kia Ora koutou,

This is Hiro.

It’s been quite a while, around 2 and a half years, since the last update. Over the past year, I’ve accumulated some new insights from a slightly different perspective on athletics and coaching. I’d like to gradually share them with you.

Today’s Topic:

Why do runners say, “I haven’t trained much”?

If you’re involved in the sports of athletics, you’ve probably heard this phrase many times, either from teammates or maybe even from your mouth:

“I haven’t trained much lately.”

This is something often said before or after a race. In this post, I’ll explore what kind of psychological state this phrase reflects and how we, as athletes, coaches, or teammates, can better understand and respond to it.

How do you feel about your result today?

1. A Psychological Safety framing: Loss Aversion

This is something most athletes can relate to. The athletics field often involves training with others and comparing results. Unlike some sports, our performance is visible in objective numbers, our times, distances, and rankings. Regardless of the journey or effort, we are ultimately evaluated by results.

By saying “I haven’t trained much,” we’re trying to set a mental baseline for others (and ourselves):

“If I don’t perform well, that’s expected.”

This strategy taps into the common (and often unspoken *Implicit bias) assumption in athletics:

• Training hard = better results
• Not training = worse performance

So, by saying “I haven’t trained,” an athlete subtly manages expectations, both externally and internally.

It’s a convenient excuse with a wide range of justifications:

• Busy with work
• Studying for exams
• Slight cold or fatigue

This sets up a psychological safety framing:

• If I fail → it’s understandable.
• If I succeed → it’s even more impressive!

Underneath it all is the fear:

“If I fail, people will think less of me.”

Athletes who genuinely enjoy the training process and set personal goals may not feel this fear as strongly. But when external validation becomes too important (praise, approval, status), the fear of failure increases, and so does the tendency to say things like “I didn’t really train.”

2. Maximizing the Impact of Success

This phrase also serves a second function:

To inflate the perceived value of the result,

For example:

• Athlete A runs 50km/week
• Athlete B runs 100km/week
  If both run a marathon in 2:20, Athlete A's performance seems more impressive.

Even without specific numbers, saying “I haven’t trained” creates an impression of overachievement. It’s used both before and after races to make one's performance stand out more by a framing effect.

Now, let’s look at what this phrase does internally, when directed toward oneself:

1. Self-awareness (Positive)

Used constructively, this phrase helps an athlete evaluate their condition realistically:

• “I haven’t built enough VO₂ max; I’ll start the race slower.”
• “I’ll enter a slower heat to match my current fitness.”
• “I’ll skip this race and focus on recovery.”

After a race, it also allows proper reflection on training and preparation, leading to smarter planning going forward.

2. Avoidance & Negative Loops (Negative)

On the flip side, overusing this mindset can undermine confidence:

• You trained, but still say you didn’t.
• If failure happens repeatedly, you internalize:

“Even when I train, I fail. Maybe I’m just not good enough.”

This becomes a negative spiral and rumination.
Eventually, both the athlete and their peers might start believing that improvement is unlikely, regardless of effort. To break this, athletes need to escape the old framework and try something new. Rebuilding performance through fresh strategies can reignite motivation and belief.

Reflective journals work for self-awareness and metacognition

But Wait… Why Do Some Athletes Proudly Declare Big Goals?

In contrast to “I haven’t trained,” we often hear things like:

“Say your goals out loud! Speak with confidence!”

Isn’t this risky? Isn’t it the opposite of avoiding loss?

Let’s explore the psychological and social benefits of declaring goals:

1. Social & Material Support

For elite athletes, especially, public goals bring tangible support such as training environments, funding, time, coaching, and sponsorships.
This works when the potential rewards outweigh the risks of failure.

2. Self-Efficacy

In contrast to the self-doubt caused by understatements, setting and voicing goals can strengthen belief in one’s abilities, like self-encouragement.

When grounded in real training and experience, saying “I can do this” can shift the brain into a self-fulfilling mindset.

This confidence must be built from actual progress, small wins, and authentic self-evaluation, not just wishful thinking.

The Risks of Over-Declaring Goals

Let’s not forget the real-life scenario and social-cultural norms. There can be downsides. Especially in team or group settings, when goal-setting becomes performative, problems arise:

“What kind of goal will make my coach happy?”
“What will my teammates think of this?”
“I have to say something big to fit in.”

These thoughts can lead to:

• Obligation-based motivation (“I have to do this or I’ll let everyone down.”)
• Self-denial and pressure (“I know it’s unrealistic, but now I can’t change it.”)

What’s missing here is:

• Honest self-evaluation
• Realistic goal-setting
• Support from coaches or teammates to adjust and reflect

The story tells us all of self-efficacy, social evaluation, social support, and pressure...

Conclusion

As coaches, managers, or teammates, it's important to observe athletes' phrases like
“I haven’t trained much” or “I want to win nationals” are not as good/bad, but as clues to their inner mindset.

Also, let’s move away from rigid or mandatory rules under the power dynamics like:

“You are old enough to manage yourself.” / “Don’t be negative!” / “Aim high goals!”

These policies and group norms ignore individuality. They often favor athletes who already fit the success model, creating survivorship bias. But success comes in many forms, and each athlete’s process is unique.

By paying attention to how athletes express, reframe, and regulate their mindset, we can support them not just physically
but psychologically as well.