In some sports we find different phases throughout the training, such as cycling or running. Normally you start your training like a racehorse and finish with a good push when you see the finish line, but the tricky part is in the intervening kilometers. You're not the only one this happens to.
It turns out that when performing tasks that extend over time, such as a workout or a race, people tend to put most of their effort into the start and finish , but much less into the middle, according to a recent study published in the journal Cortex.
How to avoid the STIM pattern in training?
The researchers asked 18 people to play a simple computer game in which they controlled a spacecraft that shot down asteroids. They were told that for each session, the top performers would receive an additional financial bonus, paid after the last session.
They discovered that participants tended to invest high levels of effort at the beginning and end of a game, in a U-shaped pattern. This is consistent with previous research, including athletes in track running, swimming, rowing, and cycling, all of which involved what they called a STIM pattern , short for the "caught in the middle" effect.
In terms of why this happens, it's likely due to an unconscious belief in balancing cost and reward, according to study co-author Nitzan Censor. The STIM pattern reflects a greater reward at the beginning and end, and the longer the task, the more people tend to perceive the middle portion as too costly in terms of effort . The result is that effort can decrease considerably over the course of a task, especially if the beginning and end are considered particularly rewarding.
For example, you might enjoy the thrill of the starting line, as well as seeing the finish line during a race of any distance. But if you're fixated on those two elements as a reward, you might actually be decreasing the amount of effort you put into the race.
How to maintain motivation throughout the training?
If you're someone who needs that extra motivation during the middle of your miles or training cycle, there are a few possible ways to address this point of least effort. The first is simply to recognize that this is what people tend to do naturally. Just knowing that this is common and that most people tend to push themselves less in the middle of training can be helpful in giving yourself a break.
But if that mindset is sabotaging your training and races—for example, by slowing you down—then you can make adjustments based on modifying that "intermediate" period in your training. For instance, you can start at an easier pace , instead of going all out from the beginning, and gradually increase the intensity. This can help shorten the period of lower effort.
Another adjustment to consider is having different goals for the middle of your workout . Starting and reaching a specific goal, such as time or distance, provides its own rewards, but you can also mix it up to play with motivation. For example, you can introduce some sprints. This creates mini-goals in the middle of your longer workouts.