“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
Hey all so I figured I would make a post for beginning runners and people just getting into the sport on what they can do to become a successful runner.
1.) Enjoy yourself! This seems pretty obvious but I have been around people in the sport who look at running as a chore and dislike it immensely which really doesn't make sense but they quickly move on to things they actually enjoy. Running each and every day takes discipline, hard work and a mix of talent if you really want to be good. Being good to each person is different and people need to know that.
2.) Set achievable goals. If you have ran a 6 minute mile it probably isn't the smartest thing in the world to have a goal of 4:10 by the end of the season. As my Coach in college used to say, "You have to be a 4:05 miler first before you can be a 4 minute one." Meaning staying consistent in training and races will allow you to reach those small but measurable goals one day at a time. Also, having small goals will allow you to celebrate along the way instead of focusing on falling short every time. It will build confidence and allow you to enjoy what you're doing.
3.) Be consistent. This is really important in the sense that running is all about consistency. You will get better over time if you can stay healthy and put in the miles day after day. But to stay consistent you have to practice it and live it in all facets of your life. Again to quote my Coach, "To be a good runner you can't just flip a switch on race day it has to start in training." So some days running is going to be hard, you're not going to want to do it, you're going to be tired but the best ones figure out how to get it done. So be that person.
4.) Listen to your coach. This might have been my biggest struggle from high school to college running was listening to my coach because I sort of was on my own in a sense with training in high school. I thought I knew what I was doing and didn't really build a good relationship in the middle years of my college life. These middle years were also my worst years. (See how that works?) So if there is one thing I can stress is to go in and talk to your coach on a daily basis. If something is bothering you with training or you don't like what is happening voice your opinion and find out why your coach is doing something because they will explain it to you. Just know that for the most part a coach has your best interest in mind and isn't out to make you fail.
5.) Don't be afraid to take chances. The biggest rewards come with the biggest risks. You must learn to get out of your comfort zone while running and go beyond what you think is possible. More often than not what you think is impossible is easily achievable with the right amount of risks. Here is where listening to your coach comes into play. Having that relationship will allow you to bounce ideas off each other about training risks and racing tactics and allow you to take those risks that garner the big rewards.
6.) Live a healthy lifestyle. This could be taken in lots of ways. Some of the obvious ones are healthy eating (eat your fruits and vegetables!) and the sorts but it goes much more beyond that. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep a day is a minimum for any athlete and some need even more than that. Also, surrounding yourself with people who support your running lifestyle and respect what goes along with that. I'm not saying you can't let loose every once in awhile but there is always a time and place for it like after the season or after a goal race. Running, like it or not, is a lifestyle and to be good at it you need to make the necessary sacrifices that come with it.
7.) Be a student of the sport. Try to take everything in and learn about the athletes around you, including yourself. Learn what is a good time at every level and what products are beneficial for you to be successful. This will not only help you as a runner but also help your fellow runners because you will be able to support them and possibly provide tips to make them better. I think this is why we don't have many outside sponsors in our sport because not many runners know who our best athletes are at the Olympics or World Championships. To allow our sport to grow we need fans at every level. Get involved in your local running groups, races and running stores!
I'm sure I am missing a lot of stuff but I think this is at least a good start to what people need to do at the minimum to be successful at running in my opinion.
Until next time my friends
--Josh
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