3 Rules for Running Success
Tomorrow I’m presenting my Top 3 Training Philosophies in a free webinar for runners. These were my own training philosophies that helped me get to the top as an Olympic athlete, and they have proven truly effective time and again with all the runners I coach. I believe that these foundational training principles are the “secrets” that lead to actual progress.
Here’s what you need to know to take your running to the next level:
#1. Use Variety
I’ve written about the concept of variety before in Get Out of the Rut. Variety should be included in training in every area. The only thing that should not be changing all the time is how consistently we train. Consistency (with some ebb and flow) is a must. Try to include variety in
TRAIN SMART.
GET FASTER.
STAY HEALTHY.
HAVE FUN.
Effort
Paces
Terrain
Training Mode
Most training days the effort should be low, but some days should include moderate effort and at least 1 day per week should have some hard running. In parallel, most training days should be running easy and somewhat slow. But some days should have moderately fast running, like a tempo, and we should also include fast running, whether it be in an interval workout or with strides.
Variety can also be incorporated in terrain by making hills a priority if your neighborhood is flat, or seeking out flats if neighborhood is hilly. Hill repeats are also a highly effective fitness-building workout. Running on different surfaces is another way to get mix things up in training. Our bodies need different training stimulus to continue getting stronger.
Finally, we can add variety by including strength training and (when appropriate) cross training.
To learn a lot more about the philosophy of variety in training, watch the webinar recording.
#2. Measure Your Effort
Proper pacing is so important not only for races but also for training. “Measuring your effort” means knowing how much gas is in the tank. Runners who can measure their effort are the runners finishing strong at the end of races, blowing past others who are fading to the finish. Learning to pace ourselves effectively means being disciplined early on in order to protect our ability to finish confidently and strong.
#3. Take Care of Your Body
Running is a high-impact, CONTACT sport. Our bodies contacting the ground thousands of times in a single run with forces up to 3x our own body weight. On top of that, the running motion is so repetitive and all in one direction that injury is almost inevitable.
Runners generally just want to run, but runners actually need to understand that in order to “just run” we also need to do a bunch of other things to survive our training and stay healthy.
Self-therapy, mobility exercises, foam rolling, massages, physio and more - these aren’t just for the injured runner. A healthy runner is healthy either because they a) rarely run b) are lucky or c) include all the above as preventative measures, helping them stay healthy.
Want to learn more about these Rules for Success?
Watch my FREE webinar.
Nicole Sifuentes is a full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. She is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Read more about her services, and schedule your free coaching consultation.