Back to Training Tips Table of Contents.
Regardless of whether you define successful running as setting a
new personal best or maintaining health and fitness, the steps to
success remain the same. There are seven basic steps
to successful running.
1. ESTABLISH A GOAL.
Before setting out on a journey, you need to decide where you are
going. A goal gives you an objective or destination. Goals need to be
challenging yet achievable and as specific as possible. For example,
qualify for the 100th running of the Boston marathon in 1996. Without
a goal, your running is aimless.
2. DEVELOP A PLAN.
Once the goal has been determined, steps need to be put into place
to achieve the goal. These steps are your plan or training program.
Unfortunately, most runners follow the "Christopher Columbus" training
program. Christopher Columbus didn't know where he was
going, didn't where he was when he got there, and didn't know where he
had been when he got back. This type of runner occasionally has a
great race, but doesn't know why or how to repeat it in the future.
Keeping a running log will enable you to develop your plan. A log
provides a written record of your successes and failures. If you
achieve your goals, it shows the proper path to repeat the process. If
you have a disappointing performance or become injured, it allows you
to see where mistakes were made so as not to repeat them in the future.
3. GET A COACH.
You may be able to get your plan from a book or runners' magazine,
but that's about all you will get. A coach will not only help you
develop your training program but will also motivate
you, make you believe you can achieve your goals and monitor your
training to save you from
self destruction. Everyone can benefit from a coach.
4. BE CONSISTENT.
Be consistent with your training. We are what we repeatedly do.
Successful running is
not a single act, but a habit. It is like filling a bucket with an
eyedropper. The process takes
days, weeks, months and years of training. One day, the bucket
overflows and all the hard work
pays off. Consistency is the mark of a champion.
5. STAY FOCUSED.
Your life is filled with many distractions - work, family and
personal obligations. You
must block out unnecessary distractions and focus on what is important
and what will contribute
to your goals and success. Focus puts persistence and determination
into your training.
Consistency without focus is like going through the motions. Focus
insures that all of your
"drops" are being put into the same "bucket."
6. STAY INJURY FREE.
Remaining injury free is the cornerstone to successful running.
Regardless of which
training program you follow or who your coach may be, you cannot be
successful if you are
unable to run. Try to prevent injuries by listening to your body. If
an injury should occur, give
it immediate attention. The longer an injury persists the longer it
takes to recover. If you do not
know how to treat it properly seek the advice of a professional. Do
not sacrifice your health for
fitness. Remember, when injured, you are no longer a participant, but
a spectator.
7. ENJOY THE PROCESS.
Running is supposed to be fun. When it no longer is, the result
is boredom and "burnout."
If we all quit running after every poor performance, there would be no
one left running. Whether
or not the goal is achieved, the struggle of a job well done should be
fulfilling. Successful
running is a journey, not a destination.
These seven steps do not exist as separate entities. They are
facets or pieces to a larger
puzzle. If you are missing some of the principles, you cannot complete
the picture. The mind
and body learn and perform according to what we repeatedly do. By
consistently applying these
principles over time, you can be a more successful runner. If you
continue to train the way you
always have, you will continue to get the same results (and deserve
it). Accept the challenge to
become a more successful runner.
With more than 35 years of competitive running and over 60 road
race victories
between them, Dr. Ronald S. Kulik and Dr. Neil P. McLaughlin are among
the leading National
Capital Area physicians who specialize in the drug-less, nonsurgical
treatment of athletes and
sports related injuries. Dr. Kulik and Dr. McLaughlin are avid
participants in the Reston Runners
as well as members of the ACA and VCA Council on Sports Injuries and
Physical Fitness. Drs.
Kulik and McLaughlin practice at the Commonwealth Chiropractic Center
of Reston, where they
treat many of the area's top runners. Questions or comments should be
sent to 11319 Sunset Hills
Road, Reston, VA, 22091. (703)742-7856
