Run Fast
Injuries are the number one reason that runners don’t achieve their goals, and injuries are so frustrating especially when there are no giant gains in running, no short cuts, change, and progress is incremental, and it takes time. But this can feel disheartening when we live in a world of instantaneous rewards and immediate dopamine hits.
Did you ever think you would be running at the age you are now? Are you hanging on for dear life until it’s time to hang up your trainers or are you looking at a future where running is just as important as it is now? Where do you want to be in terms of your running in 10/20/30 years’ time?
And if you want to be a lifelong runner, ask yourself if you are taking the time to look after your “whole” self? We all used to be able to get away with cutting corners when we were younger, how many of us now could party all night and get up to work the next morning? We must face the fact that our bodies are changing and that we must adapt but that doesn’t mean stop, it means adjusting.
So, I’m going to encourage you to run faster! Instead of telling you to slow down, maybe it’s time to add some spice into your training plan now you’ve been running for a few years; maybe you’ve got a tweak that you didn’t have and now you think it’s time to pack it all in. I’m advising you not to! I’m saying NO, you just need to run FASTER!
Think back, what has running done for you? We read all the time about how being active is the “antidote” to living longer, recent research has found that any short vigorous activity in your daily routine can make a significant reduction of your risk from dying from cancer or heart disease. Add this to being more physically active in middle age you are potentially giving yourself the best opportunity to be more physically able, to run for longer and to run healthier in later life; this wasn’t the norm 20 years ago, in fact it was quite rare for people to continue running in their 60s, 70s & 80s, yet I’ve taught many people over 60 years old how to run and they continue to do so.
Are you running easy mile after easy mile week in and week out? If all you do is easy running then potentially you are not strengthening your connective tissues or firing up your calves, hamstrings, and glutes to make them stronger and more efficient.
Whilst easy miles have their place, it’s also important to run using a full range of motion, to fire up and revive all your muscles; the body is a “cell” that needs to be stimulated to grow, if it isn’t stimulated and pushed then it can stagnate. If all you run are easy miles and then go and run a race and try to run faster, this might result in a new tweak of pain that could put you out of running for a few weeks or even months. Add this to the fact you might be feeling too old to run, who could blame you for giving up! And you haven’t even given yourself a chance to reach your full potential.
Shake your training up, embrace the feeling of running fast. By adding in a sprinkling of fast running you can strengthen connective tissue, ligaments and tendons that will help keep you running for many more years. Try an interval session that will help you control your speed or on your next run throw in some strides; simply pick up the pace until you are running as fast as you can without stressing, back off then do it again. Enjoy the feeling of driving your legs up higher or experiencing the wind in your face and the joy of freedom. This isn’t about gritting it out until it’s over until you are ready to puke, we don’t have to do that anymore.