Don’t look now, but it’s getting to be that time of year again.
No, not that time of year.
Well, it is getting to be that time of year, but that’s not what I’m talking about today.
For a lot of runners, goal races have come and gone and it’s time to do a little post-race debrief. Read more
Sometimes you have to take a step back and reflect on the journey that you’re on.
Today is one of those days.
The first episode of this little podcast was released on 1 July 2014, which means that we have now begun the 12th year of Diz Runs Radio.
It really is.
What better time than now to look back at some of the biggest running lessons learned since I hit record 11 years ago, eh?
First, a couple of disclaimers.
The following list is in no particular order.
I’m sure I’m leaving off half a dozen lessons that deserve to be included.
Some of the lessons learned are major changes to what I believed/thought I knew.
Others are beliefs that have been reinforced.
But one way or another, these are some running lessons we’d all be wise to keep in mind.
At least, in my expert opinion…
This is probably the area where I’ve evolved the most.
Or, maybe more appropriately, where I’ve become enlightened.
Easy runs need to be the vast majority of your training runs.
Want to race faster? Run more miles? Reduce your risk of injury? Improve your aerobic health? Build/maintain a strong base?
Keep your easy runs easy.
Fueling is one of those areas that has gotten simultaneously more complicated and simpler over the years.
There are more fueling options available than ever before.
Gels. Chews. Waffles. Syrup. Liquids. Caffeine. Electrolytes. Real food. Body fat. Swedish fish.
Find out what works for you and roll with it.
When I started running, I was massively race-motivated.
If I didn’t have a race on the calendar, I wasn’t running.
While there is nothing wrong with being motivated by the next race, running has the potential to be a life-long thing.
If you also want to keep running right up until they put you in the ground, long-term thinking/decision making is a good idea.
Have a bit of a niggle that isn’t getting better? Might be better to shut it down for a few weeks than force the issue.
You need to do more than just run to be the best runner you can be.
Strength training. Mobility work. Sleep. Cross-training.
If running is your favorite form of exercise, then by all means make running your primary way of working out.
Just don’t make it your only way of working out.
Because the healthier you are in all facets of life, the better you’ll be able to push yourself on the road or trail.
Especially as you get older.
Why do we as humans have this tendency to believe that changing course is a bad thing?
Especially when it comes to something that we enjoy doing, like running?
If you decide you don’t really like racing anymore? Then don’t race anymore!
No longer excited by big city road races but love the hours of quiet and solitude of a trail ultra? Then hit the trails!
Your running goals are meant to motivate you, not make you feel trapped into doing what you no longer excites you.
If your goals change along the way? Embrace the new goals.
And remember, nothing says you can’t revert back to the old goals if/when the spirit moves you.
Stop worrying about what other people think.
Especially people you don’t know.
You need to do what you need to do, period.
As long as what you’re doing isn’t impacting others, that is.
So if you’re worried about what someone else will think about you running without a shirt or if you’re carrying your own water or if your shoes clash with your socks or whatever else, stop it.
Odds are? Other runners are too worried about themselves to really pay any attention to your situation.
And if they are paying attention and judging you in some sort of way?
Fuck em, cause they don’t even matter.
As long as you’re having fun, you’re doing it right.
Again, with the caveat that your fun doesn’t negatively impact anyone else.
Run in costume. Stop to pet the dogs. Enjoy a mid-race shot of fireball.
Whatever tickles your fancy out there, do it.
Life’s too short to spend time running if you’re not having any fun.
The amount of knowledge that is available these days is incredible.
And if you stop and think about it for a second, that means that the amount of knowledge that we lack is almost equally incredible.
Running provides so many opportunities to learn.
About yourself. How your body works. About humanity is a whole.
If you’re open to continuing to learn, running will continue to provide lessons.
So much of our success comes down to our minds.
If you think you can do something, you’ll get it done.
Except…
At the end of the day, your genetics are your genetics.
We all have limits on what we are capable of physically doing.
Now, to be clear, most of us don’t get close to our genetic potential as runners.
And more often than not, the thing that holds us back is between our ears.
So think positively. Have all the mantras. Dream big.
But don’t forget that some goals are beyond what you can possibly achieve.
As much as I don’t like people, and I really don’t like people, being around runners is always a good time.
If I’m going to come out of my cave and have actual interactions with people, I really only want said people to be runners.
Sure, there are always going to be a turd or two in any mass of humanity.
But it would take a lot to convince me that the world wouldn’t be a better place if there were more runners in it.
11 years of running lessons learned in 11 years of podcasting. #runchat Share on X
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If you’re like most runners, and probably most people in general, patience isn’t your strongest suit.
If you have big goals, you know it’s going to take some hard work over time in order to reach your goals.
But if you’re anything like me, you like to see some big chunks of progress on occasion to confirm that you’re on the right path.
While we know that one percent of improvement is still an improvement, it’s easy to overlook that small amount of growth as trivial.
Over time, however, a one percent improvement can be huge! Read more
Would you class yourself as a perfectionist?
How is the expectation of perfection working out for you?
I think all of us would prefer that our training, races, and life outside of running would always go as planned.
However, here in the real world, perfection is much more of the exception than the rule.
My guest today is a lady who wasn’t much of a runner a few years ago, but now running is a huge part of her life.
She has just become a coach and recently published her book Just Run.
I look forward to going a few easy miles with Merili Freear today!
Merili Freear