I’m letting you in on a little secret today. Call it my belated Christmas gift to you.
The only thing that is holding you back from achieving your running goals is … you.
Shocking isn’t it?
An article called Hate to break it to you but you are the reason your life sucks so much by Becca Martin recently caught my eye on my Facebook feed. While the article was about positivity and improving one’s life, I immediately applied the advice to running.
The author’s words were not original. We have all heard it before.
You will never achieve anything in life if you focus on the negatives.
Think glass half full.
To some of you it may sound flaky, but I firmly believe life is better with a smile. I’ve had plenty of hardship in my life, and I managed to pull through by staying positive and being grateful for what life has up for grabs. Anything is possible when you have the right mindset.
Because it is that time of year for reflection and goal setting, I will share tips on how to accomplish two of the most common running goals just in time for 2017.
I loosely used the “you will never x, y and z, if you always x, y and z” formula from the article.
Let’s start with the obvious. Most runners want to run faster. Guilty as charged.
Listen closely.
You will never run faster, if you do not run fast. I repeat. You must run fast to become a fast runner. Yup it’s that simple.
Miracles do not happen on race day. Think about it. If you run all your training runs at the same, comfortable pace, you are not challenging your body. Don’t expect to run two minutes faster per kilometre on race day because unless you put in the work. You will only set yourself up for failure.
Improving running pace takes time but if you set your mind to it, you will shave off those seconds and minutes.
A good idea is to train with faster runners (than yourself).
You will never become a “runner,” if you constantly come up with excuses.
Let 2017 be the year that you start running. Trust me, it will change your life and introduce you to new places and new friends. Get started today or wait to January 1 (your choice).
I know winter running can suck but there are always other options to keep running. There’s the track at Penhold Multiplex and the Collicutt Centre and dozens of gyms across Red Deer that boast treadmills.
Remember to ask yourself, what have I done today to help me reach my goal?
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Find Running with Rhyno on Facebook and @CrystalRhyno on Twitter. Send your column ideas, photos and stories to crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com