How to “Live the Lifestyle” of a Distance Runner
There seems to be a clear reason why the East Africans are so successful at distance running: they live the lifestyle. No fancy cars, no distractions. Just the bare necessities. Only what they need to be a really good distance runner. Sure, it’s a simpler way of life, but it’s a life in which they are prepared to make those sacrifices in order to be the best runner (or athlete) they can be.
I know that we aren’t professional runners and can’t be like that 24/7. But “living the lifestyle” as much as we can certainly can’t hurt our performance. There are certain aspects of our lives that we can optimize to maximize our running potential.
1. Set Goals
- Set lofty goals that are attainable with some serious hard work.
- Voice these goals to everyone who will listen.
- Get to working to achieve these goals.
2. Let our training do the talking
- Run
- Hydrate
- Sleep
- Stretch
- Strength train
- Appropriate days off
- Communicate with coach to modify training
3. Reap the benefits of our training
- Race when it’s appropriate and run confidently and proudly
- Compete to the best of your ability
4. Repeat process at an even higher level
- Repeat step # 2.
Once you’ve mastered these 4 steps, you’re ready to take your running to the next level. It’s not practical in our hustling, bustling urban cities to live like the best runners in the world. But if we take some of their practices and implement them into our daily routines, I promise you that you’ll get faster.
Need more reasons to live the lifestyle? Check out other TrainwithMarc athletes who’ve taken steps to run fast!
Dan proving you can take time away from running and come back strong
Samantha showing grit and determination in her marathon
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